Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2012GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.2× usual Extended coverage
116 serious complaints of 130, the most about air bags (43) and power train (27); per car on the road, 1.2× this model's usual year. 3 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA19001: electrical overstress.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 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 recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Jun 2016
“I have recieved recall on torque converter .so I took in for service but all they(acura service)did was flush transmission .my car running horible it had no power had no acceleration it judder between 35-45mph noise on bumpy road not safe if you try to pass other.I have taken in for service 5 times two differrent dralership90”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the power train, Jun 2019
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage The oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. To increase client confidence, American Honda is extending the engine warranty related to oil consumption to 8 years from the original date of purchase or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first. (B19-006, Feb 2019)
- Extended coverage Today, April 19, 2019, Acura is announcing a warranty extension for certain 2012-14 Acura TL vehicles to address a concern with the electric power steering (EPS) system. American Honda is extending the new vehicle limited warranty on the EPS control unit from the original 4 years/50,000 miles to… (BBOM04192019, Apr 2019)
- Extended coverage Dealer Message - On April 19, 2019, Acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2012-14 Acura TL vehicles to address a concern with the electric power steering (EPS) system. Today, June 1, 2019, Acura is announcing a vehicle population expansion to this warranty extension to also include… (BBOM06012019901, Jun 2019)
- Extended coverage Today, January 16, 2019, Acura is announcing a warranty extension for certain 2009-14 Acura vehicles equipped with the 3.7L V6 engine to address client concerns related to excessive oil consumption. Acura is extending the powertrain warranty coverage to cover engine issues related to excessive oil… (BBOM01162019901, Jan 2019)
- Extended coverage American Honda is extending the warranty on the EPS (electric power steering) control unit to 15 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. (B19-021, Apr 2019)
- Extended coverage On January 16, 2019, Acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2009-14 Acura vehicles equipped with a 3.7L V6 engine to address client concerns related to excessive oil consumption. Acura extended the powertrain warranty coverage to address engine issues related to excessive oil consumption… (BBOM08312019, Aug 2019)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
130 owner complaints · 3 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 20–23 mpg · NHTSA: 3–4 of 5 stars · 2012 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl; 3.7L 6-cyl · Drive: AWD, FWD
2012 TL trims
| ADV | SH-AWD | SH-AWD ADV | SH-AWD TECH | TECH |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Acura reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Acura aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.7L 6-cyl manual available | AWD, FWD | 20–23 mpg | 4 of 5 | 3 | 17 | Air bags (8) | — |
| 2013 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.7L 6-cyl manual available | AWD, FWD | 20–23 mpg | 4 of 5 | 3 | 62 | Steering (28) | — |
| 2012 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.7L 6-cyl manual available | AWD, FWD | 20–23 mpg | 3–4 of 5 | 3 | 130 | Air bags (43) | — |
| 2011 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.7L 6-cyl manual available | AWD, FWD | 20–21 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 20 | Air bags (13) | — |
| 2010 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.7L 6-cyl manual available | AWD, FWD | 20–21 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 64 | Air bags (34) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Acura TL 4 DR 4WD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 17 |
| 2014 | Acura TL 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 17 |
| 2013 | Acura TL 4 DR 4WD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 62 |
| 2013 | Acura TL 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 62 |
| 2012 | Acura TL 4 DR FWD Later Release | 4 | No | No | 3 | 130 |
| 2012 | Acura TL 4 DR 4WD Later Release | 4 | No | No | 3 | 130 |
| 2012 | Acura TL 4 DR 4WD Early Release | 3 | No | No | 3 | 130 |
| 2012 | Acura TL 4 DR FWD Early Release | 3 | No | No | 3 | 130 |
| 2011 | Acura TL 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 20 |
| 2011 | Acura TL 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 20 |
| 2010 | Acura TL 4-DR. w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 64 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | TL 2WD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2014 | TL 4WD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.7 L Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.7 L |
20–21 |
| 2013 | TL 2WD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2013 | TL 4WD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.7 L Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.7 L |
20–21 |
| 2012 | TL 2WD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2012 | TL 4WD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.7 L Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.7 L |
20–21 |
| 2011 | TL 2WD | Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2011 | TL 4WD | Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.7 L Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.7 L |
20 |
| 2010 | TL 2WD | Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 21 |
| 2010 | TL 4WD | Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 3.7 L Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.7 L |
20 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.