1999 Acura TL Problems, Recalls & Reliability
197 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 Acura TL, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 37/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 113,676 miles.
Below average
Where 1999 sits among all TL years
What owners report
“Engine shuts off while driving at about 65 mph causing the car to lose speed, hard to steer and hard to brake. I heard that there was a recall about this cars (acura).with the same (switch) problem. Why my car is not included ??”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 TL
“Transmission slips out of gear, not go into gear, abruptly downshift/upshift, refuse to shift”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 TL
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 101 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 112,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 82,000 and 163,900 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL,…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE INTERLOCK OPERATION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH MAY NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND REMOVE THE KEY WITHOUT SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO PARK.
Fix: DEALERS WILL PERFORM AN INSPECTION PROCEDURE THAT CONFIRMS INTERLOCK FUNCTION. VEHICLES WILL BE UPDATED WITH A REDESIGNED INTERLOCK LEVER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 7, 2005.…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS, THE IGNITION SWITCH MAY WEAR EXCESSIVELY AND PREVENT PROPER INTERLOCK OPERATION, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND REMOVE THE KEY WITHOUT SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO "PARK."
Fix: DEALERS WILL PERFORM AN INSPECTION PROCEDURE THAT DETERMINES THE AMOUNT OF CYLINDER BODY WEAR. IF SIGNIFICANT WEAR IS INDICATED, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE CYLINDER BODY, COLLAR, AND LATCH PLATE.…
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 05V025000.
Technical service bulletins
144 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 1999 Acura TL. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1999 Acura TL reliable?
The 1999 Acura TL drew 197 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 37/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 1999 Acura TL problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 Acura TL are electrical (66 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (38), and engine (17).
At what mileage do 1999 Acura TL problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 Acura TL problems around 112,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 82,000 and 163,900 miles.
Does the 1999 Acura TL have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 1999 Acura TL. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.