2013 Acura TL Owner Complaints

On Monday, July 27, 2026, my vehicle suffered a complete failure of the EPS system at startup in my garage, making the steering wheel lock and rendering the vehicle completely non-operational. The vehicle did start and would go into gear but there was a severe increase in steering effort, creating an emergency situation and an extreme safety hazard on public roads if it was driven. The vehicle was towed to an independent automotive repair facility where a certified technician performed a diagnostic scan and isolated the failure to the Electric Power Steering (EPS) control unit. The independent shop verified that my vehicle’s VIN is covered under American Honda/Acura's active 15-year/unlimited-mile warranty extension for Service Bulletin 19-021, which was issued specifically to address a known manufacturing defect involving internal EPS relay wire fatigue. The vehicle was subsequently towed to Metro Acura for the warranty repair. Because the manufacturing defect is inherently intermittent, the EPS system temporarily self-recovered due to ignition cycling and physical vibrations during flatbed transit. Metro Acura and American Honda are currently denying warranty coverage and refusing to replace the defective EPS unit, stating they cannot honor the warranty extension unless they can actively duplicate the failure on-site or pull a live code themselves. By refusing to honor the safety warranty extension and ignoring a documented professional diagnosis of a known, intermittent component fracture, the manufacturer and dealer are forcing me to retrieve and operate a vehicle with a volatile, un-repaired steering defect. This poses an ongoing, severe risk of sudden steering loss to myself, my passengers, and other motorists. I request that NHTSA investigate American Honda’s practice of denying coverage for this critical, intermittent safety defect.

NHTSA ID

11753600

Incident

Jul 26, 2026

I am writing to formally report a significant paint defect on my 2013 Acura TL. Large sections of the clear coat are peeling off the vehicle and the issue continues to spread. The vehicle has been well maintained and regularly washed. This issue is not only unsightly and damaging to the vehicle’s resale value, but it may also lead to more serious deterioration of the exterior over time, including rust or corrosion. After researching online, I discovered that this appears to be a widespread issue affecting numerous Acura and Honda vehicles from similar model years. I am requesting that Acura take responsibility for this clear coat failure and offer a paint repair or reimbursement under a goodwill or extended warranty program. I would also appreciate confirmation as to whether there are any technical service bulletins (TSBs) or extended paint warranties related to this issue.

NHTSA ID

11653529

Incident

Apr 8, 2025

The 2013 Acura TL has a problem with the pistons in the engine causing excessive oil consumption. This was the subject matter of a class action described in the website Acura Oil Consumption Settlement. This part should be recalled and American Honda should be required to repair or replace the pistons in the engine.

NHTSA ID

11523751

Incident

May 5, 2023

The airbag warning indicator keeps appearing. When message is pressed it says that airbag may not deploy when needed. States to turn car off and restart to see if indicator disappears- if reappear take to dealership to inspect

NHTSA ID

11450853

Incident

Oct 9, 2021

The contact owns a 2013 Acura TL. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and running, he heard abnormal rattling sounds coming from the hood of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the serpentine belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The contact stated that he contacted the manufacturer but was unable to reach a representative. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11446949

Incident

Dec 24, 2021

Mileage

150,000 mi

I was driving my 2013 Acura Tl on my way to work and suddenly I got an electronic power steering error that resulted in my steering wheel stiff and I had to use all my strength to pull over to the emergency lane. The vehicle's steering became very heavy and was very hard to turn. I am fortunate not to be in an accident when it occurred. There is so many people with Acura TL having this issue and Acura need to do something about it.

NHTSA ID

11444909

Incident

Dec 24, 2021

The airbag warning indicator keeps appearing. When message is pressed it says that airbag may not deploy when needed. States to turn car off and restart to see if indicator disappears- if reappear take to dealership to inspect.

