2001 Acura TL problems & reliability
149 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Acura TL, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Acura TL vehicles were involved in 12 fatal crashes with 7 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 103 | 69% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% |
| Visibility | 7 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% |
| Tires | 3 | 2% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% |
| Structure | 2 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 81,937 miles (middle 50% between 41,125 and 118,500 miles), based on 84 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I have reached out to Acura on three separate occasions to try and get them to inspect and possibly replace my recalled airbags. They have failed to contact us back every time and this is our only mode of transportation. I've expressed my concerns to them each time and let them know I'm forced to drive this vehicle…”
Air Bags · filed Jan 13, 2026
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura tl. The contact stated that he received a nhtsa recall letter number 20v027000 (air bags). The contact took the vehicle into the dealer flow acura 4952 new centre dr, wilmington, nc 28403 (910) 218-7070. During the recall repair they told the contact they did not have the right parts…”
Air Bags · filed Jan 5, 2021
“For my acura tl 2001 we have been waiting over 6 months for the air bag to be replaced. The dealership and honda (called honda this week) will not even provide a date when the replacement air bags will be available. Very poor as this is a known safety hazard and we don't feel safe driving this vehicle!”
Air Bags · filed Sep 29, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT
Preliminary Evaluation PE02081 · opened Oct 28, 2002 · closed Mar 5, 2003
Technical service bulletins
168 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Acura TL. The 10 most recent:
Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
B18010I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
B18010I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
BTS170801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 26, 2017
Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and are looking for a solution.
BTS170801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2017
Service bulletin - You are required to install a remanufactured A/T (automatic transmission) and torque converter on any vehicle with an internal failure that calls for A/T disassembly that is covered under any of the…
B90-009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 30, 2017
Sending vehicle data to tech line.
BJA46167 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2017
Service bulletin - navigation system information.
B05-018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 23, 2016
Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated.
B98015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2016
"service bulletin - this bulletin updates the troubleshooting procedures for dtc p1456 (evap control system leakage [fuel tank system]) and dtc p1457 (evap control system leakage[evap canister system]). Depending on the…
B99-040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 8, 2015
Acura: there are guidelines for various situations and procedures including: tire pressure valve stem installation, trailer stability malfunction light is on, engine oil application guide, new software, new transmission…
SB-0708 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2010
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 Acura TL has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Acura TL?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 81,937 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.