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2009 Acura TL airbags problems
severe
Owners of the 2009 Acura TL have filed 19 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.See airbags across all vehicles →
Of the 19 airbags complaints filed for the 2009 Acura TL,
here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 75,000-100,000 mi.
0-25k
0 (0%)
25-50k
0 (0%)
50-75k
0 (0%)
75-100k
1 (50%)
100-125k
1 (50%)
125-150k
0 (0%)
150k+
0 (0%)
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
All 3 active airbags recalls on this vehicle are classified critical — based on documented crash, fire, or fatality outcomes in NHTSA's record.
Airbags accounts for 45% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 5 categories tracked.
An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented
repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall
(it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Service BulletinB18-020Feb 2026
Service Bulletin - Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Driver's Airbag Inflator for 2013-14 ILX Hybrid and Other Listed Years and Models.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2009 Acura TL faced a widespread Takata airbag inflator recall that exposed a real supply-chain failure. Roughly 75% of the complaints here center on one problem: owners received recall notifications for defective airbag inflators (NHTSA Campaign 16V061000), but dealerships had no parts and no timeline for repair. Owners reported waiting 5 months, 8 months, even over a year with no progress. Dealers offered loaner cars in some cases, but they weren't always comparable or convenient, and Acura declined compensation for vehicle depreciation. Some owners also report being told the danger was overstated, contradicting the recall letter itself.
A handful of owners report serious incidents: one T-bone collision at 5 mph where the airbag deployed as designed but the driver still sustained 225 stitches and five cracked cervical vertebrae; another where airbags deployed from driving over a drainage grate at low speed, breaking the windshield. One owner also reported an airbag warning light that persisted even after the dealer replaced the sensor module and clip cover—a repair that didn't stick.
The pattern is clear: airbag inflator defect, delayed recall execution, and a few unexplained deployment incidents.
Defective Takata airbag inflators that could rupture and eject metal fragments upon deployment, posing a serious safety hazard. The vast majority of complaints involve part unavailability during the recall repair window (2016–2017), leaving owners unable to get repairs completed despite recall notifications.
When: Recall issued 2014–2016 timeframe; parts unavailable through mid-2016 and beyond
Symptoms owners cite: Recall notification received from dealer; Replacement parts unavailable at dealership; Long delays (5+ months, or over a year in some cases) with no clear repair timeline
Codes mentioned:NHTSA Campaign 16V061000
Repairs/costs cited: Recall required replacement of defective airbag inflator. Parts were chronically unavailable; dealers reported no installation procedures or parts stock. Estimated repair timeline (early-summer 2016) pushed back repeatedly. Loaner vehicles sometimes offered but not always comparable or convenient.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 16V061000 (Airbags). Acura/Honda issued recall notices; offered rental cars in some cases but declined additional compensation. Some corporate representatives advised owners the danger was overstated and limited to older Honda Civics, contradicting the recall notice.
Airbag warning light (sensor/clip cover)
Driver's side airbag warning light illuminating, diagnosed as fractured airbag sensor module and clip cover. Repair of these components did not resolve the warning light condition.
When: 50,075 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light illuminated while driving; Airbag warning light continued to illuminate intermittently after repair
Repairs/costs cited: Driver's side airbag sensor module and clip cover replaced; failure was not corrected.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer was made aware but no warranty action or follow-up documented.
Spontaneous airbag deployment at low speed
Two instances of airbag deployment at very low speeds (5 mph) without collision impact proportionate to the deployment. One case involved a T-bone collision that caused severe injuries despite proper deployment; another involved airbag deployment from driving over a drainage grate.
When: 30,000 miles (T-bone); 92,000 miles (drainage grate); other mileage for parking lot incident not stated
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag(s) deployed during minor impact or non-collision event; Passenger side and driver's side airbags deployed; Windshield damage
Repairs/costs cited: One case: severe lacerations to scalp (225 stitches) and 5 cracked cervical vertebrae; cause undetermined. Another case: hand and face injuries requiring medical attention; cause undetermined. Third case: windshield broken by airbag deployment; vehicle not on recall list.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No notification to manufacturer in one case. In another, manufacturer was notified but cause remained undetermined. No repairs documented.
Synthesized from 19 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting
9 most recent
airbags · 92,000 mi
· filed 11/07/2016
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Acura tl. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the air bags deployed independently and caused the vehicle to crash into a fence. A police report was filed. The contact sustained hand and face injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the cause of the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
airbags
· filed 10/26/2016
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Acura tl. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms…
airbags
· filed 10/20/2016
2009 Acura tl. Consumer writes in regards to replacement parts not available to repair driver airbag inflator recall notice. *smd
airbags
· filed 10/14/2015
Son was driving through a parking lot at about 5 MPH, went over a drainage grate & the passenger side airbag deployed, breaking the windshield. There was no damage done to the outside or underside of the vehicle. Vehicle is not on airbag recall list.
airbags
· filed 09/08/2016
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Acura tl. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms…
airbags
· filed 07/14/2016
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Acura tl. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution…
airbags · 117,000 mi
· filed 07/06/2016
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Acura tl. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was…
airbags
· filed 06/20/2016
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Acura tl. The contact received a recall notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the parts for the recall repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The VIN was invalid. The contact had not…
airbags
· filed 06/07/2016
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Acura tl. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact had not received a response in regards to temporary…
Had airbags trouble with your 2009 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 airbags problem on the 2009 Acura TL?
It's a meaningful issue. 19 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 19 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 64,296 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 $1,100 for airbags 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 airbags?
Yes — 3 active recall(s) cover airbags issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.
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/2009/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.