2004 Acura TL Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other TL years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 551 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Acura TL. That is the most of any TL model year in the database (20 years). The most reported problem area is structure (232 complaints, 42%), typically at around 90,000 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 6 fires, 17 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 551owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 232 | 42% | 90,000 | “passenger side” (39%) | $2,100 |
| Air Bags problems | 199 | 36% | 97,903 | “passenger side” (39%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 56 | 10% | 94,000 | “automatic transmission” (9%) | — |
| Tires problems | 51 | 9% | 11,200 | “bridgestone turanza” (27%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 49 | 9% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 34 | 6% | 131,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 30 | 5% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 14 | 3% | 92,355 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 2% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 2% | 61,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 2% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 2% | 83,380 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 8 | 1% | 95,271 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 1% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 1% | 43,534 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 1% | 122,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 1% | 59,607 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 1% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | 46,878 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 18,320 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 3 | 1% | 107,725 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 171,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 102,279 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 0% | 54,804 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 95,871 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 48,567 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Acura TL recalls (4)
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 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.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections
Problem: Honda is recalling 273,000 my 2004-2008 acura tl vehicles. Prolonged high under-hood temperatures may cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid.
Risk: Power steering fluid leaking onto a hot catalytic converter will generate smoke and possibly lead to an under-hood fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a new heat resistant power steering hose free of charge. The recall began on april 28, 2008. Owners may contact acura at 800-382-2238. This is an expansion of a previous recall (please see 07v551).
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: Honda is recalling 129,600 my 2004-2005 acura tl vehicles. If water enters the windshield wiper motor breather port, which is designed to allow the motor to vent warm air during normal operation, it can result in corrosion inside the motor housing. This could cause a failure of the electrical circuit breaker inside the motor housing.
Risk: If the circuit breaker fails, it will cause the windshield wiper motor to become inoperative, which can increase the likelihood of a crash in certain conditions.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the windshield wiper motor for signs of corrosion. If no signs of corrosion are present, a snorkel tube will be added to the wiper motor breather port to prevent water from entering the wiper motor housing and foam tape will be installed on the cowl above the wiper motor to direct water away from the wiper motor. If signs of corrosion damage are observed on the wiper motor, the motor will be replaced, and the breather tube and foam tape will also be installed to prevent water intrusion on the new wiper motor. The recall began on april 28, 2008. Owners may contact acura at 1-800-382-2238.
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.
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
- Windshield wiper motor failure (PE07060) — opened Nov 29, 2007, closed Mar 5, 2008, led to recall 08V092000.
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 was driving and all of a sudden I hit a pot hole and then when I went to take a turn my car ended up making a shaking rattling sound when I pulled to to side to check it the ball joint was half way out of the control arm
Car stopped working three days after I purchased it.
I noticed that my power steering hose is all dirty and full of built up power steering fluid and my airbag light in the dash screen does not come off. Iâm concerned the air bag will fail in the events of an accident
In December of 2022, my power steering hoses were found to be leaking. This was confirmed by a local mechanic, but not any manufacturers or insurance reps. There were no warning lights or symptoms prior to this happening. Upon my research, I noticed that there is a standing recall for the 2004…
The red air bag light on the dashboard has been on for many months. It will occasionally turn off, but usually it is on. Is there a recall for my 2004 Acura TL air bags? Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 | 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 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 2004 Acura TL?
Owners most often report structure, air bags, power train problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 232 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Acura TL?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.