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1999 Acura TLProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 157 owner complaints about the 1999 Acura TL, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-026 the manufacturer reports only 4% of affected cars repaired.

45
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the TL median · #7 of 19 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 4%Owner complaints15729 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage115kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 12, 2022. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1999 Acura TL has problems

157 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system588
Power train372
Air bags134
Engine and engine cooling120
Vehicle speed control106
Steering81
Visibility71
Structure61
Engine50
11 other systems256

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

1999 Acura TL recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

4%repaired · 2022 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 20V-026 · Jan 17, 2020 · 1,439,841 vehicles · 63,210 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Ignition: switch

Recall 05V-025 · Jan 28, 2005 · 486,659 vehicles

Risk. IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT SHIFT TO PARK BEFORE REMOVING THE KEY AND FAILS TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Ignition: switch

Recall 03V-423 · Oct 27, 2003 · 563,861 vehicles

Risk. IF THE VEHICLE OPERATOR DOES NOT SHIFT TO "PARK" BEFORE REMOVING THE KEY AND FAILS TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Ignition: switch

Recall 02V-120 · May 16, 2002 · 1,000,000 vehicles

Risk. WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Acura.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

115kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 43 electrical system complaints. 35% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
0under 30k miles15under 100k miles28100k miles or more
Best & worst years

1999 vs. every other TL year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the TL median. How we score

'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1999 Acura TL, and the recalls they led to.

  1. IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCKPE05002 · closed Feb 2, 2005
    Led to recall 05V-025
In owners' words

What TL owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

My 99 will unexpectedly shut off while driving down the road whether it be 5 miles an hour or 60 miles an hour. When this happens all power is off then kicks itself back on but won’t start until about 5 minutes to 10 minutes later and then runs smoothly but sometimes it will shut off again and take…
Complaint 11483942 · Sep 12, 2022
At random times the engine dies while driving the car which has resulted in unsafe handling and loss of power steering while in traffic conditions. I was unaware of a recall (02V120000) until recently. I have owned this car sense 2002 and the current millage is 109,000 miles. I contacted Findlay…
Complaint 11452922 · Feb 19, 2022
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HANSEL ACURA (2979 CORBY AVE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH…
Complaint 11128578 · Sep 10, 2018 · 320,000 miles

Own a 1999 TL?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.