RoadVitals

2004 Acura TL Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
14
Latest Oct 20, 2020
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 551 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Acura TL submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

AirbagsDriver assistanceSuspension
Filed Oct 20, 2020

I HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT THE AIRBAG RECALL, THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE DRIVER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT RECALL. SEVERAL YEARS AGO I EXITED A HIGHWAY, CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND WHEN I MADE A RIGHT TURN THE DRIVERS SIDE BALL JOINT BROKE. I HAD THE REPAIR DONE AND LUCKILY I DIDN'T HURT AO OR MYSELF. THANK YOU STAY SAFE. I THINK IT WAS IN 2015.

NHTSA ID
11365409
Incident
May 1, 2015
Mileage
5 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 30, 2020

CAR RUNS GREAT BUT WILL SKIP OUT OF GEAR AND NOT MOVE. CHANGED TRANNY FLUID AND FILTERS AND IT WAS GOOD FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO PICK ME UP ON THE BUSY FREEWAY. NOW CAR WILL NOT EVEN SHIFT FROM PARK AND WHEN I USE THE SIDE RELEASE BUTTON AND PUT CAR IN R IT ROLLED FORWARD. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE BUT THERE IS IN OTHERS LIKE MINE AND SAME PROBLEMS. 3000 DOLLAR TRANSMISSION AND IT'S TO MUCH TO FIX SO IT'S SCRAP METAL???

NHTSA ID
11322781
Incident
Mar 1, 2020
Mileage
150,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Sep 18, 2017

BRAKE PEDAL FEELS SPONGY AND REDUCES STOPPING POWER DUE TO AIR IN THE BRAKE LINES REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE VSA MODULATOR. (2004-06). I RESEARCHED THIS ONLINE, AFTER NOTICING MY BREAKS WERE SOFT AND LESS EFFECTIVE OVER THE PAST FEW TIMES I DROVE. THEY WANT TO CHARGE 2.6K TO REPAIR THE MODULE, DESPITE THEM CLEARLY HAVING ISSUES IN THE PAST. I'M HOPING YOU WILL ISSUE A RECALL SO WE CAN GET REIMBURSED FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE FEW CAN AFFORD.

NHTSA ID
11024058
Incident
Sep 16, 2017
Mileage
92,000 mi
AirbagsBody & structureDriver assistance
Filed Apr 9, 2016

NOT SURE IF THIS IS TAKATA ISSUE AS WELL! OR DUE TO DEFECTIVE DASHBOARD MATERIALS WHICH HAVE CRACKED SEVERELY BAD! WHEN IT STARTED THEY WERE LINES HARDLY NOTICEABLE! NOW DUE TO NEGLEGANCE OF THE COMPANY THE PRIMARY CRACKS ARE OVER THE AIRBAG AREA & HAVE CREVICES ACROSS TOP AND THEY ARE ACROSS ENTIRE DASHBOARD? THE LIGHT FOR AIRBAGS COMES ON AND OFF AT RANDOM TIMES? THE SEAT BELT BEEPING INDICATOR IS NOT WORKING ALL THE TIME ANYMORE! MY CAR EVEN THOUGH IT IS A 2004 IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE FROM WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME! THAT IS OF COURSE UNTIL THEY SEE THE CRATERS IN THE DASH OF WHAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE A HIGHER END NICE MODEL CAR THAT SHOULD HOLD UP BETTER THAN???? THIS IS NOT TO MENTION THE FACT OF SAFETY? IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THE AIRBAGS HAVE DRIED OUT OR BECAME EFFECTED DUE TO THESE LARGE CRACKS AS WELL AS WHAT OTHER DAMAGE IT COULD BE CAUSING ELECTRONICALLY? AM I GOING TO END UP IN SOME HORRIFIC CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO AIRBAG RELEASE WHEN JUST DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND THEN IT ALL BE MY FAULT FOR SWEVING OVER IN ANOTHER LANE AND CAUSE THE ACCIDENT! THEN IT WILL LOOK AS IF I WERE AT FAULT AND AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AS THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE, INSTEAD OPENED PREMATURELY DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS? OF COURSE THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION BUT I WOULD THINK TOTALLY PLAUSIBLE!!! AND ALL DUE TO NOT HAVING RECALLED WHAT EVERYONE ALREADY KNOWS THAT DASHBOARD MATERIAL ON THIS MODEL AND OTHERS THAT WERE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY DEALERS SAME YEAR MODELS 2004-2008 FOR THE SAME IDENTICAL REASONS! THAT SEEMS LIKE A ROLL OF THE DIE AT CONSUMERS EXPENSE! NOT TO MENTION A LIABILITY TO ALL CONSUMERS THAT HAPPEN TO BE DRIVING THESE VEHICLES!

