Acura TL
Registered from 1996 to 2014.
About this model
The Acura TL is an entry-level luxury sedan that was manufactured by Acura, the luxury division of Honda. It was introduced in 1995 for the 1996 model year, to replace the Acura Vigor and was badged for the Japanese market from 1996 to 2000 as the Honda Inspire and from 1996 to 2004 as the Honda Saber. The TL was Acura's best-selling model until it was outsold by the MDX in 2007. In 2005, it ranked as the second best-selling luxury sedan in the United States behind the BMW 3 Series, but sales decreased after the 2008 model year. Four generations of the Acura TL were produced, with the final generation premiering in 2008 for the 2009 model year, and ending production in 2014, when it was replaced together with the TSX by the TLX.
From the Wikipedia article Acura TL, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- AIR BAGS — 36 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
- POWER TRAIN — 19 owners reported this
- STEERING — 19 owners reported this
- ENGINE — 14 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 5 owners reported this
- EQUIPMENT — 2 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 2 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 2 owners reported this
- STEERING,AIR BAGS — 2 owners reported this
- STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 2 owners reported this
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 2 owners reported this
Crash test
| Overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | No |
| Lane departure warning | No |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 305 hp · 1807 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Sedan |
| 2013 | 305 hp · 1807 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Sedan |
| 2012 | 305 hp · 1807 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Sedan |
| 2011 | 305 hp · 1801 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 11.8 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Sedan |
| 2010 | 305 hp · 1801 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 11.8 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Sedan |
| 2009 | 1686 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 11.8 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Sedan |
| 2008 | 1642 kg · 2740 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway |
| 2007 | 1642 kg · 2740 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway |
| 2006 | 1623 kg · 2740 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2005 | 1623 kg · 2740 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2004 | 1623 kg · 2740 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.0 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
| 2003 | 1614 kg · 2750 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 8.7 motorway · Sedan, 4-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
51% of 2014 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 4. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
16V061000
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.
19V182000
An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
19V500000
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.
Electrical overstress
Engineering analysis, opened April 2019, closed September 2024.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering analysis, opened February 2015, still open.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2014, closed March 2015.
Rupturing driver's air bag inflators
Recall query, opened November 2009, closed May 2010.
Windshield wiper motor failure
Preliminary evaluation, opened November 2007, closed March 2008.
Ignition-park interlock
Preliminary evaluation, opened January 2005, closed February 2005.
Automatic transmission sudden downshift
Preliminary evaluation, opened October 2002, closed March 2003.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Acura filed 87 bulletins about the 2014 TL.
- Air bags: 30
- Engine: 13
- Engine and engine cooling: 12
- Steering: 8
- Equipment: 6
- Power train: 5
- Service brakes: 2
- Service brakes, hydraulic: 2
- Structure: 2
- Electrical system: 1
- Other: 6
- Service Bulletin - Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Driver's Airbag Inflator for 2013-14 ILX Hybrid and Other Listed Years and Models. · March 2026
- Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated. · May 2022
- Service bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any… · May 2022
- Service Bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any… · March 2022
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed,… · March 2021
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed,… · February 2021
- ServiceNews Article - Do you have a slow tire leak, but there are no signs of sidewall damage or anything stuck in the tread? While you're checking for leaks, check the valve stem; it could have… · February 2021
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed,… · January 2021
79 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.