Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Acura TL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
As I was driving, the vehicle suddenly began smoking through the steering wheel and the hood, then it caught flames and the vehicle was totaled.
I have been dealing with this serious electrical issue for nearly 4 years now. I have gone through 5-6 batteries and have been stranded numerous places as the car doesn't start after a period of time. This is no okay when you have children, it's a safety issue and Acura needs to fix it! With nearly 50,000 miles on my car, my whole navigation system failed. I opted not to have it fixed because they wanted to first try having me buy new cd's to update the system. In conjunction with that fail, the battery dies after a day of not being started...sometimes even over night. I have read that several cars have faulty hfl that heat up and cause this problem. The hfl was hot to touch when I went to disable it. I disconnected mine so that a fire would not start putting me and my family at risk. …
Subject: 2006 Acura TL hello I'm writing this email to inform you of a safety issue with my Acura. The first issue is the dash has spider cracked completely all the way in front of the passenger seat and the airbags are not secure. The second is the blue tooth hands free on the steering wheel has killed 4 batteries and caused me to be stranded after not using car for two days. I had to search the internet to find out what was causing this issue and I found several people with the same year make & model with the same issues, even the dash! This car I bought brand new, more money than I ever should of spent on a vehicle and it is a disgrace! The poor quality of leather on the seats were apparent with in the first 6 months, yet the dealership did nothing! I feel a recall on the dash & blue tooth device is more than necessary! Thank you for your time. [redacted] keep the faith...
I have been having a battery drain problem. I charge the battery and it drains overnight. Battery was check out to be OK. This is the second battery that I bought in two years. I also bought a portable starter so as not to be stranded. Finally the Bluetooth fuse was removed and draining stopped for about six weeks. I am noticing that the car when started in the morning is beginning to sound like the problem May be occurring again. Now the second issue is that the passenger dashboard side is cracked. I feared that the airbag would eventually deploy therefore I took it to the dealer. They assured me that it was safe and wrote on the paperwork I received that it was safe. On hot days, the split on both sides of the airbag are much wider and I can now see the shape of the hinge or bolt that keeps it together. Driving with this situation is very unnerving. Acura needs to remedy this issue. …
My car (Acura TL 2006) caught fire on 11/09/2007 at 10:00 pm cst while passing by a mcdonalds drive through; at 6233 n broadway, chicago il. The mcdonalds cashier first noticed the smoke coming out of the hood and pointed it out to me. I pulled the car in the parking lot and tried to put out the fire with my jacket but it only grew bigger. A standing by police officer noticed the incident and pulled me away from the car. 911was called and the fire department arrived in 2 minutes. The car burned during that time. The firemen were able to put out the fire. Acura is refusing to accept this as potential defect in their car. This is clearly an example of a badly manufactured vehicle that jeopardized my life and the life of people around the car. I would like to request that an investigation be initiated and Acura be held responsible for this.
The hands free link system in the 2004-2008 Acura TL is creating a drain on the battery resulting in complete electrical failure of the automobile. The incidence of failure is most common immediately after periods of at least 10 hours of non-use or shortly after starting. As a result from this issue I experience this electrical problem for the past year, from going threw multiple batteries and being in the unsafe situation of my Acura TL losing its power in a very busy intersection. This problem has been reported extensively on multiple Acura owner's websites/blogs and has been confirmed by the local dealership. Given the possibility for in-use electrical failure, a recall should be issued. Are we waiting for someone to be killed or seriously injured before a re-call is really issued?
The hands free link system that uses Bluetooth to connect to your cellular phone is defective. It kills the car battery, always drawing current from the battery even when the car is parked and not running. Had battery replaced all ready. Manufacturer suggested repair is to disconnect the hands free link from the vehicle. I feel this is unsafe . I t would cause people to use there cell phones without the hands free feature while driving, which in turn could cause an accident. So this is a major safety issue and I feel Acura should resolve the problem. I have researched this issue and have found that this problem is widespread throughout at least two models of Acura (Acura mdx and Acura TL), and approximately years 2004 through 2008.
Over the years since I purchased the Acura 06 TL I have been having problems with the battery- car won't start sometimes. I purchased a few batteries already. Finally on 7-24-2017 I was out of town (west palm beach) when my car won't start. I went to closest Acura dealer where I learned that the issue was a defective hfl that had a parasitic drain on the battery from defective hfl. Had to purchase another battery. Acura never informed me that there was a defect of hand free link. In past I had to replace the starter and power steering. Certain features still does not work- passenger front window, heating element for car seat passenger, power outlet in console box.
Battery kept going dead and stranding me in multiple places. Had to purchase a portable car starter in order to keep restarting the car. Couldn't find any official reasons behind it from any Acura sources. After some internet searching I found out that the hfl Bluetooth module was causing a battery drain for many other owners. Solution was to remove the module. After that the problem went away. Was stranded multiple times -- very unsafe!! Also had to purchase car starter and new battery! Acura dealers refused to pay for the new hfl replacement. This is a safety issue that has affected many drivers. Could be very dangerous.
When I started the vehicle, it had a moaning sound. I continued driving and the battery light, airbag light, csv light, all came on just before the dash lights flickered on and off, then totally went out and the car engine shut off. When I tried to jumpstart the car, the car started after a few minutes but when the jumper cables were removed, the car instantly shut down. The car was in the middle of the road and had to be towed to my house. Three months ago, the car would not start. I got it jumpstarted and it ran perfectly until the above incident occurred. This is the third battery this car has had since 2009.
Electrical complaints in other TL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Acura TL?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Acura TL, 13% of the model year's 247 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › front underhood (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Acura TL electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Acura TL, though it has 4 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 2006 Acura TL electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.