ACURA TL · model year

1998 ACURA TL

22 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998ACURATL carries 22 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 TL is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe with 7 filings, followed by electrical system:horn (2) and vehicle speed control (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1998 TL, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

22
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

22 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
STEERING1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE1
STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID1
SUSPENSION:FRONT1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20141128ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V025000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE POSITION, THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WOULD FORGET TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK SOMETIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 12/19/14*CN UPDATED 05/26/2015 *JS

Mileage: 98,000

20130116ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

1998 ACURA TL. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE OR CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND SEEKS GOODWILL ASSISTANCE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE CHECK ENGINE CODE INDICATED A FAULTY OXYGEN SENSOR AND THERE WERE EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE VEHICLE.

20091117CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

NO EVENTS INDICATING A FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. PEDAL BRAKE FOR 1998 ACURA FAILED TO STOP WHILE DRIVING IN STOP/GO MUNICIPAL TRAFFIC. CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT AN OFF ROAD TREE AND WAS A TOTAL UNREPAIRABLE LOSS. POLICE INVESTIGATED. CAR OCCUPANTS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT. NO OTHER PERSONAL INJURIES. ONLY MINOR PROPERTY COLLATERAL PROPERTY DAMAGES. REPORTED TO AUTO INSURANCE CARRIER AND HONDA AMERICA. HONDA AMERICA DECLINED TO INVESTIGATE OR INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND CLAIMED THE GAS PEDAL WAS MISTAKENLY ENGAGED INSTEAD OF THE PEDAL BRAKE. CONFIRMED BY HA LETTER. ACURA OWNER SETTLED CLAIM WITH INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS CONCLUSION SEEMS INCONSISTENT WITH EARLIER NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS INTO 1990S ACURAS AS I WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE FROM HTTP://CONSUMERHASSOFSHAME.HOMESTEAD.COM///INDEX~NS4.HTML. *TR

Mileage: 115,000

20091117CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

NO EVENTS INDICATING A FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. PEDAL BRAKE FOR 1998 ACURA FAILED TO STOP WHILE DRIVING IN STOP/GO MUNICIPAL TRAFFIC. CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT AN OFF ROAD TREE AND WAS A TOTAL UNREPAIRABLE LOSS. POLICE INVESTIGATED. CAR OCCUPANTS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT. NO OTHER PERSONAL INJURIES. ONLY MINOR PROPERTY COLLATERAL PROPERTY DAMAGES. REPORTED TO AUTO INSURANCE CARRIER AND HONDA AMERICA. HONDA AMERICA DECLINED TO INVESTIGATE OR INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND CLAIMED THE GAS PEDAL WAS MISTAKENLY ENGAGED INSTEAD OF THE PEDAL BRAKE. CONFIRMED BY HA LETTER. ACURA OWNER SETTLED CLAIM WITH INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS CONCLUSION SEEMS INCONSISTENT WITH EARLIER NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS INTO 1990S ACURAS AS I WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE FROM HTTP://CONSUMERHASSOFSHAME.HOMESTEAD.COM///INDEX~NS4.HTML. *TR

Mileage: 115,000

20090306ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

MY 1998 ACURA 2.5 TL HAS HAD NOTICEABLE EXHAUST LEAK INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FROM ABOUT 100,000 MILES POINT, SINCE JANUARY 2008L ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO. ALL THE OUTSIDE SMELLS COME RIGHT IN EVEN THOUGH I ALWAYS HAVE VENTS AND AIR COND OR HEATER SET TO "INSIDE AIR ONLY" SETTING. ALONG WITH EXHAUST I SMELL THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ODOR, REFINERY ODOR WHEN I DRIVE PAST REFINERY, SKUNK SMELL WHEN I DRIVE OVER EVEN A SPOT WHERE A SKUNK WAS REMOVED A FEW DAYS AGO, ETC AND ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A YEAR AGO, AS MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED, I HAD IT DIAGNOSED AS FAILED OXYGEN SENSOR BUT IT SEEMS THAT GOES WITH THE CRACKED ENGINE MANIFOLD. THIS WIDELY REPORTED CONDITION SHOULD BE A MFGR RECALL NOTICE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THE FAILURE TO RECALL OVER THIS PERSISTENT DEFECT. OWNERS NOW KNOW THAT IT WAS THE VERY SAME PROBLEM IN 1996 AND 1997 WHERE IT WAS A RECALL NOTICE ITEM; IT SHOULD BE FOR 1998 AS WELL. I HAVE BEEN THE MOST LOYAL OF ACURA OWNERS (THIS IS OUR FOURTH ACURA AS

Mileage: 100,000

20081104SUSPENSION:FRONT

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 1998 ACURA TL 2.5 AND THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT BALL JOINT SQUEAKS. WHILE I WAS LOOKING FOR PARTS AT AUTOZONE I WAS ALERTED THAT MY CAR WAS UNDER RECALL FOR DEFECTIVE LOWER BALL JOINTS. I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND WONDERED IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET IT REPAIRED AT NO COST ? *TR

Mileage: 107,233

20070518ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

I OWN AN ACURA 2.5 TL MODEL YEAR 1998. I WAS INFORMED BY DEALER LAST YEAR THAT THERE WAS AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAK IN THE ENGINE. THE DEALER QUOTED $2000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED SO FAR, BUT I FEAR THAT THE EXHAUST FUMES WERE INFILTRATING THE CABIN, AND WE WERE BREATHING EXHAUST FUMES WHEN IN THE CAR. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS ALSO REPORTED WIDELY IN EARLIER MODEL YEARS. *AK

Mileage: 50,000

20051201POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN THE TRANSMISSION CASE BOLT BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO FOUND NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 99V227000 FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT THE RECALL REPAIRS HAD BEEN COMPLETED PREVIOUSLY, AND THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN. *AK

Mileage: 115,000

20050714ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

AUTO TECHNICIAN HAS DETERMINED THAT 1998 ACURA 2.5 TL HAS A CRACKED MANIFOLD. SAME VEHICLE FROM 1995-97 HAS BEEN MANDATED BY NHTSA TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED BY MANUFACTURER. I WOULD LIKE MY VEHICLE YEAR TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS MANDATE.

Mileage: 77,500

20050118ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

PART B TO ODI# 10106272 FORGOT TO NOTE THAT EXHAUST COMES INTO THE VEHICLE FROM THE FRESH AIR INTAKE AND GIVES ME HEADACHES ON LONG TRIPS. *NM

Mileage: 73,462

20050113ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

EXHAUST SYSTEM ON MY 1998 ACURA 2.5 TL HAS A CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I'VE BEEN TOLD THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED THIS ON THE 96 & 97 TL'S BUT WILL NOT FOR THE 1998. I UNDERSTAND FROM RESEARCH THERE WERE NO CHANGES TO THE BODY STYLE OR ENGINE BETWEEN THE 96 -98 SO WHY WON'T THEY COVER THE 98? *NM

Mileage: 73,462

20041018POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CONSUMER STATES THE BOLT ON THE VEHICLE BROKE. RECALL NUMBER 99V227000 THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE . THE CONSUMER WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. JB *TC

20040902ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

ENGINE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A CRACK. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE PRODUCED AN EXTREME LOUD NOISE. *AK MANIFOLD REPLACED. TRUNK LEAKS WHEN IT RAINS. *TC

Mileage: 153,000

20040902STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID

ENGINE MANIFOLD DEVELOPED A CRACK. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE PRODUCED AN EXTREME LOUD NOISE. *AK MANIFOLD REPLACED. TRUNK LEAKS WHEN IT RAINS. *TC

Mileage: 153,000

20040717ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

EXHAUST SYSTEM ON THE 1998 ACURA 2.5 TL. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE O2 SENSOR REPLACED AND NOW AS TOLD THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS CRACKED. I WAS ALDO TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF CASES WERE THE MANIFOLD CRACKED. IF THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT YOU SEE REPEATED IN A PARTICULAR VEHICLE IS IT NOT FAIRLY SAFE TO SAY THERE IS A PROBLEM FROM THE MANUFACTURE? WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SAVE CONSUMERS THE EXPENSE OF ABOUT $1200.00 TO REPAIR WHAT SEEMS OBVIOUS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT WITH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM?*AK

Mileage: 74,000

20040426CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED RESULTING IN A COLLISION THAT TOTALLED THE CAR. WE WANT THE INFORMATION INSIDE THE AIRBAG COMPUTER READ/EXTRACTED. WE SUSPECT INSURANCE FRAUD IN THIS INCIDENT.*AK

Mileage: 69,933

20030618STRUCTURE:BODY

TO REPAIR A TRUNK LEAK MY DEALER FOUND THE TAIL LIGHT GASKETS ON BOTH SIDES FAILED ALLOWING WATER TO LEAK INTO THE TRUNK. HE FURTHER STATED THIS IS COMMON IN THE BODY STYLE CAR I OWN AND THAT OTHER MODELS EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER REPAIRS OF THIS NATURE. *NLM

Mileage: 62,500

20020802CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I HAD JUST MADE A RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE PROCEEDING AT ABOUT 2 MILES PER HOUR WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND WAS ABOUT TWO FEET FROM THE END OF THE SPACE, ABOUT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE, WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, WENT OVER A BUMPER, AND PROCEEDED TO GO DOWN A HILL, PART ON SOME CONCRETE STAIRS AND PART ON GRASS. I BRAKED ALL THE WAY AND STOPPED AT THE BOTTOM OF TWO SETS OF STAIRS. SWITCHED CAR INTO NEUTRAL, ENGINE WAS RACING, AND TURNED OFF ENGINE. CAR WAS TOTALLED. NO INJURIES.*AK

20010419ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

CRACK IN EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *AK

19991026STEERING

WHILE DRIVING ALONG AT A SPEED 45-55 MPH ON A STRAIGHT ROAD IN SUNNY WEATHER CONDITIONS CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND THEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY WENT OUT OF CONTROL, ALMOST STRIKING SEVERAL VEHICLES.THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. PLEASE THE STRUT ROD HAD BROKEN OFF THE REAR WHEEL SPINDLE ASSEMBLEY, THE WHEEL WENT UP INTO THE WHEEL WELL CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. *AK

Compare 1998ACURATL to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 ACURA TL have?
The 1998 ACURA TL has 22 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 ACURA TL?
The most-complained component for the 1998 ACURA TL is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1998 ACURA TL safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.