2008 Acura TL problems & reliability
124 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Acura TL, alongside 2 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.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2008 Acura TL vehicles were involved in 40 fatal crashes with 20 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 34 | 27% |
| Steering → | 26 | 21% |
| Structure → | 20 | 16% |
| Electrical System → | 15 | 12% |
| Unknown OR Other | 13 | 10% |
| Engine → | 10 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 7% |
| Power Train | 8 | 6% |
| Suspension | 7 | 6% |
| Seats | 6 | 5% |
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 77,795 miles (middle 50% between 54,788 and 120,000 miles), based on 90 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2008 Acura TL. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the vehicle lost automotive power and shifted into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and drove as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Mar 16, 2026
“The contact owns a 2008 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving at lower speeds or while making a left or right turn, the steering wheel became stiff and excessive force was required to steer the vehicle. No warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. It was unknown whether the vehicle was…”
Steering · filed Dec 11, 2025
“The contact owns a 2008 Acura TL. The contact stated that the power steering fluid reservoir needed to be refilled more often than expected, making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the Vehicle Safety Assist…”
Electronic Stability Control (esc) · filed Apr 21, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
33 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Acura TL. The 10 most recent:
Service News - The navigation clock and date are incorrect. This is due to a limited GPS receiver capacity resulting in rollover of internal chip memory. The rollover occurred on January 1, 2022 at 12:00AM local time
B23040A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 17, 2023
ServiceNews Article - The clock shows the incorrect time. This issue is due to a limited GPS receiver capacity resulting in "rollover" of the internal chip memory; the "rollover" will occur on January 1, 2022, at…
B21120A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 25, 2022
This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would…
DORE5C4S09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2019
Dealer message - Today, May 24, 2018, Acura is announcing a warranty extension for 2002-17 Acura vehicles. This warranty extension applies in cases where any of the replacement driver?s and/or front passenger?s airbag…
BBOM05242018901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 24, 2018
Service bulletin - navigation system information.
B05-018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 23, 2016
Letter sent in conjunction with the florida highway safety and motor vehicles department to remind florida owners of the takata recall and to schedule an appointment at their earliest convenience.
TAKATA_FLORIDA D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 29, 2016
Dealer message - ahm is investigating client complaint of handsfreelink not working or battery being too low to start the engine. Prior to performing any repair, please send suspect parts back to ahm.
BPAS-05122016902 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2016
Ahm is investigating customer complaint of the handsfreelink not working or the battery being too low to start the engine. Please send specific parts to ahm prior to attemping any repairs.
B-PAS-04292016-9 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 29, 2016
Ahm is investigating customer complaint of the handsfreelink not working or the battery being too low to start the engine. Please send specific parts to ahm prior to attemping any repairs.
B-PAS-04252016-9 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 25, 2016
Engineering request for investigation of the handsfreelink (hfl) not working or the battery being too low to start the engine.
BER16040A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 25, 2016
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 2008 Acura TL has 2 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 2008 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 77,795 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.