Acura TL
Owners filed 3,117 complaints across 20 model years of the Acura TL. The 2004 drew the most (551); the 1995 the fewest (1).
Model years20
Complaints3,117
Recalls76
Fires43
Deaths5
Every Acura TL model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 17 | 3 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2013 | 62 | 3 | — | 1 | Steering | Routine | |
| 2012 | 130 | 3 | — | 3 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2011 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2010 | 64 | 3 | 1 | 4 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2009 | 42 | 3 | — | 5 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2008 | 124 | 4 | 7 | 4 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2007 | 124 | 4 | 5 | 2 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 247 | 6 | 2 | 8 | Air Bags | Above average | |
| 2005 | 388 | 7 | 3 | 7 | Air Bags | Above average | |
| 2004 | 551 | 6 | 6 | 13 | Structure | Above average | |
| 2003 | 391 | 5 | 4 | 24 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Fatalities reported | |
| 2002 | 332 | 7 | 2 | 24 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Fatalities reported | |
| 2001 | 149 | 3 | 2 | 8 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 2000 | 249 | 6 | 3 | 18 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Above average | |
| 1999 | 157 | 4 | 4 | 17 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 1998 | 20 | 2 | — | 3 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | Routine | |
| 1997 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 1996 | 26 | 2 | — | 3 | Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint | Routine | |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Service Brakes | Routine |
Which Acura TL years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2004 is the weakest year on record, with 551 complaints concentrated in the structure. It carries 6 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.