AI Damage2009 Acura TL: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Acura TL filed 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 42
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 45% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 14% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 14% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 19 complaints (45% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 6 complaints (14% of all).
- Visibility: 6 complaints (14% of all).
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (12% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.7 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 42 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 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 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.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 acura tl. While driving out of a parking lot, the vehicle did not stop when the brake pedal was depressed. As a result, the vehicle drove over a curb and crashed into a tree. The air bag deployed and the engine revved and did not stop until help arrived.
While driving my 2009 acura tl with 10,000 miles on it the steering wheel locked up. Before I could stop the car I sideswiped a guardrail causing minor cosmetic damage. The car was towed to devan acura in norwalk ct. They could not figure out what was wrong so the engineers from honda were called.
While driving my new 2009 acura tl the steering wheel locked up. I was driving in the snow in ct at about 6:00 pm on feb 17th. I was traveling down a hill in my hometown that I have driven on literally thousands of times.
The Acura key has a hinge on it with a release button and a spring where the keys open when the button is pressed and the key locks in place. The locking mechanism on the hinge failed.
This is sooooo dangerous as it happens out of no where Im driving normal and suddenly it feels like I have no brakes. The spongy brakes cause a lag in stopping and if for some reason I have to suddenly stop I would be unable to...this symptom last sometimes minutes, hours, and days with no reason and then brakes…
I've had my vehicle stop in the middle of the road due to a mechanical recall that went undiagnosed.( over oil consumption recall, in which I was completely unaware until finally receiving the letter prodivided) I was driving off of pleasant street in hanson ma, crossing onto the main road when my vehicle engine just…
Radual acceleration elicits the symptoms of shudder and tach hunting the transmission hesitates and shudders when shifting into 2nd and 3rd gears. Driving to work 128 mass highway
Vehicle occasionally hesitates, very heavily, when accelerating uphill, like on freeway entrance ramps. When trying to accelerate abruptly, or from first of second gear, it feels like the transmission is down shifting, which could be dangerous in certain situations or when using a freeway entrance ramp in heavy…
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 5,819 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TL has 156 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 42, below 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.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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 2006247 sources
- TL 2007124 sources
- TL 2008124 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 2009 Acura TL?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, visibility. Total complaints: 42. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (7%), airbag warning light (5%), hesitation when accelerating (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.