1997 Acura TL

No photo available — body style shown for reference.

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Electrical

Electrical leads by volume: 8 of 23 complaints (35%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Brakes include more reported injuries (2) than those mentioning any other identified area.

Complaints filed fell from 26 in 1996 to 23 in 1997.

Data last changed Sep 16, 2026. Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology

Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.
Category	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	vs. 1997 Compact Cars
Annual fuel cost ($)	3,900	3,900–4,100	3,900–4,100	3,900–4,100	3,900
Combined MPG	20	19–20	19–20	19–20	20
City / Highway MPG	18 / 23	17–18 / 22–23	17–18 / 22–23	17 / 22–23	17 / 25
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)	444	444–468	444–468	444–468	444
Complaints filed	1	26	23	20	157	Not compared
Recalls issued	0	2	2	2	4	Not compared
Crash-involved complaints	0	3	3	3	17	Not compared
Fire-involved complaints	0	0	2	0	4	Not compared
Injuries reported	0	2	4	3	9	Not compared
Deaths reported	0	0	0	0	2	Not compared
Configurations compared	1	2	2	2	1

Common questions

How many recalls does the 1997 Acura TL have?

2 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.

What is the most common complaint about the 1997 Acura TL?

Electrical: 8 of 23 NHTSA complaints (35%) mention it.

What gas mileage does the 1997 Acura TL get?

EPA rates it 19–20 MPG combined across 2 configurations.

How much does it cost to fuel a 1997 Acura TL?

EPA estimates $3,900–$4,100 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

Similar Vehicles

EPA-Rated Configurations (2)

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
Configuration	Transmission	Cylinders	Displacement	Drivetrain	Fuel Type	Vehicle Class	City	Highway	Combined	Annual Fuel Cost	CO₂
Configuration 1	Automatic 4-spd	5	2.5L	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	Compact Cars	18 mpg (high)	23 mpg (high)	20 mpg (high)	$3,900 (low)	444 g/mi (low)
Configuration 2	Automatic 4-spd	6	3.2L	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	Compact Cars	17 mpg (low)	22 mpg (low)	19 mpg (low)	$4,100 (high)	468 g/mi (high)

Complaints by Category

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
Category	Complaints	Crash-Involved	Fire-Involved	Injuries
Engine	1	0	0	0
Transmission & Drivetrain	3	0	0	1
Fuel System	0	0	0	0
Electrical	8	0	2	1
Brakes	2	1	0	2
Steering	1	0	0	0
Suspension, Wheels & Tires	3	0	0	0
Airbags & Restraints	1	0	0	0
Driver Assistance & Speed Control	4	2	0	1
Body, Seats & Latches	1	0	0	0
Visibility & Lighting	1	0	0	0
Other	3	0	0	0

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

Recalls (2)

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · Campaign 99V227000 · Aug 30, 1999
Defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A TRANSMISSION CASE BOLT CAN LOOSEN AND FALL OUT ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO DISENGAGE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL.
Consequence: THE VEHICLE COULD LOSE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO THE PARK POSITION WOULD NOT LOCK THE WHEELS, AND A PARKED VEHICLE COULD MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY IF THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT SET.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REDESIGNED BOLT.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT · Campaign 99V069000 · May 10, 1999
Defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.