There are 10 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2004 Acura TLin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE YAW SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108 ,000. ...UPDATED 03/31/16 *BF UPDATED 05/29/18*JB
VSA/ABS MODULE FAILURE. ABS, VSA AND BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON DASH BOARD. TOLD POTENTIAL ISSUE COULD BE BRAKES COULD LOCK UP SO NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TURNING THE VEHICLE ON, THE VSA WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED; HOWEVER, THE VSA WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VSA MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,220.
I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES TODAY TO AVOID HITTING A CAR. THE ABS KICKED IN LIKE IT SHOULD AND I HEARD THE CLICKING OF IT GOING ON AND OFF. I STOPPED IN TIME BUT NOTICED WHEN I STEP ON MY BRAKE NOW, IT GOES ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN BEFORE THEY START TO ENGAGE. II DID A SEARCH AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING TSB 07-041. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! HONDA IS RECALLED THE ODYSSEY VEHICLES FOR THE SAME ISSUE. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE IN 2004 THROUGH 2006 ACURA TL AND NO ACTION IS BEING TAKEN. THIS IS THE SECOND INSTANCE AT 64000 MILES. THE FIRST INSTANCE WAS AT 25,792 MILES (03/10/08) AND ACURA REPLACED THE VSA MODULATOR. VARIOUS ONLINE BLOGS REPORT OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ACURA OEM SERVICE MANUAL FOR MY 2004 TL HAS AN ERROR THAT COULD RESULT IN THE FRONT DISC BRAKE PADS BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY ON CARS WITH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION OPTION. THIS COULD CAUSE THE BRAKES TO WORK INCORRECTLY. ADVICE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE IN TORRANCE, CA AND MY LOCAL ACURA DEALER ABOUT THE CORRECT INSTALLATION DIRECTION ARE IN DIRECT OPPOSITION. *TR
THE BRAKES ON MY 2004 ACURA TL HAVE CONTINUED TO BE SPONGY AND AIR GETS INTO THE SYSTEM. I HAVE SPENT OVER $1000 TRYING TO FIX THE BRAKES AND THEY KEEP GETTING SPONGY WITHIN A DAY OF BEING BLED. MY MECHANIC DID A SEACH AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING TSB. HTTP://WWW.IN.HONDA.COM/RJANISIS/PUBS/SB/B07-041.PDF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! HONDA IS RECALLING ODYSSEY VEHICLES FOR THE SAME ISSUE. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE IN 2004 THROUGH 2006 ACURA TL'S AND NO ACTION IS BEING TAKEN. I CALLED ACURA AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE NO CURRENT PLANS FOR A RECALL.
2004 ACURA TL AT HAS SOFT AND SPONGY BRAKES. BRAKING SEEMS USELESS UNDER HARD-BRAKING CONDITIONS. IT ALL STARTED WHEN I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ROAD DEBRIS, ABS WENT INTO ACTION AND THE CAR STOPPED IN A DIME, HOWEVER, A FEW DAYS AFTER THE EVENT, I NOTICED THE BRAKES GETTING SPONGY AND SOFT. I WENT TO GET MY BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR CHANGED ALONG WITH A BRAKE FLUID CHANGE. IT WORKED FINE FOR A WEEK BUT THEN IT WENT BACK TO SOFT AND SPONGY. I HAD A SITUATION WHERE I HAD TO BRAKE HARD FOR A BEAUTIFUL L.A COMMUTER WHO CUT ME OFF AND THERE WAS ALMOST TO PRESSURE WHATSOEVER ON THE BRAKES, NO ABS, NO TIRE SCREECHING, IT JUST GLIDED TO A STOP. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND OUT IT WAS THE VSA MODULATOR, WHICH WAS INJECTING AIR INTO THE BRAKE LINES EVER SO OFTEN. APPARENTLY IT HAPPENED WHEN THE ABS KICKED IN, THEY SAID IT WOULD HAVE FAULTED THE VSA SYSTEM. THE PART WAS REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED ONE FROM ACURA. I AFRAID THERE ARE OTHER TLS WITH THE SAME ISSUES HAVING TO PAY CLOSE TO 2000 DOLLARS FOR PARTS THAT ARE SO CRITICAL AND YET DEFECTIVE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE BEFORE THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS INCREASED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE VIN WAS UNABLE TO BE ENTERED INTO THE SYSTEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 73,000.
I HAD TO BREAK FOR A CAT RUNNING IN THE ROAD TO A HEAVY AND COMPLETE STOP. IT CAUSED THE ONE OF THE FRONT BRAKE PADS TO MELT AND NOW ARE HARDEN AND DON'T STOP AS WELL AND MAKES A HEAVY GRINDING NOISE. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID ITS OK JUST TO BRAKE HARD A FEW TIMES AND WILL CLEAR THE PAD. I HAVE TRIED THIS AND THE NOSE IS GETTING WORST. I FEEL THAT THE CAR IN EMERGENCY STOP WILL CAUSE THE BRAKE TO FAIL OR MELT DO TO THE HIGHER FRICTION. PAD DOSE NOT SEEM TO BE SOFT BUT HARD NOW. THE CAR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STOP IN EMERGENCY STOP ONCE PADS HEAT UP. THE ACURA WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE IT AS AN ISSUE. *NM
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA 3.2TL. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE WITH PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL HE HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A HARD SPOT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH WOULD WEAR DOWN OVER TIME AND THE GRINDING NOISE WOULD NO LONGER PERSIST. OVER TIME THE GRINDING NOISE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE PAD HAD WORN THROUGH AND DESTROYED THE ROTOR. ALL OF THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. A FEW YEARS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT ALL OF THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND UNDERSIZED ACCORDING TO REGULATION. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTORS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
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