AI Damage1999 Acura TL: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Acura TL filed 157 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 157
- involving a crash
- 17
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 37% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 24% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 5% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 4% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 58 complaints (37% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 37 complaints (24% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 13 complaints (8% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 12 complaints (8% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 10 complaints (6% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.2 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 157 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 58 | 5 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 37 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
On july 23, 2011, my hand and elbow were permanently disabled, when my 1999 acura tl rolled backwards down the driveway and knocked me down. As I tried to stop it from rolling down the driveway but the car won. The car was in park and the brake was engaged, but it still rolled backwards.
The consumer stated with her foot on the brake pedal, she shifted into reverse, when suddenly there was a loud shrill noise, as the vehicle suddenly accelerated, knocking over a table and splintered the plexiglass. The vehicle continued to accelerate in reverse.
1999 acura 3.2 tl. Consumer writes in regards to defective valve stems the consumer stated her son had an accident due to defective valve stems, that were installed on his vehicle, which resulted in a death.
He came back out of the convenience store to find that his vehicle had rolled backwards down a slight grade to collide with another car, causing a lot of damage to the rear end of the driver's car (est. $3,000).
I was in the right lane and I managed to coast off the freeway but I had no power steering and I hit a concrete barrier before coming to a stop. After repeatedly attempting to restart the car over a period of five minutes the ignition turned on again and I was able to drive the car home.
1999 acura 3.2tl. Air control pressure causing accident the consumer was involved in a rollover accident. The accident was caused by the sudden loss of air pressure in the right front tire. It happened in a lane of travel with no warning. The consumer had the tires put on the vehicle on march 31, 2008.
While depressing the brakes vehicle surged forward suddenly and unexpectedly, colliding into another vehicle. Please provide more information.
While at a complete stop, consumers foot was firmly on the brake and without any warning vehicle surgeed foward and collided with another vehicle, consumer also stated the air bags did not deploy.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 2,534 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TL has 156 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 157, about average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- TL 199626 sources
- TL 199723 sources
- TL 199820 sources
- TL 2000249 sources
- TL 2001149 sources
- TL 2002333 sources
- TL 2003391 sources
- TL 2004551 sources
- TL 2005388 sources
- TL 2006247 sources
- TL 2007124 sources
- TL 2008124 sources
- TL 200942 sources
- TL 201064 sources
- TL 201120 sources
- TL 2012130 sources
- TL 201362 sources
- TL 201417 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Acura TL?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, air bags. Total complaints: 157. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (20%), transmission slipping (7%), jerking, harsh shifts (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Acura TL?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Acura TL from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.