2008 Acura TL Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 15about this part
- Share
- 12%of 124 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 70,000miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 15 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 Acura TL, 12% of the 124 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 70,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On our Acura TL w/nav 08, the battery has been replaced 3 times in 6 months. Finally feed up, took the vehicle to the dealership. $1000 later, parts had to be replaced in the nav system and both motors in the mirrors had to be replaced. The navigation system is what was causing the battery to drain and the mirrors on both sides would freely click and move at will. I think at a minimum, Acura should recall their vehicles and fix this problem and issue refunds to those of us who have paid to have their vehicles fixed.”
NHTSA complaint #10562991, filed 2014-02, 71,000 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“Handsfreelink system locked into booting up mode. Hands-free cell use no longer functions. Afterward, battery was dead next time the car was attempted to be started.”
NHTSA complaint #10897824, filed 2016-08, 70,000 miles“Bluetooth module failed and remains inoperable. A look online showed that many other Acura owners have had bluetooth failures and at far higher rates than other cars.”
NHTSA complaint #10643755, filed 2014-10, 45,000 miles“The handsfree link stopped working in 2016. I consider this a safety hazard in itself since that was the main reason I purchased a vehicle with hfl. The battery then started dying when I did not drive the car for 2-3 days causing frequent battery replacements. It's escalated to where now with a brand new battery, if I do not drive the car in a 24 hour period, the car is dead the next day.”
NHTSA complaint #11103800, filed 2018-06Related service bulletins
- 10237044May 17, 2023Service News - The navigation clock and date are incorrect. This is due to a limited GPS receiver capacity resulting in rollover of internal chip memory. The rollover occurred on…
- 10207004Jan 25, 2022ServiceNews Article - The clock shows the incorrect time. This issue is due to a limited GPS receiver capacity resulting in "rollover" of the internal chip memory; the "rollover"…
- 10084166May 12, 2016Dealer message - ahm is investigating client complaint of handsfreelink not working or battery being too low to start the engine. Prior to performing any repair, please send…
- 10084285Apr 29, 2016Ahm is investigating customer complaint of the handsfreelink not working or the battery being too low to start the engine. Please send specific parts to ahm prior to attemping…
- 10084268Apr 25, 2016Ahm is investigating customer complaint of the handsfreelink not working or the battery being too low to start the engine. Please send specific parts to ahm prior to attemping…
- 10084265Apr 25, 2016Engineering request for investigation of the handsfreelink (hfl) not working or the battery being too low to start the engine.
- 10083835Apr 13, 2016Dealer message - request for parts to investigatethe handsfreelink (hfl) not working or the battery being too low to start the engine.
- 10198910Mar 30, 2016HandsFreeLink (HFL) Doesn?t Work, or Battery Is Too Low to Start the Engine: The HandsFreeLink (HFL) system doesn?t work, and/or the battery sometimes won?t start the vehicle.
- 10191130Mar 30, 2016SYMPTOM The HandsFreeLink (HFL) system doesnt work, and/or the battery sometimes wont start the vehicle. PROBABLE CAUSE The HFL control unit has an internal problem, which…
- 10099406Mar 29, 2016Service bulletin - handsfreelink (hfl) doesnt work, or battery is too low to start the engine
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 6 | 10% |
| 2012 | 11 | 8% |
| 2010 | 2 | 3% |
| 2009 | 3 | 7% |
| 2008 | 15 | 12% |
| 2007 | 25 | 20% |
| 2006 | 31 | 13% |
| 2005 | 28 | 7% |
| 2004 | 11 | 2% |
| 2003 | 15 | 4% |
| 2002 | 12 | 4% |
| 2001 | 5 | 3% |
| 2000 | 25 | 10% |
| 1999 | 58 | 37% |
| 1998 | 3 | 15% |
| 1997 | 8 | 35% |
| 1996 | 2 | 8% |
Other parts of the 2008 Acura TL
34 complaintsSteering
26 complaintsBody and structure
20 complaintsOther or unknown
14 complaintsEngine
10 complaintsVehicle speed control
9 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaintsSuspension
7 complaintsBrakes
6 complaintsSeats
6 complaintsEngine cooling
5 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Acura TL
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology