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2006 Acura TL Recalls, Problems & Maintenance

The 2006 Acura TL has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 6 recurring issue clusters, led by “Transmission slipping or failure.” Acura's Maintenance Minder calculates oil life from real engine conditions and shows service codes instead of fixed mileages — code A or B (oil / oil + inspection) plus sub-codes for items like tire rotation (1), air filters (2), or transmission fluid (3). Follow the codes, not the calendar. One interval you should never stretch: most Acura 3.5L V6 engines (MDX, TL) use a timing belt with a roughly 105,000-mile / 7-year replacement — a snapped belt on this interference engine means bent valves. SH-AWD models add a rear-differential fluid service that's essential for the torque-vectoring unit.

Save this car as:

No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Known issues & problems for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2006 Acura TL.

Reported to NHTSA

Transmission slipping or failure

POWER TRAIN

21 NHTSA complaints · 2012-08 → 2023-08

“2006 ACURA TL. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAD TO PAY $1280 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE RETURNED. *JB”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10693500
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING UPHILL, THE GEARS WOULD START TO SPIN AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP AND HESITATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD MOSTLY OCCUR WHEN THE WEATHER WAS HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10472360
“TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ERRATICALLY AT 40 MPH AND WAS SLIPPING AT 50 MPH UNTIL IT WENT NEUTRAL ON A BUSY ROAD. STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER AND WAITED FOR A FEW MINUTES. WAS ABLE TO GET TO MY DESTINATION. LATER THAT DAY I DROVE BACK HOME ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES AFTER 15 MINUTES BUT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10627292

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

VSA modulator air intrusion causing soft brakes

SERVICE BRAKES

6 NHTSA complaints · 2012-08 → 2022-04

“ABS KICKED IN WHEN BRAKING ON AN ICY DOWNHILL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ABS HAS EVER ENGAGED ON THIS CAR. AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL, BRAKES BECAME EXTREMELY SOFT AND TRAVEL MUCH FARTHER TOWARDS TO THE FLOOR BEFORE BRAKES ENGAGE. PUMPING THEM DOES NOT RETURN BRAKES TO NORMAL”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10566394
“VSA MODULATOR CONTROL UNIT ON 2006 ACURA TL IS LEAKING AIR INTO THE BRAKE SYSTEM MAKING THE PEDAL SOFT WHICH CAN LEAD TO POOR BRAKING AND CAUSE ACCIDENTS. I NARROWLY ESCAPED AN ACCIDENT A FEW WEEKS AGO. ACURA HAS KNOWN THIS ISSUE FOR LONG TIME AND HAS EVEN PUBLISHED A TECHNICAL”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10661069

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Dashboard cracking around passenger airbag

AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE

100 NHTSA complaints · 2012-05 → 2024-09

“PASSENGER SIDE DASH BOARD HAS DEVELOPED TWO 18" HORIZONTAL CRACKS WHICH APPEAR TO OUTLINE THE AIRBAG AREA. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT MY CAR IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I AM TERRIFIED THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY WITHOUT CAUSE AND INJURE A PASSENGER. *TR”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10659092
“DASH CRACKING AROUND PASSENGER AIRBAG AS REPORTED BY COUNTLESS OTHERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUTUBE. MY CONCERN IS THE FLYING DEBRIS FROM THE FAULTY DASH SHOULD THE AIR BAG EVER DEPLOY WHICH CAN INJURE, KILL OR BLIND THE OCCUPANT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11016355
“I WAS DRIVING WEST ON THE TURNER TURNPIKE IN OKLAHOMA. NOT A HOT DAY NOR COLD. I HEARD A POP OF SORTS AND WASN'T SURE JUST YET WHERE IT CAME FROM. BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE IT CAME FROM THE DASH. I EVENTUALLY SEE A SMALL CRACK AROUND MY FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG ON THE RIGHT SIDE. WELL”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10629842

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Power steering hose leak onto catalytic converter

STEERING

18 NHTSA complaints · 2014-04 → 2026-07

“POWER STEERING HIGH PRESSURE HOSE IS LEAKING ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. SMOKE BILLOWS INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THIS MAKES DRIVING WITH WINDOW DOWN NECESSARY. AFRAID CONTINUED LEAKAGE WILL START A FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OBTAINED A NEW HIGH PRESSURE HOSE BUT AFRAID”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11511875
“POWER STEERING PUMP, DAMAGED POWER PUMP STEEL FACTORY DEFAULT LIKEO IN A HYDRAULIC SYSTEM HOSES. THE CAR CAN NOT BE ESTACINAL SINCE THE GUIDE IS NOT STRONGER ALL THE TIME AND IN THE SNOW IS A DANGER HANDLE IT THE RECALLS WAS TO REPAIR THE MANGA AND MANGA DAMAGE WAS BROKEN PUMP”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10695361
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ACURA TL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE STEERING WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS RE-ATTACHED. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO EXPLAIN”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11110248

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Hands Free Link battery drain

