Reliable Auto DB

2012 Acura TL reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 Acura TL has 130 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 8 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 3 TL years on this site. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Inflator.

2012 Acura TL
Photo by U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

130

Per year

8

Recalls

3

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (43 of 130), then Powertrain (27) and Steering (25). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 4 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2013

The 2013 TL has 62 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Acura TL. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 19V500000
Summary 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 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy 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 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-03-06 · NHTSA campaign 19V182000
Summary 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, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
Remedy 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 service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2016-02-03 · NHTSA campaign 16V061000
Summary 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 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy 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 recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.

Complaints by component (130 total)

Air bags
43
Powertrain
27
Steering
25
Engine
18
Electrical system
11
Speed control
6
Service brakes
4
Structure
4
Wheels
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Equipment
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Seat belts
2
Seats
2
Suspension
2
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Exterior lighting
1
Visibility
1
Show 10 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

4

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

8201210201352014112015302016162017202018132019520202202132022120235202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The vehicle has a faulty Hands free link module which runs the battery down when the vehicle is not in use. Acura has been aware of this problem since 2005. The government of this sorry ass country has done nothing…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-02-21
  • "Airbag light came on and remained"
    Air bags · filed 2025-10-21
  • "Driving down the highway with my sun shade open but the actual sunroof closed and all of a sudden I just hear a loud pop and glass is all over my head and thighs. The sunroof shattered leaving me with glasses…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2025-07-08
  • "They changed the originality milleage of the car and sold it too expensive"
    Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2025-06-10
  • "Immobilizer unit (recognizes/reads chip in key fob) failure led to the car shutting off the fuel pump leading to the car shutting down. The car could not be started again leaving the driver stranded by the side of the…"
    Electrical system · filed 2025-02-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Acura TL 4 DR 4WD Early Release 3 stars 2 stars 4 stars 5 stars
2012 Acura TL 4 DR 4WD Later Release 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars
2012 Acura TL 4 DR FWD Early Release 3 stars 2 stars 4 stars 5 stars
2012 Acura TL 4 DR FWD Later Release 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
TL two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 29 23 MPG $3450
TL four-wheel drive 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3800
TL four-wheel drive 3.7L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 18 24 20 MPG $4000

Specs and fitment

Fourth generation (UA8/UA9), 2012–2014
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (preferred) or 5W-20 , 4.5 qt capacity
Tire size 245/50R17, 245/45R18, 245/40R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V-182 covers certain 2009-2014 Acura TL vehicles among many Honda and Acura models for Takata driver frontal air-bag inflators that may rupture on deployment. Recall 19V-500 likewise covers certain 2009-2014 TL vehicles in a related Takata driver inflator population. These are multi-model campaigns; dealers replace the inflator. Owners should check NHTSA VIN lookup for open Takata remedies on a specific vehicle.

Compare

Next year 2013 Acura TL See every Acura TL model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Acura TL reliable?

The 2012 Acura TL has 130 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 8 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 3 TL years on this site. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Inflator.

What are common problems with a 2012 Acura TL?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (43 of 130), then Powertrain (27) and Steering (25). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 4 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2012 Acura TL more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 TL has 62 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Acura TL been recalled?

The 2012 Acura TL has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Acura TL?

Owners have filed 130 complaints about the 2012 Acura TL with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Acura TL get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Acura TL is 21.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does an Acura TL take?

0W-20 preferred or 5W-20; capacity is about 4.5 quarts with filter.

What does recall 19V-182 cover on the TL?

Certain 2009-2014 TL vehicles among many Honda and Acura models for Takata driver frontal air bag inflators—see the NHTSA campaign for the remedy.

What tire sizes did the UA8/UA9 TL use?

245/50R17, 245/45R18, or 245/40R19 depending on trim.