Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Acura TL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that the entire dashboard was cracked. Additionally, air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
The dash has developed a crack on the passenger side right over the area where the front passenger side airbag is located. This could possibly create a problem in the proper deployment of that air bag. Apparently, this is a common problem with this generation (3rd- '04 to '08) Acura TL. There are many similar complaints by owners posted online going back many years now about this very problem, yet Acura/Honda has apparently never addressed it. They apparently seem content to consider it a cosmetic problem only as several posters/owners have mentioned, rather than addressing the potential safety issue regarding proper airbag deployment. From the numerous reports of other owners found online, it would seem logical to presume that this is a result from a manufacturers defect or design flaw that Acura seems to want to ignore.
I got into my car this morning at 10:15 am to go to work and noticed that the dash going from the vent by my windshield to the center speaker in the front middle of the dash. It also travels along the crease of my gauge hood as well. My SRS light was on shortly prior to this incident and am curious if this is for some reason the cause. I was not involved in any sort of accident, nor do I drive in any manner to have caused something like this to happen. I did drive the car yesterday, 3/18/15, in the morning and there was no damage like this what so ever. I also had taken the car in to the mechanic and they said that they could not find the source of what was causing the SRS light to be on. My car is a decade old, but I condition it and take care of the entire vehicle, so laziness or "sun damage" is not the issue. …
At approximately 55000 miles a crack was noted over the instrument panel. As the weeks passed more and more cracks appeared in the dash, particularly in the area over the glove box where it would appear the passenger side airbag is located. Subsequent to that the passenger airbag indicator light shows as active or inactive. I am concerned that this is a safety issue and that the passenger side airbag will deploy without impact. I rarely drive this car due to this concern, and do not feel that I can sell it or trade it due to this issue. I have spoken with my local Acura dealer but they are unwilling to contribute any monetary assistance to correct the issue. …
I have a 2005 acuratl in good condition. Last year, a long crack appeared on my passenger side dashboard. A week later a second long crack appeared parallel to the first crack. Lastly, about a month ago a third crack appeared making a horizontal line between the first and second crack. It is very noticeable. A security guard once asked me, what model was my car. He replied, that it is a defect with the 2005 Acura TL's. His and his friend's car did the same thing, he said. I began to research online. I found many forums and blogs of people complaining of this same issue. I contacted Acura and of course they claim no liability because of the car's age or mileage. I have read that this a safety issue with the passenger side airbag....updated 09/28/15 updated 12/11/2017
Dash board began to crack alongside the right of the passenger dash airbag. The passenger side dash airbag is increasingly noticeable. Since June of 2014, the entire dashboard has continued to crack and is now significantly damaged due to the continuation of cracking that has evolved from the initial crack along side the airbag. Fayetteville, arkansas Acura service department insists that there is not an issue with the model & that the airbag/dash damage is not the responsibility of the vehicle manufactures to replace & that there has not been a recall issued for my make/model/year nor VIN #.
My dashboard has 3 huge cracks over the front passenger airbag. I do not feel safe driving my car due to the feeling that the air bag can deploy any minute. I recently had my air bags turned off for piece of mind but now I put my wife and kids in danger because we no longer have safety air bags to protect us. This is also quite embarrassing when I drive business partners around town and my dash is cracked and the airbag lights are flashing. This is a beautiful car but defects like this give the brand a terrible reputation.
The dash board in my vehicle began to crack over the passenger side air bag and it has me concerned that the air bag May not deploy towards the passenger and May deploy upwards toward the windshield instead and not protect the passenger. This is a known problem with these model cars and Acura refuses to fix this defect. Does someone have to lose their life due to this defect before Acura acknowledges there is a defect and a problem?
TL* the contact owns a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracked. The contact was concerned that the air bags May not deploy in the event of a crash or that the air bags May inadvertently deploy without the vehicle being involved in a crash. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the manufacturer nor a dealer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 206,786.
TL* the contact owns a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracked on the passenger side. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Body complaints in other TL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Acura TL?
NHTSA has 156 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Acura TL, 40% of the model year's 388 complaints. The component named most often is body (38 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Acura TL body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 Acura TL, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Acura TL body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 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.