2003 Acura TL Transmission & Power Train Problems
NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · data through 07/14/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How power train ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 391 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2003 Acura TL overview page.
What owners report
“TWICE, MY ACURA TL HAS SLOWED DRASTICALLY AS I WAS DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED IN THE FREEWAY FAST LANE. BOTH TIMES I PULLED INTO THE…”NHTSA complaint 10096280 — filed 10/23/2004
“2003 ACURA TL TYPE S EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ROUGHLY IN ADDITION TO MISSING WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. WHEN THE CONSUMER…”NHTSA complaint 10055328 — filed 01/15/2004
“TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH 2003 ACURA TL TYPE S. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ROUGHLY IN ADDITION TO A MISSING CRUISE CONTROL. THERE WAS ALSO A TIME WHERE…”NHTSA complaint 10055548 — filed 01/06/2004
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Power Train complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2003 Acura TL have transmission & power train problems?
Power Train is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2003 Acura TL: 69 of 391 complaints on file (17.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2003 Acura TL have in total?
391 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 24 involved a crash, 4 involved a fire, 20 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's power train category include?
NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.
