There are 13 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2003 Acura TLin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
SUMMER OF 2014 I CAN TO A STOP LIGHT AT A COMPLETE STOP. MY TL TYPE S KEPT IDLE AT 3500 - 3700 RPM. DROVE THE CAR ABOUT QUARTER OF A MILE BEFORE HAVING TO SHUT OF THE ENGINE. THAT FIX THE PROBLEM FOR THE TIME BEING. THIS WOULD HAPPEN 2-5 TIMES A WEEK FOR THREE WEEKS UNTIL I FIGURED OUT THE CAUSE. COME TO FIND OUT IT WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER AT THE THROTTLE THAT WAS GETTING STUCK. EVENTUALLY JUST UNHOOKED THE CABLE FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL. HASN'T BEEN FIX SINCE.
2003 ACURA TL. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND CAME TO A STOP AFTER A FEW MORE MILES. BOTH OF THE FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED FROM BRAKING. THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD BROKEN AND WEDGED THE THROTTLE PLATE OPEN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AS IT BEGAN TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 103,000.
TRANSMISSION BROKE ON 2003 ACURA TL S. SUCKS AS I HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED N MAINTAINED SERVICES. *TR
I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I WAS AT A FULL STOP ON THE RIGHT LANE WHEN MY CAR LUNGED FORWARD. I PRESSED THE BRAKES HARDER AND WHEN NOTHING HAPPENED I TRIED TO GET INTO THE EXIT LANE WHICH LUCKILY WAS RIGHT NEXT TO ME. UNFORTUNATLEY I HIT THE REAR RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND THE CAR STILL DID NOT STOP. IT KEPT GOING AT WHICH TIME I RELEASED THE BRAKE AND PRESSED IT AGAIN THINKING MAYBE IT LOCKED UP OR SOMETHING. THE VEHICLE STILL DID NOT STOP. I WAS ALMOST OUT OF THE HIGHWAY WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT FINALLY SLOWED DOWN. I PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS IN SHOCK AND TREMBLING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CAR WENT OFF SO FAR IT TOOK THE OTHER DRIVER APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES TO REACH ME. I READ ABOUT 7 COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING AND NOTHING WAS DONE IN 5 INCIDENTS. TWO OF THE VEHICLES HAD AN IDLE AIR CONTROL VAVLE REPLACED WHICH I HOPE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I SENT THESE COMPLAINTS TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND TO THE REPAIR SHOP. I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY ACURA IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS NOT A FAULTY HEAD LIGHT, IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. HAD I BEEN JUST A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE AND INVOLVED MORE VEHICLES. THE OFFICER SAID I MIGHT HAVE HAD MY FOOT ON BOTH THE BRAKES AND THE GAS PEDAL BUT I AM 120% POSITIVE THAT MY FOOT WAS ONLY ON THE BRAKES. THIS WAS ALSO NOT HUMAN ERROR. I WAS FULLY STOPPED AND AWARE, I WAS NOT PLAYING WITH THE RADIO OR ON THE PHONE. IF THIS IS NOT RESOLVED I DO NOT WANT THIS CAR. *NM
WHILE SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY LOCAL FITNESS CLUB VEHICLE SUDDENLY MADE A ROARING NOISE, ACCELERATED, PLUNGED FORWARD, AND STRUCK TWO PARKED VEHICLES. THIS HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED, I PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I NOTIFIED THE OWNERS OF THE OTHER VEHICLES, AND PROMPTLY CALLED THE POLICE. WHEN THE POLICE OFFICER ARRIVED, HE COMPLETED EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION FORMS FOR ALL INVOLVED PARTIES. HE ALSO TOLD ME TO BE SURE TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED OUT MECHANICALLY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THEN, IT WAS TAKEN TO THE CAR DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED FOR INTERNAL MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. HE SAID THERE WERE NO ERROR MESSAGES OR INDICATIONS OF MALFUNCTION. HOWEVER, LATER I NOTICED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEW SET. I AM POSITIVE THAT THE CAR MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ACCELERATOR STUCK. CONSUMER HIT THE BRAKES IN ORDEER TO STOP. TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WAS REPLACED.*AK THE COSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY. *TC
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA TL. THE ACCELERATOR WOULD REPEATEDLY GET STUCK, WHICH CAUSED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RESURFACED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER, AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR WAS INSTALLED TOO TIGHTLY. HE THEN RE-INSTALLED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE REPAIR REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,000. UPDATED 12/07/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE ACCELERATOR UNDER THE HOOD. THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS ADJUSTED. UPDATED 12/09/09.*JB
'03 ACURA TL3 ENGINE RACED AT FULL THROTTLE (TACH RED ZONE), THREATENING DRIVER, PEDESTRIANS, AND OTHER VEHICLES. REQUIRED DRIVER TO PUT FULL WEIGHT ON BRAKE TO STOP CAR, THEN DOWNSHIFT AND SHUT DOWN ENGINE. THIS OCCURRED TWICE. ACURA DEALER REPLACED IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE. *LA
VEHICLE HAD AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN.*AK
CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STOP FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT, BUT CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITH FOOT APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. CONSUMER HAD TO PLACE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO STOP. DEALER DIAGNOSED FAILURE OF "IAC VALVE", PART NO. 121187.*AK *TS *JB
CAR WAS IN PARK, WENT TO REMOVE KEYS. CAR ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEED SLAMMING INTO WALL. *NLM
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT GAS PEDAL PROBLEM. IT WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES, WHERE THE VEHICLE SWITCHED BY ITSELF , AND IT ALMOST FELT LIKE GEARS WERRE SWITCHING INTO NEUTRAL. DEALER HAD BEEN CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT SINCE VEHICLE DID NOT DO IT WHEN THEY WERE DRIVING THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026