Most common 2002 Acura TL problems
Share of the 333 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Acura TL complaints by model year
Best TL years: 2011, 2014, 2009. Years to avoid: 2004, 2003, 2002, 2005, 2000. Compare all years →
2002 Acura TL recalls (7)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Power train › Automatic transmission
On some Mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Remedy: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear.
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Vehicle description: the following vehicles were repaired with incorrect parts: 2002 Acura 3.2tl sedans with replacement buckles installed per recall 01v-166001; certain 2000 Acura 3.2tl vehicles with replacement buckles installed as product update repairs; and certain 2000-2002 Acura 3.2tl vehicles with replacement buckles…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the front seat belt buckles. Owner notification began August 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 209, "seat belt assemblies." certain driver and passenger seat belt buckles were improperly manufactured.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the front seat belt buckles. Owner notification began May 9, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…
Show 1 more recall
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Vehicle description: sedans equipped with an "auto-up" power window feature on the driver's door. The driver's side power window control unit can fail, and depending on the failure mode, the window could become inoperative, open or close independent of switch activation, or the auto-reverse system May not operate.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power window control unit. Owner notification began May 21, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2002 Acura TL:
Rupturing driver's air bag inflators
This RQ investigation was opened to collect and analyze additional information to better evaluate the scope and timeliness of Honda's two safety recalls addressing rupturing of the driver's side air bag inflators (08V-593 and 09V-259).In an earlier response to RMD's request for information, Honda indicated that the second recall (09V-259), essentially an expansion of the first (08V-593), was necessary since later…
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Automatic transmission sudden downshift
See attached report.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2002 Acura TL owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 224 →
My car has been automatically shutting off while driving. Bringing my car to a halt, not a full on stop but to the point my wheels lock up. Sort of like im slamming on my brake but I can't press my brake. I lose power steering, the entire car shuts off. Then I have to try and restart it, but it won't turn over. Sometimes its just for a few minutes. Other times Im stranded for hours. A few times its been days. After it dies and i turn the key off and then back on but not over ill have power. I have a kid and we've been stranded on an on ramp with cars going 60 all around us. The car just randomly shut off in the middle of the road. There's a lot of traffic around these parts and we were stuck, not even being able to get out of the vehicle with the cars going on each side of us. Ive done some research and ive seen thousands of other complaints about this issue since 2002. …
Vehical slips out of gears while driving on the hwy also feels like the car wheels or maybe even the transmission locks up while on the hwy . A very bad jerk , it seems like the gears are locking up for a quick second after the jerk it will proceed on . The jerks. These jerks are starting to damage my suspension and also my gears.. There was asafety recall for the transmissoion gears .I have taken my vhical to Acura of cerrittos and they refused to inspect and notify me of my vehical transmission gears status they said there was a oil line that was added but they cant show me where the work was done. While driving my vehical home from the dealership Acura of cerritos this transmission gears started locking up so bad that the jerks injured me my girlfriend and 3 of our kids and damaged my steering and suspension. Please help
Air bags all 42 →
The contact owns a 2002 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving under 10 MPH, the vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle. During the crash the front driver's and front passenger's side air bags deployed. During the air bags deployment, the driver sustained a left-hand injury that later required medical treatment. The contact stated that prior to the crash, the SRS warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that due to the low-speed crash, the air bags should not have deployed. The failure mileage was 167,000.
The "SRS" dashboard red light illuminated and stays on. On May 19, 2029 Acura "Replaced Driver S/B." Acura Dealer and Manufacturer are both telling me that my "Inflator" and "Airbag Module" is not covered again since there has been no recall by Acura or NHTSA. Please advise me as to warranty a second time at no cost to me?
Brakes all 21 →
My car has been automatically shutting off while driving. Bringing my car to a halt, not a full on stop but to the point my wheels lock up. Sort of like im slamming on my brake but I can't press my brake. I lose power steering, the entire car shuts off. Then I have to try and restart it, but it won't turn over. Sometimes its just for a few minutes. Other times Im stranded for hours. A few times its been days. After it dies and i turn the key off and then back on but not over ill have power. I have a kid and we've been stranded on an on ramp with cars going 60 all around us. The car just randomly shut off in the middle of the road. There's a lot of traffic around these parts and we were stuck, not even being able to get out of the vehicle with the cars going on each side of us. Ive done some research and ive seen thousands of other complaints about this issue since 2002. …
We got an April 2019 letter for an important safety recall which came too late! My car was totaled in a accident in which both airbags deployed. It did cause hurtful pressure on my grandson's chest with an emergency bill over $500 and 2 days of losses wages. OK for which we had no compensation. Car was in motion on highway street in which the other party was ticketed on an illegal u turn.
2002 Acura TL engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Acura TL a good car?
Based on 333 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 TL rates avoid: 3.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the TL at the same age. It is one of the TL years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Acura TL?
The transmission & drivetrain — 224 complaints, 67% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (42) and brakes (21).
How many recalls does the 2002 Acura TL have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2002 Acura TL, the most recent from June 27, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Acura TL?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2014 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004, 2003, 2002, 2005 and 2000. See the full Acura TL years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Acura TL problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 42% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.