Acura TSX VIN Decoder

Decode any Acura TSX VIN free in under three seconds. Type the 17-character vehicle identification number into the decoder above and pull the generation, model year, engine, trim, transmission, plant of origin, and open NHTSA recalls. No account, no credit card, no email gate.

This page is the dedicated Acura TSX hub. Below you’ll find the real chassis codes the TSX carries inside its own VIN, the single plant that built every one, the engine codes for both generations, a position-by-position guide, and where to physically find the VIN on the car.

About the Acura TSX

The TSX occupies an odd, well-loved corner of Acura history. Rather than build a smaller sedan from scratch for the US market, Honda took the Accord sold in Japan and Europe (a genuinely different, smaller, more tautly sprung car than the larger Accord Americans were buying at the same time) and brought it to the US as the entry-level Acura. That’s why enthusiasts still call the TSX “the Euro Accord” even though it was never badged that way. It launched for model year 2004, ran two full generations, and was discontinued after model year 2014, when Acura folded its positioning (and the larger TL’s) into the single new TLX nameplate.

Generation	Model years	VIN chassis code (positions 4-6)	Platform	Built at
1st gen	2004-2008	CL9	7th-generation Japan/Europe Honda Accord (CL9/CL7 chassis)	Sayama, Saitama, Japan
2nd gen	2009-2014	CU2 (I4 sedan), CU4 (V6 sedan), CW2 (I4 Sport Wagon)	8th-generation Japan/Europe Honda Accord	Sayama, Saitama, Japan

The second generation is the more interesting one to decode because it actually grew the lineup: a 3.5-liter V6 joined the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder for model year 2010 (Acura’s first V6 in this nameplate), and a TSX Sport Wagon body style arrived for model year 2011, built exclusively with the four-cylinder engine and never offered with the six-speed manual or the V6. Every one of these variants, sedan or wagon, four-cylinder or V6, first generation or second, came from the same factory: Honda’s Sayama plant in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. That’s a genuinely unusual fact for a modern Acura. Most of the brand’s other US-market models (the TLX, the MDX, the RDX) are or were built domestically in Ohio; the TSX never was, a direct consequence of it being the American-market version of a car Honda already built in Japan for its home and European markets.

Acura TSX WMI codes (positions 1 to 3)

The first three characters of a VIN form the World Manufacturer Identifier, assigned by SAE on behalf of ISO. We decoded more than 20 real, checksum-valid TSX VINs through NHTSA’s vPIC database, spanning 2004 through 2014, both generations, sedan and wagon, four-cylinder and V6, and every single one carried the same WMI:

WMI	Country	Manufacturer	Notes
JH4	Japan	Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Sayama plant	Every US-market TSX, both generations, all body styles

JH4 is the same Honda-Japan WMI used on other Japan-built Honda and Acura models of the era, such as the Acura RSX and Integra. If a VIN presented as a US-spec TSX starts with anything other than JH4, decode it with the tool at the top of this page before trusting the listing; it’s either a different model, a non-US-market car, or a data-entry error.

How to read an Acura TSX VIN: position by position

Every TSX VIN uses the 17-character ISO 3779 standard, split into a World Manufacturer Identifier, a Vehicle Descriptor Section, a check digit, and a Vehicle Identifier Section.

Positions 1 to 3: World Manufacturer Identifier

See the WMI table above. Because every US-market TSX came from the same Sayama factory, this block never varies the way it does on nameplates assembled at multiple plants or in multiple countries.

Positions 4 to 8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)

This is where the generation, body style, and engine live. Positions 4 to 6 spell out a literal chassis code, and on the TSX that code alone tells you the generation and, on the second generation, whether you’re looking at the four-cylinder sedan, the V6 sedan, or the Sport Wagon:

Code (positions 4-6)	Generation	Engine (confirmed engine code)	Body
CL9	1st gen (2004-2008)	2.4L I4, engine code K24A2	Sedan
CU2	2nd gen (2009-2014)	2.4L I4, engine code K24Z3	Sedan
CU4	2nd gen (2010-2014)	3.5L V6, engine code J35Z6	Sedan
CW2	2nd gen (2011-2014)	2.4L I4, engine code K24Z3	Sport Wagon

All four codes and all three engine codes were confirmed against real, checksum-valid TSX VINs decoded through NHTSA’s vPIC database, including manual-transmission and automatic-transmission examples of the first-generation CL9 car. Position 7 and position 8 shift with transmission and model-year production batch (on the first generation, for instance, CL958 VINs decoded to six-speed manual cars and CL968 VINs decoded to five-speed automatics), but we didn’t find a single clean published table mapping every position 7-8 combination to a specific meaning across both generations, so we’re not going to invent one. The decoder above reconstructs the full trim and equipment picture from the entire VDS plus build data, not from any single character in isolation.

