Acura TL VIN Check — Free Recall & Complaint Lookup

Quick answer

The most-reported TL run is 19UUA66294A (2004 builds) with 42 complaints, 8.4× the typical run. Power train problems make up 28% of reports; 2004 is the worst model year at 12.3 complaints per run; NHTSA lists 27 recall campaigns for TL model years 1996–2014.

Which build runs owners report most

A production run is the first 11 characters of the VIN: plant, model year, body and engine. The Acura TL has 520 of them on record. The five runs at the top of this table hold 8% of every TL complaint on file.

FIG.01·Acura TL — complaints by production run
Production run (VIN 1–11)	Year	Complaints	Involved a crash	Fire
19UUA66294A••••••	2004	42	2	—
19UUA662X4A••••••	2004	42	—	—
19UUA66204A••••••	2004	42	1	—
19UUA66224A••••••	2004	39	1	—
19UUA66274A••••••	2004	35	2	1
19UUA66284A••••••	2004	33	—	—
19UUA66244A••••••	2004	33	3	1
19UUA66265A••••••	2005	32	—	1
19UUA66264A••••••	2004	32	2	1
19UUA66225A••••••	2005	30	1	—
19UUA66205A••••••	2005	30	1	—
19UUA662X5A••••••	2005	29	—	—

ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records, grouped by VIN prefix

Each of the other 508 TL runs has 29 complaints or fewer. ForCar has checked 46 TL VINs so far, most often 2012, 2008, 2007 builds; 2 of them belong to one of the 12 runs above.

Which model years to check twice

Complaints per production run, so a year that simply sold more does not top the list. On the Acura TL the gap between build years is 11.2×: a 2004 car draws 12.3 complaints per run, a 1996 one 1.1.

FIG.02·Acura TL — complaint rate by model year
Year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Crashes
2014	1.1	17	15	—
2013	1.7	59	34	—
2012	2.3	118	52	3
2011	1.2	19	16	1
2010	1.7	61	36	4
2009	2	36	18	5
2008	3.9	112	29	4
2007	3.9	104	27	2
2006	8.5	203	24	7
2005	11	318	29	6
2004	12.3	431	35	13
2003	7	336	48	17
2002	5.5	270	49	20
2001	3.3	114	35	7
2000	8.3	208	25	15
1999	5	126	25	15
1998	1.9	15	8	3
1997	1.2	16	13	3
1996	1.1	20	18	1

ROWS 19·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Heaviest year here is 2004 at 12.3 complaints per run; lightest is 1996 at 1.1.

What to inspect on this car

One system accounts for 28% of everything Acura TL owners report: Power Train, 757 of 2,584 complaints. Start the pre-purchase inspection there.

FIG.03·Acura TL — most-reported systems
System	Complaints	Involved a crash	Fire
Power Train	757	21	5
Air Bags	696	54	1
Structure	411	9	—
Unknown Or Other	223	7	3
Electrical System	215	15	14
Steering	192	8	14
Vehicle Speed Control	97	27	1
Service Brakes	95	12	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Recalls to check against your VIN

NHTSA has 27 recall campaigns on the Acura TL; the 6 below cover build years 2002 to 2014. These are for the model and year; whether one is still open on a given car, only that VIN can tell.

FIG.04·Acura TL — recall campaigns
Campaign	Component	Model years
19V182000	Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module	2002–2014
16V061000	Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module	2009–2014
19V500000	Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module	2009–2014
08V091000	Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections	2004–2008
19E068000	Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal	2004–2008
11E022000	Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint	2004–2008

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

19V182000 was opened in 2019 on cars built from 2002: 17 years on the road before the recall.

The TL against its rivals

The TL draws 5 complaints per production run; the Dodge Avenger 4.8, the Infiniti M37 1.5 and the Infiniti G25 1.3. That is the highest rate of the 4.

FIG.05·Acura TL VIN check vs rivals
Model	Complaints	Runs	Per run	Involved a crash
Acura TL	2,584	520	5	4.9%
Dodge Avenger	2,659	550	4.8	6.8%
Infiniti M37	72	47	1.5	6.9%
Infiniti G25	28	21	1.3	10.7%

ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

How serious were they

Of the 2,584 reports on the Acura TL, 4.9% involved a crash against 5.8% across all vehicles, below the norm.

FIG.06·Acura TL — complaint severity
Outcome	Acura TL	All vehicles
Complaints filed	2,584	1,115,966
Involved a crash	126 (4.9%)	64,194 (5.8%)
Involved a fire	40 (1.5%)	26,974 (2.4%)
Injuries reported	102	58,013
Deaths reported	4	2,728

ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

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How this check works

The file behind this page holds 1,115,966 complaints filed with NHTSA between 1981 and 2026, across 298,921 production runs. The Acura TL share of that is 2,584 complaints over 520 runs, 0.23% of everything on record.

Everything on the Acura TL

Recalls78 campaigns Fuel economy23 mpg best Reliability4.0/5 Common problems3,190 complaints Cargo space14 cu ft Used prices1,556 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

How do I check a Acura TL VIN for free?

Enter the 17 characters above. ForCar matches the first eleven, the production run, against 2,584 NHTSA complaints from 520 TL runs and 27 recall campaigns. No account, no card.

Which TL production run has the most complaints?

19UUA66294A, a 2004 build, with 42 complaints, 2 of them after a crash. The typical TL run has 5.

Which TL years have the most complaints?

Per production run, 2004 is heaviest at 12.3 complaints per run and 1996 lightest at 1.1.

Does the TL get more complaints than the Dodge Avenger?

Yes: 5 complaints per production run for the TL against 4.8 for the Dodge Avenger.

How many TL complaints involve a crash?

4.9% of 2,584 reports, against 5.8% across all vehicles; 40 involved a fire.

Complaint and recall records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Per-run rates computed by ForCar. Federal data covers safety only — title, odometer and insurance history are not included. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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