There are 8 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2006 Acura TLin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WITH THE ABS AND THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED BY TWO SEPARATE INDEPENDENT MECHANICS HOWEVER, AFTER EACH REPAIR THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000.
VSA MODULATOR CONTROL UNIT ON 2006 ACURA TL IS LEAKING AIR INTO THE BRAKE SYSTEM MAKING THE PEDAL SOFT WHICH CAN LEAD TO POOR BRAKING AND CAUSE ACCIDENTS. I NARROWLY ESCAPED AN ACCIDENT A FEW WEEKS AGO. ACURA HAS KNOWN THIS ISSUE FOR LONG TIME AND HAS EVEN PUBLISHED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (07-041) BUT HAS NOT RECALLED THE VEHICLE TO REPLACE THIS PART. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH A LOT OF HONDA AND ACURA VEHICLES BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO ENFORCEMENT. NHTSA SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND FORCE HONDA/ACURA TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES. *TR
ABS KICKED IN WHEN BRAKING ON AN ICY DOWNHILL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ABS HAS EVER ENGAGED ON THIS CAR. AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL, BRAKES BECAME EXTREMELY SOFT AND TRAVEL MUCH FARTHER TOWARDS TO THE FLOOR BEFORE BRAKES ENGAGE. PUMPING THEM DOES NOT RETURN BRAKES TO NORMAL OPERATION. RESEARCH UNCOVERED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) WITH HONDA/ACURA AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. ACURA SERVICE BULLETIN 07041. IT APPEARS THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL GIVEN THE DANGER THIS POSES (LOSS OF BRAKING POWER). RECOMMENDATION IS TO REPLACE $900+ VSA MODULATOR. RIDICULOUS. *TR
2006 ACURA TL WITH 49000 MILES. THE BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY BECAME VERY MUSHY AND HAD TO SLAM THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO STOP THE CAR. IT DID FINALLY. TOOK IT TO A LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE PLACE AND THEY INSISTED IT JUST NEED A BRAKE FLUSH. DONE...THE BRAKES WERE STILL NOT UP TO STANDARD BUT BETTER. A WEEK LATER THE BRAKE PEDAL DID THE SAME THING. AGAIN AFRAID THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AS PEDAL ON THE FLOOR STARTED PUMPING BRAKES AND COASTED TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER. STARTED STOMPING ON THE PEDAL AND THEY SEEMED TO GAIN PRESSURE ,SCARED TO DRIVE IT, BUT DID AND GOT IT TO AN ACURA DEALER. ABS REPAIR - NO WARRANTY- $2100.00 BILL TO FIX. THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER GONE OUT ON A CAR WITH 49500 MILES. WHEN IT DOES GO OUT ...IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. *KB
2006 ACURA TL 6 SPD. 36,667 MILES. DEFECTIVE ABS/VSA MODULATOR LEADING TO AIR IN BRAKE LINES, SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL WITH INCONSISTENT UNPREDICTABLE BRAKING ABILITY (DANGEROUS CONDITIONS). *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A SLIGHT RATTLE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR TIRES OF THE VEHICLE AFTER HITTING A BUMP. THE NOISE SOUNDED LIKE A MUFFLER THAT WAS NOT CLAMPED TIGHTLY TO THE BODY. THE RATTLE WAS FIRST HEARD ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND THEN WAS HEARD FROM BOTH SIDES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 06/28/06 BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE BRAKE CABLE ON 06/30/06 BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE DEALER REPACKED THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON 07/03/06. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A FOURTH TIME ON 08/03/06 WHERE THE WHOLE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS REDONE, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE NOISE ONLY HAPPENED DURING BUMPY ROAD CONDITIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK
2006 ACURA TL HAS HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS FROM DAY OF PURCHASE. CONSUMER WANTS THE DEALERSHIP TO BUY THE CAR BACK BECAUSE HE FEELS THAT THE CAR IS A LEMON. *NJ THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID STOPPED SPRAYING. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE HOSE WAS LOOSE. THE BRAKES STARTING SQUEAKING AND THE DEALER REPLACED THEM. *JB
EARLY ON I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES IN MY 2006 ACURA TL HAD A RELATIVELY SOFT FEEL IN OPERATION. INDEED, FROM THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP OF THE BRAND NEW CAR I'D BEEN SURPRISED AT THE DIFFERENCE FROM MY PREVIOUS CAR -- A 1995 NISSAN MAXIMA -- WHICH HAD SOLID FEELING BRAKES. I ATTRIBUTED THIS SOFTNESS TO THE NEW CAR'S GREATER WEIGHT -- THE BRAKES DID AFTER ALL, STOP THE CAR. BUT THEY NEVER FELT TRULY SECURE. IN THE LAST 2 YEARS, THE SOFTNESS PROGRESSED SLOWLY AT FIRST, AND THEN WORSENING WITH AN INCREASING RATE OF DECLINE. AT THE START OF JULY 2013, I WAS ALARMED TO FIND THAT I NEEDED TO PUMP THE BRAKES FOR THEM TO ENGAGE AND STOP THE CAR. ON 7/3/2013 THE MECHANIC I SAW FOUND THAT AIR WAS IN THE LINES, AND THAT THIS APPARENTLY HAD LET THE RIGHT REAR PADS STAY IN CONTACT WITH THE DISC REQUIRING SERVICING OF THAT PORTION OF THE SYSTEM. HE ALERTED ME THAT A DEFECTIVE BRAKE MODULATOR PROBLEM WAS KNOWN TO AFFECT MANY TLS OF THAT TIME PERIOD. AS IT IS AN EXPENSIVE PART AND NOT YET RECALLED, WE OPTED TO BLEED THE LINES AND FIX THE OTHER DAMAGE HOPING IT WOULD TURN OUT THAT THE LINE HAD SIMPLY LEAKED SOMEHOW. THE DRIVE AWAY WAS THE FIRST & ONLY TIME I'VE EVER FELT SOLID BRAKES ON THIS CAR. BUT BEFORE I'D REACHED MY HOME 10 MILES AWAY, THEY'D BECOME SPONGY. BY THE NEXT DAY I NEEDED TO PUMP THEM. CLEARLY, THE MODULATOR IS INTRODUCING AIR TO THE LINES. I ESSENTIALLY SET THE CAR ASIDE WHILE DECIDING WHETHER I SHOULD REPLACE IT OR FIX IT. I'M ABOUT TO REPLACE THE MODULATOR AT MY EXPENSE AS I'VE DECIDED I'M NOT PREPARED TO BUY A NEW CAR AFTER ALL, BUT THE BRAKES MUST BE MADE SAFE. ACURA HAS ISSUED A BULLETIN, BUT THEY'VE NOT ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELLING NEW CARS WITH A DEFECTIVE PART THAT COMPLETELY FAILS, EVENTUALLY. THE PROBLEM THEY'VE IMPOSED ON THE PUBLIC IS SERIOUS. PLEASE DON'T WAIT FOR THERE TO BE A DEATH BEFORE REQUIRING A RECALL OF THE PART BY ACURA. THANK YOU. *TR
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