Position 9: Check digit

The check digit catches typos. It’s calculated from the other 16 characters using a fixed weighting table and modulo-11 math. Every VIN used to build this page passed NHTSA’s check-digit validation; mistype a single character anywhere in a TSX VIN and the math stops matching, which is why any compliant decoder, state DMV, or the NHTSA recall lookup will reject it.

Position 10: Model year

The 10th character maps to model year on the standard 30-year cycle every VIN-compliant vehicle uses. Because the TSX only ever existed for model years 2004 through 2014, here is the complete, gap-free run of codes that actually apply to this car:

Char	Model year
4	2004
5	2005
6	2006
7	2007
8	2008
9	2009
A	2010
B	2011
C	2012
D	2013
E	2014

We confirmed every single one of these eleven codes directly against real TSX VINs decoded through NHTSA, from a 2004 CL9 sedan through a 2014 CU2 sedan and CW2 wagon. The letters I, O, and Q are never used anywhere in the standard because they can be misread as 1 and 0, which is why the sequence jumps straight from H to J and skips I, O, and Q entirely on the full 30-year cycle (not relevant to the TSX’s own run, but worth knowing if you’re cross-checking a decoder against a different Honda or Acura model).

Position 11: Assembly plant

Every TSX VIN we decoded, across both generations, every engine, and every body style, carried the same single character:

Char	Plant
C	Sayama plant, Saitama, Japan

Acura never built the TSX anywhere else, so this position doesn’t discriminate the way it does on a nameplate assembled at multiple sites. If a VIN claiming to be a TSX decodes to a plant character other than C, treat the listing with suspicion.

Positions 12 to 17: Serial number

The final six characters are the production sequence stamped on your specific TSX as it left the line. Combined with the previous 11 characters, this makes every TSX VIN globally unique; two cars with the same generation, year, and engine still differ here.

TSX trim levels and how they appear in the VIN

A TSX VIN doesn’t spell out the trim name directly; the decoder reconstructs it from the VDS plus the equipment package on file. Broad trim patterns by generation, based on the build sheets attached to the VINs we decoded and Acura’s published lineups:

• 1st gen (2004-2008): Base, and Base with Navigation (badged “with NAVI” on the build sheet)
• 2nd gen (2009-2014, four-cylinder sedan): Base, Technology Package
• 2nd gen (2010-2014, V6 sedan): V6, V6 Technology Package
• 2nd gen (2011-2014, Sport Wagon): Base, Technology Package (four-cylinder only)
• 2nd gen (2013-2014): Special Edition, a value-focused trim we confirmed directly on decoded 2013 and 2014 VINs, sitting between Base and Technology

When you decode a TSX VIN with the tool above, the result also returns the transmission (5-speed automatic, 6-speed manual on early four-cylinder sedans, or 5-speed automatic-only on the V6 and wagon) and factory options so you can match it against a sticker or a build sheet.

Where to find the VIN on an Acura TSX

• Lower-left corner of the windshield, visible from outside the car
• Driver’s side door jamb sticker
• Stamped on the engine bay firewall or shock tower
• Vehicle title, registration, insurance card

The windshield and door jamb are the fastest to check on a used-car lot. The firewall stamp is the one to check if you suspect a cloned or re-titled car; it’s physically tied to the vehicle and far harder to alter than an adhesive label.

