2004 Acura TL Problems, Recalls & Reliability
766 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Acura TL, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 90,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 Acura TL sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1996, 2009–2010, 2013.
Avoid
Where 2004 sits among all TL years
What owners report
“Cracks on the dashboard appear rapidly, starting by the passenger airbag location. First crack a week ago and now a another one......afraid that airbag could deploy or not deploy and according to many acura tl 2004 owners this is a very common and upsetting matter.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 TL
“Cracks just started to appear in dash over passenger side airbag. The dashboard is split from glove box to windshield.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 TL
“2004 acura tl has a dashboard that has splintered. It started by the passenger airbag, now the complete dashboard is cracked.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 TL
“My power steering has gone out i think hose busted hard to steer and transmission is slipping reverse is going out”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 TL
“My 2004 acura 3.2 tl uses bridgestone turanza el42 tires (235/45r17), w speed-rated. The el 42 tires had a so called "flat spot" problem and they were worn out only at 15,500 mile. There has been many complaints about this type of tires on the internet. Many of them mentioned that "flat spot"…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 TL
“The power steering leaks this issue is recalled on the new modles but not these and its the same part”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 TL
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 542 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 90,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 62,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda…
Fix: Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic,…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer…
AFFINIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS, NAPA PART NO. 2601662, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKENLY INSTALLED IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 - 2008 ACURA TL VEHICLES DUE TO A MISTAKE IN A NAPA AND NAPA DEALERS' PARTS APPLICATION…
Fix: AFFINIA IS WORKING WITH NAPA TO IDENTIFY ANY OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THIS PART MISTAKENLY INSTALLED ON TO AN ACURA TL VEHICLE, AND WILL REPLACE THE PART FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY…
HONDA IS RECALLING 273,000 MY 2004-2008 ACURA TL VEHICLES. PROLONGED HIGH UNDER-HOOD TEMPERATURES MAY CAUSE THE POWER STEERING HOSE TO DETERIORATE PREMATURELY CAUSING THE HOSE TO CRACK AND LEAK POWER STEERING FLUID.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HEAT RESISTANT POWER STEERING HOSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 28, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ACURA AT 800-382-2238. THIS IS AN EXPANSION OF A PREVIOUS…
HONDA IS RECALLING 129,600 MY 2004-2005 ACURA TL VEHICLES. IF WATER ENTERS THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR BREATHER PORT, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE MOTOR TO VENT WARM AIR DURING NORMAL OPERATION, IT CAN RESULT IN CORROSION INSIDE THE MOTOR HOUSING. THIS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FOR SIGNS OF CORROSION. IF NO SIGNS OF CORROSION ARE PRESENT, A SNORKEL TUBE WILL BE ADDED TO THE WIPER MOTOR BREATHER PORT TO PREVENT WATER FROM…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 08V092000.
Technical service bulletins
123 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2004 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 2004 Acura TL reliable?
The 2004 Acura TL drew 766 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2004 Acura TL problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Acura TL are body & structure (232 complaints), airbags (199), and other (65).
At what mileage do 2004 Acura TL problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Acura TL problems around 90,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 62,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Acura TL have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 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.