2013 Acura TL Steering Problems

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 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

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

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

CHECK POWER STEERING LIGHT STARTED FLICKERING WHEN BRAKING AT STOP LIGHT ABOUT TO TURN LEFT. IT WAS A HARD TURN BUT WHEN I STARTED TO ACCELERATE IT WENT AWAY, THEN AT THE STOP LIGHT IT STARTED TO FLICKER ON AND OFF AGAIN. MAKING ANOTHER LEFT TURN IT INTERMITTENTLY WENT ON AND OFF. PRETTY MUCH SAME STORY AS EVERYONE ELSE REGARDING STEERING. LUCKILY I BOUGHT EXTENDED WARRANTY. MILES WERE ONLY 69,500. NOW IT'S AT THE SHOP BEING CHECKED AND WILL STAY OVER NIGHT. THIS SAFETY ISSUE NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. ASAP

NHTSA ID

11245939

Incident

Aug 22, 2019

Mileage

69,503 mi

THE STEERING CONTROL UNIT FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AT DRIVING SPEED AND WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AT SLOW SPEED. CHECK ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL DASH LIGHT FLASHED.

NHTSA ID

11241834

Incident

Aug 1, 2019

POWER STEERING EPS FAILURE RIGHT AROUND 60,000 MILES MY ACURA TL'S POWER STEERING EPS FAILED. THE CAR WAS DRIVING ~45MPH ON A STRAIGHT 2-LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THE INDICATOR LIGHTS WENT OFF AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS, IT STARTED UP WITH NO ISSUES. THE NEXT DAY, UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND NEVER RETURNED. THIS FAILURE CAUSED A CHAIN OF EVENTS (ACCORDING TO MY ACURA LICENSED MECHANIC) WHICH CAUSED FAILURES IN AND EVENTUAL REPLACEMENT OF THE RACK & PINION, EPS SENSORS, STEERING COMPUTER MODULE, AND MULTIPLE OTHER SENSORS. THE TOTAL BILL WAS $4,200 FOR REPAIR. SINCE THIS INCIDENT I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM ACURA THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, AND THE WARRANTY HAS BEEN EXTENDED. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD TO KNOW PRIOR TO THE ISSUE (THE CAR IS 6 YEARS OLD) AND PRIOR TO HAVING TO PAY $4,200 AND BE STRANDED WITHOUT A CAR FOR 10 DAYS DURING REPAIRS. READING THROUGH REVIEWS AND COMPLAINTS ONLINE, IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE MADE A CLAIM WITH ACURA FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF MY EXPENSES, AND HOPE THEY DO THE CORRECT THING AND PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. INVOICE FOR THE REPAIRS (WHICH WERE COMPLETED) IS ATTACHED.

NHTSA ID

11240952

Incident

Mar 4, 2019

Mileage

66,328 mi

SEVERAL TIMES OVER A COUPLE OF DAYS WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL JUST FROZE AND WOULD NOT TURN. THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING BROUGHT IT BACK HOWEVER, THE LAST TIME IT FROZE COMPLETELY AND NEVER CAME BACK. THIS CAR IS A 2013 HOWEVER IT ONLY HAS 30,700 MILES ON IT. WE HAD IT DIAGNOSED AND IT IS THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM MODULE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE READ THAT OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE. CONSIDERING ONE OF THE TIMES THIS HAPPENED TO US WAS ON THE HIGHWAY I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT ACURA KNOWS ABOUT IT. IF IT DOESN'T WARRANT A RECALL THERE SHOULD AT THE LEAST BE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS SYSTEM. NOT ONLY THE HIGH EXPENSE TO REPLACE THIS SYSTEM, MORE IMPORTANTLY MY SON WAS PUT INTO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE HIGHWAY AND I FEEL THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

NHTSA ID

11233016

Incident

Jul 10, 2019

Mileage

30,700 mi

WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON RURAL ROAD ALARM PANEL DISPLAYING CHECK POWER STEERING SYSTEM, ALARM AND AUDIBLE AND VISUAL ALARM BLINKING REPEATEDLY, COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING CONTROL WHILE DRIVING, LUCKILY I HAD JUST PULLED OFF A MAJOR BUSY HIGHWAY ONTO A BACKROAD WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED.

NHTSA ID

11205707

Incident

May 4, 2019

Mileage

73,750 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILED NOT ALLOWING A SAFE PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF ROAD. CAR WAS THEN STOPPED IN A BUSY MORNING COMMUTE TRAFFIC. THE SYSTEM FAILED ON THREE SEPARATE DAYS. THE FIRST TWO DAYS RESTARTING THE VEHICLE RESET THE POWER STEERING BUT THE THIRD TIME THERE WAS NO RESET. CAR WAS TOWED TO AN ACURA DEALERSHIP WHERE THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $1,026.29. THE VEHICLE HAS 59,711 MILES. NO TROUBLE CODE WAS RECORDED AND WAS CONSIDERED INTERMITTENT BY AAA SERVICE CENTER AND LIKELY TO RETURN. BECAUSE WE WERE DRIVING IN CITY MORNING COMMUTE TRAFFIC, THE SPEED WAS LOW BUT THIS COULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING THE POSTED 45 MPH SPEED OR ON A LOCAL INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT ON MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11195367

Incident

Apr 2, 2019

Mileage

57,711 mi

THE POWER STEERING ON THE CAR FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. IT APPEARS THE EPS SYSTEM HAS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND WILL CAUSE A DEATH OR ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID

11193463

Incident

Apr 2, 2019

Mileage

67,000 mi

THE CAR LOST POWER STEERING COMPLETELY WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING. STEERING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MANAGE AND A WEAKER/SMALLER/FRAIL INDIVIDUAL COULD NOT. TURNING FROM A STOP EVEN MORE DIFFICULT. NO WARNINGS WERE GIVEN AND THE CAR WAS MAINTAINED RELIGIOUSLY. THE VEHICLE DID HAVE 109,000 MILES BUT I HAVE NOTICED NUMEROUS INCIDENTS REPORTED ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH FEWER MILES. POWER STEERING SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT LASTS THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THIS PARTICULAR POWER STEERING INVOLVES A "MODULE" THAT APPEARS TO FAIL FREQUENTLY AND CAN RESULT IN REPAIRS TOTALING $3500. MOST PEOPLE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT COST. MY MECHANIC ALSO STATES HE BELIEVES THIS IS A MUCH MORE FREQUENT ISSUE THAN IS BEING REPORTED SINCE MOST JUST CONSIDER IT A MAINTENANCE ITEM. POWER STEERING FAILURE IS NOT A ROUTINE ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11051409

Incident

Nov 15, 2017

Mileage

109,000 mi