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.
2013CAREFULSerious complaints 1.3× usual, mostly steering and air bags Extended coverage
59 serious complaints of 62, the most about steering (28) and air bags (19); per car on the road, 1.3× this model's usual year. 3 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA19001: electrical overstress.
What owners report
“I was driving my 2013 Acura Tl on my way to work and suddenly I got an electronic power steering error that resulted in my steering wheel stiff and I had to use all my strength to pull over to the emergency lane. The vehicle's steering became very heavy and was very hard to turn. I am fortunate not to be in an accident when it occurred.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Dec 2021
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2013 acura tl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Jun 2016
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 American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement driver's airbag inflator only. (B18-020, May 2018)
- 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)
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.
62 owner complaints · 3 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 20–23 mpg · NHTSA: 4 of 5 stars · 2013 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
2013 TL trims
| ADV | SE | 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.