AI Damage2002 Acura TL: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Acura TL filed 333 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 333
- involving a crash
- 25
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 67% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 3% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 2% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 2% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 224 complaints (67% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 42 complaints (13% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 21 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 15 complaints (5% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 12 complaints (4% of all), 3 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, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 333 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 224 | 6 | 0 |
| Air bags | 42 | 11 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 21 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| Visibility | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Tires | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 3 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that prior to the crash, the SRS warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that due to the low-speed crash, the air bags should not have deployed. The failure mileage was 167,000.
A very bad jerk , it seems like the gears are locking up for a quick second after the jerk it will proceed on . The jerks. These jerks are starting to damage my suspension and also my gears..
Upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact also stated that the passenger side seat belt unbuckled. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 11v260000 (air bags). The contact was unsure of any injuries. The vehicle was destroyed.
Allege that vehicle airbag deployed causing the driver to be unable to control vehicle and/or including possible acceleration leading to a collision and/or seat belt restraint system. Received two recall notices and/or possible more than two. Srs light appeared to be activated prior to the incident.
The contact was involved in a head on crash and the airbags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The manufacturer was contacted and told the contact that a case would be opened. The failure and current mileage was 147,000. Updated 06/24/11 updated 2/03/2012
The seat belt did not restrain the contact, who was pregnant. The contact and the unborn baby were injured. The police was present to report the accident and the fire department evacuated the contact to the nearest hospital. There was no warning light illuminated prior the accident.
The contact states that in august 2003 the transmission failed, causing the passenger to move forward. Transmission went out again on june 28, 2005. Both times vehicle was unable to accelerate . One month ago he got into an accident going about 5-8 mph because the vehicle lurched forward.
I was involved in two separate collisions where I was hit from the rear. In both instances the head rest failed to secure my head in the crash. This is due to their "a-frame" design. The standard tl has proper head rest to cushion you in a crash.
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 1,205 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TL has 156 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 333, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
- TL 199626 sources
- TL 199723 sources
- TL 199820 sources
- TL 1999157 sources
- TL 2000249 sources
- TL 2001149 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 2002 Acura TL?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, air bags, service brakes. Total complaints: 333. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (23%), jerking, harsh shifts (8%), warning lights, check engine (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.