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1996 Acura Tl

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 1996 Acura Tl are lower than the model-year median of 124.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 11 of 26 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Steering complaints

1 reports
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150,000 miles · Jan 7, 2014
Air BagsSteeringWheelsCrashInjury

MAY 2013, ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, AT 8:55PM. MOTORIST TRAVELING TOWARDS ME SPEEDING WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS ON. MOTORIST MADE CONTACT WITH MY CAR ON PASSENGER SIDE FENDER AND DOOR. MOTORIST HIT AND RAN AND LATER TOLD POLICE SHE THOUGHT SHE HIT AN OBJECT. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION AS THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, DAR…

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MAY 2013, ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, AT 8:55PM. MOTORIST TRAVELING TOWARDS ME SPEEDING WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS ON. MOTORIST MADE CONTACT WITH MY CAR ON PASSENGER SIDE FENDER AND DOOR. MOTORIST HIT AND RAN AND LATER TOLD POLICE SHE THOUGHT SHE HIT AN OBJECT. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION AS THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, DARKNESS, AN AWFUL SMELL, SMOKE, I COULD NOT SEE, I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AS THE CAR VEERED ACROSS THE STREET TO ON- COMING TRAFFIC. I THOUGHT I HAD DIED, BUT AS THE CAR STOPPED IN THE GRASS, I FELT THE BRAKES AND REALIZED I HAD NOT DIED. I EXIT THE CAR COUGHING AS MY CHEST FELT LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE, I COULD BARELY SEE, MY EYES WERE BURNING, THEN I REALIZED I WAS HIT. NEIGHBORS CAME AND OFFERED TO HELP; I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS NOT FEELING ANY PAIN, YET . AFTER EFFECTS: BURN ON BOTH FOREARMS, RIGHT SIDE OF FACE FELT LIKE SOMEONE SLAPPED WITH AN OBJECT-LIKE A HOT BATH TOWEL, FEELING OF DUST IN MY EYES, WATERY EYES, LOSS OF TASTE OF FOOD, CONSTANT TIREDNESS, FEELING LETHARGIC EVEN 9 MONTHS LATER, SEVERE PAIN AND NUMBNESS IN RIGHT LEG AND RIGHT ARM, LOWER BACK PAIN NOT SEVERE, THE URGE TO KEEP MY EYES CLOSE, CANNOT REMAIN ASLEEP FOR EXTENDED PERIOD, AND WHEN I WAKE I WANT TO KEEP MY EYES CLOSE, THREE TIMES DID NOT GO TO WORK BECAUSE MY HEART PALPITATING ALL DAY LIKE I AM HAVING AN HEART ATTACK, USED A CAKE BECAUSE I WAS LIMPING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10558754

Official recalls

2

99V227000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Aug 19, 1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A TRANSMISSION CASE BOLT CAN LOOSEN AND FALL OUT ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO DISENGAGE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

99V069000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

May 10, 1999

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.