2004 Acura TL Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 199 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2004 Acura TL, 36% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 97,903 miles. The words owners use most often: “passenger side” (39% of reports).
- 199air bags complaints
- 97,903median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 25%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Passenger side: mentioned in 77 of 199 complaints (39%)
- Air bag: mentioned in 53 of 199 complaints (27%)
- Airbag deployment: mentioned in 22 of 199 complaints (11%)
- Dashboard cracked: mentioned in 15 of 199 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 152 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 199 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 5 an injury.
Acura TL air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 TL | 8 | 47% | — |
| 2013 TL | 19 | 31% | 66,000 |
| 2012 TL | 43 | 33% | 52,500 |
| 2011 TL | 13 | 65% | 47,500 |
| 2010 TL | 34 | 53% | 80,000 |
| 2009 TL | 19 | 45% | 50,075 |
| 2008 TL | 34 | 27% | 100,000 |
| 2007 TL | 41 | 33% | 102,000 |
| 2006 TL | 85 | 34% | 101,000 |
| 2005 TL | 144 | 37% | 100,000 |
| 2004 TL | 199 | 36% | 97,903 |
| 2003 TL | 50 | 13% | 112,000 |
| 2002 TL | 42 | 13% | 99,500 |
| 2001 TL | 15 | 10% | 125,000 |
| 2000 TL | 62 | 25% | 105,000 |
| 1999 TL | 13 | 8% | 169,755 |
| 1998 TL | 1 | 5% | 69,933 |
| 1997 TL | 1 | 4% | — |
| 1996 TL | 3 | 12% | 150,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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
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)
The dashboard on 3rd generation Acura TL has a design defect to where they will crack all over. In the event of a crash which results in a passenger-side dashboard airbag deployment, the dashboard can rip uncontrollably and send shards of rubber flying at everyone's face in the car and prevent the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Acura TLs have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 199 owner complaints about air bags for the 2004 Acura TL (36% of the 551 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Acura TL air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 97,903 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2004 Acura TL?
The most frequent phrase is “passenger side”, in 77 of 199 complaints, followed by “air bag” (53).
Other 2004 Acura TL problems
- Structure problems (232)
- Power Train problems (56)
- Tires problems (51)
See all 2004 Acura TL problems or air bags problems across all TL years.