Model year report

2009 Acura TL: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2009 Acura TL

On the 2009 Acura TL, the failure owners report most often is airbag inflator rupture, with 11 reports on file. The earliest to appear is other body or interior problem, reported by a median of 15,000 miles. Overall it scores 69 out of 100, high risk for a 2009.

High risk for a 2009 — 181st riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. 51 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

The failures owners actually file about

Owners have reported 12 named failure modes on the 2009 Acura TL, and the three most-reported carry 49% of everything filed.

Airbag inflator rupture leads with 11 reports and about 0.3 per 1,000 vehicles.

Other body or interior problem follows with 8 reports, usually reported between 1k to 75,000 miles.

Other visibility problem follows with 6 reports, median 1,000 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into airbag (11), body (8) and transmission (7).

When these failures get reported

30 of the reports on the 2009 Acura TL came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 50,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 47% by 50,000 miles, 77% by 100,000 miles and 90% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.

The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 23% of the dated reports.

43% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.

Median

Airbag inflator rupture

84k
Other body or interior problem

15k
Other visibility problem

1k
Torque converter failure

98k
Excessive oil consumption

186k
Other powertrain problem

149k
Backup camera failure

16k
Other electrical problem

96k
Other steering problem

10k
Alternator or charging system failure
no odometer readings given
—
Loss of braking
no odometer readings given
—
Other brake problem

120k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 50k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. 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

How bad it is when it goes

Across the named modes, 3 mention a crash and 1 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 4.59, 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: airbag inflator rupture at $0–$0, other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000, other visibility problem at $150–$1,400 and torque converter failure at $1,100–$3,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

20% 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

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Airbag inflator rupture	airbag	11	2	—	84k	—	0.3	$0–$0	Critical
Other body or interior problem	body	8	8	1k	15k	75k	0.2	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Other visibility problem	glass	6	5	—	1k	—	0.2	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Torque converter failure	transmission	4	1	—	98k	—	0.1	$1,100–$3,200	High
Excessive oil consumption	engine	3	3	—	186k	—	0.1	$900–$6,500	High
Other powertrain problem	transmission	3	1	—	149k	—	0.1	$400–$4,500	High
Backup camera failure	infotainment	2	2	—	16k	—	0.1	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Other electrical problem	electrical	2	1	—	96k	—	0.1	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other steering problem	steering	2	2	—	10k	—	0.1	$350–$2,400	High
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$450–$1,600	High
Loss of braking	brakes	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$3,000	Critical
Other brake problem	brakes	1	1	—	120k	—	0.0	$300–$1,800	High
Unclassified problem	other	7	4	—	71k	—	0.2	—	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 2009 Acura TL draws about 1.4 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 80th percentile of complaint rates among 2009 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 36,003 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2009 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.

Airbag inflator rupture

Takata recall- we received a phone call from the fayetteville acura dealership in march 2016 informing us of the recall. We were told the airbags in our 2009 acura tl should be replaced in the early portion of the summer 2016. In july 2016 we had not received any updated info on the recall/replacement of our airbags. I contacted fayetteville acura and they informed us the parts were taking longer to come into the dealership for replacement. In october 2016 we still had not been contacted to have our airbag replaced. As of january 20, 2017, we still have not received any word from the dealership on when our airbag would be replaced.

50,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1350373 filed 2017-01-20

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 acura tl. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

117,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1295990 filed 2016-07-06

Recalls on the 2009 model year

NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 2009 Acura TL, affecting an estimated 47,884 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 air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. 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.

19V500000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

1,558 vehicles 2019-06-27

Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.

19V182000

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.

16V061000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

2,232,187 vehicles 2016-02-03

Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.

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 2009 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.

Risk score against the rest of the 2009 field

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 2009 — 181st riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.

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 2009 itself at 69.

If the model year is negotiable, 1998, 2007, 1999, 2008, 1997, 2006, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2011 and 2013 score lower than 2009 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.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

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.

What the numbers say to check

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 body or interior problem from about 1k.

On a 2009 Acura TL with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other body or interior 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.

The limits of complaint data

51 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 51 reports, 30 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 59% 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 2009 Acura TL?

The most-reported failures are airbag inflator rupture (11 reports, median 85,000 miles), other body or interior problem (8 reports, median 15,000 miles) and other visibility problem (6 reports, median 1,000 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 2009 Acura TL problems start?

Other body or interior problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 15,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 1,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 50,000 miles.

Is the 2009 Acura TL reliable?

It scores 69 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 181st riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2009 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 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed