The first Acura TL executive sedan was introduced back in 1995 and was replaced by the second generation in 1999. These two generations of the TL were quite successful, but the 3rd gen (2004-2008) and the fourth-gen (2009-2014) were the most successful. In this article, we will focus on all the common issues accompanying the long-lasting 3rd and the 4th generation of the Acura TL, but before we do, here is a quick recap!
The most common 2004-2008 Acura TL problems include dashboard cracking, rust issues, torque converter issues, transmission lockup, electrical issues, energy consumption issues, navigation system issues, oil consumption issues, engine mounts failing, EGR valve failing, shock absorbers wearing out, lower ball joints failing, power steering issues, and issues with the vehicle speed control sensor.
Now it’s time to go in-depth about these issues and tell you how to notice them and how to approach fixing them!
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Structural Issues
Structural issues are most common across older cars that haven’t been made per the very modern technological and manufacturing advancements. However, the Acura TL seems to suffer from two types of structural issues. The first is associated with the dashboard cracking around the airbag housings and across the entire dash, while the second is associated with rust.
Dashboard Cracking
It seems like most 2004-2008 Acura TL models and many 2008-2014 Acura TL models suffer from dashboard cracking across the entire dashboard. Many owners stated that the cracks tend to develop either near the passenger frontal airbag or across the very top of the dashboard. Even though these may seem pretty benevolent to many, they are anything else than that.
The problem is that these cracks can indeed affect how well the airbags can deploy, which can be a massive issue in the event of a crash. Acura is aware of this issue, but no recalls have been issued. This might also be the singular most complained about problem for all 3rd and 4th gen Acura models.
This even led to a lawsuit at one point because people were furious that Acura didn’t acknowledge this issue at all. As it stands, Acura says this is merely a cosmetic issue. However, owners argue that, even if this is simply a cosmetic issue, it still significantly affects the resale value of all the affected models.
Rust Issues
Rusting is also a problem that was mostly solved for modern-day cars thanks to rust-proofing and the use of rust-free materials and coatings, but the 3rd generation of the Acura came out right around when these were at their beginning. This led to multiple owners reporting rust issues on their 2004-2008 Acura TL models. This is a similar timing issue that we see in the Mercedes E320 which also suffers from rust as one of its most common problems.
Rust can occur on the car’s frame, around the windshield, around the sunroof, underneath both bumpers, in the wheel wells, and around the rear windshield. If you spot any signs of rust on your Acura TL, take care of it as early as possible, as these repairs tend to cost a few thousand dollars quickly. Even though these problems aren’t nearly as common as those mentioned above, they are incredibly costly to repair.
Powertrain Issues
As far as the powertrain in the Acura TL is concerned, most of its issues are associated with the transmission. These problems include torque converter issues and transmission lockup.
Torque Converter Issues
The 2009-2011 Acura TL transmission is known to suffer from torque converter issues which can cause the car to judder while driving at slower speeds. Acura recognized this issue, and they came out with an SB-10049199-9651 service bulletin with all the necessary information needed to repair it. The shudder service method primarily reprograms the software that controls the converter, but this didn’t solve the issue completely.
Acura also extended the warranty on the converters up to 8 years or 100,000 miles, which also showed that Acura realized this issue existed early on. The bad news is that a brand-new torque converter unit was necessary if the software reprogramming failed to resolve this issue. These days when all Acura TL models are far from any warranty coverage, all of these will have to be paid out of your pocket.
Transmission Lockup
One of the juicier issues with the Acura TL transmission is that the transmission suddenly locks up due to heat building up between the countershaft and the secondary shaft. This heat can cause one of the gear teeth to break off, which can lock up the entire transmission and send your car in all directions.
The danger of this issue was immediately communicated to Acura, which prompted a recall to fix this issue. Therefore, Acura recalled specific 2004 Acura TL models in April 2004 (04V176000) due to the transmission locking up and increasing the chances of an accident.
Electrical Issues
Electrical issues tend to be some of the most frustrating issues a car can suffer from because the moment you fix one electric issue, a second one is quick to occur. These include problems with electric energy consumption and issues with the navigation system.
Energy Consumption Issues
A few owners of the 3rd gen Acura TL (2004-2008) complained about various electrical issues that eventually led to voltage-related problems. Some were quick to point out that this was due to a dead battery, but many owners complained that the problem persisted and reoccurred even with a completely new battery.
The fuse box was also a point of concern, but those who tried it said that the fuse box was completely okay. After going back and forth for a long while, a few experienced mechanics realized that the issue was due to a specific component drawing power away from the battery even when the car was parked. Eventually, they discovered that a hands-free module caused this issue. If you want to know more about this, be sure to watch the video below:
Navigation system issues are also customary for different model years of the Acura TL, The problem can cause the navigation system to either go blank or sometimes even show wrong directions, leading to an accident. As it turns out, this issue is caused by a faulty navigation housing unit which was scratching the navigation disk and causing it to fail.
These units are made by Alpine but have an Acura logo on them due to branding reasons. You should contact Alpine directly if this issue happens to you, as they can fix the unit for you. A few owners said that the cost to fix this issue is around $100-$150, which is not all that much since this issue should not occur again.
Engine Issues
Before we list all the engine issues associated with the Acura TL, we need to point out that most of the engines in the 3rd-gen TL and especially in the 4th-gen TL are pretty dependable, except for a few issues we are going to discuss now. These include high levels of oil consumption, problems with the engine mounts, and issues with the EGR valve.
Oil Consumption Issues
Problems with excessive oil consumption are common across all 2004-2014 Acura TL models, but most experience these issues only after doing hundreds of thousands of miles. However, the 2010 Acura TL is often dubbed the worst model year for the Acura TL because it suffers from the most severe and most common oil consumption-related issues.
A few owners complained about excessive oil consumption, and the only way to “solve” this issue is always to top up the oil so the oil levels can’t drop under recommended levels. The other problem is lousy engine oil pump seals, which can crack over time and cause oil to leak, which can be a massive issue if it goes undetected, as a lack of engine oil can cause terminal engine damage.
Engine Mount Issues
The 2004-2008 Acura TL is sometimes plagued by faulty engine mounts, which can be noticed due to a few distinctive symptoms. The most obvious one is vibration through the steering wheel and the rest of the car, accompanied by clunking noises when accelerating or decelerating abruptly. These are caused by the engine mounts exerting excessive “play” and thus will be easy to spot for any experienced mechanic.
If your engine mounts are completely toasted, they will even cause your entire engine to move, which simply can not go unnoticed. Be sure to deal with this issue before your mounts go completely bad, as excessive engine movement can cause many other problems underneath the hood.
EGR Valve Issues
The EGR (Exhaust gas recirculation valve) is a known failure point on the Acura TL, mainly with the 2004-2008 models. If you sense your Acura TL idling roughly or cracks for a long time before starting, chances are that your EGR valve is to blame. The good old check engine light understandably accompanies these on your dashboard.
The 3rd generation of the Acura TL transitioned from a cable-operated EGR valve to an electric one which is probably why these EGR issues occurred. Thankfully, these can be fixed without too much trouble, so you should take your Acura TL model to the dealership whenever you notice any of these symptoms.
Suspension Issues
The suspension system on the Acura TL does seem to be pretty dependable, but there are two issues we need to discuss. The first is associated with shock absorber issues, while the second is associated with the lower ball joint.
Shock Absorber Issues
As these Acura TL models age, they tend to experience issues with worn-out shock absorbers, which means that these issues are also most common for the 2004-2008 Acura TL. The most apparent symptom of faulty shock absorbers is when the car bounces, especially while going over speed bumps. If it does, inspect the shock absorbers asap, as this can cause more damage to your suspension system.
Lower Ball Joint Issues
According to quite a few Acura TL owners online, the lower ball joints weren’t correctly applied from the factory, which led to some examples suffering lower control arm collapses of the front suspension. This eventually prompted Acura to recall specific 2004-2008 Acura LT models in June 2011 (11E022000) to replace the part for free.
Power Steering Issues
The Acura TL suffered two recalls due to a faulty power steering system. Not having proper power assistance to your steering wheel can be a huge issue, but these two problems were much more dangerous than most people have anticipated.
These recalls are:
- 08V091000 – Acura recalled almost 300,000 Acura TL models made between 2004 and 2008 back in February 2008 due to the power steering fluid leaking and coming in contact with the catalytic converts, which can lead to a fire.
- 12V222000 – Acura recalled specific 2007-2008 Acura TL models back in May 2012 due to the power steering fluid leaking and coming in contact with the catalytic converts, which can lead to a fire.
Vehicle Speed Control Issues
To finish off our list of the most common Acura TL problems, we also need to mention problems where the accelerator pedal may bind and thus isn’t able to return to idle quickly enough. This can severely affect your braking distances and even cause an accident. Understandably, Acura recalled certain 2004-2008 Acura TL models back in October 2019 (19E068000) due to this very reason.
Acura then replaced the associated accelerator pedal assembly, which solved the issue completely, at least for all the 2004-2008 models that were part of this recall.
Marko´s interest in cars runs in the family. His father was a car trader and regularly took him to car dealerships when he was younger.
These days, when he isn´t watching Drivetribe or Doug DeMuro videos, he´s building up quite a resume as an automotive writer since he´s also a regular contributor on Cararc.com, Tirehungry.com, and Luxurycarsa2z.com.