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1998 Acura Tl

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Acura Tl are lower than the model-year median of 124.

About this comparison →
20Owner complaints

Model-year median: 124

2Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
1
199526
199623
199720
1998157
1999249
2000149
2001
Compare all Tl years →

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

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling
9Electrical System
3Power Train
2Structure
2Vehicle Speed Control
2
All reported categories
Air Bags
1Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1Steering
1Suspension
1

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: 13 of 20 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.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 2 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

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

2 reports
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115,000 miles · Nov 17, 2009
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

NO EVENTS INDICATING A FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. PEDAL BRAKE FOR 1998 ACURA FAILED TO STOP WHILE DRIVING IN STOP/GO MUNICIPAL TRAFFIC. CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT AN OFF ROAD TREE AND WAS A TOTAL UNREPAIRABLE LOSS. POLICE INVESTIGATED. CAR OCCUPANTS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT. NO OTHER PERSONAL …

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NO EVENTS INDICATING A FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. PEDAL BRAKE FOR 1998 ACURA FAILED TO STOP WHILE DRIVING IN STOP/GO MUNICIPAL TRAFFIC. CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT AN OFF ROAD TREE AND WAS A TOTAL UNREPAIRABLE LOSS. POLICE INVESTIGATED. CAR OCCUPANTS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT. NO OTHER PERSONAL INJURIES. ONLY MINOR PROPERTY COLLATERAL PROPERTY DAMAGES. REPORTED TO AUTO INSURANCE CARRIER AND HONDA AMERICA. HONDA AMERICA DECLINED TO INVESTIGATE OR INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND CLAIMED THE GAS PEDAL WAS MISTAKENLY ENGAGED INSTEAD OF THE PEDAL BRAKE. CONFIRMED BY HA LETTER. ACURA OWNER SETTLED CLAIM WITH INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS CONCLUSION SEEMS INCONSISTENT WITH EARLIER NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS INTO 1990S ACURAS AS I WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE FROM HTTP://CONSUMERHASSOFSHAME.HOMESTEAD.COM///INDEX~NS4.HTML. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10292489

Mileage unknown · Jul 3, 2002
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash

I HAD JUST MADE A RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE PROCEEDING AT ABOUT 2 MILES PER HOUR WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND WAS ABOUT TWO FEET FROM THE END OF THE SPACE, ABOUT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE, WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, WENT OVER A BUMPER, AND PROCEEDED TO GO DOWN A HILL, PART ON SOME CONCRETE STAIRS AND PART ON …

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I HAD JUST MADE A RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE PROCEEDING AT ABOUT 2 MILES PER HOUR WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND WAS ABOUT TWO FEET FROM THE END OF THE SPACE, ABOUT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE, WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, WENT OVER A BUMPER, AND PROCEEDED TO GO DOWN A HILL, PART ON SOME CONCRETE STAIRS AND PART ON GRASS. I BRAKED ALL THE WAY AND STOPPED AT THE BOTTOM OF TWO SETS OF STAIRS. SWITCHED CAR INTO NEUTRAL, ENGINE WAS RACING, AND TURNED OFF ENGINE. CAR WAS TOTALLED. NO INJURIES.*AK

NHTSA ODI #763813

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.