1999 Acura TL Electrical Problems

Which parts fail

• Ignition › Switch
  17
• Ignition
  8
• Instrument cluster/panel
  1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  00%
• 25k–50k
  12%
• 50k–75k
  614%
• 75k–100k
  819%
• 100k–150k
  1637%
• 150k+
  1228%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Acura TL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

At random times the engine dies while driving the car which has resulted in unsafe handling and loss of power steering while in traffic conditions. I was unaware of a recall (02V120000) until recently. I have owned this car sense 2002 and the current millage is 109,000 miles. I contacted Findlay Acura in Henderson NV. and they stated there was no recall on the ignition switch which I have recently found that there was as noted above. Can you contact the Dealer on my behalf as I am under the impression that the dealer is suppose to replace the defective part at no cost as it does cause an unsafe condition when it occurs. Engine just dies without warning. There has not been an independent assessment of the condition as it occurs on a random basis and of course, never occurs when you want it to.

My 99 will unexpectedly shut off while driving down the road whether it be 5 miles an hour or 60 miles an hour. When this happens all power is off then kicks itself back on but won't start until about 5 minutes to 10 minutes later and then runs smoothly but sometimes it will shut off again and take longer to start.

On July 23, 2011, my hand and elbow were permanently disabled, when my 1999 Acura TL rolled backwards down the driveway and knocked me down. As I tried to stop it from rolling down the driveway but the car won. The car was in park and the brake was engaged, but it still rolled backwards. The car had been in for service at least three times previous to the accident in 04-20-11,05-16-11, and 06-22-11. Each time, the car was taken to mungenast Acura for service yet not once did they mention the recall of the interlocking switch to repair this problem. Their negligence in this matter directly contributed to this accident and my permanent disability. They just replaced the switch when the car began to turn over but stall out as I reported to them 3-13-14. Their disregard for my safety and Honda's refusal to address my concerns about this problem has been outlandish. …

The driver of this car has owned the car for 1 year. The driver exited his car at a gas station after turning the car off, removing his keys from the ignition and locking his vehicle. He came back out of the convenience store to find that his vehicle had rolled backwards down a slight grade to collide with another car, causing a lot of damage to the rear end of the driver's car (est. $3,000). He found upon inspection that the car had not been removed from drive, but yet the car allowed him to remove his keys from the ignition. Upon researching later, he found that his car had been subject to a recall for this very reason in 2004. He is not aware if the previous owner had complied with the voluntary recall. Honda made no effort to inform the new owner of the recall or if it had been fixed, but took the time and effort to offer him an extended warranty when he purchased the car. …

I was driving my 1999 Acura TL on the freeway at a speed of 65 MPH when the ignition shut off and the car quickly lost speed in heavy traffic. I was in the right lane and I managed to coast off the freeway but I had no power steering and I hit a concrete barrier before coming to a stop. After repeatedly attempting to restart the car over a period of five minutes the ignition turned on again and I was able to drive the car home. A quick investigation of product recalls for this particular make and model revealed that there was an official notice of recall for the electronic ignition switch issued by Honda of America for this car but I was never informed of it and inquiries to an Acura dealer in santa monica, ca only resulted in denials that my car had this problem.

While stopped, with foot on the brake pedal, I was waiting for my garage door to open. The garage door started to open and it was about half way up when my car suddenly accelerated. Thinking I would hit the garage door and have my head torn off I ducked towards the passenger seat as best I could. The car did hit the garage door a glancing blow off the windshield and the roof. The car continued to accelerate until it hit the rear wall of the garage. The air bags deployed and the car halted. Severe damage to the car, most likely to be totaled. Severe damage to my home. The car is a 1999 Acura 3.2tl. I suffered injury to my left wrist and left knee.

TL* the contact owns a 1999 Acura TL. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the same failure occurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to hansel Acura (2979 corby ave, santa rosa, ca 95407) where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 02V120000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not repaired for the recent failure. The approximate failure mileage was 320,000.

I have a 1999 Acura 3.2tl. Recently the electrical system suddenly shutdown entirely while driving local street, and smoke came out of the steering column, around ignition area. Upon further research, there was a recall back in 2002 for the ignition switch that exactly matched this dangerous symptom. Apparently the switch even after the recall fix, will still fail within 6-7 years. This horrifying experience was compounded by the fact that dealership refuse to take a look at the vehicle, stating that the recall ended when vehicle has above 80,000 miles on them.

TL* the contact owns a 1999 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving highway speeds, the vehicle stalled numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the ignition switch was melted. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number 02V120000 (electrical system) however, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 92,066 and the current mileage was 115,000.

TL* the contact owns a 1999 Acura TL. While the vehicle was in gear and the brake pedal was depressed, the key independently fell out of the ignition and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after multiple attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed as an ignition switch failure. The contact was advised that the failure May be a part of an open recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Electrical complaints in other TL years