2006 Acura TL: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2006 Acura TL
On the 2006 Acura TL, the failure owners report most often is other body or interior problem, and the reports cluster around 87,500 miles. The earliest to appear is other electrical problem, reported by a median of 65,000 miles. Overall it scores 62 out of 100, high risk for a 2006.
High risk for a 2006 — 297th riskiest of the 343 2006 vehicles we can rate. 345 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 45 named failure modes on the 2006 Acura TL, and the three most-reported carry 26% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other body or interior problem leads with 63 reports, about 1.2 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 71k to 117,500 miles.
No-start or intermittent start failure follows with 13 reports, usually reported between 108k to 130,000 miles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 13 reports, usually reported between 77k to 120,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into body (63), engine (27) and electrical (24).
At what mileage it happens
277 of the reports on the 2006 Acura TL came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 90,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 14% by 50,000 miles, 53% by 100,000 miles and 88% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 13 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 100,000 and 110,000 miles, which alone holds 12% of the dated reports.
9% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.
In the order they tend to show up: other electrical problem around 65k, audio or connectivity failure around 68k, other body or interior problem around 89k and other powertrain problem around 105k.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 45. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 13 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 8 mention a crash, 4 a fire and 2 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.23, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000, no-start or intermittent start failure at $200–$1,800, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500 and other electrical problem at $250–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
15% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other body or interior problem | body | 63 | 58 | 71k | 89k | 117k | 1.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 13 | 9 | 108k | 108k | 128k | 0.2 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 13 | 10 | 77k | 105k | 119k | 0.2 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 13 | 11 | 46k | 65k | 111k | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 13 | 6 | — | 127k | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Audio or connectivity failure | infotainment | 9 | 8 | 59k | 68k | 88k | 0.2 | $150–$900 | Low |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 8 | 7 | — | 56k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other engine problem | engine | 7 | 4 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 7 | 6 | — | 66k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 6 | 6 | — | 119k | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 6 | 6 | — | 34k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Parasitic battery drain | electrical | 5 | 5 | — | 55k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 5 | 5 | — | 78k | — | 0.1 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 5 | 5 | — | 85k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 4 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.1 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 4 | 2 | — | 174k | — | 0.1 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 4 | 4 | — | 98k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 4 | 3 | — | 149k | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 4 | 4 | — | 64k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 105k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Transmission slipping | transmission | 3 | 3 | — | 165k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$5,500 | High |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 3 | 2 | — | 100k | — | 0.1 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 3 | 3 | — | 63k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Oil leak | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 35k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 2 | 2 | — | 72k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 121k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 2 | 2 | — | 170k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 2 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 0.0 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 2 | 2 | — | 19k | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Wheel, stud or lug nut failure | wheels | 2 | 2 | — | 11k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,500 | Critical |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 2 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 78k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 1 | 1 | — | 67k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 110k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Airbag deployed without a crash | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 112k | — | 0.0 | $2,500–$8,000 | Critical |
| Power steering pump or fluid leak | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 230k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Tire pressure monitor failure | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 100k | — | 0.0 | $80–$600 | Low |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 100 | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 152k | — | 0.0 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 103k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 108 | 83 | 75k | 97k | 129k | 2.0 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2006 Acura TL draws about 6.3 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 84th percentile of complaint rates among 2006 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 54,600 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2006 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other body or interior problem
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 acura tl. While the vehicle was idling, another vehicle crashed into its front end. The air bags failed to deploy. The support bar detached from the frame of the vehicle. The road conditions were normal. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The manufacturer stated that her VIN was not included in NHTSA recall # 05v510000 (air bags:frontal). A police report was filed. The purchase date and VIN were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 15,000. The consumer stated acura in california will not provide investigation report to contact. Updated 08/07/07 *tr
2006 hands free link stopped working after less than 5 years. To replace the part, acura charges approximately $650+tax. I have heard that the dealer will replace the part for $700....parts and labor. The labor involved in minimal. Also, to diagnose the problem, the dealer want $110. There are many others out there who have a similar problem, as I researched this issue via the internet. Acura should provide a recall or replacement of this part an no cost. *tr
No-start or intermittent start failure
The hands free link malfunctions and drains the battery. If the car sits for more than a day, the battery is dead and it will not start. This has left me stranded more than a dozen times. A search on the internet reveals that thousands of acura tls have had the same issue. The dead battery leaves people stranded and eventually leads to the destruction of the alternator. Acura knows this is an issue, but has not done anything. *tr
When I started the vehicle, it had a moaning sound. I continued driving and the battery light, airbag light, csv light, all came on just before the dash lights flickered on and off, then totally went out and the car engine shut off. When I tried to jumpstart the car, the car started after a few minutes but when the jumper cables were removed, the car instantly shut down. The car was in the middle of the road and had to be towed to my house. Three months ago, the car would not start. I got it jumpstarted and it ran perfectly until the above incident occurred. This is the third battery this car has had since 2009. *tr
Other powertrain problem
Car accelerates when gas pedal is not pushed down. I have been noticing that at time the transmission in my 06 acura tl has been shifting (car accelerates) for a second or two, after you have removed your foot from the gas pedal. The car sort of "jerks" forward. Sometimes the "jerk" motion occurs when accelerating at low speeds. Last night, on my way home from work I was on a road that slopes downward at around 30 degrees. I have had the problem where the car accelerated after I had taken my foot off the gas pedal. As a test, I didn't accelerate at all on this downward sloping road, and let the car coast. The transmission engaged anyway, and the car accelerated (sort of "jerked" forward) for a few seconds. It was very scary. Something is wrong here, and this could cause an accident. I have already been on the phone with acura twice already about this transmission. They record the concern, but promise no action. I have gone to 2 different acura dealerships about this, and both state they are aware of the problem. *nm
I had the most harrowing experience while driving home last saturday, nov.27, around 1:15am, at constant speed of 60 mpg when suddenly while stepping on the accelerator pedal I felt slipping of the gears, then the car's acceleration quickly dropping as I frantically tried to regain control and barely managing to steer the car onto the shoulder where it stopped to move completely. I realized then that the car wouldn't move in any gear I shifted it to, which is indicates to me of a failure relating to transmission, if not a failure in the automatic transmission itself that caused this very dangerous incident to happen. I had to call aaa to have the car towed to my driveway where it still is as of this writing. I had no prior knowledge of any transmission problem with this car nor should suspect of such since I've been current with all scheduled maintenance services and kept it in good condition at all times. On nov. 24, three days prior to the incident, I brought the car to acura to make sure I had the 'power-steering hose recall' service done since days prior I've been hearing unusual grinding noise around steering wheel, amplified…
Recalls on the 2006 model year
NHTSA has issued 6 recall campaigns covering the 2006 Acura TL, affecting an estimated 93,172 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal, air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module, suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint and steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connection. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
3,744 vehicles 2019-10-10- Defect
- 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."
- Consequence
- If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, using option 5. Dorman's number for this recall is AS1019XXXX.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
1,101,534 vehicles 2019-03-06- Defect
- 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…
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
150 vehicles 2011-06-22- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- Misapplication of this part could lead to separation of the ball joint from the lower control arm and collapse of the front suspension, which could potentially cause a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Affinia is working with napa to identify any owners that have had this part mistakenly installed on to an acura tl vehicle, and will replace the part free of charge. The safety recall began on july 20, 2011. Owners may contact affinia group's warranty administrator at 1-815-759-7757.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
273,000 vehicles 2008-02-27- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- Power steering fluid leaking onto a hot catalytic converter will generate smoke and possibly lead to an under-hood fire.
- Remedy
- 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).
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
1,190,000 vehicles 2006-07-26- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles and motorcycles, the owner's manuals contain incorrect contact information for the national highway traffic safety administration's (NHTSA) vehicle safety hotline.
- Consequence
- The language in the owner's manuals is not in accordance with the current mandatory requirements.
- Remedy
- Honda will send a postcard to dealers and owners with the correct NHTSA vehicle safety hotline information and with instructions to insert the card into the "reporting safety defects" section of the owner's manual. The recall began on august 2, 2006. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009, acura at 1-800-382-2238 or honda motorcycles at 1-866-784-1870.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
316 vehicles 2005-11-03- Defect
- On certain passenger vehicles, on the frontal airbag system where the two external impact sensors is mounted, near the front headlights the front impact sensor bolts were not properly torqued.
- Consequence
- If the bolts loosen or fall out, the sensor may fail to properly detect a crash, possibly resulting in delayed or non-deployment of the front airbag increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and remove the bumper and retorque the loose bolts. The recall began on november 7, 2005. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 and acura at 1-800-382-2238.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2006 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 2006 — 297th riskiest of the 343 2006 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 19 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1998 comes out best at 59 and 2012 worst at 72, with 2006 itself at 62.
If the model year is negotiable, 1998 and 2007 score lower than 2006 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2004–2011 generation specifically, 2007 is the strongest year at 59 and 2009 the weakest at 69.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2004-2011 generation, 2007 Acura TL scores best at 59 and 2009 Acura TL worst at 69.
Where to spend the inspection money
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other electrical problem from about 46k, audio or connectivity failure from about 59k, other body or interior problem from about 71k and other powertrain problem from about 77k.
On a 2006 Acura TL with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other electrical problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
What this page cannot tell you
345 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 345 reports, 277 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 80% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Acura TL?
The most-reported failures are other body or interior problem (63 reports, median 87,500 miles), no-start or intermittent start failure (13 reports, median 110,000 miles) and other powertrain problem (13 reports, median 105,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2006 Acura TL problems start?
Other electrical problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 65,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 45,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 90,000 miles.
Is the 2006 Acura TL reliable?
It scores 62 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 297th riskiest of the 343 2006 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2006 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Acura TL is best?
Within the 2004–2011 generation, 2007 scores best at 59 out of 100 and 2009 worst at 69. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed