Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Acura TL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
This car is not safe. First, the Takata airbags are in it. I drove my daughter, my mother and my little dog in this car! I can't believe the used car dealership did not let me know that. Then the car starts shifting funny. Also dangerous. There should be a recall for transmission. There are over 500 people affected by this. I'm trying to enter a highway and I need to pick up speed, because there is a tractor trailer in the right lane and heavy traffic. I try to accelerate and it goes nowhere. 30mph. And that was after I merged in and have traffic going 70 behind me. Scariest thing ever. They should not be allowed to sell these cars. It is not safe for the driver and their family and it is not safe for others on the road. I can't believe the negligence. I will not be driving this death trap ever again.
The accelerator stuck when pulling into my driveway then accelerating. The engine stuck in the accelerated mode. I had to brake with 2 feet and put the transmission in neutral, then turned the ignition to off. I was fortunate that I did not drive through the garage door. Examination of the engine's throttle body showed the breakage of the plastic cruise control "pulley" on the throttle body actuator shaft, causing the cruise control cable to hold the throttle open. The plastic part cracked at the cable retention notch. I have noted that other Acura owners have also experienced this problem. Ref: acurazine.com/forums/second-generation-TL-1999-2003-98/cruise-control-repair-suggestion-833196/
My daughter died in a accident on November 7, 2013 in the Acura TL 2003. She had been telling me that it felt like the ignition was sticking and would speed up. I would check with my local mechanic and he told me acuras are known to idle high. I believe that her car problem was the cause of the accident and the police could not give me a reason for the accident. She was 19 and a senior in high school and was a good child.
'tamara recall' before taking off the car had trouble going into gear. Once the car was in motion it began to have a hard shift then once I gained speed of 45 on the highway it wouldn't accelerate any more it actually started to slow down so I pulled off the road I put the car in park and heard a fast clicking noise turned the car off turned it back on tried put it in gear and it wouldn't move
Power steering pressure hose leaking and power steering pump leak. Years 2004-27 have been recalled for this; 2003should be, as well. Right engine mount and rear engine mounts cracked or broken.
My car's check engine light and TCS light came on. Had my car scanned at my local obii service center and recieved code p1676. Still experiencing same problem after, I then took my car to the local Honda dealership service center to get a verification of this code and saw a flyer for recalls. I review the information, (I own an Acura, Honda was unable to provide the recall repair service) and found that recalls pertaining to the code generated from the initial scan for when the check engine light came on pertained to the code. I called in reference to the recalls posted on the NHTSA.gov website. …
On Monday February 4, 2007 I was driving my 2003 Acura TL type s and came to a stop and heard a weird noise coming from under the hood. Once traffic began to proceed the car simply would not move from first gear. I manage to pull over and let it sit for about 1-2 min. And it went into gear although sluggish. Once on the road again I proceeded about 3 miles when the car would not engage in any gear at all. I was right in front if the Honda store when the second failure happened. I had the diagnostic done and come to find out that I am in need of a new transmission and motor mount due to over heating (from the service tech). My car was towed to the local Acura dealership that notified me that I did infact need a new transmission and motor mount at a cost of approx. $3500.00. This I now find is a huge problem for Acura with this model year and the automatic transmissions. …
Upon driving on a freeway going around 50 MPH my transmission suddenly pulled my car to a quick slowing down motion as if being moved from gear down to first or second. Luckily, there were no vehicles behind me as I was in a far right line. It is an older vehicle however it is a recurring issue it appears as there was a recall on it already before. The dealerships have given me conflicting stories on the vehicle history as far repairs and recalls on the vehicle and I do wish to have the NHTSA look into the history of this recall as well as warn the current owners of the vehicle of this issue as I had not had a problem with the transmission since becoming the owner and was not told of the recall upon multiple visits to the dealership.
Multiple issues over a 2.5 year period with a new 2003 Acura 3.2 TL type s. I have had a transmission replaced after receiving a safety recall. Secondly, the car has had an idling issue for 2.5 years that was just recently resolved with the replacement of an engine control valve. Third, the A/C was not working properly and the compressor was replaced. Fourth, the idle air control system was bad and had to be replaced. Fifth, and most worrisome, is that I have had white smoke come from under my hood on 3 separate occasions. The Acura dealership has told me they are unable to reproduce the problem and cannot assist me in resolving the issue.
I was pulling off the interstate and came to a red light on a hill right before haywood road. I had to stop because the light was red and when the light turned green I pulled onto haywood road and the car went through 1st gear, 2nd gear and right before it went into 3rd it slipped out of gear and just revved to around 4000 RPM. When the car went into 3rd and started sipping I had a pile of cars that bunched on my behind. I had two guys in a truck scream and yell obscene gestures.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began August 30, 2002.
Engine complaints in other TL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2003 Acura TL?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2003 Acura TL, 6% of the model year's 391 complaints. The component named most often is engine (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Acura TL engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 02V-226 (engine, Aug 28, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2003 Acura TL engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 99,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries and 1 death to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.