NHTSA ID

11444788

Incident

Dec 21, 2021

WHILE CROSSING MEDIAN AHEAD OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, ELECTRIC POWER STEERING LOST POWER, LEAVING ME UNABLE TO STEER TO AVOID COLLISION. STEERING WARNING BEGAN TO FLASH BUT GAVE NO ADVANCE WARNING. I WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO STEER THE CAR. ENGINE WAS RUNNING. CAR IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. HONDA DEALER SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM. POWER STEERING IS STILL INOPERATIVE AND THE DEALER SAYS NO RECALLS FOR T HIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11432045

Incident

Aug 25, 2021

2013 ACURA TL - 64,500 MILES - DRIVING ON FREEWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC - CHECK STEERING LIGHT COMES ON - WAS GOING TO MOVE OVER TO FAR RIGHT LANE AND STOP AT NEXT EXIT TO CHECK ISSUE - STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO LOCK AND WOULD NOT LET ME GO TO RIGHT - INSTANTLY TURNED ON FLASHERS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD GO AROUND - ALL I COULD DO TO MAKE IT TO SIDE OF ROAD - HAD TO LEAVE CAR AND CALL UBER TO ARRIVE SAFELY TO MY DESTINATION - BEGAN LOOKING AT COMPLAINS - APPARENTLY THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING COMPLAINT AND NO SAFETY WARNINGS / RECALLS HAVE BEEN FILED - WENT WITH ACURA DUE TO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS OF VERY SAFE AND DEPENDABLE CAR BUT AM VERY DISAPPOINTED AND NO EXCUSE FOR PUTTING PEOPLE IN SUCH A DANGEROUS SITUATION- PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOME IS KILLED - AT THE VERY LEAST GIVE A WARNING THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING - IS ACURA TRYING TO LOOSE REPEAT CUSTOMERS- THEY ARE SUCCEEDING - TERRIBLE REPUTATION FOR ACURA IF U DON'T DO THE RIGHT THING AND PUT YOUR CUSTOMERS FIRST - WE'VE BEEN LOYAL -NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO SHOW LOYALTY TO US - -

NHTSA ID

11413879

Incident

Apr 23, 2021

Mileage

64,500 mi

I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN MY AIR BAG ON DRIVER SIDE DEPLOYED

NHTSA ID

11391141

Incident

Feb 2, 2021

I HAVE EXPERIENCED TACH HUNTING WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE SHIFTS INTO THE HIGHEST GEAR AND THE RPMS SHOULD BE STEADY, YOU'RE GOING AT A STEADY SPEED DOWN A CITY STREET AND THE TACHOMETER STARTS JUMPING AROUND IT WILL NOT STAY STEADY. IT FIRST STARTED HAPPENING WHEN THE CAR HAD AROUND 36,000 MILES ON IT WE BROUGHT IT IN AND THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED/ FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION THAT FIXED IT FOR ROUGHLY 36,000 MILES . IN 2018 IT STATED AGAIN WHEN THE CAR HAD 73,000 MI THEY UPDATED THE COMPUTER AGAIN APPARENTLY THERE WAS ANOTHER UPDATE AND THEY FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION AND IT OPERATED NORMALLY FOR ABOUT 27,000 MILES THIS TIME. NOW THE CAR HAS JUST OVER 100,000 MI ON IT AND IT'S DOING IT AGAIN APPARENTLY FROM WHAT I'VE LEARNED AND HEARD YOU CAN HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED AND PUT SOME LUBE GUARD SHUTTER FIX IN IT AND IT WILL HELP IT AND MAYBE EVEN CURE THE ISSUE ON SOME CARS BUT OTHERS IT'S TOO LATE AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED OR OVERHAULED. AT THE VERY LEAST THE TORQUE CONVERTER WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS HONDA KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM AND THEY PRETTY MUCH PUT A PATCH ON IT UNTIL YOU'RE PAST THE WARRANT I BELIEVE THAT THE WARRANTY SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO 150,000 MILES!

NHTSA ID

11388220

Incident

Jan 1, 2016

Mileage

36,000 mi

2013 ACURA TL STEERING GOT LOCKED AFTER CHECK POWER STEERING SYSTEM, THIS IS VERY RISKY IF I WAS ON HIGHWAY AND WOULD HAVE HAPPEN DURING DRIVING. SUCH PROBLEMS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY CO ASAP AS THIS IS LIFE THREATENING TO DRIVER INCLUDING PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE DURING PROBLEM. STEERING IS LOCKED AND CAN'T MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION.

NHTSA ID

11383078

Incident

Dec 10, 2020

Mileage

142,588 mi

IN JULY 2020, WITH 82143 MILES, MY POWER STEERING COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING.

NHTSA ID

11375341

Incident

Jul 30, 2020

Mileage

82,143 mi

I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH MY KIDS AND THE STEERING PRACTICALLY LOCKED UP, BUT I WAS STILL GOING ABOUT 50 MPH. THANKFULLY, WE DIDN'T GET HIT WHILE I GUIDED THE CAR OVER TO STOP SAFELY. THE PANEL JUST TOLD ME TO CHECK THE STEERING SYSTEM... WHILE I WAS TRYING NOT TO GET HIT AFTER LOSING ALL POWER TO MY STEERING WITH NO WARNING WHILE DRIVING. HAD VEHICLE TOWED HOME, AS IT WAS NIGHTTIME. NOW I HAVE TO GET IT SENT TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT TELL ME ANYTHING. THIS LOOKS LIKE A SERIOUS TREND BASED OFF OF WHAT I'VE READ ON THIS SIGHT. IT'S DANGEROUS AND I'M SURE GETTING IT FIXED WILL BE COSTLY. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE ON MANY LEVELS.

NHTSA ID

11365690

Incident

Oct 21, 2020

Mileage

124,377 mi

COULD HAD AN ACCIDENT I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LIGHT ON MY CAR CAME ON SAYING THAT THE POWER STEERING HAD GONE OUT AT THAT TIME I REALIZE THAT I COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR IT WAS HARD I HAD TO GET A FEEL FOR IT TO TURN IT SO I COULD PULL OFF TO THE SIDE AND THEN THAT'S WHEN I CALLED AAA TO COME AND TOW THE CAR BECAUSE I COULD NOT STEER IT. MY CAR HAS 75,000 MILES ONLY. THAT'S A MAJOR PART THAT WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE

NHTSA ID

11365262

Incident

Oct 19, 2020

Mileage

75,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY 2013 ACURA TL ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN I GOT AN 'ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ' ERROR THAT RESULTED IN MY STEERING WHEEL REQUIRED ME TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO PULL OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE'S STEERING BECAME VERY HEAVY AND WAS VERY HARD TO TURN. I AM FORTUNATE THAT MY WIFE WAS NOT DRIVING, BECAUSE SHE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH TO PULL OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE WITHOUT POWER STEERING. ACURA SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES TO NOT HAVE ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11361350

Incident

Sep 26, 2020

Mileage

72,534 mi

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE THE CHECK "ELECTRONIC POWER SYSTEM" INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS BACKING INTO THE STREET OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. AS I ENTERED THE STREET THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND WOULD NOT LET ME TURN THE WHEEL TO COMPLETE TURNING TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS TO DRIVE FORWARD. I WAS LITERALLY STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND I LIVE ON THE DOWNSIDE OF A HILL SO CARS CAN'T SEE ME UNTIL THEY TOP THE HILL, FORTUNATELY MY HUSBAND WAS HOME AND HELPED PUSH THE CAR BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY. ALTHOUGH NOT AS SCARY AS SOME OF THE INCIDENTS I HAVE READ ABOUT THE EPS MODULE FAILING, I UNDERSTAND THE FEAR THEY MUST HAVE HAD WITH THIS HAPPENING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY OR STREET. I NOW HAVE TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST ACURA DEALERSHIP WHICH IS 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR DEPENDING ON TRAFFIC BECAUSE I'M TO AFRAID TO DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY. THE COST OF REPAIR THAT WAS QUOTED IS ASTRONOMICAL, $420 LABOR, $780.06 FOR THE PART...NOT TO MENTION THE TOW$$. REALLY... ACURA/HONDA, YOU GOT TO KNOW THIS IS A SAFTY ISSUE IF THERE EVER WAS ONE! WHAT WILL IT TAKE...A GRANDMOTHER (LIKE ME) DRIVING HER GRAND KIDS TO DAYCARE TO LOSE CONTROL BEFORE YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A PROBLEM. NHTSA, PLEASE FOLLOW UP!

