2008 Acura TL Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2008 Acura TL most often write about a cracked dashboard over the passenger airbag area, power steering fluid leaks and stiff or heavy steering, and HandsFreeLink units that drain the battery. Complaints span a wide mileage range, from very low-mileage cars to cars past 150,000 miles, and dashboard cracks are frequently described as appearing suddenly, often in hot climates.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Dashboard cracks over passenger airbag

   • 30 complaints (24%)
   • median 85,600 mi at 8.0 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2022

   Owners describe one or more cracks developing in the passenger-side dashboard, frequently directly over the airbag cover, sometimes appearing overnight while the car was parked. Many say the car had never been in an accident and was garaged or otherwise well kept. According to the complaints, dealers and Acura customer service generally did not treat the cracks as a warranty or recall matter, and owners were quoted the full cost of a dashboard replacement. Reported from roughly 30,000 to 150,000 miles, with several owners noting hot-weather states and cracks forming while the car sat undriven.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect the passenger-side dash carefully for hairline cracks along the airbag seam, especially on cars kept in hot climates, and ask whether the dash has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “A large crack has appeared on the dash panel covering passenger side airbag. I fear this will get in the way of deploying passenger side airbag in an emergency situation and/or potentially generate dangerous shards. This seems to be a known problem when I visited the Acura service department earlier today, but they have so far refused to advise me on a suitable course of action. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11020640, filed 2017-08, 64,700 miles

   “I am the only owner with 39,000 miles on it. I moved to south florida 5 years ago. The dashboard has major cracks over the passenger airbag. I saw this letter sent in conjunction with the florida highway safety and motor vehicles department to remind florida owners of the takata recall and to schedule an appointment at their earliest convenience. I should be included in the recall. The vehicle was stationary.”

   NHTSA complaint #11288451, filed 2019-12, 32,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Power steering hose leak / stiff steering

   • 21 complaints (17%)
   • median 73,294 mi at 6.8 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2025

   Complaints describe power steering fluid leaking, sometimes onto hot exhaust or catalytic converter parts, producing smoke and a burnt smell under the hood. Owners also report the steering wheel becoming stiff and hard to turn, especially at low speed or in turns, and in some cases the power steering pump failing or being replaced repeatedly. Several owners say their vehicle identification number was not covered by the power steering hose recalls even though the same symptom occurred. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 160,000 miles, often noticed while turning at low speed or after the car sat.

   Recall 08V091000Recall 12V2220001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the power steering feed hose recall work was completed, look for fluid residue or oily buildup on hoses near the exhaust, and check the reservoir level and steering effort at low speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Hello, I recently got the 2008 Acura TL 3.2 ltr vehicle from used cars dealer. I observed that power steering fluid is leaking and is causing the burnt smell and smoke is coming from the hood. My car has 57750 miles and had no warranty. My vehicle was not on the recall list. I am planning to take the car to Acura dealer and have them take a look at it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10446838, filed 2012-02, 57,750 miles

   “I have a 2008 Acura TL type-s. There is a safety recall for the power steering hose for this model, however the VIN of my car is not covered. I am experiencing the issue with the power steering hose leaking (verified by an Acura dealership). I called Acura and they said that even though I am experiencing the same issue as cars that are covered under the recall, my car is not covered. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10453220, filed 2012-03, 58,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling or sudden loss of power while driving

   • 11 complaints (9%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 7.7 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2008–2022

   Complaints describe the engine cutting out or the car losing acceleration power while driving, sometimes with the check engine and VSA lights coming on, and often restarting normally afterward. In several cases a dealer or independent shop pointed to the accelerator pedal position sensor, and one bulletin describes investigating a stored pedal position sensor code with poor engine performance. Other reports mention stalling with no stored fault codes. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 125,000 miles, sometimes at highway speed and sometimes at very low speed.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the accelerator pedal position sensor has been replaced or the related bulletin applied, and take a test drive that includes steady throttle and a period at highway speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was driving on highway about 70 miles per hour speed, car suddenly loss acceleration power. However, the car radio was still on. I was able to pull off to the shoulder of the road. Sat there about 2 minutes. Turned car back on, and was able to accelerate again and car started to operate properly. Very scary to be driving at high speed and suddenly loose acceleration power. Thank god it was a sunday morning without much traffic and I was already in the far left lane. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10957521, filed 2017-02, 107,000 miles

   “While driving at approximately 50mph the car suddenly stalled. Vsa and transmission light illuminated. I pulled over to a safe spot, turned they vehicle off and back on. The lights went off and driving seemed normal, but after driving further it happened again. Took the car to dealership and they said it was the pedal position sensor, paid to have it replaced. The next day we drove to texas from nc and the same thing happened. We called the dealership and they said it may take a month for everything to reprogram. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10865748, filed 2016-05, 175,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   HandsFreeLink failure and battery drain

   • 14 complaints (11%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2024

   Owners report the HandsFreeLink system stuck in a booting-up state or no longer working, followed by the battery going flat after the car sits for days; some replaced the battery several times. Complaints also describe door locks needing the key fob to open manually. A service bulletin describes a HandsFreeLink control unit with an internal problem causing a parasitic current draw. Typically reported between about 70,000 and 120,000 miles, with battery drain noticed after the car sat unused for a week or so.

   8 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test the HandsFreeLink system, ask whether the control unit was disconnected or replaced, and check for a history of repeated battery replacements.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “3 issues 1) two vertical cracks overnight on passenger side dash at air bag location-horizontal crack forming-fear of airbag deploying while driving causing me to wreck-should be recall-I no longer feel safe for fear or accidental deployment 2)bluetooth module failure-two batteries and alternator replaced-now have module disconnected-safety issue of not being able to use hfl while driving 3)since buying car in 2008, complained about drivers door closing back on my leg when I open it-have avoided injuries so far-as others stated, I have to …”

   NHTSA complaint #10881384, filed 2016-06, 108,000 miles

   “Hands free link module has failed. It now causes battery drain, causing the battery to fail after 1 week of not driving. Now on my 3rd battery in two months. This is a known problem across the Acura models with hands free link, referenced in the Acura forums. Additionally, not having a hands free system for cellular use poses a major public safety risk.”

   NHTSA complaint #10837085, filed 2016-02, 80,000 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Suspension bushings and ball joint wear

   • 6 complaints (5%)
   • median 88,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2021

   Owners report cracked lower control arm and compliance bushings, and in some cases ball joint separation with the wheel dropping or tilting out, sometimes while making a low-speed turn. Complaints describe a loud metallic noise and the car coming to a stop, with repairs including ball joints, axles and control arms. Some owners say the dealer acknowledged the bushing issue but did not cover it under warranty. Reported from around 65,000 miles upward, often noticed during low-speed turns.

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect the lower control arm bushings and ball joints for cracking or play before purchase, and listen for clunks over bumps or during turns.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2008 Acura TL's compliance bushings were found to be cracked. However, what makes me report this to the NHTSA is the fact that Acura's 2004-2008 TL compliance bushings consistently crack, posing a danger to the car's occupants, and any surrounding cars. The cracked compliance bushings pose a danger because it becomes possible for the lower control arm to come loose, causing the collapse of the respected wheel, posing a threat to traffic. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10724607, filed 2015-06, 71,000 miles

   “While making a left turn, I head loud noise on the driver side. The car stopped accelerating. After I hit the gas pedal much harder, it started accelerating but very slowly. The movement felt like jerking movement. I stopped the car on the side of the road, and made an appointment at the Acura dealership. They found out that the front lower control arm bushings were cracked. Not replaceable under warranty, even though they acknowledged that all acuras have this issue, some at 35k miles, some at higher miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10564736, filed 2014-02, 67,400 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the power steering hoses and reservoir, the lower control arm bushings and ball joints, and the dashboard around the passenger airbag; also confirm which open recalls apply to the specific vehicle identification number and whether the HandsFreeLink unit has been addressed.

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.