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Acura · NHTSA safety record

2011 Acura TL

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

20

Complaints

1

Crashes

2

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2011 Acura TL have filed 20 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2016 and October 2023. The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 13 of them (65%). The typical failure was reported at 89,500 miles, the median across the 8 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (3)

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

19V500000 · June 27, 2019

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 1,558 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

19V182000 · March 6, 2019

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
The 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 occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 1,101,534 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

16V061000 · February 3, 2016

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
The risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 2,232,187 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 20.

AIR BAGS 13 65%
ENGINE 3 15%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 5%
POWER TRAIN 1 5%
SEATS 1 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 5%
STEERING 1 5%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 5%
VISIBILITY 1 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2016 at 10.

2016 2023
2016 to 2023

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 32,000 miles

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 27 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A STOP SIGN AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE INFLATOR RUPTURED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE FACE, NECK, NOSE, CHEST, HANDS, AND SPINE. THE CONTACT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT LATER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V061000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,000. UPDATED 05/18/16*LJ *TR

NHTSA complaint 10852150. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire · 105,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED OUT AND DISPERSED THE SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER BRADSHAW ACURA (2450 LAURENS RD, GREENVILLE, SC 29607, (864) 297-4529) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING AN UNKNOWN BOX ASSEMBLY, EPS, APS UNIT, AND SUB-HARNESS TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 105,000.*DT

NHTSA complaint 11390723. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
I purchased a 2011 Acura TL with a salvaged title. The steering wheel airbag appeared to have been repaired with certain glue or epoxy after appearing to have been deployed by previous owner. However the airbag is fully intact. The Acura dealership refused to conduct the recall due to this issue. Would this warrant a refusal to be replaced by the dealership? Thank you

NHTSA complaint 11551094. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Driving my 2011 Acura TL on I95 South in NC from VA to SC at about 2p on 12/2/22, It is a clear sunny day. It is 62 degrees out, there were no vehicles around and no debris flying or dropping and no overpasses or anything around. Heard a loud explosion. Sounded like a shovel with a ton of rocks being dropped on the roof. Opened the slider for moonroof (which is a original manufactured item) and realized the sound was the moonroof glass. The glass was shattered and huge amount missing. Glass rained down into the car all over everything including me. No evidence of any source of cause for this happening. Just glass shards. Appears to have just combusted on its own? Prior to this event the

NHTSA complaint 11495812, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

118,000 miles

THE CAR IS BURNING OIL AT AN ACCELERATED RATE WHICH CAUSES A WARNING WHEN THE OIL LIFE IS AROUND 40 TO 50% THAT THE ENGINE HAS LOW OIL LEVEL.

NHTSA complaint 11398834. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
WHILE TRYING MAE A QU VERSIN SUSCITADOS EN HABLARAN

NHTSA complaint 11349634. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

73,000 miles

I DROVE MY ACURA TL TO DUVAL ACURA ON 07/13/2019 @73000 MILES, DUE TO CONCERNS REGARDING MY TRANSMISSION. I HEARD GRUNTING TYPE OF DRAGGING VIBRATIONS BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR GOING INTO THE 3RD. THE MECHANIC RODE WITH ME AND ADVISED THAT'S THE WAY THE CAR SOUNDS AND TALKED ME INTO A TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE. HE PROMISED ME THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. IN MY GUT I FELT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. BETWEEN 07/15/19 -08/30/19 I HAD A TRANSMISSION SERVICE INCLUDING CHANGING THE FLUID THE CAR APPEARED TO BE OK. THE NEXT DAY I CONTACTED DUVAL ACURA DUE ALL OF MY TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS ON THE GROUND, STAINED MY GARAGE. I HAD TO HAVE MY ACURA TL TRANSPORTED BY TOW TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED. NOT EVEN

NHTSA complaint 11349121, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Acura TL

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2014 17 3 —
2013 62 3 —
2012 130 3 1
2010 64 3 —

Other 2011 Acura models

MDX 70 TSX 45 RDX 16

Every Acura on this site — 71 vehicles, 113 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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Independent developer and analyst