Acura TL Complaints (2005)

388 consumer complaints on file.

#11757300August 16, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Fuse box Power steering hose
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749680July 11, 2026
STEERING
The vehicle has been gradually leaking power steering fluid over time. I have been monitoring the fluid level and have noticed a recurring burning smell while operating the vehicle. At times, I have also observed what appears to be a very faint, clear or nearly transparent smoke or vapor that is only visible when light reflects off of it. I am uncertain whether this is smoke or vapor. The steering has not become difficult or hard to turn at this time. I am concerned that power steering fluid may be leaking onto or near a hot engine or exhaust component, causing the burning smell and possible smoke or vapor and creating a potential fire or safety hazard. The exact source and cause of the leak are currently UNKNOWN. The vehicle and affected components are available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728997April 3, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owned a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the front driver's side air bag might have deployed without impact, hit the contact's face, reducing the roadway visibility and causing the vehicle to crash into the rear-end of another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bag exploded and propelled fragments, causing the driver to experience difficulty breathing. The contact was assisted out of the vehicle because the front driver's side door was damaged and could only be opened from the outside. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle was significantly damaged and pushed back, and the driver's side of the vehicle was pushed back. The contact was transported to the hospital, where he was informed that he had sustained a concussion and a laceration on the left side of the head. The contact sustained bruises on the sternum, the spectrum, and the muscles, and the contact sustained whiplash and an airbag burn on the hand. The contact also sustained soft tissue damage on the right calf and throughout the body. The other driver did not sustain injuries and was able to drive away from the scene. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11698295November 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
While I was driving 55 mph, on the throttle, the transmission acted as it was in Neutral but all indicators verified it was in Drive. The RPMs were fluctuating during this & my car wouldn't accelerate. I was in the middle of a busy highway, the car came to a stop, I shifted it into Park, then tried to engage back into Drive with no success. In the middle of oncoming & ongoing HWY traffic, I turned the car off, back on & the car acted as if it was in limp mode. The VSA light & Triangle appeared. I had to pay get a towing service to get me & my car. It never had any transmission issues before & all of a sudden it did all of the above, erratic shifting, flare up shifts, won't move. It was then put on a diagnostic scanner which showed a code for Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid but was cleared & didn't reappear. After the car has been sitting for a while (days) you can crank it, put it into drive & it is hesitant to go & will drive ONLY for a few minutes. After the transmission heats up, it stops pulling. I have read numerous complaints, safety concerns, bulletins, etc. I am devastated & lost on what's going on with the car & what can be done. I purchased my '05 TL in 2022 & haven't been able to drive it but for one & a half years. I've put so much money into the repairs & maintenance. I replaced the rear & front motor mounts, transmission speed sensor, transmission position sensor, etc. I am now disabled & don't have the means to put into it anymore. I pray there's an investigation behind these Drive train safety concerns!
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678771August 6, 2025
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, SUSPENSION
My wife, [XXX] , purchased a 2005 Acura TL on [XXX]. The car was not inspected, it had a hole in the oil tank, was leaking battery acid, had broken control arms, wore out rotors, wore out brake pads, bald tires, Vehicle Stability Control disabled, no AC, cracked dashboard where the passenger air bag is located, and the alignment was so bad that the car would try to pull very hard off of the road. Toxic hot fumes entered the cockpit during my wife's drive home from the car dealership. The fumes made her feel sick and gave her a horrible headache because of the leaking battery acid and perhaps the hole in the oil tank. It's a health and safety issue that needs to be taken seriously. The used car dealership (Premium Auto Outlet Inc.) is selling vehicles to customers and are not providing them with the title. My wife paid in full, yet she had to fight to receive the title. The employees scream at there customers, including my wife and also tell them to leave the property when asking for the title and when confronted about vehicle mechanical issues. The female employee even screamed over the phone at our mechanic (Delran Auto Repair) who tried to tell the employee that the car was not is sellable condition due to the safety and mechanical problems. Please review the Google reviews and Facebook reviews for more horrible customer experiences when it comes vehicles being sold in horribly unsafe mechanical condition, withholding titles, unlawfully repossessing, screaming at customers and ignoring customer complaints. The best resolution for my wife and I would be for the dealership to pay for all of the repair bills that accrued (roughly $4K) due to the car being sold in unsafe condition and most importantly the prevention of any health and safety issues due to the selling of unsafe mechanically condition vehicles to future customers. Please investigate this issue for the health and safety of people. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11646166March 4, 2025
TIRES
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11620737October 19, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The driver and passenger side mirror lenses will click randomly while driving on the interstate going at a relatively good speed. When these click and move, it causes a distraction and I can no longer see what’s coming next to me. I have to turn the mirror lenses back to their original position in order to view my blind spot.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11582401April 11, 2024
SUSPENSION:FRONT
Ball joint purchased from Napa Auto Parts #260-1791was defective. Nut supplied with ball joint was too small. This caused the ball joint to separate from the steering knuckle. After driving a very short distance the front end of the car collapsed, causing the front axle to break. The car fell on the front fender damaging it. This is the same problem reported in 2011. [XXX] This is a serious safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11505499February 4, 2023
AIR BAGS
Air bags light flashing on and off almost every day we are driving the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495194November 28, 2022
ENGINE, STEERING
