How Reliable is the 2004-2008 Acura TL (Issues and Reliability Breakdown)

Welcome back everyone, today we are going to talk about the 3rd gen Acura TL from 2004-2008.

Rolling off the assembly line on September 30th 2003 and released for North American sales on October 6th 2003. This all-new TL was built in Marysville, Ohio and was based on the 7th Gen Honda accord. Wielding a 3.2l v6 with 270hp. Then in 2007 Acura introduced the TL Type S which had 286 HP. The Acura TL is basically an upscale Honda, yet is it as reliable as a typical Honda?

Today I will be going over the common issues that plague this generation and breakdown its reliability to better educate you about your ride or your future purchase,

Let us get started!

Engine and Transmission Mounts

Both the Engine and Transmission mounts fail rather quickly. New ones are not too expensive, and they are fairly easy to replace. There are a total of 6 mounts, however, these 5 are most likely to fail. In the kit below there are three mounts holding the engine and the other two holding the transmission.

https://amzn.to/3jRZgvn

Ball Joints issue

Front upper and lower ball joints wear out over time and the wheel can literally fall sideways. Be sure the ball joints are in good shape. And that is basically it. Keep an eye on it, especially the lower ball joint.

Power Steering issue

If you are receiving an odd noise coming from the pump, then perhaps the o’ring needs to be replaced. Just remove the 10mm on the bottom of the pump and you will have access to the o’ring. There is not an airtight seal anymore and its causing air to seep in. You will need to replace it with a new one. That should fix the sound. However, if you are leaking fluid, the hoses are known to corrode and break off. Soo, yeah.

Transmission Issues

Since 1999, the Acura TL had transmission issues on and off. On carcomplaints.com, the 2003 Acura Tl had the most issues reported and transmission failure being the most reported problem. The transmissions overheat, and the 2nd gear can chip and ultimately lock up the transmission. Basically, your transmission will slip out of gear and would not go back into gear. Even if it did, it will slip right back out. You will eventually need a new transmission. However, if the car does not shift easily and it is extremely Jerky, you can try to change out the transmission control solenoid. But, most likely the transmission needs to be replaced. Try to look for a remanufactured one with warranty. Now, another issue is that the Transmissions Range Switch is out, but that would typically give you a P0815 or P0816 engine code. Replacing that is somewhat easy. Basically, do not buy an Auto. Get a manual. If you bought an Auto, I am sorry.

Furthermore, from 2007-2008 the TLs aren’t nearly as bad. However, many owners who have the 07-08 models report/complain about Trans failure. Which is mainly due to if the owner fails to replace the pressure sensors (there are three) when they are experiencing transmissions symptoms, then that could destroy your transmission

If you do have an auto, replace the filter and oil on a regular basis. Try to go for every 30k miles to prevent it from going bad.

Hands Free Bluetooth

From 2004-2008 the Hands-free Bluetooth Link has issues; the unit likes to boot up while the car is off and drains the battery. So, if your car is dead after being parked overnight, most likely this is the issue. It may also just not work in general and just have a booting up command on the radio. Unplugging it is probably the easiest thing to do. Or just replace it. Link down below for a new one if you decided to replace it. Its purpose is to only make calls, so it is not a necessity for me as I do not have any friends to call.

Here is Eric with the Install:

RUST

Rust on passenger side rear quarter panel. Basically, there is no liner protecting the panel from water, mud, and debris from slinging up and causing the rust. However, there is a liner on the driver side to protect fuel lines. There are ways to repair rust like this without welding, so do your research or you could get someone to weld new metal in place. I would also investigate adding a heavy-duty undercoat to prevent any more rust in the future. Of course, after you remove all the rust. Check the inner side of the quarter panel if you do not have rust yet, just to make sure you will not have any issues in the future.

Rough Idle

EGR valve ports get gunked up from carbon buildup in the intake manifold and basically causes a rough idle.  All you need to do is remove the EGR and the Intake and clean the EGR and the port and you will be good.

Here is a video on this process:

Cracked plastic dash.

Basically, the dash cracks over time from sunlight. Yeah, it is ugly. You will need to basically remove the dash and install a new one or recover it with something. You could also just simply throw on a dash mat if you want to save some money and not go through all that headache.

If you have not figured it out yet, just avoid the Automatic Acura TLs in general and get a manual. They are much more reliable. There are other issues that may pop up, but none of which would totally deter me from buying one if I wanted one.