NHTSA ID
10854548
Incident
Oct 21, 2013
Mileage
98,542 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 25, 2016

DRIVING ALONG AND POWER GOES OUT. AS IF POPS OUT OF GEAR. BUT DO NOT HEAR A POPPING INTO AND OUT OF GEAR. THEN ALL THE SUDDEN POPS BACK INTO GEAR. THIS IS DANGEROUS. HIGH SPEED AND THEN POWER GOES OUT.

NHTSA ID
10838478
Incident
Feb 22, 2016
Mileage
14,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Nov 25, 2014

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 45-50 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES SUDDENLY CAME ON VERY HARD WITHOUT ME TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDDLE AND THE CAR SLOWED VERY RAPIDLY (IN A STRAIGHT LINE) ALMOST TO A STOP. THE BRAKES WERE THEN RELEASED AS SUDDENLY AS THEY HAD BEEN APPLIED BEFORE THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE PULSES FROM THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) DURING THE BRAKING PERIOD INDICATED THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED RATHER THAN A PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO CHECK THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS STILL FUNCTIONAL AND THAT NO UNUSUAL FAULT LIGHTS WERE BEING DISPLAYED ON THE DASH. SINCE EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL I RESUMED MY JOURNEY ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME SPONTANEOUS BRAKING PHENOMENON OCCUR FIVE OR SIX TIMES OVER THE NEXT 2-3 MILES. FORTUNATELY I WAS CLOSE TO AN ACURA DEALER SO I DROVE THE CAR AT 40 MPH WITH EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON TO THE ACURA DEALER (ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY). DRIVING THE CAR AT 40 MPH DID NOT PROMPT A RECURRENCE OF THESE SPONTANEOUS BRAKING EPISODES OVER THIS DISTANCE. THE ACURA DEALER DIAGNOSED A FAULTY ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR AND REPLACED THE SENSOR ASSEMBLY. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECURRENCE OF THESE SPONTANEOUS BRAKING EPISODES OVER THE 39 MILES I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE THE ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. I CONSIDER THIS SPONTANEOUS BRAKING PROBLEM WITH MY 2004 ACURA TL AS EXTREMELY SERIOUS. HAD A BUS, TRUCK, LARGE SUV OR PICK UP TRUCK BEEN FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND ME WHEN THESE BRAKING EPISODES OCCURRED I THINK IT QUITE LIKELY A SERIOUS AND FATAL ACCIDENT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10660906
Incident
Oct 31, 2014
Mileage
74,760 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Aug 17, 2014

SEVERAL TIME MY RIGHT BRAKES HAVE COMPLETELY LOCKED UP FOR A FEW SECONDS WITH NO WARNING. THIS CAUSE CAR TO VEER OFF TO THE RIGHT NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND CAN BE RECREATED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10625844
Incident
Aug 5, 2013
Mileage
69,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 18, 2013

I OWN A 2004 ACURA TL THAT I PURCHASED IN APRIL 2013. AFTER I HAD THE CAR A MONTH IT BEGAN TO RIDE ROUGH WHERE THE DRIVE IS NORMALLY SMOOTH FOR ABOUT A DAY. AFTER A DAY THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN ABOUT AM HOUR LATER THE VSA AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE IGNITED, THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ANY MORE. THE MANUAL INFORMED ME TO RESTART THE CAR IN ORDER TO CLEAR THIS CONDITION, AND IT NORMALLY WORKS ONLY TEMPORARILY. THIS SAME PROBLEM MAY OCCUR AGAIN THE NEXT DAY, COUPLE OF DAYS OR A WEEK, BUT IT IS AN CONTINUOUS PROBLEM THAT OFTEN PUTS ME IN COMPROMISED AND DANGEROUS TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AT SEVERAL DEALERS AND OTHER MECHANICS TRYING TO GET THE ISSUE RESOLVED AND HAVE BEEN TOLD OVER AND OVER THAT THEY CAN NOT DETECT A PROBLEM WITH THE CARE OR THEY ARE NOT CODES DECIPHERED BY THE DIAGNOSTICS THAT SHOULD CAUSE THAT CAN BE FIXED TO RELIEVE THIS CONDITION. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CODES ARE ERASED ONCE THE CAR IS TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON, AND THE DEALERS THAT SAY THEY SEE THE CODES SAY THE CODES DOES ILLUSTRATE A PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10556576
Incident
May 4, 2013
Mileage
104,579 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 13, 2013