Check Acura TSX recalls and safety information

The TSX has been the subject of several notable NHTSA campaigns, and they split cleanly by generation. On the first generation, a 2013 recall (13V-093) covered 2004-2008 TSX models registered in states that use road salt, where corrosion could damage the engine control unit’s circuit board and cause a stall; the remedy included a waterproof ECU cover. A separate 2010 recall (10V-174) covered 2004-2008 TSX models over a power-steering hose that could develop a crack and leak fluid. An earlier 2007 recall (07V-097) addressed a fuel pump relay whose internal coil wire could break and cause a stall on certain 2005-2006 TSX models, and a 2004 recall (04V-429) covered a trunk-hinge wire harness that could short and disable the tail lights.

The second generation was caught up in the industry-wide Takata airbag inflator crisis. Multiple campaigns between 2016 and 2019 (16V-346, 17V-030, 17V-545, 18V-042, 18V-661, and 19V-378/19V-502) covered various model-year spans of the 2009-2014 TSX, alongside other Honda and Acura models, for passenger-side frontal airbag inflators that could rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin. Because these campaigns were issued in phases by production date and supplier batch, not every 2009-2014 TSX is affected by every campaign; running your specific VIN through NHTSA’s lookup is the only way to know for certain.

To check your specific TSX:

1. Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the exact model year and generation
2. Cross-reference the 17-character VIN with NHTSA’s recall database
3. Contact your nearest Acura dealer for any open campaign repair

Recall repairs are free regardless of vehicle age, mileage, or ownership history.

Frequently asked questions

How do I decode an Acura TSX VIN?

Type the 17-character VIN from the windshield, door jamb, or title into the decoder at the top of this page. Results return in seconds and include generation, model year, engine, transmission, trim, plant of origin, and any open NHTSA recalls. No sign-up.

Was the Acura TSX really built in Japan?

Yes. Unlike most current Acura models, which are built at American Honda’s Ohio plants, every TSX ever sold in the US came from Honda’s Sayama plant in Saitama, Japan. That’s confirmed on every VIN we decoded across both generations. It’s a direct result of the TSX being the US-market version of the Accord that Honda already built in Japan for its home and European markets, rather than a car developed from scratch for American production.

What’s the difference between a TSX sedan and a TSX Sport Wagon VIN?

Look at positions 4 to 6. A four-cylinder second-generation sedan carries CU2; the Sport Wagon carries CW2 instead. The wagon only exists from model year 2011 onward, so a VIN with CW2 and a position-10 model year code earlier than B (2011) shouldn’t exist. It was also never offered with the V6 or the manual transmission, so if a VIN decodes as a wagon, it’s a four-cylinder automatic by definition.

How do I tell which TSX generation I have from the VIN?

Look at positions 4 to 6. CL9 means a 2004-2008 first-generation TSX. CU2, CU4, or CW2 means a 2009-2014 second-generation TSX. The code also tells you the engine: CU2 and CW2 are four-cylinder cars, while CU4 is the 3.5-liter V6 sedan introduced for model year 2010.

Is the Acura TSX VIN decoder really free?

Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every TSX VIN free of charge with no sign-up. The basic decode covers everything the factory stamped into the VIN. A full vehicle history report (accident records, odometer history, prior ownership, salvage status) is available as a paid upgrade if you need it.

Can an Acura TSX VIN be faked?

The 17 characters can be retyped on a counterfeit plate, but the check digit at position 9 catches most single-character changes through math, and the firewall stamp is physically tied to the original car. If the windshield and door-jamb VINs match but the firewall stamp doesn’t, treat the car as potentially cloned. The guide how to check if a car is stolen by VIN walks through the verification steps.

Is the Acura TSX the same car as the TL or the TLX?

No, though they’re related. The TSX and the larger TL sat side by side in Acura’s US lineup through model year 2014, when both were discontinued and replaced by a single new nameplate, the TLX, positioned between the two in size. If your VIN is from a 2014 or older TSX, it won’t decode as a TLX; this page covers TSX VINs only, from 2004 through 2014.

Decode any Acura TSX VIN free

Type your 17-character TSX VIN into the decoder at the top of this page for an instant breakdown. To go deeper into VIN structure or check other Acura models:

• Acura VIN decoder hub for the brand-wide guide
• How to read a VIN number for the general standard
• What every character in a VIN means for a position-by-position reference
• Classic car VIN decoder for pre-1981 vehicles
• VIN decoder vs. vehicle history report for what a decode covers vs. what it doesn’t
• How to check if a car is stolen by VIN for verifying a used TSX before you buy