2013 Acura TL problems & reliability
62 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Acura TL vehicles were involved in 21 fatal crashes with 13 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 28 | 45% |
| Air Bags → | 19 | 31% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 10% |
| Power Train | 4 | 6% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 5% |
| Structure | 3 | 5% |
| Engine | 2 | 3% |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 2% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% |
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 72,553 miles (middle 50% between 58,678 and 102,250 miles), based on 32 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“On Monday, July 27, 2026, my vehicle suffered a complete failure of the EPS system at startup in my garage, making the steering wheel lock and rendering the vehicle completely non-operational. The vehicle did start and would go into gear but there was a severe increase in steering effort, creating an emergency…”
Steering · filed Jul 29, 2026
“I am writing to formally report a significant paint defect on my 2013 Acura TL. Large sections of the clear coat are peeling off the vehicle and the issue continues to spread. The vehicle has been well maintained and regularly washed. This issue is not only unsightly and damaging to the vehicle’s resale value, but it…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 8, 2025
“The 2013 Acura TL has a problem with the pistons in the engine causing excessive oil consumption. This was the subject matter of a class action described in the website Acura Oil Consumption Settlement. This part should be recalled and American Honda should be required to repair or replace the pistons in the engine.”
Power Train · filed May 24, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
Technical service bulletins
107 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 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 2013 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 2013 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 72,553 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.