2005 Acura TL Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other TL years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 388 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Acura TL. That ranks 3rd out of 20 TL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (156 complaints, 40%), typically at around 94,900 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 3 fires, 7 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 388owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 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 | 156 | 40% | 94,900 | “passenger side” (38%) | $2,650 |
| Air Bags problems | 144 | 37% | 100,000 | “passenger side” (38%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 64 | 16% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 36 | 9% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 28 | 7% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 25 | 6% | 128,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 20 | 5% | 12,207 | — | — |
| Suspension | 11 | 3% | 124,968 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 2% | 89,444 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 2% | 44,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 2% | 138,400 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 2% | 47,800 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 1% | 141,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 1% | 138,339 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 1% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | 132,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 1% | 33,500 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 2 | 1% | 95,500 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 1% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 100 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 35,013 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 243,260 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 33,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Acura TL recalls (5)
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.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: On certain vehicles, a coil wire inside the fuel pump relay may break, causing the fuel pump to lose power. If the fuel pump becomes inoperative, the engine may not start.
Risk: If the fuel pump loses power while driving, the engine could stall without warning, and a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pump relay free of charge. The recall began on april 2, 2007. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Electrical system:wiring:fuses and circuit breakers
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, a loose terminal in the main fuse box may cause the fuel pump to lose power. If the fuel pump becomes inoperative, the engine may not start.
Risk: If the fuel pump loses power while driving the engine could stall without warning which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the entire fuse box free of charge. The recall began on april 13, 2005. Owners may contact honda at 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.
Fuse box Power steering hose
The vehicle has been gradually leaking power steering fluid over time. I have been monitoring the fluid level and have noticed a recurring burning smell while operating the vehicle. At times, I have also observed what appears to be a very faint, clear or nearly transparent smoke or vapor that is…
The contact owned a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the front driver's side air bag might have deployed without impact, hit the contact's face, reducing the roadway visibility and causing the vehicle to crash into the rear-end of another vehicle. The…
While I was driving 55 mph, on the throttle, the transmission acted as it was in Neutral but all indicators verified it was in Drive. The RPMs were fluctuating during this & my car wouldn't accelerate. I was in the middle of a busy highway, the car came to a stop, I shifted it into Park, then tried…
My wife, [XXX] , purchased a 2005 Acura TL on [XXX]. The car was not inspected, it had a hole in the oil tank, was leaking battery acid, had broken control arms, wore out rotors, wore out brake pads, bald tires, Vehicle Stability Control disabled, no AC, cracked dashboard where the passenger air…
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 | 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 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 2005 Acura TL?
Owners most often report structure, air bags, unknown or other problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 156 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Acura TL?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 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 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.