2011 Acura TL problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2011 Acura TL vehicles were involved in 4 fatal crashes with 0 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 → | 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% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Air Bags · filed Oct 20, 2023
“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…”
Visibility · filed Dec 2, 2022
“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.”
Engine · filed Mar 3, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
84 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Acura TL. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Driver's Airbag Inflator for 2013-14 ILX Hybrid and Other Listed Years and Models.
B18-020 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 28, 2026
Service bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects…
B18-020 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 8, 2022
Service Bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects…
B18-020 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2022
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the…
BPaS02262021905 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2021
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the…
BPaS02102021903 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 10, 2021
ServiceNews Article - Do you have a slow tire leak, but there are no signs of sidewall damage or anything stuck in the tread? While you're checking for leaks, check the valve stem; it could have oxidation buildup from…
B15090E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 26, 2021
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the…
BPaS01222021905 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 22, 2021
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the…
BPaS01062021905 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 6, 2021
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2009-2014 TLs, TSXs & TSX Wagons with a client complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the…
BPaS12102020 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 10, 2020
Service Bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects…
B20-006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2020
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 2011 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 2011 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.