2001 Acura TL Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other TL years
- About as many complaints as other years 8th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 149 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Acura TL. That ranks 8th out of 20 TL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (103 complaints, 69%), typically at around 84,300 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 149owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 103 | 69% | 84,300 | “transmission failed” (15%) | $6,000 |
| Air Bags | 15 | 10% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% | 53,256 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 5% | 87,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 3% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 3% | 25,721 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 1% | 160,600 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 131,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 81,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 72,992 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Acura TL recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: On some mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Risk: Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
Fix: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. On vehicles with more than 15,000 miles, the dealer will inspect the transmission to identify gears that have already experienced discoloration due to overheating. If discoloration exists, the transmission will be replaced if discoloration is not present, the dealer will perform the revision to the oil cooler return line. The recall began on april 21, 2004, for pilot, odyssey, and mdx owners. Owners of the accord vehicles will start receiving letters on june 28, 2004, and on june 29, 2004, for owners of the tl and cl vehicles. Owners should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: the following vehicles were repaired with incorrect parts: 2002 acura 3.2tl sedans with replacement buckles installed per recall 01v-166001; certain 2000 acura 3.2tl vehicles with replacement buckles installed as product update repairs; and certain 2000-2002 acura 3.2tl vehicles with replacement buckles installed as warranty or collision repairs. Repairs were made from march 9 through july 27, 2001. Some of the noncompliant buckles were mislabeled and redistributed to acura dealers to be used as recall repair parts. Honda also determined that incorrect front seat belt buckle replacement parts were used for some product update repairs of 2000 acura 3.2tl vehicles, and warranty or collision repairs of 2000-2002 3.2tl vehicles. These seat belt buckles may not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the front seat belt buckles. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact acura at 1-800-999-1009.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Automatic transmission sudden downshift (PE02081) — opened Oct 28, 2002, closed Mar 5, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have reached out to Acura on three separate occasions to try and get them to inspect and possibly replace my recalled airbags. They have failed to contact us back every time and this is our only mode of transportation. I've expressed my concerns to them each time and let them know I'm forced to…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A NHTSA RECALL LETTER NUMBER 20V027000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FLOW ACURA 4952 NEW CENTRE DR, WILMINGTON, NC 28403 [redacted]. DURING THE RECALL REPAIR THEY TOLD THE CONTACT THEY DID NOT HAVE…
For my acura tl 2001 we have been waiting over 6 months for the air bag to be replaced. The dealership and honda (called honda this week) will not even provide a date when the replacement air bags will be available. Very poor as this is a known safety hazard and we don't feel safe driving this…
Transmission slips between 3 and 4. Doesn't do this all the time, however; many, many forums are full of 2001 acura tl's having transmission solenoid issues. We bought car used (163,000), many cars out there with the exact same issue which should have been addressed in the 2000's.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V027000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED ACURA OF TEMPE (7800 S AUTOPLEX LOOP, TEMPE, AZ 85284; [redacted]) AND IT WAS CONFIRMED…
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 | 149 | 3 |
| 2000 TL | 249 | 6 |
| 1999 TL | 157 | 4 |
| 1998 TL | 20 | 2 |
| 1997 TL | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Acura TL?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 103 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Acura TL?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 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 2001 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.