Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Acura TL, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags43
- Power train27
- Steering25
- Engine18
- Electrical system11
- Vehicle speed control6
- Service brakes4
- Structure4
- Unknown or other4
- Wheels4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 5 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 32 2012 TL vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 16 people died inside them, and 5 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2012 Acura TL failed the safety check 1.49% of the time — 41% less often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 114,255 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 4 variants; 0 of 4 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Acura TL 4 DR 4WD Later Release | ★★★★☆ | 9.3 % |
| 2012 Acura TL 4 DR FWD Later Release | ★★★★☆ | 9.3 % |
| 2012 Acura TL 4 DR 4WD Early Release | ★★★☆☆ | 9.3 % |
| 2012 Acura TL 4 DR FWD Early Release | ★★★☆☆ | 9.3 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 4 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 10.1–11.6 L/100 km (about 20–23 mpg US), CO₂ 232–267 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| TL · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 11.8 | 8.1 | 10.1 |
| TL AWD · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 12.9 | 9.0 | 11.1 |
| TL AWD · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 13.4 | 9.5 | 11.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2012 Acura TL.
| 2019323 28 Jun 2019 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the p… |
| 2016046 1 Feb 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inf… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Acura told its dealers about the 2012 Acura TL: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10211608 | Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated. |
| 10211079 | Service bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement driver's airbag inflator only. |
| 10208848 | Service Bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement driver's airbag inflator only. |
| 10187894 | Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the floor. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind. |
| 10187299 | Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the floor. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind. |
| 10186657 | ServiceNews Article - Do you have a slow tire leak, but there are no signs of sidewall damage or anything stuck in the tread? While you're checking for leaks, check the valve stem; it could have oxidation buildup from road salt. This buildup can cause a poor seal, resulting in a slow leak. |
| 10186001 | Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the floor. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind. |
| 10185525 | Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the floor. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind. |
| 10184337 | Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the floor. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind. |
| 10172571 | Service Bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement driver's airbag inflator only. |
| 10169499 | Service Bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement driver's airbag inflator only. |
| 10165772 | Service Bulletin - Due to high demand for repairs under this warranty extension, pistons and rings required to complete this repair are currently backordered. Acura has provided this service bulletin (19-052) as a mechanism to cover clients that were not able to have repairs completed during the initial 6-month eligibility period on service bulletin (19-006). |
| 10165333 | This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would prevent the part from being installed, and would therefore have no impact on the end user besides time to complete installation. |
| 10164476 | Dealer Message - On January 16, 2019, Acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2009-14 Acura vehicles equipped with a 3.7L V6 engine to address client concerns related to excessive oil consumption. Acura extended the powertrain warranty coverage to address engine issues related to excessive oil consumption from the original 6 years/70,000 miles to 8 years/125,000 miles, whichever comes first. In addition, all vehicles were provided a grace period until August 31, 2019 and were covered regardless of time in service or mileage. |
| 10164151 | Owner Notification Letter - The vehicle's steering may feel heavier than normal - or is hard to turn - particularly when the vehicle is not moving because of an electric power steering (EPS) control unit failure. If this happens, either the EPS indicator blinks with no diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) stored, or the EPS indicator comes on steady with at least one of the following DTCs stored: DTC 32-09, DTC 32-08, or DTC 61-04. |
| 10163804 | Service Bulletin - The oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. These deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations. |
| 10163192 | Owner Notification Letter - The vehicle's steering may feel heavier than normal - or is hard to turn - particularly when the vehicle is not moving because of an electric power steering (EPS) control unit failure. If this happens, either the EPS indicator blinks with no diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) stored, or the EPS indicator comes on steady with at least one of the following DTCs stored: DTC 32-09, DTC 32-08, or DTC 61-04. |
| 10163163 | "Dealer Message - On April 19, 2019, Acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2012-14 Acura TL vehicles to address a concern with the electric power steering (EPS) system. On June 1, 2019, Acura announced an expansion to include coverage for the 2011-14 TSX L4 and TSX Sport Wagon L4, four cylinder models. Today, July 11, 2019 is announcing the final expansion to this warranty extension to include certain 2011-14 TSX V6, six cylinder models. Under certain conditions, affected vehicles may experience: - Heavier than normal steering - The EPS indicator may blink with no DTCs - The indi |
| 10163140 | Service Bulletin - American Honda is extending the warranty on the EPS (electric power steering) control unit to 15 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. This warranty covers vehicles where the steering feels heavier than normal, or is hard to turn, particularly when the vehicle is not moving, and either the EPS indicator blinks with no DTCs, or the EPS indicator comes on steady with DTC 32-09 (motor current correlation), DTC 32-08 (EPS control unit internal circuit [current sensor]), or DTC 61-04 (motor harness malfunction). |
| 10161252 | "Dealer Message - On April 19, 2019, Acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2012-14 Acura TL vehicles to address a concern with the electric power steering (EPS) system. Today, June 1, 2019, Acura is announcing a vehicle population expansion to this warranty extension to also include coverage for the 2011-14 TSX L4 and TSX Sport Wagon L4, four cylinder models. Under certain conditions, affected vehicles may experience: - Heavier than normal steering - The EPS indicator may blink with no DTCs - The indicator may come on steady with EPS DTC(s)." |
| 10160920 | Service Bulletin - American Honda is extending the warranty on the EPS (electric power steering) control unit to 15 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. This warranty covers vehicles where the steering feels heavier than normal, or is hard to turn, particularly when the vehicle is not moving, and either the EPS indicator blinks with no DTCs, or the EPS indicator comes on steady with DTC 32-09 (motor current correlation), DTC 32-08 (EPS control unit internal circuit [current sensor]), or DTC 61-04 (motor harness malfunction). |
| 10160547 | Service Bulletin - The oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. These deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations. |
| 10159442 | Service Bulletin - The oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. These deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations. To increase client confidence, American Honda is extending the engine warranty related to oil consumption to 8 years from the original date of purchase or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first. This warranty extension does not apply to any vehicle that has ever been declared a total loss or sold for salvage by a financ |
| 10159045 | Dealer Message - Today, April 19, 2019, Acura is announcing a warranty extension for certain 2012-14 Acura TL vehicles to address a concern with the electric power steering (EPS) system. Under certain conditions, affected vehicles may experience heavier than normal steering, the EPS indicator may blink with no DTCs, or the indicator may come on steady with EPS DTC(s). American Honda is extending the new vehicle limited warranty on the EPS control unit from the original 4 years/50,000 miles to 15 years/unlimited miles from the original date of purchase. |
| 10159043 | Service Bulletin - American Honda is extending the warranty on the EPS (electric power steering) control unit to 15 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Electrical overstress
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation