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Acura TLModel year report

2010 Acura TL Problems

Compared with other Acura TL years

Typical for this model

50/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2013

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
64filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
62,830miles, 29 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 18 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2010 Acura TL (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Most complaints about this model year center on the driver's-side airbag inflator recall: owners report receiving notices but being unable to get the repair because parts were unavailable, sometimes for many months. A smaller but consistent group describes transmission shudder or harsh shifting, and a few report cold-weather brake pedal changes and unintended acceleration concerns.

  1. Air bags

    Airbag inflator recall parts unavailable for repair

    • 18 complaints (28%)
    • median 100,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
    • filed 2016–2019

    Owners describe receiving recall notices for the driver's front airbag inflator but being told by dealers that replacement parts were on backorder, with no estimate for when they would arrive. Several report repeated calls to the dealer and manufacturer over many months without a repair being scheduled. A few say they never received notification at all, while others describe an airbag warning light that stayed on after repeated dealer visits. Reported across a wide mileage range, most often in 2016 and 2017 after the recall notices were mailed.

    Recall 16V061000Recall 19V182000Recall 19V5000003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask the seller for documentation that the driver's airbag inflator recall has actually been completed, and check the VIN with a dealer to confirm no open campaigns remain.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I received a safety recall letter in march 2016. I subsequently called my local Acura dealer on bell rd. In peoria az to request a repair. As of 25 july 2016 they have been unable to repair my vehicle due to not having parts available.”

    NHTSA complaint #10888304, filed 2016-07, 100,000 miles

    “Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Acura TL. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 10/05/16 updated 03/09/17.”

    NHTSA complaint #10896535, filed 2016-08
  2. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission shudder, harsh or slipping shifts

    • 7 complaints (11%)
    • median 80,000 mi at 6.9 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2010–2020

    Complaints describe a shudder or judder while accelerating from a stop or between roughly 20 and 45 mph, and in some cases the vehicle shaking, jerking or failing to accelerate. Manual-transmission owners report third gear not engaging cleanly, particularly when cold, with grinding when the clutch is released. Dealers reportedly could not duplicate the symptoms in some cases; one owner was told the transmission assembly needed replacement. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 100,000 miles, with some manual-gear complaints at low mileage.

    5 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test drive at light throttle from a stop and around 20-45 mph to feel for shudder, and ask whether the lock-up clutch software update described in the service bulletins was applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “In september 2012, Acura issued product update for torque converter saying the transmission software update needed to prevent damage to the transmission. I received the notification on august 2016. This is 6 years after original notification and beyond the extended warranty. I have called Acura about the unfairness of their product software update warranty limitations to no avail.”

    NHTSA complaint #10904987, filed 2016-09, 118,526 miles

    “Transmission slipping in traffic with multiple close calls to accidents from behind. I am original owner and have kept perfect maintenance of auto. Transmission is failing on every shift between 1st 2nd 3rd gears when warm. Safety issue is when people from behind think I am accelerating yet I am stalled. The fix is $4,000+. This is a patterned problem with all 2002 2003 Acura tls. Old part can be made available if necessary for NHTSA.”

    NHTSA complaint #10324333, filed 2010-04, 65,000 miles
  3. Air bags

    Airbag deploys or fails to deploy in a crash

    • 5 complaints (8%)
    • median 65,000 mi at 6.2 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2017–2021

    A few owners describe airbag behavior in collisions: one reports deployment during a low-speed impact, another reports side curtain airbags not deploying in a side impact, and one reports an airbag light that stayed on with a warning that the system might not deploy. These accounts vary in circumstances and are among the more serious reports in the sample. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 28,000 to 80,000 miles.

    Recall 16V061000

    What to check: Confirm any airbag warning light behavior during the test drive and ask about the vehicle's collision history, including whether airbags were replaced after any prior damage.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The vsa system light is on the dashboard I took it in for service and the computer is signaling is letting us know that in a case of a accident I wouldn't be safe also the airbags are showing an malfunction it would not protect me because it would not deploy also due to an accident”

    NHTSA complaint #11302874, filed 2020-01

    “Air bags deployed during wreck going 35 MPH in rain.. Hit breaks and car slid. Damage was to left front bumper on drivers side.... Insurance company didn't total car in first claim and came back adding another 1000 to claim which would have totaled car all together.. Now I can't trade and vehicle isn't worth but half of what was paid bc of air bag deployment.”

    NHTSA complaint #11061110, filed 2018-01, 65,000 miles
  4. Vehicle speed control

    Unintended acceleration at low speed

    Mentioned in 4 of 54 sampled complaints

    A handful of owners describe the vehicle accelerating or lunging while the brake was applied, at speeds from about 1 mph in reverse to highway speeds, requiring neutral or the emergency brake to stop. Dealers reportedly could not duplicate or diagnose the condition when the vehicles were brought in. One owner described a sticking gas pedal at start-up. Reported from very low mileage up to about 36,500 miles, under varied driving conditions.

