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#BS-2004-ACUTL-40352004 Acura Tl
Based on reports from 766 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 766 complaints, 17 crashes, 8 fires, and 6 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.9x the class average.
Top reported problems
cracked dashboard
15 complaints • Severity 7.6/10
transmission failure
9 complaints • Severity 9.1/10
premature tire wear
2 complaints • Severity 7/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
177 owners reported structure issues — failures commonly reported around 90K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (146 reports) • Median: 90K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Structure (177 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2004 Acura Tl: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Structure Issues
Structure complaints account for 23% of all reports filed for the 2004 Acura Tl, with 177 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 90,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 90K-mile mark.
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 20% of all reports filed for the 2004 Acura Tl, with 155 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Structure:body Issues
Structure:body complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2004 Acura Tl, with 50 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Air Bags:frontal Issues
Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2004 Acura Tl, with 43 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Acura Tl. Recent trend: stable.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (6 recalls)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
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.
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
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.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
AFFINIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS, NAPA PART NO. 2601662, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKENLY INSTALLED IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 - 2008 ACURA TL VEHICLES DUE TO A MISTAKE IN A NAPA AND NAPA DEALERS' PARTS APPLICATION CATALOGUE.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda Element, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot and 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."
+ 1 more recall in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Acura Tl is the 2010 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.
2004 Acura Tl vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)
This vehicle
766
Class avg
266
2.9x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 766 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Acura Tl Model Years
2004 Acura Tl: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Acura Tl?
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Get the Full 2004 Acura Tl Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 766 owner reports. Know before you buy.