1997 Acura TL Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other TL years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 16th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Acura TL. That ranks 16th out of 20 TL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (8 complaints, 35%), typically at around 96,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 23owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 8 | 35% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 17% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 13% | 50,760 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% | 78,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 4% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 4% | 120,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 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.
Although my car is about 20 years old now, i've done a lot of research about the problems i've experienced and it appears cars made from 1997 experienced malfunctioning ignition switches. My key will not start my engine and has gotten stuck inside the cylinder many times. I just replaced the…
My 1997 acura tl 2.5 spontaneously burst into flames in the area of the starter. This was clearly an electrical problem. *tr
My 1997 acura tl has been acting up. It would stall periodically without any warning (i.e when i was going on the highway, the car ran just fine; but all the sudden i lose power and the car stall. It also happen when i took the inside road.) when i tried to restarted the car. It wouldn't started. I…
Dt: there was heavy rain the night before the incident occurred. The vehicle was parked in driveway when the consumer got up and went to get in the car and found that the driver's side door, driver side dash , and driver side seat had burned. The floorboard was damaged by dripping plastic. The only…
Automatic transmission keeps popping when changing gears. Brought back for service when under warranty. Transmission fluid was flushed. Problem went away for a month. After a month problem would arise again. This has been going on since purchase of vehicle. I friend was the same model, has the same…
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 | 23 | 2 |
| 1996 TL | 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 1997 Acura TL?
Owners most often report electrical system, vehicle speed control, power train problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Acura TL?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 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 1997 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.