2005 Acura TL Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report a cracked dashboard, especially around the passenger-side airbag area, frequently followed by the airbag warning light coming on. Many of these cars also draw attention for battery drain and no-start/no-power episodes, power steering fluid leaks, and on manual-transmission cars, difficulty shifting into third gear. Reports span a wide mileage range, with dashboard cracks appearing from roughly 20,000 miles upward and many electrical and steering items showing up well past 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Cracked dashboard around passenger airbag

   • 233 complaints (60%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 8.7 yrs old (165 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,671 (median of 20 quotes)
   • filed 2009–2025

   Owners describe cracks forming in the dashboard, most often along the passenger-side airbag seam and near the windshield, sometimes appearing suddenly and spreading over months. Several say the airbag warning light comes on after the cracks develop, and they worry the dash could affect airbag deployment. Complaints describe dealers declining repairs out of warranty, with some owners offered partial or goodwill coverage and others quoted the full cost. Reported across a wide range, from about 20,000 to over 200,000 miles, often after years of sun exposure and sometimes appearing overnight.

   What to check: Inspect the top of the dash, especially the seam around the passenger airbag and the area near the windshield, in daylight and with the car cold. Ask whether the dash has been replaced and whether the airbag warning light has ever come on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2005 Acura TL is experiencing extreme cracking in the dash. The cracks are criss crossing over my passengers side airbag. I am afraid that the airbag will not work, prematurely deploy, or send bits and pieces of my dash flying at me if it did deploy correctly during a crash. This is a huge safety concern for me everytime I start my car and drive an hour to work and back each day.”

   NHTSA complaint #10415544, filed 2011-07, 85,000 miles

   “I just recently brought my used Acura TL 2005 with 103k miles on it. When I brought the car the dashboard was in perfect condition until a week later, which is today I woke up and found my dashboard to have 3 large cracks on it. One on passanger side airbag, middle and the driver side dashboard. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10627603, filed 2014-08, 103,500 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on

   • 92 complaints (24%)
   • median 98,000 mi at 9.9 yrs old (57 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2009–2026

   Owners report the airbag or SRS warning light illuminating intermittently and later staying on, sometimes with no one in the passenger seat. Some tie it to dashboard cracks near the airbag, others to the passenger seat sensor. Complaints describe dealers charging a diagnostic fee or declining coverage, and some owners mention the Takata airbag recall while noting they were unsure whether it applied. Typically reported between about 60,000 and 150,000 miles, often after the dash has begun to crack.

   Recall 19V1820003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the key to on and confirm the airbag light behaves normally, then sit in the passenger seat and check it again. Ask whether any open airbag recall applies to the VIN and whether it has been completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I'd like to bring to your attention an important public safety issue with Acura. Their airbags have the potential to deploy spontaneously. This has happened yesterday to me 2/15/2010. I was driving on route 83 in baltimore at around 6am and without any impact or warning, my front and rear driver's side as well as the driver's seat airbags deployed in my 2005 Acura TL. I thought someone was shooting or my tire blew out. I immediately got out of the car and checked the car and found nothing wrong, except the air bag damage. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10311086, filed 2010-02, 93,000 miles

   “I am an owner of a 2005 Acura TL that I purchased with 5,000 miles on it in 2007. This is my second TL and third honda all purchased through the Acura dealer. My vehicle has been kept in mint condition and has always been serviced by montgomeryville Acura in pa. In august of 2014 I noticed a large crack in my dashboard that ran along the front passenger side airbag area. A week later my airbag light came on and stayed on for 2 days without anything in the passenger side seat. It now randomly comes on at anytime during the day. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10631467, filed 2014-09, 110,100 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Battery drain and loss of power

   • 19 complaints (5%)
   • median 109,500 mi at 12.3 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2026

   Owners describe the battery going flat after a day or two without driving, repeated battery replacements, and occasional loss of electrical power while driving. Some were told the HandsFreeLink (Bluetooth) unit in the headliner was drawing current; others describe no-start conditions and a buzzing noise when turning the key. Complaints mention checking the fuse box and sometimes finding that a fuel-pump related recall did not cover their car. Mostly reported on higher-mileage cars, roughly 100,000 to 160,000 miles, often after the car sits for a couple of days.

   Recall 07V097000Recall 05V1320003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the HandsFreeLink unit has been replaced or disconnected, and whether the battery has been replaced recently. A parasitic draw test can show what is draining the battery overnight.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2005 Acura TL has lost power at least a dozen times while I have been driving on the freeway. The battery also completely drains after the car has not been driven for a day or two. I just replaced the battery and have had the alternator tested at least half a dozen times by 3 different mechanics. My issues sound very similar to the fuse box recall but my VIN does not fall under the recall apparently.”

   NHTSA complaint #11229903, filed 2019-07, 155,000 miles

   “These problems are not accident related but need to be addressed.my car battery kept draining. I replaced the battery just under a year ago and it kept happening unless I drove the car every day. Finally took it in to have it checked. The bluetooth device up in the headliner was shorted out. Got that fixed but found out that there is a class action lawsuit against Acura for this very problem. It's been ongoing for 5 years! …”

   NHTSA complaint #11324867, filed 2020-05, 168,000 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Power steering fluid leak and heavy steering

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report power steering fluid needing frequent top-ups, a leaking rack and pinion, and steering that becomes heavy at low speeds such as parking. Some mention having the recall hose work done but being told it was unrelated to their problem, and others had the rack or pump replaced. Complaints describe the leak as a concern for steering control if fluid runs low. Reported from about 72,000 to roughly 150,000 miles, with low-speed steering effort being the usual symptom.

   Recall 08V091000

   What to check: Check the power steering fluid level and look for fluid on the hoses and rack, and ask whether the power steering hose recall was completed for the VIN. Turn the wheel at idle to feel for stiffness or noise.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I lose power steering at very low speeds, I.e. When trying to park or trying to reverse out of parking or make a turn, but once the speed crosses 10-15 MPH, power steering is fine. So far it has not happened at highway speeds, but I'm worried it might happen. I've seen this same very complaint by other Acura owners in multiple forums.”

   NHTSA complaint #10721645, filed 2015-05, 80,000 miles

   “My issues with my car started about 3 years ago. I have had to replace the power steering rack and pump after the Acura recalled the hoses, but I was told that the hoses had nothing to do with my issue. I have had to replace the starter, the headlight computer unit, and both ignitors in the headlight. I am on my third battery in 2 years and no one can tell me why my battery is continuously dying. About two years ago, the bluetooth system all of a sudden stopped working. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10573094, filed 2014-03, 89,000 miles

Buying note. Look closely at the dashboard around the passenger airbag and confirm the airbag warning light behaves normally, since that is the most common owner complaint for this year. Also have the battery drain, power steering fluid level, and, on manual cars, third-gear shifting checked before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.