Window & Wiper complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2 | 12% | 1,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% | 112,000 miles |
| 2011 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 2% | 40,000 miles |
| 2009 | 6 | 14% | 1,000 miles |
| 2008 | 3 | 2% | 100,000 miles |
| 2007 | 2 | 2% | 85,000 miles |
| 2006 | 5 | 2% | 89,000 miles |
| 2005 | 4 | 1% | 243,000 miles |
| 2004 | 20 | 4% | 95,000 miles |
| 2002 | 9 | 3% | 110,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 4% | 73,000 miles |
| 2000 | 29 | 12% | 85,000 miles |
| 1999 | 7 | 4% | 100,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 1996 | 3 | 12% | 30,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The lower part of the dashboard, at mid level on the left and right sides next to the vent openings, is finished with a reflective material that causes severe side mirror glare when driving with sunlight coming from the rear. The glare is so bad, that it creates a blind spot in the side view mirror. When this happens, the glare almost completely covers the entire surface of the mirror, making it impossible to see whatever might be in the next lane or behind. In an emergency situation, if you come across something in the road and must change lanes, if you look into the mirror, you can't see what is in the lane next to you because of the glare. This could lead to an accident, particularly if there is not enough time to turn and look.
This problem has not created an accident, but it has the potential to cause accidents. The gunmetal trim inserted into the left and right lower sides of the dash create a blinding glare in the rear view mirrors on sunny days. The glare is so bad, it covers nearly all of the surface of the left hand mirror, so when changing lanes from right to left, the driver will miss seeing a car in the left lane because of the glare. It is even more pronounced for a car that May be in the blind spot. Same is true, but not as bad, as the right lane. I had to cover up the trim by covering it with a black cloth taped to the gunmetal trim.
TL* the contact owns a 2008 Acura TL. While accelerating from a stop sign, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the top of the vehicle. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the sun roof shattered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the sun roof needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The car's moonroof spontaneously exploded -- glass shattered into thousands of pieces. Drove car immediately to a body shop, where the inspector felt that there had been no impact from any kind of projectile. Inspector knew of a wral-tv investigation into sunroof / moonroof explosions, and recommended that I report this incident to the NHTSA. I was driving in light traffic on the highway at the time, heard a sound akin to a rifle shot at close range, and looked up to see the glass in a zillion pieces. I have photographs if you want them.
About 3-6 months ago, I noticed a crack on the passenger side of my Acura 2006 TL. Gradually the crack grew, then over time, I saw two more cracks in the areas where the airbags are located. Now these cracks are widening and I can see white in the cracks. My concern is that the manufacturer's defect will compromise proper deployment of the airbags in case of an accident. If so, this can have tragic consequences. I called the Acura manufacturer customer service. They informed me that it will cost me $1500-2000 and that the adjustment from them will be minimal because the warranty for such a thing has expired. I researched on the internet and discovered that this is a common problem for acuras. …
This is a complaint regarding the poor and hazardous design of rain-x latitude wiper blades connector piece. While driving in "normal duty conditions" light non-freezing rain (temp in the mid 50's fahrenheit) at normal city speeds the passenger wiper, a 19" rain-x latitude, properly installed, catastrophically failed causing the wiper blade portion of the part to become completely detached from the vehicles wiper arm with the plastic clip still attached to the vehicle's metal wiper arm. The blade was thrown from the vehicle into the roadway.this caused a sudden total loss of visibility. It is clear that there is a flaw with the integrity of this part as designed by rain-x that could cause a sudden and total loss of visibility in the event of a failure and could cause dangerous debris to be mechanically thrown from a vehicle, endangering the safety of others.
Like others here my airbag in the passenger dash is cracked in a ring and I fear the airbag will malfunction, in addition if it doesn't malfunction, and deploys the plastic will be propelled with great force by the deplosion of airbag causing serious injury. I survived the failed transmissions, with numerous lock ups at highway speeds that caused a crash with injuries. I don't understand why Acura and Honda have not taken these warnings seriously, its obvious the safety risk, please stop playing with our lives and fix this problem. I also have a whine in my steering and replaced the power steering pump completely, it stills whines and is now leaking steering fluid and fumes coming into car and my wiper water quit spraying on my windshield. This is too much for a higher model car that cost a lot of money. …
Michelin pilot hx mxm4 tire failure complaint against Acura and Michelin tire corporations* the right front tire dislodged completely off of the rim. The portion of the tire which comes in contact with the road surface completely separated from the remainder of the tire. The dislodge portion of the tire passed completely over in front of the consumers vehicle and proceeded to roll in the pathway of three adjacent lanes of traffic. The consumers vehicle was damage due to loosing some control of the vehicle when the incident occurred. The tire was inspected by a tire dealer and it was determined that there was puncture to the tire or any prior damage to the tire, it was clearly a defect with the tire. The consumer also experienced problems with the drivers side window. The regulator and motor were replaced.
Related recalls (2)
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Honda is recalling 129,600 my 2004-2005 Acura tl vehicles. If water enters the windshield wiper motor breather port, which is designed to allow the motor to vent warm air during normal operation, it can result in corrosion inside the motor housing.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the windshield wiper motor for signs of corrosion. If no signs of corrosion are present, a snorkel tube will be added to the wiper motor breather port to prevent water from entering the wiper motor…
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Vehicle description: sedans equipped with an "auto-up" power window feature on the driver's door. The driver's side power window control unit can fail, and depending on the failure mode, the window could become inoperative, open or close independent of switch activation, or the auto-reverse system May not operate.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power window control unit. Owner notification began May 21, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
NHTSA investigations
Windshield wiper motor failure
The manufacturer notified NHTSA by letter dated February 26, 2008, that a safety related recall has been initiated to correct this problem on certain model year 2004 and 2005 Acura tl vehicles.the recall affects approximately 129,600 subject vehicles manufactured between March 2003 and May 2005.the defect involves water intrusion into the wiper motor housing that May result in corrosion and failure of a circuit…
Frequently asked questions
Which Acura TL years have window & wiper problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (29), 2004 (20), 2002 (9), 1999 (7) and 2001 (6) model years. Window & Wiper complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Acura TL window & wiper problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 08V-092 (motor, Feb 27, 2008); 01V-161 (power window devices and controls, May 3, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Acura TL window & wiper problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles; 24% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the rearview mirrors/devices (16 mentions), followed by the rearview mirrors/devices › interior (9).
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.