2010 Acura TL

Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.

74/100

Worth a look

AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.

What owners actually report

Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Acura TL, and it carries 3 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.

Complaints by area, from NHTSA records for this model-year
Area	Complaints	Share
Air bags	31	48%
Power train	8	13%
Vehicle speed control	3	5%
Engine	2	3%
Service brakes	2	3%
Structure	2	3%
Back over prevention	1	2%
Seat belts	1	2%
Electrical system	1	2%
Air bags	1	2%

In owners' own words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.

The contact owns a 2010 Acura TL. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a blank image. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the camera and the radio needed to be repla
NHTSA complaint: Back over prevention

While highyway driving for 6 hours the “Check system charging” light came on for a few minutes, then went off for 10 or so minutes, then came back on. I was 10 miles from exit. I exited and left the car running while I c
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OFF. CAR WAS IN MOTION WHEN SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON AT ALL
NHTSA complaint: Air bags

WHEN PARKING MY VEHICLE ON AN INCLINE AND PLACING MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION INTO FIRST AND TURNING OFF THE CAR, WITHOUT APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE, THE CAR WOULD SLOWLY JERK BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL.
NHTSA complaint: Power train

THE VSA SYSTEM LIGHT IS ON THE DASHBOARD I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE AND THE COMPUTER IS SIGNALING IS LETTING US KNOW THAT IN A CASE OF A ACCIDENT I WOULDN'T BE SAFE ALSO THE AIRBAGS ARE SHOWING AN MALFUNCTION IT WOULD N
NHTSA complaint: Air bags

I CHANGED MY OIL AND DROVE MY VEHICLE ROUGHLY 1500 MILES IN OVER A MONTH TIMEFRAME AND I PROPERLY CHECKED MY OIL WHILE THE CAR WAS STATIONARY ON LEVEL GROUND TO FIND THAT MY OIL LEVEL WAS VERY LOW. I THOROUGHLY CHECKED M
NHTSA complaint: Engine

BLUETOOTH HANDS FREE MODULE HAS AN OPEN CIRCUIT CAUSING BATTERY TO RUNDOWN PREMATURELY. ALSO KEYLESS FOB SLOT GETS WORN DOWN AND REMAINS IN STUCK OPEN POSITION NOT ALLOWING DOORS TO LOCK AS IT THINKS THE KEY IS STILL INS
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system

TAKATA RECALL. I HAVE RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION IN THIS RECALL. LOOKING OVER MY CREDIT REPORT AND IT TELLS ME THAT THERE ARE 2 RECALLS FOR THE AIRBAG INFLATORS FEBRUARY 22,2017 IN WHICH I DID NOT HAVE POSSESSION OF THE VE
NHTSA complaint: Air bags

Recalls on record

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2010 Acura TL. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module 19V182000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV

Risk: 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 dea

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer servic

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module 19V500000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped wi

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module 16V061000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-20

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this re

The seven scores

Reliability raw	66	good
Longevity est.	75	good
Maintenance	83	excellent
Depreciation	100	excellent
Performance	69	good
Efficiency	36	below average

How it compares in its class

Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.

Reliability: better than 19% of midsize & large cars
Longevity: better than 38% of midsize & large cars
Running costs: better than 78% of midsize & large cars
Value retention: better than 100% of midsize & large cars

Which of these numbers are measured

What stands behind each score for this car:

Reliability 66: from NHTSA recalls and complaints. This one is a raw count: we do not have a sales figure for this model, so a high-volume car looks worse here than it should.
Longevity 75: an estimate from powertrain and brand record. No 200,000-mile population exists for a 2010 car yet, so this is a prior, not evidence.
Maintenance 83: repair-cost data where we have it for this model, otherwise a mechanical-complexity estimate from engine size, cylinder count and drivetrain.
Safety: no score. NHTSA crash testing thins out for older vehicles and we would rather show nothing than guess.

Common questions

What goes wrong with the 2010 Acura TL?

Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 31 of them (48%). There are 3 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.

Is the 2010 Acura TL reliable?

AVOIR scores its reliability 66/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.

How long will a 2010 Acura TL last?

AVOIR scores its longevity 75/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2010 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.

Should I buy a 2010 Acura TL?

AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 74/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.

Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.