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 2008 Acura TL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Acura TL. The contact stated that the passenger's side dashboard was cracked near the passenger's side air bag housing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN and that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was unknown.
3 issues 1) two vertical cracks overnight on passenger side dash at air bag location-horizontal crack forming-fear of airbag deploying while driving causing me to wreck-should be recall-I no longer feel safe for fear or accidental deployment 2)Bluetooth module failure-two batteries and alternator replaced-now have module disconnected-safety issue of not being able to use hfl while driving 3)since buying car in 2008, complained about drivers door closing back on my leg when I open it-have avoided injuries so far-as others stated, I have to kick door open or hold foot on it when exiting vehicle from what I have read many 2008 TL owners are having the same issues - whats it going to take for NHTSA to force Acura/Honda to address these issues? I dont have $2000 to replace a dash that I caused no part in the failure of. …
When opening the hood of the car, the hood doesn't stay up. Yesterday, it happened 4 times. The first time, it came down when I opened it to look under the hood. Later,, it came down on another person's arm while he was looking under the hood -- it had been opened for a couple of minutes before it came down. The third time, we had the car at the mechanic and they mentioned that they had to hold the hood up to look under the car. In the fourth incident, the hood came down when another person was bending over to look under the hood and hit him in the head. It appears that both hood supports need to be replaced, but it seems odd that both would fail at the same time. Additionally, there has always been a problem with the front doors not staying open when the car is parked on a slope -- the doors swing back shut unless you hold them open
Dashboard cracks: potential danger of airbag failure over the last few years, my car has developed several cracks in the dashboard. Of particular concern is a large crack which just recently appeared along the left side of the front passenger airbag unit. (see photos) I am very concerned that the cracks can allow moisture or condensation to enter the airbag unit, possibly causing it fail, deploy prematurely, or not properly deploy in a crash situation. Although the dashboard cracks are seemingly cosmetic, its potential to create a severe safety issue is of great concern. Especially in light of the Takata recall for airbags, I hope that the manufacturer can help repair or replace these faulty dashboards with a quality material that will not degrade in such a manner.
Takata recall- passenger roof, seat and side airbags deployed when I hit a curb on the drivers side. How can this be? I have a 2008 Acura TL. It needs to be considered in the recall. Upon the above mentioned, the passenger side dash has separated from the front passenger frame. This is very dangerous and could separate while driving. All of the damage is on passenger side and not on the drivers side where the impact was. Currently I do not feel safe in the drivers side if the airbags malfunction like that nor can I have passengers in my car. This airbag recall needs to include some 2008 models that are not showing at this time.
Takata recall - my airbags on my 2008 Acura TL have exploded on my seats, roof, and side airbags. I don't understand why previously submitted complaints about this issue have not been responded to. My airbag light is on and will not go off and my safety is being jeopardized everyday on this vehicle and it appears for the last decade other owners of the 2008 TL have reported on the Acura forums what I have, yet for some reason, the recalls are excluding this model. Why, why why????? Does it take another death for someone to recognize this???? The vehicle was moving when this occured on an exiting access road.
I own a 2008 Acura TL type-s and the dashboard on the passenger car it completely cracked. It has only been serviced at Acura dealerships and I take extremely care of the car. I always use a sunshade and the official Acura TL's car cover to protect it from the sun. I notice the initial cracking on April 25th, and it was about 6-inches long right on the passenger's airbag. At the time the car had less than 79,000 miles. I made a complaint to the dealership about the evident defective part. It took them a month to get back to me with a negative answer. According to them, it will not affect airbag deployment and the only solution is for me to pay $1,600.00 for the replacement. However, no checks or studies were done to the car to determine this. I did my research online, and this happens to hundreds of Acura tls. Therefore, it is obvious that this are defective parts. …
I purchased this vehicle, a 2008 Acura TL, in February of 2012 in south florida. By April of 2013 the driver's seat leather was coming apart at the seams. I take care of my vehicles and had never had this happen. Acura "made a deal with me as the car was out of warranty," and I had to pay a substantial amount of money for them to fix the seat. Within five (5) months of that, the passenger's seat began to come apart as well. It should be noted that it was very rare for me to have any passengers with me. When I was cleaning the car, I noticed the dashboard was cracking directly in front of the passenger's seat. I took the car back to Acura and they, after taking pictures and contacting their corporate office ,Acura told me I would have to pay for the seat in it's entirety and half of the cost to replace the dashboard. …
12" vertical crack on passenger side dashboard, found many complaints of same nature on the internet and one here, here is the complaint found here: my 2008 TL dashboard started to crack in August over the passenger airbag area. Now in September there are at least 3 lengthy cracks throughout the dashboard. Although I live in fl. I park in a covered garage every day for work from 10 am to 6:30 pm. I previously owned a 2001 TL and never had the dash crack in the 7 years owned. I feel that the cracking dashboard is a manufacturer defect that should be recognized by Acura.
As a passenger, I often find the big heavy door will not stay in the open position while I am trying to exit from the car. There are several "locking" positions, but none of them hold firmly. This is especially true if the car is on even a slight incline. I find myself kicking the door out of the way so I can safely exit. The car is leased, and I would consider not buying it because of this problem. No crash, no injury, no damage to our car or other cars. This is an annoying design flaw. This has been an ongoing problem since we got the car.
Body complaints in other TL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2008 Acura TL?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the body & structure of the 2008 Acura TL, 16% of the model year's 124 complaints. The component named most often is body (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Acura TL body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2008 Acura TL, though it has 2 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 2008 Acura TL body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 20% 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.