2012 Acura TL: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 130 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
130
Complaints
3
Recalls
3
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
5
Injuries
70.8
Severity index
Severity index 70.8 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Acura TL ranks 56 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 57% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 43 | 33.1% |
| POWER TRAIN | 27 | 20.8% |
| STEERING | 25 | 19.2% |
| ENGINE | 18 | 13.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 11 | 8.5% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 6 | 4.6% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 3.1% |
| STRUCTURE | 4 | 3.1% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 43 of 130 complaints (33.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 10 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 11 |
| 2016 | 30 |
| 2017 | 16 |
| 2018 | 20 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 1 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19V182000 | 06/03/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 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, 20 |
| 19V500000 | 27/06/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 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 vehi |
| 16V061000 | 03/02/2016 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 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 A |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.