When opening the hood of the car, the hood doesn't stay up. Yesterday, it happened 4 times. The first time, it came down when I opened it to look under the hood. Later,, it came down on another person's arm while he was looking under the hood -- it had been opened for a couple of minutes before it came down. The third time, we had the car at the mechanic and they mentioned that they had to…
2008 Acura TL body problems
moderate 11 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →
Complaints
11
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
When does it fail?
Of the 11 body complaints filed for the 2008 Acura TL, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Among the 5 model years of Acura TL in our records for body problems, this one ranks #3 by owner-complaint volume.
No new NHTSA body complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 7 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Body panel failures cluster around four distinct issues on the 2008 Acura TL. Leather seat seams are coming apart on both driver and passenger sides, sometimes within months of purchase. Owners report the driver's seat failed around 14 months in; the passenger seat followed within five months. Dashboard cracking is widespread, especially on the passenger side near the airbag housing, occurring in South Florida and other regions. Cracks are developing early in ownership—some within a year—despite owners parking in garages during peak heat and maintaining their vehicles carefully. Center console covers are also deteriorating.
The hood latch system fails to hold the hood open safely. Multiple owners report the hood dropping unexpectedly while inspecting the engine, in one case striking a person in the head. Both hood supports may fail simultaneously.
Front door hinges or latches are failing to hold doors open on even slight inclines. Owners repeatedly have to manually prop or kick doors open to exit, and doors close on passengers entering or exiting. Dealers cannot reproduce the problem. One owner notes the exterior frame over the doors shows unusual susceptibility to denting and impressions. A windshield-damage complaint is also documented, though this appears environment-related rather than a manufacturing defect.
Same Acura TL body reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006 · 2007
Failure modes owners describe
Driver seat leather seam separation
Leather on driver's seat separates at seams, occurring early in vehicle ownership despite careful maintenance.
When: 14 months after February 2012 purchase (April 2013)
Symptoms owners cite: leather coming apart at seams on driver's seat
Repairs/costs cited: Owner paid substantial out-of-warranty cost to Acura for repair
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Acura declined warranty coverage, offered partial payment as 'deal'; later classified as normal wear
Passenger seat leather seam separation
Leather on passenger's seat separates at seams within months of driver's seat repair, despite minimal passenger use.
When: 5 months after driver seat repair (approximately September 2013)
Symptoms owners cite: leather coming apart at seams on passenger's seat
Repairs/costs cited: Acura required owner to pay for seat replacement in its entirety
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Acura classified as normal wear and material defect
Dashboard cracking
Dashboard develops cracks, particularly on passenger side near airbag housing. Owners in Florida and other regions report multiple cracks forming within weeks to months despite covered parking and vehicle care.
When: Reported from early ownership; examples include August/September timeframe, also under-warranty period at 82k miles of 100k warranty
Symptoms owners cite: cracks on dashboard directly in front of passenger seat; cracks over passenger airbag housing; multiple lengthy cracks throughout dashboard
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosis required dashboard replacement; costs not fully covered by owners
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Acura claimed dashboards crack in South Florida and declined full coverage; no recall issued; manufacturer stated out of warranty
Center console cover deterioration
Center console cover deteriorates and requires replacement early in vehicle life.
When: By 2013
Symptoms owners cite: center console cover bad and needing replacement
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement required at owner's cost
Hood latch failure
Hood latch system fails to hold hood open reliably, creating a safety hazard. Both hood supports may fail, causing hood to drop unexpectedly onto people inspecting the engine.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: hood doesn't stay up when opened; hood comes down multiple times during single inspection session; hood dropped onto person's arm; hood struck person in head
Repairs/costs cited: Both hood supports appear to need replacement
Front door latch/hinge failure
Front doors, especially driver side, fail to stay in open position on level ground or even slight inclines. Doors close on occupants entering or exiting the vehicle. Multiple door locking positions do not hold firmly.
When: Ongoing from time of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: doors swing back shut on slight incline; doors will not stay open when getting out of car; doors close on individuals when exiting; doors close on passengers entering or exiting; heavy doors will not stay in open position
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer reports cannot duplicate the problem; classified as normal
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer stated everything was normal despite complaint
Door frame susceptibility to denting
Exterior frame over the doors shows unusual susceptibility to denting and impressions from minor contact or debris.
When: Unknown
Symptoms owners cite: exterior frame over doors shows dents and impressions; dents appear from minor impacts
Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
We have an ongoing complaint with the front driver side door closing on its own even on a very slight incline. We have to put our foot on the door to keep it open while exiting the vehicle. We reported this to the dealer, but as per usual they could not duplicate the problem. It has not gotten any better. They said everything was normal. *tr
As a passenger, I often find the big heavy door will not stay in the open position while I am trying to exit from the car. There are several "locking" positions, but none of them hold firmly. This is especially true if the car is on even a slight incline. I find myself kicking the door out of the way so I can safely exit. The car is leased, and I would consider not buying it because of this…
The doors do not stay open and tend to close on passengers as they are entering or exiting the vehicle. *tr
Had body trouble with your 2008 Acura TL?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the body problem on the 2008 Acura TL?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 11 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $1,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the body typically fail?
Based on the 11 complaints filed, body issues most often appear around 62,459 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to body?
No active recalls currently cover body issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2008/Acura/TL.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.