Acura TL: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Acura TL: 4 model years scored from 229 NHTSA owner complaints and 12 recall campaigns. Worst year 2012, best year 2011.
Acura TL: which years to avoid
Across 4 scored model years the Acura TL ranges from 42/100 in 2012 to 87/100 in 2011 — a 45-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a TL at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Air Bags (43 of them).
Avoid: 2012 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2011, 2013, 2014 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2011 (score 87). Worst: 2012 (score 42, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 86 | BUY | $5,396 | 17 | 3 |
| 2013 | 70 | BUY | $5,600 | 62 | 3 |
| 2012 | 42 | AVOID | $5,826 | 130 | 3 |
| 2011 | 87 | BUY | $6,115 | 20 | 3 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the TL, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Acura TL
Across every TL model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Air Bags83 complaints across all TL years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Steering55 complaints across all TL years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Power Train31 complaints across all TL years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Engine22 complaints across all TL years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System17 complaints across all TL years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control6 complaints across all TL years · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement$520–$1,150
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Acura TL years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2012 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2012 is the weakest at 42/100, with its complaints concentrated in Air Bags.
What are the best Acura TL years to buy?
2011, 2013, 2014 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2011 at 87/100, on 20 complaints and 3 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Acura TL problem?
83 of the complaints filed against the TL across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04