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Acura Tl Problems

The Acura TL was a mid-size luxury sedan produced from 1996 to 2014, serving as Acura's volume leader for most of its run. With over 8,000 complaints and 16 reported deaths, the TL has substantial owner feedback to examine. The TL offered an appealing combination of Honda reliability, engaging driving dynamics, and upscale appointments at competitive prices. Certain generations have proven more reliable than others.

8,080
Total Complaints
43
Total Recalls
20
Model Years
16
Reported Deaths
!

Years to Avoid

These years have significantly more complaints than average.

2005 2004
✓

Best Years

These years have the fewest reported problems.

1995 1996 1997

Common Problem Categories

Power Train 1,840
Air Bags 1,662
Structure 1,098
Electrical System 520
Unknown Or Other 488

Complaints by Model Year

All Model Years

Year ↓ Complaints Recalls Crashes Fires Rating
2014 32 3 0 0 Good
2013 146 3 2 0 Good
2012 322 3 8 0 Average
2011 46 3 2 4 Good
2010 150 3 14 2 Good
2009 102 3 10 0 Good
2008 358 3 12 24 Average
2007 334 3 10 14 Average
2006 684 3 26 2 Below Average
2005 1,098 3 18 12 Avoid
2004 1,532 3 34 16 Avoid
2003 932 3 72 10 Below Average
2002 806 3 76 4 Below Average
2001 324 1 16 4 Average
2000 646 2 60 12 Below Average
1999 394 1 54 10 Average
1998 44 0 8 0 Good
1997 58 0 6 4 Good
1996 66 0 16 0 Good
1995 6 0 0 0 Good

Acura Tl Years to Avoid

The 2004 Acura TL is the worst year to avoid, plagued by automatic transmission failures that led to a class action lawsuit and extended warranty coverage. The 2003-2006 third-generation models share this transmission vulnerability, with many failures occurring between 60,000-100,000 miles. These years also experienced Bluetooth and navigation system glitches that frustrated owners. The 2002-2003 models with the 3.2L V6 had some reports of transmission issues as well. Transmission replacement costs of ,000-6,000 made these failures particularly painful for owners.

Best Acura Tl Years

The 1995 model year represents the earliest TL production with simpler systems. The 2007-2008 third-generation models benefited from improved transmissions after Honda addressed the widespread failures. The 2009-2014 fourth-generation TL used a different transmission design and proves more reliable. The TL-S and SH-AWD variants offer enthusiast appeal with generally good reliability.

Frequently Asked Questions