Acura · TL · 2012
3
Recalls
130
Complaints
4/5
Safety Rating
The 2012 Acura TL has 3 recalls and 130 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: air bags (36 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
9.3% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
Remedy Status
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy Status
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy Status
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.
Airbag light came on and remained
Driving down the highway with my sun shade open but the actual sunroof closed and all of a sudden I just hear a loud pop and glass is all over my head and thighs. The sunroof shattered leaving me with glasses everywhere. No rock was in the sunroof when I was vacuuming the remaining parts of glass.
They changed the originality milleage of the car and sold it too expensive
Immobilizer unit (recognizes/reads chip in key fob) failure led to the car shutting off the fuel pump leading to the car shutting down. The car could not be started again leaving the driver stranded by the side of the road. Vehicle had to be towed to an Acura dealer since the electronic immobilizer unit cannot be replaced/programmed by non Acura dealers. Car has been sitting at Acura since the end of December 2024 waiting on parts.
The vehicle has a faulty Hands free link module which runs the battery down when the vehicle is not in use. Acura has been aware of this problem since 2005. The government of this sorry ass country has done nothing about this issue except sit on their hands and accept payoffs from Acura. Acura dealers refuse to call back when this issue is mentioned. This results in money being paid for unnecessary repairs for batteries, alternators, and testing Just think if you were a handicap person who had to rely on your vehicle for medical services on a weekly basis and every time you went to your vehicle it would not start because of this issue that has been unresolved by Acura since 2005.What a national disgrace.
On 4/28/2023 per Balcones Heights Police officer Ford and Officer [XXX] there is an issue with the license plate light. The light has been replaced twice, to avoid traffic stops. Police continue to cite the issue of No License plate light. There are not any warning lights on the dash board only cited by law enforcement. On 12/19/2020 Officer [XXX] with Guadelupe Sheriffs Officer issued a warning. The warning cited No License Plate Light. I took photos of the license plate light and took had the vehicle inspected by the Acura dealership. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
In an auto collision where a car rear end the vehicle from an idle position into an 18-foot box truck in front which was also idle. The vehicle smashed in the front and back which it was deemed a total loss and the airbag did not deploy. This caused the driver to have several injuries including a head concussion. When contacted the dealer service department where recall maintenance had been performed, I was instructed to contact the airbag manufacturer. The vehicle inspected by insurance adjuster (GEICO). There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure of the airbag deploy.
Driving on the freeway on a particularly warm day in California with the sunroof tilted up. Heard a explosion and glass fell on top of me and my family. We pulled over to see what had happened because we didn't see any objects flying at us. Upon inspection of the vehicle we noticed that the sunroof had imploded. The glass didn't shatter all the way it looked as if something had been thrown from inside up and out of the sunroof window. A hole was blown out of it. I believe the panoramic shape of the window causes there to be a weak point in the center. Given that weak point and the weather that day it was hot outside and the sunroof was tilted upright the wind coming into the car from the sunroof and probably exiting as well may have caused a reaction between the hot weather and the cool air and imploded the window from inside the car out.
Check airbag sensor keeps coming on intermittently.
unknown, i cant keep a mobil phone connected to the car bluetooth and tpms system always seems to show light as well as all the other senors. lots of parts have been tampered with
While driving in heavy traffic and making a right turn,the power steering screen began to blink and immediately the power steering locked up. I had to manually turn the wheel and was able to over to the side and stop. After several minutes, the wheel finally unlocked and I pulled into a parking lot where it occurred again. I turned the key on and the unlocked wheel began to work again After making it home, I checked the drivers manual and found nothing. I checked complaints and found 95 instances but no recalls. It was very frightening for this situation and dangerous. This happened on July 14,2021.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH WHEN SHE HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUNROOF GLASS HAD EXPLODED. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE AND WAS INFORMED TO CONTACT HER INSURANCE COMPANY SO THEY CAN PAY FOR THE SUNROOF REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY COVERAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS TO VERIFY WHETHER THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FOREIGN OBJECT OR NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
THERE IS SOME JERKINESS WHEN CAR SWITCHES GEARS. READ IT COULD BE THE TORQUE CONVERTER OR BE FIXED WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I HAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATE ALREADY.
HAS JUMMPY GEAR SHIFTING WHEN GEAR MOVES FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND 2ND TO 3RD. IT FEELS LIKE GEAR SLIPS WHILE CHANGE GEAR.
CAR HAS BEEN EXCESSIVELY USING OIL SINCE I BOUGHT IT. HAVE IT DOCUMENTED BY THE DEALER WHEN TAKING IT FOR OIL CHANGES ABOUT THE OIL CONSUMPTION. CAMPAIGN IS RELEASED FOR OIL CONSUMPTION AND I AM TOLD DON'T QUALIFY B/C NOW I SUPPOSED HAVE THREE OIL LEAKS. I HAVE NEVER SAW OIL IN MY DRIVEWAY. CALLED ACURA CLIENT SERVICES, USELESS. DIDN'T HELP ME AT ALL. FEEL THEY JUST RELEASED IT TO SHOW THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING WHEN, THEY AREN'T HELPING THE OWNERS. NOW ENGINE HAS A TICK TO IT AT 120,000 AND I AM TOLD MY REAR CAM SHAFT AND ROCKER ARMS ARE DETERIORATING. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A NIGHTMARE. IT WAS ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER. MY REPAIR FILE IS INTO TWO FILE FOLDERS. I PAID FOR RELIABILITY AND THAT IS NOT WHAT I GOT. VERY DISAPPOINTED - THIS WAS A HORRIBLE ENGINE DESIGN, NO WONDER THEY STOP PRODUCING IT. *TR
CHECK AIR BAG SYSTEM MESSAGE ON AND OFF RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING.
THE TACHOMETER WILL HUNT UP AND DOWN A FEW HUNDRED RPM UNDER LIGHT ACCELERATION. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SHIFT HARSHLY AND ALSO SHIFTS UP AND DOWN DURING ACCELERATION AT TIMES
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD VEHICLE SHUT OFF UN-COMMANDED. CAR CAME TO STOP WHILE IN TRAFFIC. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND RE-STARTED. DROVE APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES AND CAR SHUT OFF AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. CAR CAME TO A STOP IN TRAFFIC PLACED CAR IN PARK AND RE-STARTED. DROVE CAR APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES HOME AND PARKED IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ACURA TL. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, A KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALSO, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. ACURA FIRST (16 HIGHLAND AVE, RT 6 SEEKONK, MA) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000.
THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILS AND THE CAR IS NEAR TO IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER WHEN DRIVING DUE TO THE SYSTEM FAILING. DIFFICULT RESISTANCE IS EXPERIENCED IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS, HIGHWAYS AND BEING STATIONARY.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2012 Acura TL has 3 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 130 owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Acura TL.
The 2012 Acura TL received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2012 Acura TL are air bags (36 reports), steering (19 reports), power train (19 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 3 recalls on record for the 2012 Acura TL. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.