RoadVitals

2004 Acura TL Electrical Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Electrical 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.
11
Latest Mar 15, 2019
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.
2%
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 the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. 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. 11 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 electrical

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

AirbagsElectricalVisibility
Filed Mar 15, 2019

I WAS PARKED IN AN AUTOMATIC CARWASH WHEN MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG STARTED DRIPPING WATER ON ME. I'M AFRAID THIS COULD CAUSE MY AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. I'VE ALSO EXPERIENCED CRAZY ELECTRICAL ISSUES INTERMITTENTLY THAT ARE NOT SAFE AND I WONDER IF THIS IS RELATED. I ALSO HAVE A VIDEO IF THAT IS NEEDED.

NHTSA ID
11186971
Incident
Mar 11, 2019
Mileage
153,000 mi
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 11, 2018

MY 2004 ACURA TL IS MY FIRST CAR OWNED. WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE I CAN ONLY ACCELERATE TO 20-30MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. BECAUSE, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ON A STRAIGHT WAY OR UP HILLS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS MANUFACTURE MALFUNCTION WITH ACURA TRANSMISSIONS FOR THE CONSUMERS FINANCIALLY AND PHYSCIALLY. I WOULD APPRECIATE A RECALL BEING DONE ON MY 2004 ACURA TL BECAUSE I LOVE THIS CAR AND WOULD LOVE TO KEEP IT. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT AND DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO INSTALL ANOTHER TRANSMISSION AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS AGAIN. I HAVE READ MANY REVIEWS ABOUT TRANSMISSINS FAILURES ON HONDA/ACURA TRANSMISSIONS. I THOUGHT ACURA WAS A GREAT BRAND, BUT ACURA CEO AND HEADQUARATERS HAVE TO KNOW THAT CONSUMERS ARE FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY REGARDING TRANSMISSIONS AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES DUE TO THE TRANSMISSIONS.

NHTSA ID
11139717
Incident
Oct 3, 2018
Mileage
152,000 mi
ElectricalFuel system
Filed May 17, 2018

CAR TURNED OFF AND WOULD NOT START BACK. SECURITY LIGHT FLASHES. WILL NOT CHANGE OUR OF PARK. ENGINEERS TURNS OVER BUT WILL NOT FIRE. FUEL PUMP WILL NOT COME ON.

NHTSA ID
11096464
Incident
May 7, 2018
Mileage
170,000 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
BrakesElectrical
Filed Jul 15, 2013

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH MY ACURA IS THE BATTERY. I HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST 4 BATTERIES SINCE ABOUT 39,000 MILES. I NEVER KNEW WHY MY BATTERY WAS DYING UNTIL ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, AN EMPLOYEE AT ACURA TOLD ME THAT THE HANDS FREE LINK IS DRAINING TOO MUCH OF THE BATTERY BECAUSE OF SOME FAULTY EQUIPMENT. I ASKED FOR THEM TO COVER IT FOR FREE AND WAS DENIED BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL WITH THAT EQUIPMENT YET. THEY ARE AWARE THAT OTHER ACURAS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND YET THEY STILL WON'T COVER MY COST FOR NEW EQUIPMENT OR AT LEAST COVER COST TO GET THE HANDS FREE DISCONNECTED. THIS DEVICE IS STILL DRAINING MY BATTERY. THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH CAR IS THAT THE BRAKES IN FRONT WERE STICKING SO BAD I HAD TO GE THE ROADERS GRINDED ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. NOW THE BACK BRAKES ARE STICKING TOO. PLEASE CALL WHEN YOU REACH A DECISION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10524877
Incident
Jun 1, 2007
Mileage
39,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Dec 30, 2011

ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 TL BEGAN FLICKERING ON AND OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR TO ACURA BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $1000 TO DO AN "APPROPRIATE DIAGNOSTIC TEST". THE PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLAMPS STOPPED AFTER A FEW MONTHS, BUT THEN OTHER LIGHTS BEGAN GOING OUT (INTERIOR CENTER CONSOLE WHERE THE AC AND RADIO ARE, AND THE INTERIOR CONSOLE TO THE LEFT OF THE STEERING WHEEL, AND THE INTERIOR DOOR CONSOLE) AND FLICKERING (EXTERIOR SIDE PANEL LIGHTS WHEN I ALARM OR DIS-ALARM THE CAR). I TOOK THE CAR TO ACURA AGAIN IN NOV 2011, AND THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS WAS FIXED AFTER THEY REPLACED MY BATTERY, BUT THEY MISTAKENLY ONLY LOOKED AT THE DRIVER'S DASHBOARD LIGHTS WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER ARE LOCATED (AND WHERE THERE IS NO PROBLEM) AND THE TECHS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. THIS LIGHTING PROBLEM IS GETTING UNSAFE, AS I CAN NO LONGER SEE THE BUTTONS FOR THE AC/DEFROST, ETC. AT NIGHT AND I HAVE TO FUMBLE AROUND TO PRESS THE CORRECT BUTTONS. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. THE BATTERY WAS SO DRAINED THAT I HAD TO REPLACE IT, I BELIEVE BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. *KB