    What to check: During a test drive, check that the pedal returns freely and ask whether any throttle or cruise-control service has been performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Upon keyless ignition, engine continues to race even though gas pedal is not depressed. When applying brakes, engine continues to accelerate, and gas pedal seems to stick even after foot is removed from gas pedal and placed on brake pedal. This happens intermittently without any warning, and speed doesn't seem to come into play. I am afraid to drive this car with this condition. It has happened when I have other people in the car, and now they refuse to drive with me for fear that I am not going to be able to stop. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10424196, filed 2011-09, 35 miles

    “The contact owns a 2010 Acura TL. While driving in reverse at approximately 1 MPH, the contact applied the brake pedal and the vehicle continued to accelerate. The vehicle came to a complete stop after the contact shifted into neutral with the brake pedal engaged. The contact was able to resume driving. The authorized dealer was notified and an appointment was scheduled for the vehicle to be diagnosed for unintended acceleration. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,500. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10456176, filed 2012-04, 36,500 miles

Buying note. Before buying, confirm with a dealer that every open airbag recall has been completed on the specific VIN, since many complaints here concern parts that were unavailable for long periods. A thorough test drive covering cold starts, light-throttle acceleration and braking is worthwhile to check for the shudder and pedal symptoms owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 54 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.

NHTSA recorded 64 consumer complaints for the 2010 Acura TL. 29 of the complaints include a mileage, and 45% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 62,830 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 93 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 4 Acura TL model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 50 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Seat belts (2), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (1), Equipment (1), Fuel system (1), Seats (1), Steering (1), Tires (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Takata recall I am afraid to let my family members drive this car, because of the risk of injury/death, in the event the airbag deploys. Honda is taking too long to remedy this situation for me.”

NHTSA complaint #10955392, filed 2017-02, 93,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “When parking my vehicle on an incline and placing my manual transmission into first and turning off the car, without applying the parking brake, the car would slowly jerk backwards down the hill.”

NHTSA complaint #11308387, filed 2020-02, 110,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “The contact owns a 2010 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds and applying the brake, the vehicle abnormally accelerated to 80 MPH. The contact applied the brakes, engaged the emergency brake and shifted into neutral. The vehicle did not stop until the contact maneuvered the vehicle off the roadway and over a gravel road. The bumpers and the rotors were damaged from the failure. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection however, the dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The VIN was not available. …”

NHTSA complaint #10512970, filed 2013-05, 23,000 miles

Wheels: “In january 2014 I purchased an Acura certified 2010 TL base with bridgestone turanza tires on it. The quality of bridgestone tires were unacceptable. These tires had no grip on wet road and road covered with light snow. One day, all of a sudden, one of the tires lost pressure to 0 PSI. When I took it to nearest firestone, I was told the tire was repaired too many times by previous owner and could not be repaired. In fact there were three repairs within one inch - which is illegal in illinois per firestone. …”

NHTSA complaint #10681930, filed 2015-02, 36,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

45% of the 29 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 36,500 and 93,000 miles.

3%0–107%10–2534%25–5017%50–7517%75–10017%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (29 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 62,830 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’10’12’14’1619’18’20’22’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2010 Acura TL. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
TL · sedan AWD/FWDnot rated5 / 5——5 · 9.3% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2010 Acura TL version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
TL 2WD3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automatic182621$3,900
TL 4WD3.7L 6-cyl6-speed manual172520$4,100
TL 4WD3.7L 6-cyl5-speed automatic172520$4,100

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2010 Acura TL → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 93 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 93 bulletins →

Other model years of the Acura TL

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20141736,0003423—Falling
20136269,503342320 · FewerFalling
201213055,00033–42381 · MoreFalling
20112089,5003—21—Falling
20106462,8303—2150 · TypicalFalling
20094260,0383—2150 · TypicalRising
200812476,5892—2161 · TypicalFalling
200712479,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200624788,0004—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200538891,0005—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200455190,0004—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200339175,9005——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200233364,5007——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200114981,9363——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2000249110,4006——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1999157112,0004——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19982077,5002———Stable
19972386,2602———Stable
19962668,1002——Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Acura TL model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Acura TL?

Most complaints about this model year center on the driver's-side airbag inflator recall: owners report receiving notices but being unable to get the repair because parts were unavailable, sometimes for many months. The issues reported most often: Airbag inflator recall parts unavailable for repair; Transmission shudder, harsh or slipping shifts; Airbag deploys or fails to deploy in a crash.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2010 Acura TL have?

NHTSA recorded 64 consumer complaints for the 2010 Acura TL as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2010 Acura TL is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 34 complaints (53% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 10.

Has the 2010 Acura TL been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2010 Acura TL get?

The EPA rates the 2010 Acura TL (TL 2WD, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2010 Acura TL reported?

Among the 29 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 62,830 miles and the middle half falls between 36,500 and 93,000 miles; 45% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.