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2004 Acura TLProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 551 owner complaints about the 2004 Acura TL, most often about the structure. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-182 the manufacturer reports only 49% of affected cars repaired.

2004 Acura TL
23
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid3.4× the TL median · #1 of 19 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 49%Owner complaints55128 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage90kStructure, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 19, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2004 Acura TL has problems

551 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
Structure2322
Air bags1996
Power train563
Tires512
Steering345
Suspension304
Visibility140
Electrical system110
Exterior lighting100
17 other systems764

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

4 recalls

2004 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.

49%repaired · 2020 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-182 · Mar 6, 2019 · 1,101,534 vehicles · 541,670 repaired

Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections

Recall 08V-091 · Feb 27, 2008 · 273,000 vehicles

Risk. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING ONTO A HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WILL GENERATE SMOKE AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO AN UNDER-HOOD FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Windshield wiper/washer: motor

Recall 08V-092 · Feb 27, 2008 · 129,600 vehicles

Risk. IF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FAILS, IT WILL CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR TO BECOME INOPERATIVE, WHICH CAN INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CRASH IN CERTAIN…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 04V-176 · Apr 15, 2004 · 1,099,796 vehicles

Risk. GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN 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 structure problems start?

90kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 191 structure complaints. 65% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
5under 30k miles124under 100k miles67100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Structure

8 owners mentioned a cost

$1,450median

Middle half: $895 – $1,775

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2004 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
NHTSA crash tests

2004 Acura TL safety ratings

2004 Acura 3.2 TL 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2004 Acura TL frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2004 Acura TL side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2004 Acura TL, and the recalls they led to.

  1. WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILUREPE07060 · closed Mar 5, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-092
In owners' words

What TL owners report

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

DASHBOARD HAS CRACK FROM PASSENGER SIDE MIDDLE ALL THE WAY TOWARD DRIVER SIDE. STARTED ABOUT YEAR 10 AND GOT WORSE OVER THE YEARS. AFTER READING SOME OTHER COMPLAINTS HERE I AM ALSO WORRIED AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT COULD EITHER NOT TRIGGER OR TRIGGER ACCIDENTALLY HURTING A PASSENGER IN MY VEHICLE. I ALSO…
Complaint 11339904 · Jul 17, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS FRACTURED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE AIR BAG HOUSING. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH THAT THE AIR BAG MAY DEPLOY IMPROPERLY WHICH MAY CAUSE SEVERE INJURY TO THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS FROM DEBRIS FROM…
Complaint 11298192 · Jan 9, 2020 · 97,000 miles
IM NOT SURE WHEN IT HAPPENED AS I WAS WILLED THIS CAR AFTER MY MOTHER PASSED, AND IT WAS LIKE THIS PRIOR TO HER BUYING IT. BUT THE DASHBOARD IS CRACKED FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER GOING DOWN TO THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AND DASH GAUGES. FROM WHAT IVE READ THIS IS VERY COMMON IN ACURAS 04-08, BUT I AM NOW…
Complaint 11279875 · Nov 13, 2019

Own a 2004 TL?

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