Your vehicle report
1996 Acura TL
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 26
- Received Apr 1997 to May 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
No specific problem meets this page’s listing criteria.
See all reported problemsOfficial NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #99V227000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A transmission case bolt can loosen and fall out allowing the transmission to disengage from the differential.
- Recall #99V069000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Certain vehicles were manufactured with ball joints that can prematurely wear out and, in the worse case, the ball joint would separate causing the front suspension to collapse.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 0 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 26 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
None of this vehicle's complaints fall into a specific problem often enough to list.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #99V227000August 19, 199996,518 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A transmission case bolt Can loosen and fall out allowing the transmission to disengage from the differential.
The vehicle could lose power to the drive wheels without warning. Also, shifting the transmission into the park position would not lock the wheels, and a parked vehicle could move unexpectedly if the parking brake is not set.
Remedy
Dealers will install a redesigned bolt.
NHTSA recall #99V069000May 10, 1999124,875 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Certain vehicles were manufactured with ball joints that Can prematurely wear out and, in the worse case, the ball joint would separate causing the front suspension to collapse.
This condition would result in vehicle deceleration and a sudden loss of power. Also steering controllability would be reduced.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1996 Acura TL.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN