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2011 Acura TL engine problems

severe Owners of the 2011 Acura TL have filed 3 NHTSA complaints about the engine at roughly $3,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See engine across all vehicles →

Complaints
3
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
engine complaints on the Acura TL, by model year
Model yearengine complaints
2007 TL 5
2008 TL 7
2010 TL 3
2011 TL (this page) 3
2012 TL 14
2fires

When does it fail?

Of the 3 engine complaints filed for the 2011 Acura TL, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 mi.

0-25k
0 (0%)
25-50k
0 (0%)
50-75k
0 (0%)
75-100k
1 (33.3%)
100-125k
2 (66.7%)
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

No new NHTSA engine complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 9 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.

Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins

The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering engine 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 Bulletin B19-052 Oct 2019

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).

full bulletin at NHTSA ↗
Service Bulletin BBOM08312019 Aug 2019

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.

full bulletin at NHTSA ↗
Service Bulletin B19-006 Aug 2019

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.

full bulletin at NHTSA ↗
Service Bulletin B19-006 May 2019

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.

full bulletin at NHTSA ↗
Service Bulletin B18-009 Apr 2019

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 financial institution or insurer, or has a branded or similar title under any states law. To check for veh

full bulletin at NHTSA ↗

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.

What owners are reporting 3 most recent

engine · 77,000 mi · filed 12/01/2016

My wife was driving,I was in the front passenger seat and we smelled rubber burning next we noticed smoke from the hood area. We pulled over turned on the flashers and opened the hood and smoke came out heavy and I saw a fire at the bottom of engine area.we called 911 and a fire truck put out the flames. The engine was destroyed. They towed it to a auto shop and we are waiting for an insurance…

engine · 118,000 mi · filed 03/03/2021

The car is burning oil at an accelerated rate which causes a warning when the oil life is around 40 to 50% that the engine has low oil level.

engine · 105,000 mi · filed 01/29/2021

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Acura tl. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The fire department was called out and dispersed the smoke. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer bradshaw Acura (2450 laurens rd, greenville, sc 29607, (864) 297-4529) where it was diagnosed with needing an unknown box assembly, eps, aps unit, and…

Had engine trouble with your 2011 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 engine problem on the 2011 Acura TL?

It's a meaningful issue. 3 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $3,100.

At what mileage does the engine typically fail?

Based on the 3 complaints filed, engine issues most often appear around 100,000 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 $3,100 for engine 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 engine?

No active recalls currently cover engine 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/2011/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.
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