The Lemon Index
Acura's 3.0 L turbo 60° V6, DOHC in the TLX Type S and MDX Type S, model years 2021–2026. YouTube likes the 2024 best.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 60/100, #5 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record.
Everyday cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
Model years from EPA version lists. Only years we have a car page for.
Reliability by year
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2024 (62) and least about the 2023 (56); 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | TLX Type S | 32 | 60 (65 videos) | 0 |
| 2022 | TLX Type S, MDX Type S | 32 | 59 (72 videos) | 0 |
| 2023 | MDX Type S, TLX Type S | 13 | 56 (77 videos) | 0 |
| 2024 | MDX Type S, TLX Type S | 2 | 62 (84 videos) | 0 |
| 2025 | MDX Type S, TLX Type S | 0 | 60 (78 videos) | 0 |
| 2026 | MDX Type S | 0 | 62 (47 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 3 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc
- Service Bulletin - Due to PGM-FI software errors, vehicles that experience an evaporative leak check module…
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 TLX Type S TLX Type-S, TLX Type-S Perf Tire · Acura TLX, every year | 2021–25 |
| Acura MDX Type S MDX AWD Type-S · Acura MDX, every year | 2022–26 |
Engine code: J30AC. Power: 355 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Honda J engine.
Quick answers
What cars have the Acura J30AC 3.0 turbo V6 engine?
In the US: the Acura TLX Type S, Acura MDX Type S, model years 2021–2026. See the version table for each one.
Is the Acura J30AC 3.0 turbo V6 reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 60/100, #5 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record. Owners filed 79 complaints we can tie to it, about any part of the car. Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Acura J30AC 3.0 turbo V6 make?
355 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.