The contact owns a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that she had parked her vehicle and went inside a store as her children waited inside the vehicle. Her son then texted her from inside the vehicle that the alarm had gone off. Soon after the alarm went off, her daughter noticed that both white and black colored smoke began to emit from the vehicle. Her children exited the vehicle as the front end of the vehicle caught fire. Pedestrians called for the authorities and both the police and fire departments arrived at the scene. The fire was extinguished and an incident report was filed. No injuries were reported; another vehicle was damaged as a result of the fire. The vehicle had yet to be towed or removed from the scene of the incident. Prior to the failure, the contact had noticed that while driving at highway speeds, heat would emit from vents despite the A/C being turned off. Upon investigation, the contact linked her failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V091000(Steering). The dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,300.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11460690April 13, 2022
STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:DASHBOARD, AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that the entire dashboard was cracked. Additionally, air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11449660February 1, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The dash on the car is cracking, large cracks. The cracks are on the same area of the passenger airbag. In an accident, I am afraid that the airbag section of the dash will not separate correctly and that pieces of the dash will injure the passenger in the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11449082January 27, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In both 2012 and 2014 I complained to Acura CS and was told that they wouldnt do anything for me when their hands free unit refered to in TSB 08-057 This was causing a parasitic power leak draining the battery overnight. After researching the cause online and the solution which was to remove the defective HFL unit which was done. Yesterday I came across that TSB and contacted Acura with my correspondence from 2012, 2014 and the TSB. So far I'm getting the run around. I just want a replacement module for the one that I have kept as a reminder of how I was screwed by Acura. The TSB states all 2005 TL's are affected yet today they had the gaul to say it was no longer in warranty. This is a critical safety item in that it provides hands free utilization of the cellular phone. This came defective from the factory in that I was never able to either connect to the garage door opener or to the phone and was extremely angered by the dealer insisting that I just didnt know what I was doing. I perform surgery in peoples mouths for a living and build and program computers and networks on the side. I know that this module with part number 1135133c1m3m04 or 3qc32dc2 on 2 stickers on back of the circuit board are defective. The TSB only lists what is on the plastic cover to the module and not the module itself. Please verify that these modules are in fact garbage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11448543January 23, 2022
AIR BAGS
There are cracks forming on the dashboard of my 2005 Acura TL that I have researched and found are chronic issues in the 2004-2008 TL, and might compromise the ability of the airbag to deploy properly (either prematurely or not at all when expected to imnan accident). I've watched my dashboard go from having 1 crack 5-10 years ago to forming 2 more recently (for a total of 3) and have concerns after researching this as a common defect for the 2004-2008 generation of TL, and yet Acura has not had a recall to fix this completely free of charge to the vehicle owner with no time limitation on when this can be honored. http://www.acuraproblems.com/cracked-dashboard/
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11435610October 5, 2021
POWER TRAIN
Transmission locked up while attempting to backup. Very loud grinding noise. Could not place back in park. Had to shut off engine to free shifter to move back to park. Tried again but this time placed in drive. Exact same results. Checked internet and apparently transmission on this year and others before and after are know problems. Googleand you will see this. POSSIBLE CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT - What would have been the end result having the transmission fail while on the freeway going 60 mph. Possibly could loose control of the vehicle with wheels locking up, cashing into another vehicle or a wall? This should be investigated! THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO REMOVE COMPLAINT, BUT STATED THE DIAGNOSTIC REVEALED THE FRONT AXLE WAS BROKEN.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11431110August 30, 2021
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
A crack has developed on the passenger side of the dash running directly over the location of the airbag located on the same side. This has not resulted in any failure or malfunction as of now, but it raises concerns over the potential given the location. If you research the internet, you will find a plethora of similar complaints and concerns from many other third generation (‘04-‘08) Acura TL owners dating back many years now. In spite of this, Acura/Honda has failed to offer any type of solution or even recognize it for the potential safety issue that it represents. To answer the questions you ask, I have not had it inspected by any dealer, mechanic or insurance representative at this time, nor have there been any warning lights appearing. However, common sense tells me that there is the “ potential “ for a problem given the nature of the crack and its location. Acura/Honda needs to step up and acknowledge and address this issue!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11423825July 7, 2021
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
It happened years ago - the passenger side dash cracked. Now there are more cracks and I am reading that this could pose a risk if the passenger side airbag deployed. I’ve always thought it was a manufacturing flaw for the dashboard to crack in the first place but never did or said anything about it before. Now I am concerned about the safety of my passengers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11422459June 26, 2021
STRUCTURE:BODY
The dash has developed a crack on the passenger side right over the area where the front passenger side airbag is located. This could possibly create a problem in the proper deployment of that air bag. Apparently, this is a common problem with this generation (3rd- '04 to '08) Acura TL. There are many similar complaints by owners posted online going back many years now about this very problem, yet Acura/Honda has apparently never addressed it. They apparently seem content to consider it a cosmetic problem only as several posters/owners have mentioned, rather than addressing the potential safety issue regarding proper airbag deployment. From the numerous reports of other owners found online, it would seem logical to presume that this is a result from a manufacturers defect or design flaw that Acura seems to want to ignore.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11414876May 2, 2021
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CRACKING DASH BOARD. DOUBTFUL THAT THERE ISN'T A TAKATA AIRBAG AT THE ROOT OF IT THAT ACURA IS NOT INCLUDING WITH THE OTHER YEARS OF THAT RECALL. SUSPECT DANGERS IF BAG GETS DEPLOYED AS DASH WOULD FRAGMENT OUT IN EXPULSION.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11402814March 13, 2021
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM ORIGINAL OWNER. DASH HAD A SINGLE CRACK ALONG PASSENGER SIDE/AIR BAG. NOW DASH HAS MULTIPLE CRACKS SURROUNDING PASSENGER AIR BAG AREA. EXTREMELY CONCERNED REGARDING AIR BAG OPERATING PROPERLY IF DEPLOYED AS WELL AS SHARDS/SHARP PIECES OF DASH FLYING IF AIR BAG IS DEPLOYED. DISTURBED THAT ONLY SOME OF THE 2005 ACURA TL'S HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND NOT ALL FROM THIS YEAR.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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