THE VSA (STABILITY CONTROL) SYSTEM ON MY 2004 ACURA TL MALFUNCTIONED. THE SYSTEM WOULD CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE TO ACTIVATE BY ITSELF, CAUSING THE CAR TO SEVERELY SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. AFTER A HALF-SECOND OR SO, THE VSA WOULD DISENGAGE AND THE FAULT INDICATOR WOULD LITE UP ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ACURA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE VSA FAULT CODES ARE NOT STORED IN THE VEHICLE'S MEMORY AFTER THE CAR IS RESTARTED AND THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY RESETS. THIS RESULTED IN HAVING TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THE FAULT RE-OCCURRED. EVENTUALLY, WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO DEALER AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAR (BECAUSE WE LEFT IT RUNNING SO AS NOT TO CLEAR THE CODE). THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO A YAW RATE SENSOR IN THE VSA SYSTEM. ACURA SHOULD MAKE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO DEALERS. THIS POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THERE IS NOTHING A DRIVER CAN DO TO PREDICT OR PREVENT WHEN THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10498029
Incident
Feb 1, 2013
Mileage
102,500 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 8, 2011

THE VSA (STABILITY CONTROL) SYSTEM ON MY 2004 ACURA TL MALFUNCTIONED. THE SYSTEM WOULD CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE TO ACTIVATE BY ITSELF, CAUSING THE CAR TO SEVERELY SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. AFTER A HALF-SECOND OR SO, THE VSA WOULD DISENGAGE AND THE FAULT INDICATOR WOULD LIGHT UP ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ACURA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE VSA FAULT CODES ARE NOT STORED IN THE VEHICLE'S MEMORY AFTER THE CAR IS RESTARTED AND THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY RESETS. THIS RESULTED IN HAVING TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THE FAULT RE-OCCURRED. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO DEALER AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO A YAW RATE SENSOR IN THE VSA SYSTEM. ACURA SHOULD MAKE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO DEALERS. THIS POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THERE IS NOTHING A DRIVER CAN DO TO PREDICT OR PREVENT WHEN THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10411486
Incident
Jun 18, 2011
Mileage
81,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 29, 2010

2004 ACURA TL ENGINE CUT OFF. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THERE WAS A THROTTLE ACTUATOR MALFUNCTION. SEEMS THAT THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *KB A DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED THE THROTTLE BODY WAS FILLED WITH CARBON WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION.

NHTSA ID
10323113
Incident
Aug 17, 2009
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 22, 2005

DT: THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK. THIS STARTED IN NOVEMBER 2004. IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING IN JULY 2005 THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CONTACTED AN ENGINEER TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINEER FOUND THAT A SCREW CAME OUT OF THE PART THAT PERTAINED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE ACCELERATOR CONNECTION. *AK

NHTSA ID
10133820
Incident
Jul 29, 2005
Mileage
8,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 12, 2004

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED.. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE ENGINE DIED, AND VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. THIS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE 4 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REMEDY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE FAILURE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10081699
Incident
Oct 30, 2003
Driver assistanceTires & wheels
Filed May 1, 2004

TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE, THE CAR LOST TRACTION AND BEGAN TO FISH TAIL DOWN THE ROAD AS LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT TIRES LOST GRIP WITH THE ROAD INTERMITTENTLY BACK AND FORTH. THERE WAS SOME VERY MINOR PUDDLING IN THE RUTS ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT WAS RAINING LIGHTLY ON AND OFF. THE ONBOARD VEHICLE STABILITY SYSTEMS (ABS, VSC) DID NOT ACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE SPEED WAS WITHIN SPEED LIMITS AND CONSISTENT WITH OTHER VEHICLE SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES. *AK

NHTSA ID
10068152
Incident
Apr 30, 2004

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .