2001 Acura TL Problems, Recalls & Reliability
163 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 Acura TL, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 23/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 84,300 miles.
Typical
Where 2001 sits among all TL years
What owners report
“Acura 3.2 tl delivered on march, 2002. Transmission failed april, 2002. Transmission failed once again on feburary 2003.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 TL
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 94 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 81,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 37,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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.…
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…
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
Technical service bulletins
168 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2001 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 2001 Acura TL reliable?
The 2001 Acura TL drew 163 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 23/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2001 Acura TL problems?
The top reported problems for the 2001 Acura TL are transmission & drivetrain (103 complaints), airbags (15), and speed control (10).
At what mileage do 2001 Acura TL problems show up?
Owners most often report 2001 Acura TL problems around 81,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 37,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2001 Acura TL have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 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.