NHTSA ID

11353097

Incident

Sep 3, 2020

Mileage

153,000 mi

RECEIVED DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE TO CHECK POWER STEERING SYSTEM. LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL ON THE VEHICLE WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. MY MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A COMPUTER ISSUE AND RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE IT TO THE ACURA DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE.

NHTSA ID

11351107

Incident

Aug 24, 2020

Mileage

92,820 mi

EPS LIGHT STARTS BLINKING AND POWER STEERING FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. COMPLETELY RANDOM WHEN IT DECIDES TO WORK AND CAR IS UNDER 69000 MILES. AS AN EXAMPLE I WAS TAKING A TURN AND IT FAILED HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CAR ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11348891

Incident

Aug 12, 2020

Mileage

69,000 mi

I WAS ABOUT TO DRIVE IN TO MY GARAGE WHEN I FELT MY STEERING WHEEL HAD SOME RESISTANCE AND HARD TO MANEUVER. THE DRIVER PANEL SAYS "CHECK POWER STEERING SYSTEM!" AS I PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE, I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND TURNED IT BACK ON, WARNING MESSAGE DISAPPEARED. POWER STEERING WENT BACK TO NORMAL. A WEEK LATER, AS I WAS DRIVING THE FREEWAY, "CHECK POWER STEERING SYSTEM!" REAPPEARED. THERE WAS SOME RESISTANCE ON THE POWER STEERING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. WHEN I REACHED OUR DRIVEWAY, I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND THEN TURNED IT BACK ON, BUT THE WARNING MESSAGE STILL APPEARS ON THE DRIVE PANEL. I WENT AHEAD AND SET-UP APPOINTMENT ONLINE AT ACURA CONCORD ON JUNE 23, 2020 AT 0730 FOR SERVICE. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330259

Incident

Jun 22, 2020

Mileage

133,000 mi

I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 10-15MINS FROM MY HOME, MY 4YR OLD SON IN THE BACKSEAT. WE WERE GOING TO WALMART TO RETRIEVE A FEW ITEMS. AS I'M APPROACHING THE STORE I TURN FROM A MAIN STREET INTO THE STORES PARKING LOT. AS I SEE A PARKING SPOT AND GO TO MAKE A LEFT TURN LIGHTS FLASH ON MY DASH AND MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. TRYING TO THEN AVOID CARS WHILE UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE WHEEL I DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE VERY BACK OF THE STORE INTO A PARKING SPOT. CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO GET A TOW. IF I HAPPENED TO BE ON THE HIGHWAY I WOULD HAVE CAUSED A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE. APPARENTLY HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE EPS SYSTEM BUT BECAUSE I HAVE A SALVAGE TITLE VEHICLE MY WARRANTIES HAVE BEEN TERMINATED. BECAUSE THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD IT SHOULD BE A RECALL!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

11327008

Incident

May 4, 2020

Mileage

100,000 mi

DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH AND THE EPS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CONTROL. NO WARNING, JUST A FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

11326349

Incident

May 28, 2020

Mileage

235,121 mi

MY CAR POWER STEERING BECAME HARD TO TURN HAD A LIGHT TO TURN ON TO CHECK STEERING SYSTEM TOOK TO THE SHOP THEY SAID IS A ELECTRIC SITUATION THAN THE DEALERS HAS EXTENDED 15 YEAR GUARANTEE WANT TO KNOW DETAILS FOR REVERSE ME WHAT NEED TO SEND

NHTSA ID

11323068

Incident

Apr 22, 2020

Mileage

80 mi

DRIVING ON FREEWAY, WARNING LIGHT AND BELL STARTED GOING OFF AND I HAD NO STEERING! STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY STIFF. SCARY! DEFINITELY GRATEFUL I DIDN'T WRECK

NHTSA ID

11320868

Incident

Apr 10, 2020

Mileage

100,000 mi

THE SCREEM SHOWING ' CHECK AIRBAG SYSTEM'

NHTSA ID

11306538

Incident

Jan 23, 2020

Mileage

66,000 mi