The Lemon Index
Acura's 3.5 L twin-turbo hybrid 75° V6 in the NSX, model years 2017–2022. YouTube likes the 2021 best.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 57/100, #18 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 8 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 2017–2022, about any part of the car. Supercars sell in small numbers, so we show YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes instead.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2021 (67) and least about the 2018 (46); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | NSX | 6 | 54 (22 videos) | 0 |
| 2018 | NSX | 0 | 46 (10 videos) | 0 |
| 2019 | NSX | 1 | 55 (11 videos) | 0 |
| 2020 | NSX | 0 | 57 (10 videos) | 0 |
| 2021 | NSX | 1 | 67 (10 videos) | 0 |
| 2022 | NSX | 0 | 60 (12 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine
No NHTSA recalls we can tie to this engine's cars.
Engine problems Acura told dealers about
Acura sent dealers 10 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- Tech line summary article - If there's an EVAP system leak from the filler neck (DTC P0455 [EVAP system large…
- Tech line summary article - To improve efficiency, the factory has installed new equipment for filling the…
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Acura NSX NSX Hybrid | 2017–22 |
Engine code: JNC1. Hand-assembled at Honda's Anna, Ohio engine plant. Power: 573–602 hp, factory figures (with the motors). Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Honda NSX (second generation) · First serial production 2017 Acura NSX rolls off the line (Honda).
Quick answers
What cars have the Acura JNC1 engine?
In the US: the Acura NSX, model years 2017–2022. See the version table for each one.
Is the Acura JNC1 reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 57/100, #18 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: supercars sell in small numbers. Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Acura JNC1 make?
573–602 hp in factory figures, depending on the car (with the motors).