2012 Acura TL Problems, Recalls & Reliability
162 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 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. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 50,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2012 sits among all TL years
What owners report
“Takata recall i had called our local acura tl dealer to schedule an appointment to get the process for the airbag recall started but never received a call back from acura.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 TL
“Transmission needing replacement in less than 100k miles. Hard shifting noticed substantially while driving. Car only at only 65k miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 TL
“While driving the electric power steering became tight and couldn't move steering wheel left or right. The electric power steering control module”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 TL
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 88 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 29,700 and 90,000 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 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
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…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 20V024.
Technical service bulletins
114 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and airbags — are on file for the 2012 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 2012 Acura TL reliable?
The 2012 Acura TL drew 162 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 2012 Acura TL problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Acura TL are airbags (43 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (27), and steering (25).
At what mileage do 2012 Acura TL problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Acura TL problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 29,700 and 90,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Acura TL have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 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.