1996 Acura TL Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other TL years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 15th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 26 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Acura TL. That ranks 15th out of 20 TL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (5 complaints, 19%), typically at around 77,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 2 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 26owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Acura TL problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 19% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 15% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 15% | 56,569 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 12% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 12% | 68,100 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 12% | 30,150 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 8% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 4% | 245,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 4% | 245,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 4% | 245,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 4% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 4% | 150,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Acura TL recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A transmission case bolt can loosen and fall out allowing the transmission to disengage from the differential.
Risk: The vehicle could lose power to the drive wheels without warning. Also, shifting the transmission into the park position would not lock the wheels, and a parked vehicle could move unexpectedly if the parking brake is not set.
Fix: Dealers will install a redesigned bolt.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Certain vehicles were manufactured with ball joints that can prematurely wear out and, in the worse case, the ball joint would separate causing the front suspension to collapse.
Risk: This condition would result in vehicle deceleration and a sudden loss of power. Also steering controllability would be reduced.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Yea the vehicle was purchased september 2019 @185k miles and started having problems around april 2020 @ 250k miles my , this month after driving for about an hour you could say , my car over heated and the battery and electricity sensors and such stopped working which causes all my lights to come…
I was headed up a hill when i pulled over to the side of the road to let an emergency vehicle pass. When i attempted to reenter traffic, there was a loud bang, some grinding noise, and a jolt as the vehicle began to roll backwards. I was startled when i immediately placed the vehicle in park but it…
May 2013, on a straight road, at 8:55pm. Motorist traveling towards me speeding with bright lights on. Motorist made contact with my car on passenger side fender and door. Motorist hit and ran and later told police she thought she hit an object. At the time of impact there was a loud explosion as…
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 acura 2.5 tl. The vehicle was serviced at the repair shop for a dead battery. The repair shop advised that the vehicle would not shift into gear. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id 99v227000 (power train: automatic transmission). The current and failure…
1996 acura seat belt didn't lock and air bag didn't deploy during accident**cc the consumers wife hit a tree and consequently her head went over the steering wheel and hit the windshield. *jb
Other Acura TL years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 TL | 17 | 3 |
| 2013 TL | 62 | 3 |
| 2012 TL | 130 | 3 |
| 2011 TL | 20 | 3 |
| 2010 TL | 64 | 3 |
| 2009 TL | 42 | 3 |
| 2008 TL | 124 | 2 |
| 2007 TL | 124 | 2 |
| 2006 TL | 247 | 4 |
| 2005 TL | 388 | 5 |
| 2004 TL | 551 | 4 |
| 2003 TL | 391 | 5 |
| 2002 TL | 333 | 7 |
| 2001 TL | 149 | 3 |
| 2000 TL | 249 | 6 |
| 1999 TL | 157 | 4 |
| 1998 TL | 20 | 2 |
| 1997 TL | 23 | 2 |
| 1996 | 26 | 2 |
| 1995 TL | 1 | 0 |
See all Acura TL problems by year, every Acura model, or the Acura VIN decoder.
Similar Acura models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Acura TL?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling, power train problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Acura TL?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Acura TL a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other TL model years, the 1996 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.