Acura TL Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2004 draws 12.31 complaints per run and the 2010 1.69, a 7.3-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 7 years of age, so 75.3% land after the 4-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 757 complaints, typically at 5.5 years.

Acura TL years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Acura TL — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2014	1.13	17	15	yes
2013	1.74	59	34	yes
2012	2.27	118	52	yes
2011	1.19	19	16	yes
2010	1.69	61	36	yes
2009	2	36	18	yes
2008	3.86	112	29	yes
2007	3.85	104	27	yes
2006	8.46	203	24	yes
2005	10.97	318	29	yes
2004	12.31	431	35	yes
2003	7	336	48	yes
2002	5.51	270	49	yes
2001	3.26	114	35	yes
2000	8	208	26	yes
1999	5.04	126	25	yes
1998	1.88	15	8	yes
1997	1.23	16	13	yes
1996	1.11	20	18	yes

ROWS 19·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 10 Acura TL years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2004, 2005, 2003; the three worth hunting are 2010, 2013, 2012.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Acura TL — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	190	8.1%	covered
1 year	134	13.8%	covered
2 years	131	19.4%	covered
3 years	125	24.7%	covered
4 years	155	31.4%	you pay
5 years	186	39.3%	you pay
6 years	247	49.8%	you pay
7 years	208	58.7%	you pay
8 years	198	67.2%	you pay
9 years	152	73.6%	you pay
10 years	164	80.6%	you pay
11 years	126	86%	you pay
12 years	119	91.1%	you pay
13 years	75	94.3%	you pay
14 years	78	97.6%	you pay
15 years	56	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 4 years / 50,000 miles. Only 24.7% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 75.3% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (6 years / 70,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 29% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Power Train at 5.5 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Acura TL — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Power Train	757	5.5 yrs	21	5
Air Bags	695	8.2 yrs	54	1
Structure	412	7.4 yrs	9	—
Unknown Or Other	223	9.8 yrs	7	3
Electrical System	215	8.5 yrs	15	14
Steering	192	7.4 yrs	8	14
Vehicle Speed Control	97	4.9 yrs	27	1
Service Brakes	95	5.5 yrs	12	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the TL's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Camry draws 5.65, the Honda Accord 4.02 and the Dodge Challenger 3.27, against 4.96 for the TL.

FIG.05·Acura TL — rivals in the same class
Same class as the TL	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Camry	20,039	161	1983–2026
Honda Accord	24,369	415	1981–2026
Dodge Challenger	1,696	77	1981–2026
Toyota Prius	12,873	109	2001–2026
Hyundai Elantra	9,090	117	1992–2026
Nissan Altima	15,657	148	1993–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Acura TL

Recalls78 campaigns Fuel economy23 mpg best Common problems3,190 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build Cargo space14 cu ft Used prices1,564 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car1987–2014

Frequently asked questions

Is the Acura TL reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 4.96 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which TL years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2004, 2005, 2003. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2010, 2013, 2012. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do TL problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 7 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 5.5 years, followed by Air Bags.

Will the warranty cover TL problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 4 years / 50,000 miles, and only 24.7% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 29% of the complaints here.

Is the TL more reliable than the Toyota Camry?

Yes: 4.96 complaints per production run for the TL against 5.65 for the Toyota Camry.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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