NHTSA ID
10441914
Incident
Sep 30, 2009
Mileage
73,000 mi
ElectricalOther / unspecified
Filed Dec 28, 2011

ON HONDA ACCORDS/ACURA TL'S 2004-2008 THE NAVIGATION SYSTEMS ARE FAILURE AND CAUSING REBOOTS NEARLY EVERY 30 SECONDS. AT NIGHT DRIVING, THIS CAUSES THE NAVIGATION SCREEN LIGHT TO BRIGHTLY FLASH EVERY 30 SECONDS AND THE SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTION AND ALLOW YOU TO TURN THE SCREEN OFF OR MINIMIZE BRIGHTNESS. ON A RECENT TRIP FROM ATLANTA, GEORGIA TO BALTIMORE, MARYLAND AT NIGHT I HAD TO PLACE AN OBSTACLE ON THE SCREEN TO AVOID THE FLASHING. I CONTACTED ACURA AND THEY ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AND THAT THE FIX IS TO PURCHASE A NEW SYSTEM AT $3,500 OR SENT THE SYSTEM TO ALPINE (THE MAKER OF THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM) AND HAVE THEM ATTEMPT TO REPAIR IT FOR $158.00 FEE. AFTER REVIEWING NUMEROUS FORUM SITES ON HONDA/ACURA I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY COMMON EVENT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. MY SON ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ON 12/24/2011 DURING THE DAY AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK HOME BECAUSE OF THE FLASHING AND ANNOYANCE WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS COMING FROM A 22 YEAR OLD. I'VE ASKED MY CHILDREN TO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT SO TO AVOID ANY ISSUES. HAS THERE BEEN ANY REPORTS? ACURA TOLD ME THAT THEY REPORT TO THIS AGENCY MONTHLY AND THAT MY REPORT/CALL TO THEM TODAY WOULD BE SUBMITTED THIS MONTH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10441467
Incident
Aug 31, 2011
Electrical
Filed Dec 7, 2009

WIRING HARNESS UNDER MOLDING BELOW DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR INSIDE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DEVELOPED A SHORT, CAUSING PASSENGER COMPARTMENT TO FILL WITH SMOKE. MOLDING MELTED AND SITUATION WAS AVERTED PRIOR TO A FIRE DEVELOPING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10294696
Incident
Dec 4, 2009
Mileage
50,858 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 27, 2005

ON 1/19/05 MY WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID, AUTODIMMING REARVIEW MIRROR FEATURE, & POWER SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WERE NOT WORKING. I IMMIDIATELY WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND A FUSE WAS REPLACED. ON 1/27/05 I BEGAN TO DRIVE AND DIRTY WATER FROM THE MELTED SNOW WAS HITTING MY WINDSHIELD. I ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE DIRT WITH THE WASHER FLUID, BUT IT AGAIN WAS NOT WORKING. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH 2004 ACURA TLS AND THAT ACURA IS WORKING ON IT. THEY REPALCED THE FUSE AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. IN THE MEANTIME I CAN'T RELY ON MY WASHER FLUID TO REMOVE OBSTRUCTIONS TO MY VISION, WHICH MAY CAUSE A HAZARDOUS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY AFTER RAIN AND SNOWFALL. CURRENTLY, NO PERMINENT SOLUTION WAS OFFERRED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10108053
Incident
Jan 19, 2005
Electrical
Filed Oct 15, 2004

THE KNOCK SENSOR WIRE SENDS EMISSION FROM THE ENGINE. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH EMISSION THE SENSOR IS SUPPOSE TO ADJUST THE FUEL. HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
10092844
Incident
Jun 1, 2004
ElectricalOther / unspecified
Filed Apr 17, 2004

CAR BROUGHT IN AT 1500 MILES ONLY 2.5 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY... HARD TO START AND IDLE ROUGH, DEALER ACTION REPLACVING ALL FUEL INJECTORS, ALSO, VOICE RECOGNITION FAILED THREE TIMES AFTER PHONE WAS SINKED WITH CAR, THE TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY WOULD FAIL TO CLOSE THE PHONE SCREEN AND ALL OTHER VOICE COMMANDS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. DEALER ACTION, ORDER NEW PHONE MODULE, TOLD THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CONCERNS WITH THE HANDS FREE LINK SYSTEM ON THE 04 TL'S.*AK

NHTSA ID
10066367
Incident
Apr 15, 2004
Mileage
1,400 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .