Selling a dead or junk Acura TL

If your TL won't shift, won't start or isn't worth the repair, sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

The TL, generation by generation

Each TL figure here counts what owners sent NHTSA, pulled on October 10, 2026. An owner's write-up isn't a reliability grade. The later TLs have spent fewer years with owners than the early ones, so their counts run lower, even though the last 2014 TLs are now twelve years old. Generation details are from Wikipedia's TL article.

1995-1998: five cylinders from Japan

The first TL was built in Sayama, Japan. Wikipedia lists 2.0 and 2.5 five-cylinder engines and a 3.2 V6, all with a 4-speed automatic. The four model years hold only 70 complaints.

Two recalls cover the 1996-1998. Under 99V069, dealers fit new front lower ball joints, which could wear out too soon and, in the worst case, come apart and drop the front suspension. Under 99V227, a redesigned bolt goes into the transmission case, because the original might back out and let the transmission come loose from the differential. Both campaigns describe passenger vehicles generally, so their totals (124,875 and 96,518) may include other models.

1999-2003: the automatic that made the TL's reputation

The second TL moved to Marysville, Ohio, alongside the Accord. It used a 3.2 V6 (260 hp in the Type-S), with a 4-speed automatic and then a 5-speed from 2000. This generation holds 1,279 complaints, and the power train leads on every year from 2000 to 2003: 97, 102, 208 and 234.

Wikipedia gives the mechanism. As the third-gear clutch pack wore, particles blocked oil passages, causing overheating or keeping the transmission from shifting or holding gears. It lists slipping, failure to shift and sudden downshifts, even at freeway speed. Acura extended the transmission warranty, and a class-action settlement pushed it to 7.75 years or 109,000 miles for 1999-2002 cars and some 2003s. Wikipedia adds that transmissions replaced before March 2005 usually failed again, while later replacements got a redesigned clutch pack.

Recall 04V176 also touches the 2000-2004 automatic, over heat between two second gears. Honda minivans and SUVs share its 1,099,796 count. The 1999 is different: electrical system complaints lead, 52 of 157. Three ignition switch recalls cover it, 02V120 for worn contacts plus 03V423 and 05V025 for an interlock that may not work as designed. The 2003 V6 also has recall 02V226, a misaligned timing belt tensioner pulley that could let the belt touch a bolt.

2004-2008: air bags and structure

Wikipedia lists a 3.2 V6, a 3.5 V6 in the Type-S, and a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual. The TL was Acura's best-seller until the MDX passed it in 2007. This generation has the most complaints, 1,434, and the 2004 has the most of any year, 551. Air bags (158) and structure (155) lead it. The 2005 follows the same pattern, with 118 and 113.

Recall 08V091 is a TL-only campaign covering 273,000 TLs from 2004 to 2008. Under-hood heat can crack the power steering hose and leak fluid. A second hose recall, 12V222, reaches the 2007-2008 TL along with 2003-2007 Accord V6s. Recall 08V092 is also TL-only: water can corrode the wiper motor on 129,600 TLs from 2004 and 2005. On the 2005, recall 07V097 replaces a fuel pump relay whose broken coil wire can keep the engine from starting.

2009-2014: the last TL

The final TL had a 3.5 V6 (280 hp) or, with SH-AWD, a 3.7 V6 (305 hp). It used a 5-speed automatic through 2011 and a 6-speed from 2012. It drew 335 complaints. Air bags lead on most of these years, matching driver inflator recalls 16V061 and 19V182; the first counts 2,232,187 vehicles across many Honda and Acura models. Steering leads on the 2013. The TLX replaced the TL and the TSX for 2015.

Complaints and recalls by model year

A recall campaign is listed under every year it covers, so the column does not sum to 25.

All years together: 149 complaints report a crash, 43 a fire, 122 an injury and 5 a death.

Repair the TL, or sell it?

Weigh it on the TL's own history:

1. Slipping or not shifting, 1999-2003? The extensions are long gone, and Wikipedia's note about replacements before March 2005 means a used transmission may carry the old clutch pack. Get a written quote and read bad transmission.
2. Check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. TL recalls include power steering hoses and air bag inflators. Our open recall guide explains selling with one outstanding.
3. High miles and a long list? Compare the total quote to what a running TL of the same year brings. If they are close, selling it whole saves the money.

How to sell your TL whole

1. Note your TL's VIN, its mileage and the trouble it's giving you. Note a Type-S, 6-speed manual or SH-AWD car.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Does it creep in any gear? Will it coast in Neutral? Those answers decide what kind of truck shows up. Free pickup anywhere in the US, from a curb, garage or shop.
4. Keep the wheels, converter and everything else on the car, and be upfront about pieces that are already gone.
5. The title and any keys go to the driver. Missing the title? See selling with no title.

Other Acura sedans: the TLX that replaced it, the TSX, and the CL coupe. All models are on the Acura page.