Is the 2006 Acura TL a bad year?
247 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other TL years.
Keep it
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2006 Acura TL are in line with other TL years. Air bags and body structure stand out for this year: see below.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2006 TL owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 101,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 85 (34%) | 77k–130k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Body structureSTANDS OUT | 64 (26%) | 75k–119k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Electrical system | 31 (13%) | 60k–101k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Steering | 28 (11%) | 74k–140k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 19 (8%) | 41k–121k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Engine | 10 (4%) | 47k–130k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Brakes | 13 (5%) | 20k–79k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Speed control | 9 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Suspension | 9 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Wheels | 7 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Stability control | 6 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 5 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 101,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 247 complaints: 8 mention a crash · 2 mention a fire · 5 report an injury · 4 say the car was towed.
3 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Jul 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
Recalls for the 2006 Acura TL: 6
The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash.
Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode. An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Aftermarket front suspension lower ball joints, napa part no. 2601662, that may have been mistakenly installed in certain model year 2004 - 2008 Acura tl vehicles due to a mistake in a napa and napa dealers' parts application catalogue. Misapplication of this part could lead to separation of the ball joint from the lower control arm and collapse of the front suspension, which could potentially cause a vehicle crash.
Prolonged high under-hood temperatures may cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid. Power steering fluid leaking onto a hot catalytic converter will generate smoke and possibly lead to an under-hood fire.
On certain passenger vehicles and motorcycles, the owner's manuals contain incorrect contact information for the national highway traffic safety administration's (NHTSA) vehicle safety hotline. The language in the owner's manuals is not in accordance with the current mandatory requirements.
On certain passenger vehicles, on the frontal airbag system where the two external impact sensors is mounted, near the front headlights the front impact sensor bolts were not properly torqued. If the bolts loosen or fall out, the sensor may fail to properly detect a crash, possibly resulting in delayed or non-deployment of the front airbag increasing the risk of injury.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Acura: 26
Repair instructions Acura sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2006 Acura TL. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is on, with DTC P2138 (Accelerator pedal position sensor a/b incorrect voltage correlation)…
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) on with the DTC P2138 (Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor A/B Incorrect Voltage Correlation) stored and poor engine performance
Some vehicles may display a malfunction indicator lamp with the stored DTC P2138 (Accelerator pedal position sensor a/b incorrect voltage correlation)
Due to accelerator pedal position sensor a/b incorrect voltage correlation, engine poor performance and malfunction indicator lamp…
Neighbouring years
2005 TL: 388 complaints, keep it · 2007 TL: 124 complaints, keep it.
Every Acura TL year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · All TL years side by side
Other Acura models: Acura CL · Acura ILX · Acura Integra · Acura MDX · Acura RDX · Acura RL · Acura RSX · Acura TLX · Acura TSX. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2006 Acura TL a bad year?
247 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other TL years. At 101,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Acura TL?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: air bags (85), body structure (64), electrical system (31), steering (28), transmission and drivetrain (19).
How many recalls does the 2006 Acura TL have?
6 recall campaigns list this model year: Speed control (NHTSA 19E068000), Air bags (NHTSA 19V-182), Suspension (NHTSA 11E022000), Steering (NHTSA 08V-091) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.