2012 Acura TL

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Below Average

Quick Summary

The 2012 Acura TL has 162 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 2.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is air bags problems (27% of all complaints), specifically: passenger side airbag warning light comes on intermittently for several seconds (long enough to have photographed it on cell phone on several occasions and sent to ralleye acura dealership) although a passenger is seated. passenger is female, 125 lbs, 5' 6" tall. vehicle has been brought back abou.

2 crash reports 3 injuries

162

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

2.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

AIR BAGS

43 complaints

27%

• PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS (LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED IT ON CELL PHONE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND SENT TO RALLEYE ACURA DEALERSHIP) ALTHOUGH A PASSENGER IS SEATED. PASSENGER IS FEMALE, 125 LBS, 5' 6" TALL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK ABOU
• I AM SUBMITTING MY COMPLAINT HERE BECAUSE, ALL NORTH AMERICAN ACURAS ARE BUILT SAME AND HAS SAME SAFETY/PROBLEMS. PLEASE EXCUSE MY INFO ON ADDRESS SINCE THERE WAS NO ENTRY FOR ONTARIO, CANADA. ===========ENCOUNTER WITH THE PROBLEM CLICK OR POP SOUND COMES OUT OF STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WHEN STEERING
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON PURCHASING THE VEHICLE FROM AN INDEPENDENT DEALER, THE AIR BAG SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH A MAIN KEY AND ONLY HAD A SECONDARY KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A MULTI POINT INSPEC

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS (LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED IT ON CELL PHONE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND SENT TO RALLEYE ACURA DEALERSHIP) ALTHOUGH A PASSENGER IS SEATED. PASSENGER IS FEMALE, 125 LBS, 5' 6" TALL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK ABOU”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

27 complaints

17%

• I PURCHASED A NEW 2012 ACURA TL ON 2/8/12. EACH DAY I DRIVE 35 MILES TO AND FROM WORK ON INTERSTATE 75 WITH A POSTED SPEED OF 70 MPH. WITHIN A FEW DAYS I NOTICED THAT WHEN THE CAR REACHED 70 MPH A PERSISTENT HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION CAME UP THROUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR AND IN PARTICULAR THROUGH
• I PURCHASED MY 2012 ACURA TL TECH ON 4/30/12 WHICH HAD 100 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. WHEN ACCELERATING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 65 MPH AND 80MPH, THERE APPEARS TO BE A SLIGHT VIBRATION IMITATING FROM THE GAS PEDAL AND DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE MECHANICAL AS BALANCING IS NOT AN ISSUE AND IT FEELS RH
• TURNED CORNER IN LARGE CENTER CITY AND HIT A CONSTRUCTION LARGE POT HOLE AND/OR OBSTRUCTION ON THE LEFT REAR. AFTER COMPLETING TURN ONTO A NARROW ONE-WAY STREET ACCELERATION INCREASED, BRAKES DID NOT WORK, ENGINE COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF, GEARS COULD NOT MOVE. AFTER GOING THROUGH TWO MAJOR INTERSEC

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I PURCHASED A NEW 2012 ACURA TL ON 2/8/12. EACH DAY I DRIVE 35 MILES TO AND FROM WORK ON INTERSTATE 75 WITH A POSTED SPEED OF 70 MPH. WITHIN A FEW DAYS I NOTICED THAT WHEN THE CAR REACHED 70 MPH A PERSISTENT HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION CAME UP THROUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR AND IN PARTICULAR THROUGH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

25 complaints

15%

• 12/19/2012 9AM, I WAS DRIVING CALIFORNIA FREEWAY (110) ABOUT 30 MILES/HR. WEATHER WAS CLEAR, ROAD WAS DRY AND NO POT HOLES. I GOT "POWER STEERING WARNING" LIGHTS/BEEPS AND I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR. IT WAS VERY STIFF TO STEER AND I BARELY PULLED OVER TO THE CURVE.(ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING). AND I S
• GOT ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) WARNING LIGHT AND LOST THE POWER ASSIST. COULD NOT RESET AND HAD TO DRIVE CAR TO DEALER WITH NO POWER ASSIST. VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AT LOW SPEED. *TR
• PURCHASED CAR ON 01/21/2013. WAS BACK AT DEALER ON 01/26/2012 DUE TO A WEIRD VIBRATION AT HIGH SPEEDS (50-80 MPH). LONG STORY SHORT THEY HAVE BALANCED THE TIRES LIKE 3 TIMES AND PUT NEW TIRES BUT IT IS STILL VIBRATING NOT AS MUCH BUT STILL. GOING BACK TO DEALER TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY THIS TIME

