1996 Acura TL: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
17 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
68,100 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1996 model year. Data snapshot: . 11 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 17 complaints (17.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 4 | 23.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 3 | 17.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 11.8% |
| Steering behavior | 2 | 11.8% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | 2 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | 2 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 1 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe: 2; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module: 2; Air Bags: 1; Air Bags:Frontal: 1; Electrical System: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 3 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 2 |
| 150,000 and above | 3 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 3; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 2; 150,000 and above: 3
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 6 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
2002: 3; 2003: 2; 2004: 3; 2005: 3; 2006: 1; 2007: 2; 2014: 2; 2020: 1
Pattern summary
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10000110 · 2002-12-13 (December 13, 2002)
THERE IS A LOUD GROWLING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGING COMPARTMENT OF MY 1996 ACURA 2.5 TL. THE DEALER INFORMED THAT IT IS A CRACKED MANIFOLD AND HE HAS SEEN IT MANY TIMES BEFORE. HOWEVER, THEY STILL DID NOT OFFER TO SUBSIDIZE THE REPAIR IN ANY WAY. I WOULD THINK THAT AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD SHOULD NOT CRACK THIS EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE CAR. WHAT IS EVEN WORSE, IS IT IS KNOWN PROBLEM AND THE MANUFACTURER IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. THE MANIFOLD IS THE SAME AS THAT FROM THE OLD ACURA VIGOR'S. I WOULD THINK THE MANUFACTURER WOULD HAVE FIXED THE PROBLE…
Owner-reported narrative. 59,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000110 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10019211 · 2003-05-24 (May 24, 2003)
I OWN A 1996 ACURA 2.5TL. A COUPLE DAYS AGO WHILE DRIVING MY PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL COLLAPSED DUE TO THE LOWER BALL JOINT BREAKING. I CONDUCTED RESEARCH TO SEE IF THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THAT PART ,AND IN FACT THERE WAS. THE PROBLEM IM FACING IS THAT IT ONLY COVERED CERTAIN VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS([XXX].... THROUGH [XXX]...)MY VIN # IS [XXX]. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY VEHICLE DOESN'T FALL WITHIN THOSE NUMBERS BUT I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AND DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY IF IN FACT THIS IS THE SAME DEFECT THAT HAPPENED TO ALL THO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10019211 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10025426 · 2003-07-04 (July 4, 2003)
I PURCHASED AN 1996 ACURA 2.5 TL IN OCTOBER OF 1998 AND I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE OF ANY KIND FOR THIS VEHICLE. MY ADDRESS HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR THE LAST 9 1/2 YEARS. THE ONLY PERSONAL INFORMATION THAT HAS CHANGED IS MY LAST NAME, FROM WASHINGTON TO GORDON WHICH CHANGED JULY 13, 2002. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10025426 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10052562 · 2004-01-07 (January 7, 2004)
THIS LETTER WAS SENT TO ACURA: HAVE A 1996 ACURA 2.5 TL THAT WAS PURCHASED AT RADLEY ACURA. MY VIN # [XXX]. I NOW KNOW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AND SAW THAT AN ACURA 2.5 TL VIN # [XXX] COLLAPSED DUE TO THE LOWER JOINT BREAKING ON MAY 22, 2003. I HAD TO REPLACE MY LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THE FRONT OF MY CAR ON 11/19/2003. AS I DROVE INTO THE CAR DEALERSHIP, I WAS NOT DRIVING ON A ROUGH ROAD SURFACE. I MENTIONED NOTHING ABOUT DRIVING ON A ROUGH ROAD SURFACE. MY CAR WAS MAKING A VERY LOUD NOISE WHEN I DROVE INTO THE SURFACE AREA. FOR THE PAS…
Owner-reported narrative. 68,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10052562 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10079289 · 2004-06-16 (June 16, 2004)
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE OVERHEATED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND COOLANT SPILLED INSIDE THE ENGINE. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10079289 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10086449 · 2004-08-09 (August 9, 2004)
OUR 1996 ACURA 3.2 TL HAS 40,000 MILES ON IT. ABS LIGHT CAME KEPT COMING ON. BRAKE FLUID WAS ADDED, WHICH RESOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR A FEW DAYS. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL ACURA DEALER, JERRY DAMSON HONDA/ACURA AND WAS CHECKED OUT. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE DEPT., THE ABS MODULATOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2100 - THEY DID DRAIN AND BLEED THE ABS SYSTEM BUT THAT ONLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. THE DEALER IS NOT INCLINED TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM TO EVERYONE'S SATISFACTION, AS THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY A…
Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10086449 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10124751 · 2005-06-03 (June 3, 2005)
1996 ACURA TL WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED ON THE VEHICLE.*MR THE WIPER MOTOR HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THIS WIPER FAILURE RESULTED IN POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING IN RAIN. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 30,150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124751 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10135757 · 2005-09-07 (September 7, 2005)
THE PROBLEM IS: AT CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OF RPM AND SPEED, THE ENGINE LABORS. IT CAUSES EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS, WHICH CONTINUE UNTIL EITHER THE SPEED OR RPM IS CHANGED. IT IS NOT RELATED TO TRAVELING UP OR DOWN AN INCLINE. TAKEN TO ACURA DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY STATED THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM BUT NOTED THAT IT SHIFTED HARD ON 1-2 UPSHIFT AND FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. THIS DID NOT FIX THE VIBRATION. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN FOR SAME PROBLEM THEY STATED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND REPLACED FRONT BRAK…
Owner-reported narrative. 40 miles reported. Look up ODI 10135757 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
99V069000 · Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint
Reported: 1999-05-10 (May 10, 1999)
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.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.
NHTSA campaign record ↗99V227000 · Power Train:Automatic Transmission
Reported: 1999-08-19 (August 19, 1999)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A TRANSMISSION CASE BOLT CAN LOOSEN AND FALL OUT ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO DISENGAGE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REDESIGNED BOLT.
NHTSA campaign record ↗