2000 Acura TL Problems, Recalls & Reliability

325 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2000 Acura TL, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 54/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 110,500 miles.

325Complaints
54/100Trouble index
6Recalls
113,000Typical trouble mileage

Below average

Where 2000 sits among all TL years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Transmission & drivetrain 116 complaints (36%) · typically ~110,500 miles
“Traveling at 60 mph when automatic transmission "slipped" out of gear and automobile decelerated rapidly to approximately 30 mph causing vehicle's rpm to go over redline. Mr”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 TL
Airbags 66 complaints (20%) · typically ~105,000 miles
“Takata recall. Nothing has happened - yet! Recall. Would like airbag replaced.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 TL
Electrical 32 complaints (10%) · typically ~97,800 miles
“Srs light comes on; dealer contacted; acura recalled notice for same problem; replaced right safety belt buckle, wiring harness and computer; light still comes on intermittently; system supposedly inoperable when light is on; dealer contacted; unable to fix problem permanently”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 TL
Visibility & wipers 30 complaints (9%) · typically ~85,000 miles
“The side view mirror are creating a large blind spot particularly the right mirror resulting in poor visibility. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 TL
Other 18 complaints (6%) · typically ~121,000 miles
Engine 14 complaints (4%) · typically ~118,111 miles

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 189 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 113,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 82,000 and 138,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (6)

AIR BAGS 20V027000 2020

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These…

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge.…

AIR BAGS 20V026000 2020

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…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 05V025000 2005

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.…

POWER TRAIN 04V176000 2004

ON SOME MINI VANS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR…

Fix: ON VEHICLES WITH 15,000 MILES OR LESS, THE DEALER WILL UPDATE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A SIMPLE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE TO INCREASE LUBRICATION TO THE SECOND GEAR. ON VEHICLES WITH MORE…

AIR BAGS 02V080000 2002

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMPONENT IN THE INFLATOR OF SOME PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULES WAS NOT WELDED PROPERLY.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 5, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT…

SEAT BELTS 01V166002 2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES WERE REPAIRED WITH INCORRECT PARTS: 2002 ACURA 3.2TL SEDANS WITH REPLACEMENT BUCKLES INSTALLED PER RECALL 01V-166001; CERTAIN 2000 ACURA 3.2TL VEHICLES WITH REPLACEMENT BUCKLES INSTALLED AS PRODUCT UPDATE REPAIRS;…

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 20, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON…

Federal defect investigations

IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK PE05002 opened 2005, closed 2005

Led to recall campaign 05V025000.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT PE02081 opened 2002, closed 2003

Technical service bulletins

178 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2000 Acura TL. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2000 TL TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

1999peak 38 in 20042026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2000 Acura TL reliable?

The 2000 Acura TL drew 325 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 54/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).

What are the most common 2000 Acura TL problems?

The top reported problems for the 2000 Acura TL are transmission & drivetrain (116 complaints), airbags (66), and electrical (32).

At what mileage do 2000 Acura TL problems show up?

Owners most often report 2000 Acura TL problems around 113,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 82,000 and 138,000 miles.

Does the 2000 Acura TL have recalls?

6 recall campaigns apply to the 2000 Acura TL. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 1999 TL All TL years 2001 TL →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.