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“12/19/2012 9AM, I WAS DRIVING CALIFORNIA FREEWAY (110) ABOUT 30 MILES/HR. WEATHER WAS CLEAR, ROAD WAS DRY AND NO POT HOLES. I GOT "POWER STEERING WARNING" LIGHTS/BEEPS AND I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR. IT WAS VERY STIFF TO STEER AND I BARELY PULLED OVER TO THE CURVE.(ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING). AND I S”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

18 complaints

11%

• PURCHASED MY NEW 2012 SH-AWD ACURA TL ADVANCE IN MARCH OF 2012. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 100 MILES WHEN PURCHASED AND CURRENTLY HAS 5K MILES (JANUARY 2013). THE CAR VIBRATES WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 40 AND 80 MPH. IT FEELS LIKE THE TIRES ARE FLAT SPOTTED OR WHEELS ARE OUT OF BALANCE. THE WHEE
• I PURCHASED MY 2012 ACURA TL IN MAY 2013. IN JUNE I TOOK IN BECAUSE IT KEPT STALLING WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND MORE SO WHEN I STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND BEGIN TO ACCELERATE. I KEPT TAKING IT BACK FOR THE SAME THING OVER THE PASS YEAR AND KEPT GETTING THE SAME RESPONSE.. WE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH YOU
• AFTER OWNING MY 2012 ACURA TL FOR ROUGHLY 2YRS, I'VE BECOME CONCERNED WITH THE ENGINE WORKMANSHIP. ACCELERATION SEEMS TO BE AT A LOSS BETWEEN 30-45MPH IN BETWEEN GEAR CHANGES. IT'S ALMOST AS THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. YOU HAVE TO EITHER LET UP ON THE ACCELERATION OR INCREASE YO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“PURCHASED MY NEW 2012 SH-AWD ACURA TL ADVANCE IN MARCH OF 2012. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 100 MILES WHEN PURCHASED AND CURRENTLY HAS 5K MILES (JANUARY 2013). THE CAR VIBRATES WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 40 AND 80 MPH. IT FEELS LIKE THE TIRES ARE FLAT SPOTTED OR WHEELS ARE OUT OF BALANCE. THE WHEE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

11 complaints

• KEYLESS START (PUSH BUTTON) AND PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN NO WARNING THAT KEY FOB WAS NOT IN VICINITY OF CAR AFTER CAR WAS STARTED AND DRIVEN 2 HOURS AWAY. MY DAUGHTER HANDED ME HER KEYS TO THE ACURA TL (INCL KEY FOB) THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN STARTED SO I COULD GET SOME IT
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE
• I WAS DRIVING MY 2012 ACURA TL AND THE CAR JUST STALLED ON ME ALL OF A SUDDEN. THE CAR WOULDN'T START SINCE THEN. ALL THE LIGHT WERE COMING ON BUT THERE WAS NO CRANK. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD ME ITS THE PCM. I DIDN'T SEE ANY SIGN, THE CAR WAS DRIVING GOOD BEFORE THAT HAPPENED. ANOT

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“KEYLESS START (PUSH BUTTON) AND PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN NO WARNING THAT KEY FOB WAS NOT IN VICINITY OF CAR AFTER CAR WAS STARTED AND DRIVEN 2 HOURS AWAY. MY DAUGHTER HANDED ME HER KEYS TO THE ACURA TL (INCL KEY FOB) THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN STARTED SO I COULD GET SOME IT”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 162 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
AIR BAGS: PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS (LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED IT ON CELL PHONE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND SENT TO RALLEYE ACURA DEALERSHIP) ALTHOUGH A PASSENGER IS SEATED. PASSENGER IS FEMALE, 125 LBS, 5' 6" TALL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK ABOU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: I PURCHASED A NEW 2012 ACURA TL ON 2/8/12. EACH DAY I DRIVE 35 MILES TO AND FROM WORK ON INTERSTATE 75 WITH A POSTED SPEED OF 70 MPH. WITHIN A FEW DAYS I NOTICED THAT WHEN THE CAR REACHED 70 MPH A PERSISTENT HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION CAME UP THROUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR AND IN PARTICULAR THROUGH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: 12/19/2012 9AM, I WAS DRIVING CALIFORNIA FREEWAY (110) ABOUT 30 MILES/HR. WEATHER WAS CLEAR, ROAD WAS DRY AND NO POT HOLES. I GOT "POWER STEERING WARNING" LIGHTS/BEEPS AND I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR. IT WAS VERY STIFF TO STEER AND I BARELY PULLED OVER TO THE CURVE.(ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING). AND I S
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: PURCHASED MY NEW 2012 SH-AWD ACURA TL ADVANCE IN MARCH OF 2012. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 100 MILES WHEN PURCHASED AND CURRENTLY HAS 5K MILES (JANUARY 2013). THE CAR VIBRATES WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 40 AND 80 MPH. IT FEELS LIKE THE TIRES ARE FLAT SPOTTED OR WHEELS ARE OUT OF BALANCE. THE WHEE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)