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

16 NHTSA complaints · 2013-04 → 2020-05

“THE HANDS FREE LINK MALFUNCTIONS AND DRAINS THE BATTERY. IF THE CAR SITS FOR MORE THAN A DAY, THE BATTERY IS DEAD AND IT WILL NOT START. THIS HAS LEFT ME STRANDED MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT THOUSANDS OF ACURA TLS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10564537
“MY 2006 ACURA TL HANDS FREE LINK STOPPED WORKING. I TRIED TO REBOOT THE SYSTEM BUT THE SCREEN NEVER CHANGED FROM THE "REBOOTING" MESSAGE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE BATTERY DIED. I HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED AND HAD TO ENTER NEW CODES IN THE RADIO AND NAVIGATION SYSTEMS. NOW THE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10553033
“THE HANDS FREE LINK SYSTEM IN MY 2006 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. IF NOT FOR”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10682328

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Airbag deployment without collision

AIR BAGS

4 NHTSA complaints · 2014-10 → 2025-11

“My Acura (VIN: [XXX] ) experienced a non-collision spontaneous deployment of the side airbag while the vehicle was completely stationary. There was no impact, no crash, and no triggering event. This is a serious safety defect that could have caused significant injury or loss of”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11699822
“I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN (15-25 MPH) WHEN MY DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG AND SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON AT, THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO MY VEHICLE. WHEN THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED THE SHOCK OF IT CAUSED ME TO VEER TO THE RIGHT ROLLING UP ONTO A CURB AND BLOWING OUT MY FRONT PASSENGER”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10862216
“I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY DRIVERS SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS AND DRIVERS SIDE SEAT AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST ACURA DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND EVERY PERSON THERE WAS SHOCKED TO SEE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITH NO SIGNS OF IMPACT. I”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10653758

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Issues on other model years

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Raw data + downloads for this vehicle →

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Oil & Filter (Maintenance Minder A/B)

Every 8,000 mi

Change when the Maintenance Minder reaches 15% oil life or shows code A/B — typically every 7,500-10,000 miles with 0W-20 synthetic. Short-trip city driving triggers the code sooner; that's the algorithm doing its job.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Timing Belt (3.5L V6 — MDX, TL)

Every 105,000 mi

J-series V6: replace the timing belt around 105,000 miles or 7 years (Maintenance Minder sub-code 4). It's an interference engine — a failed belt destroys valves. Replace the water pump and tensioner in the same job. (2022+ MDX 3.5L remains belt-driven; the Integra's turbo four is chain-driven.)

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$935–$1175

Shop

~$655–$825

DIY

Pro only

On interference engines, a snapped belt destroys valves. Worth doing on schedule. Bundle water pump + tensioner — labor is already there.

Tire Rotation (Sub-code 1)

Every 7,500 mi

Rotate when sub-code 1 appears — roughly every 7,500 miles. SH-AWD models: keep tread depths matched across all four corners.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

Brake Inspection

Every 10,000 mi

Inspect pads, rotors, and fluid level with every A/B service. Type S models with Brembo front calipers: pads wear faster and cost more — budget ahead.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.

Brake Fluid

Every 30,000 mi

Replace every 3 years regardless of mileage — Honda/Acura schedules this on time because the fluid absorbs moisture.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$180–$200

Shop

~$125–$140

DIY

~$10–$25

DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.

Important maintenance

Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently

Transmission Fluid (Sub-code 3)

Every 30,000 mi

Replace ATF when sub-code 3 appears — commonly every 30,000-60,000 miles depending on duty. Use Honda/Acura ATF only (DW-1, or the 10-speed's specified fluid); aftermarket 'universal' ATF causes shudder in these gearboxes.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$330–$500

Shop

~$235–$355

DIY

~$60–$180

Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.

SH-AWD Rear Differential Fluid

Every 30,000 mi

SH-AWD (MDX, TLX, RDX): replace the rear differential fluid roughly every 30,000 miles (sub-code 6) — the torque-vectoring clutch packs run in this fluid, and whining or binding in tight turns is the classic overdue symptom.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$150–$195

Shop

~$105–$135

DIY

~$20–$50

Spark Plugs (Sub-code 4)

Every 100,000 mi

Iridium plugs around 100,000 miles on most models. Turbocharged Integra/ADX engines: check the manual — forced induction typically shortens the interval.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$390

Shop

~$200–$275

DIY

~$25–$100

Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.

Engine Air Filter (Sub-code 2)

Every 30,000 mi

Replace with sub-code 2, roughly every 30,000 miles — sooner in dusty conditions.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.

Recommended maintenance

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Cabin Air Filter (Sub-code 2)

Every 30,000 mi

Replace with sub-code 2 alongside the engine air filter. Behind the glovebox — an easy DIY on most Acuras.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.

Coolant Replacement (Sub-code 5)

Every 100,000 mi

Honda/Acura Type 2 coolant: first change around 10 years / 100,000 miles, then every 5 years / 50,000. Use the blue Type 2 coolant only.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Fatal crash history & reported problems

Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)

77 crashes 1990–2024

How the 77 occupant deaths break down

58

driver deaths

19

passenger deaths

77

occupant deaths

Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 2006 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number

FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.

Why we show driver deaths too

Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.

Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.

IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.

Owner-reported problem signals

Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.

8

complaints mentioning a crash

2

complaints mentioning a fire

Reviewed known issues for this vehicle

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 2006 Acura TL reflects Acura's published service intervals and the Maintenance Minder system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.

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