Acura TL reliability by year
4 recalls and 1,214 owner complaints across 10 model years. Best year to buy: 2011. Year to avoid: 2008.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 2 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 10 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the TL aggregated across 10 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Acura TL?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2011 Acura TL scores 8.6/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2014 range. 20 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Acura TL year should I avoid?
The 2008 Acura TL scores 7.0/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 124 owner complaints with NHTSA, 3 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2008 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Acura TL should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2012 (avoid — the steering — 1 fatality report on the steering); 2008 (avoid — the steering — 5 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the steering). The cleaner years on the data are 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Acura TL are tracked?
10 model years (2005 through 2014) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 4 recalls and 1,214 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Acura TL?
airbags is the most-reported category — 415 complaints across 10 model years. Average shop repair runs about $1,100.