Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Acura TL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving in heavy traffic and making a right turn,the power steering screen began to blink and immediately the power steering locked up. I had to manually turn the wheel and was able to over to the side and stop. After several minutes, the wheel finally unlocked and I pulled into a parking lot where it occurred again. I turned the key on and the unlocked wheel began to work again After making it home, I checked the drivers manual and found nothing. I checked complaints and found 95 instances but no recalls. It was very frightening for this situation and dangerous. This happened on July 14,2021.
Electronic power steering failure. I had just driven my Acura for approximately 60 miles and stopped to get a bottle of water. When I came back out and restarted the car, the EPS failure warning appeared in the info center an a code 32 showed up in the message center.. I had to drive my vehicle for over 700 miles until I was able to get it to my local Acura dealer. They diagnosed the problem and ordered a new EPS module. Total cost of the repair exceeded $1100. I contacted Acura to request a goodwill discount since I have never experienced a catrophic steering failure in any vehicle. They told me that since I was not the original purchaser of the vehicle, they would not assist. The car is outside the warranty, however it seems ridiculous that a critical component part that fails within the first 10 years or 150,000 mile in a new vehicle is uncomprehensible to me. …
I purchased a new 2012 Acura with 20 miles on it in sept 2012. My power steering went out in apr 2015. I could not steer the vehicle going down a winding road. It took a lot of effort just to steer it slightly. Acura dealership where I bought it was able to replace the power steering rack and control unit under warranty. On 3/29/2019 I experienced the same issue. Thankfully I was in my driveway at the time. I turned the vehicle off and turned it back on a few minutes later. The power steering error code went off however when I steered the vehicle which in park the steering wheel would move to the left or right without the wheel turning. I then turned it off for a while and tried again and it seems to work. However, I am not comfortable with this issue as it is a real safety concern while driving. …
I own Acura TL 2012. Last week when I was driving I suddenly saw the steering wont turn all of a sudden. It became so hard to turn the steering. Luckily I was able to stop the vehicle without an accident. I later got the vehicle towed to Acura dealer and they diagnosed that the EPS unit (electrical power steering) failed. I later did research on NHTSA's website and found that lot of Acura TL and tsx customers of 2012 also have reported the exact same issue. This is a serious safety issue and might result in serous accidents and injuries. Shouldn't this be a manufacturer recall with so many Acura TL 2012 customers reporting the same problem? The Acura dealer where I got the problem fixed charged me about 1000 bucks to fix the issue while it truly should be a problem that manufacturer should recall and fix.
The electric power steering went out while driving on the highway. I almost crashed when trying to move the car to a safe place. Luckily I had enough strength to steer the car without power steering but a smaller weaker person could have crashed hurting themselves and others. No warning or indication it was wearing out. The car has relatively low miles and all of the maintenance has been done on time. Acura (Honda) is aware this is a known issue and according to the dealership service department they are even willing to cover the costs of some of the repairs. They know about this issue but will not issue a recall.
I was driving around 40mph and all of sudden the "eletronic power steering system" light went on. I was not able to steer at all. I had to use all my energy along with body weight to pull the steering wheel to the right so that I could park along the curb. I almost got hit by another vehicle because this happened when I was trying to change lane. I took to the dealer and they took me the diagnostic code 32-09 (power steering module failure). They quoted me $900. Very expensive. This is a very serious issue and well known issue with Honda and Acura. It can be life threaten issue to some people.
TL* the contact owns a 2012 Acura TL. The contact stated the EPS warning light flashed, the steering wheel was tight and there was a loss of power steering. The contact was in the process of exiting a roadway and was able to pull into a parking lot to turn off the vehicle and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,900.
TL* the contact owns a 2012 Acura TL. When the vehicle was started, the steering wheel failed to turn and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to david mcdavid Acura plano (located at 4051 w plano pkwy, plano, tx 75093, [phone]), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 09459640. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000.
Came off work last night got into my car start it up and got a check power steering warning on my dashboard. Vehicle steering wheel is almost impossible to turn. Vehicle is not drivable. Problem occur while vehicle was stationary in a parking lot. Turn vehicle off after a few minutes and restart vehicle and problem went away. Same exact thing happened again this morning while vehicle was stationary.
Car is 4.5 years old, trouble free. Drove car at noon, no problem. Left work at night with temp 8c and car started. Computer showed power steering failure, and power steering was not working. Stopped car and restarted it. Ps then worked. Stopped/restarted 4-5 times, no problem. I checked under the hood and there was no apparent problem, no fluid sprayed around etc.
Steering complaints in other TL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2012 Acura TL?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the steering of the 2012 Acura TL, 19% of the model year's 130 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Acura TL steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2012 Acura TL, though it has 3 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 2012 Acura TL steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury and 1 death to steering 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.