2012 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 130 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Acura TL overview page.
What owners report
“I HAVE RECIEVED RECALL ON TORQUE CONVERTER .SO I TOOK IN FOR SERVICE BUT ALL THEY(ACURA SERVICE)DID WAS FLUSH TRANSMISSION .MY CAR RUNNING HORIBLE IT…”NHTSA complaint 11221816 — filed 06/21/2019
“THIS VEHICLES 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION RANDOMLY DOWNSHIFTS AND SLIPS ON 3RD AND 4TH GEARS ON BOTH CITY AND HIGHWAYS. IT MAKES THE CAR UNSAFE…”NHTSA complaint 11160679 — filed 12/11/2018
“ON 7/20/2017, I WAS DRIVING ON I-680 S TOWARDS FREMONT CA. I WAS DRIVING ROUGHLY 70 MPH. WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO PASS A CAR…”NHTSA complaint 11133630 — filed 10/05/2018
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Power Train complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2012 Acura TL have transmission & power train problems?
Power Train is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Acura TL: 27 of 130 complaints on file (20.8%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2012 Acura TL have in total?
130 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 3 involved a crash, 0 involved a fire, 5 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.
