2003 Acura TL Recalls, Complaints & Specs
5 safety recalls list the 2003 Acura TL, and owners have filed 391 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
5 safety recalls for the 2003 Acura TL
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver…
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…
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Inflator module (air bags)
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,…
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.…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Owners may contact…
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Automatic transmission (power train)
On some MINI vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Remedy: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. On vehicles with more than 15,000 miles,…
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Engine (engine and engine cooling)
On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized…
391 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 Acura TL have filed 391 complaints with NHTSA; 24 describe a crash and 4 describe a fire. Reports cite 20 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 80,424 miles. Complaints peaked in 2010 with 44 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“It's like when my transmission gets warmed up the RPM's will rev up and then it will come out of gear. Then I have to pull over put it in park and turn the car off. Let it sit for a minute or two then”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 12, 2025 · Unknown or other
“This complaint relates to safety recall campaigns work regarding my 2003 Acura TL car's SRS (air bags). I took my car to the Acura Service Center in Guaynabo, PR, for recall related repairs at various”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 20, 2024 · Air bags
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2003 Acura TL (3.2TL). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 21 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 17 / 27 |
| Fuel | Premium |
| EPA class | Midsize Cars |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3.2 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S5) |
Compare Acura TL model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Acura TL model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 Acura TL | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 Acura TL | 2 | 26 |
| 1997 Acura TL | 2 | 23 |
| 1998 Acura TL | 2 | 20 |
| 1999 Acura TL | 4 | 157 |
| 2000 Acura TL | 6 | 249 |
| 2001 Acura TL | 3 | 149 |
| 2002 Acura TL | 7 | 333 |
| 2003 Acura TL | 5 | 391 |
| 2004 Acura TL | 4 | 551 |
| 2005 Acura TL | 5 | 388 |
| 2006 Acura TL | 4 | 247 |
| 2007 Acura TL | 2 | 124 |
| 2008 Acura TL | 2 | 124 |
| 2009 Acura TL | 3 | 42 |
| 2010 Acura TL | 3 | 64 |
| 2011 Acura TL | 3 | 20 |
| 2012 Acura TL | 3 | 130 |
| 2013 Acura TL | 3 | 62 |
| 2014 Acura TL | 3 | 17 |
Checking a specific 2003 Acura TL
How do I know if my 2003 Acura TL has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 2003 Acura TL; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Acura dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 02V226000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Acura models
- MDX3,296 complaints
- RDX2,164 complaints
- TLX891 complaints
- TSX671 complaints
- Integra657 complaints
- Cl586 complaints
- RL423 complaints
- Legend382 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.