Acura Tl vs Lexus Es
Head-to-head reliability comparison from 4,877real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.
Which is more reliable, Acura Tl or Lexus Es?
Verdict from 4,877 NHTSA complaints
Lexus Es wins this comparison overall. Lexus Es comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 1131% lower complaint rate. The Acura Tl edges ahead on crash-involvement rate and fire-involvement rate. Both models share the same most-reported issue: airbags.
Head-to-Head Metrics
Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.
Lexus Es wins by 1131%
Acura Tl wins by 231%
Acura Tl wins by 107%
Lexus Es wins by 48739%
NHTSA Crash Test Ratings
Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.
Acura Tl
2014 model yearLexus Es
2025 model yearNot yet rated by NHTSA NCAP.
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.
Complaint Volume — Year by Year
Sales-volume data not available for both models — showing raw complaint counts. Higher-volume models will appear higher even when reliability is comparable.
Most Reported Problems
Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.
Year-by-Year Head-to-Head
Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Acura Tl vs Lexus Es — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.
Which is more reliable, the Acura Tl or the Lexus Es?
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Lexus Es wins this comparison overall. Lexus Es comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 1131% lower complaint rate. The Acura Tl edges ahead on crash-involvement rate and fire-involvement rate. Both models share the same most-reported issue: airbags. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Should I buy a Acura Tl or a Lexus Es?
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On reliability data alone, the Lexus Es is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.
What problems do the Acura Tl and Lexus Es share?
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Top complaints for the Acura Tl: Airbags, Automatic Transmission, Structural Problems. Top complaints for the Lexus Es: Airbags, Unintended Acceleration, Electrical Faults. Both models share airbags as their top reported issue. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Acura Tl or the Lexus Es?
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Across all model years, the Acura Tl has 4,046 NHTSA complaints and the Lexus Es has 831. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Lexus Es has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/acura/tl/vs/lexus/es
Which is safer in a crash, the Acura Tl or the Lexus Es?
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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Acura Tl 5.5% vs Lexus Es 18.2% — the Acura Tl has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.
Does the Acura Tl or the Lexus Es have more fires?
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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Acura Tl 1.50% vs Lexus Es 3.10%. The Acura Tl has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/acura/tl and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/lexus/es
What years of the Acura Tl are worse than the Lexus Es?
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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/acura/tl/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/lexus/es/{year}.
Where does this Acura Tl vs Lexus Es comparison data come from?
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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Related Reliability Comparisons
Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Tl or Es also look at:
Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI
A model average can't see the car you're buying.
Even the Lexus Es has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Deep-dive into either model: