2012 Acura TL problems
NHTSA has received 162 complaints about the 2012 Acura TL, and 27% of them involve air bags. Next are drivetrain & axles (17%) and steering (15%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 162 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 27% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 6 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 48,000 miles 105 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 36 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 11 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 12 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 18 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 12 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 8 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 8 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 105 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 48,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 50,000 miles (13 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 4 complaints mention a crash; 6 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 16 model years of the Acura TL with enough data (114 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was trying to make a stop at an intersection and there was a car in front of me. I slowed down and when I attempted to make the stop and placed my foot on the brake the car began to accelerate. At this time, I hit the back of a vehicle which was stopped in front of me and did very little damage as I was traveling only at 12 MPH.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 acura tl. While at a red light, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle from the rear. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained neck and back injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the towing facility. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable.
In an auto collision where a car rear end the vehicle from an idle position into an 18-foot box truck in front which was also idle. The vehicle smashed in the front and back which it was deemed a total loss and the airbag did not deploy. This caused the driver to have several injuries including a head concussion. When contacted the dealer service department where recall maintenance had been performed, I was instructed to contact the airbag manufacturer. The vehicle inspected by insurance adjuster (GEICO).
Transmission needing replacement in less than 100k miles. Hard shifting noticed substantially while driving. Car only at only 65k miles.
On startup, power steering does not work. Very difficult to turn the wheel. Error code 32-09 came up when taken to acura dealership, and dealership claims they cannot duplicate issue after car was towed there. Issue reoccured after 8 short trips. Low mileage on the car.