AI Damage2006 Acura TL: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Acura TL filed 247 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 247
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 34% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 26% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 4% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 85 complaints (34% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 64 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 31 complaints (13% of all).
- Steering: 28 complaints (11% of all).
- Powertrain: 19 complaints (8% of all).
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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 247 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 85 | 5 | 0 |
| Structure | 64 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Wheels | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 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.
Collision with concrete barrier at approximately 60mph. Airbags did not deploy
My husband was driving the car and while in drive had his foot on the brake and the car revved up and lurched forward, he hit the brake hard to stop it. On october 5th I pulled into a parking space and applied the brake came to a stop and the car accelerated, I hit the brake hard and between the brake and hitting a…
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.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph on a rural road after a right turn, the front wheel hit a pot hole, the driver side air bag deployed and the seat belt became stocked. The vehicle remained inoperable due to a vehicle safety feature. No warning light were illuminated prior the incident.
Since leasing car in april 2006 there have been 10 incidents of sudden acceleration. Concluding in an accident 9-20-2006. Company inspected the car for one half hour on september 27 and couldn't find the cause.
At around 8,000 miles, I hit a curb hard enough to bend the wheel of my 2006 acura. The dealership replaced the wheel and sent me on my way. 3 months and 3,000 miles later, the wheel came off the axel.
Transmission shifts down very hard, once causing the car to lose traction and skid approximately 10 feet on the highway. The car luckily regained control and I avoided collision. I have seen many other reports of hard shifting in this car.
My transmission failed at 105,000 had to pay 4500 for a new transmission, Iâm sure they have had complaints about the Acura TL through 2004-2008. I am currently on my third transmission and now the new one is hard shifting already.
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 1,645 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TL has 156 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 247, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- TL 199626 sources
- TL 199723 sources
- TL 199820 sources
- TL 1999157 sources
- TL 2000249 sources
- TL 2001149 sources
- TL 2002333 sources
- TL 2003391 sources
- TL 2004551 sources
- TL 2005388 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 2006 Acura TL?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, electrical system. Total complaints: 247. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (7%), warning lights, check engine (6%), infotainment or screen glitches (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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 2026-11-06.