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NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1997–2004

Acura CL recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns and 586 owner complaints for the Acura CL, covering model years 1997 to 2004. The 2001 model year drew the most complaints (271), and Power Train is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Acura CL VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

  • 11 recall campaigns on file
  • 586 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
  • 8 model years with data (1997–2004)
  • most complaints: 2001 (271 for that model year)
  • top component: Power Train (325 complaints)
  • latest recall 20V027000 (reported Jan 17, 2020)
  • 31 complaints reporting a crash (5.3%)
  • 3 complaints reporting a fire (0.5%)
  • 23 complaints reporting an injury (3.9%)
  • 3 complaints reporting a death (0.5%)

Acura CL complaints by model year

8 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2001 model year has the most complaints: 271 of 586, or 46.2%. Next come 1997 (82) and 2003 (73). The fewest are for 2004, with 1 complaint.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years
Acura CL owner complaints to NHTSA by model year, 1997–2004Column chart of 586 complaints across 8 model years. The highest is 2001 with 271. The full figures are in the table below the chart.1997: 82 complaints8219971998: 55 complaints5519981999: 49 complaints4919992000: 11 complaints1120002001: 271 complaints27120012002: 44 complaints4420022003: 73 complaints7320032004: 1 complaint12004
Acura CL complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Acura CL complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model yearComplaintsReporting a crashReporting a fireReporting an injuryReporting a death
1997825040
1998552120
1999494030
2000111010
200127113281
2002441001
2003735051
200410000
All model years586313233

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Acura CL components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Power Train is the component named most often, in 325 complaints (55.5% of all 586), followed by Air Bags (77) and Electrical System (61).

Components named most often in Acura CL complaints (top 15)
Components named most often in Acura CL complaints (top 15)
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints
Power Train32555.5%
Air Bags7713.1%
Electrical System6110.4%
Suspension264.4%
Vehicle Speed Control254.3%
Engine and Engine Cooling244.1%
Visibility233.9%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic203.4%
Steering172.9%
Tires152.6%
Engine142.4%
Structure132.2%
Seat Belts111.9%
Equipment101.7%
Unknown or Other91.5%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

  • They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
  • Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
  • Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
  • One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
  • Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Acura CL recalls

11 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name CL, newest first. The 11 campaigns cover model years 1997 to 2003. The 1998 and 2003 model years appear in the most campaigns (5 each).

  • 11 recall campaigns
Acura CL recall campaigns covering each model year
DecadeYears ending in 0Years ending in 1Years ending in 2Years ending in 3Years ending in 4Years ending in 5Years ending in 6Years ending in 7Years ending in 8Years ending in 9
1997: 2 campaigns1998: 5 campaigns1999: 3 campaigns
2000: no campaigns2001: 3 campaigns2002: 2 campaigns2003: 5 campaigns
Highlighted: the model years with the most campaigns.

  1. NHTSA campaign 20V027000

    Reported

    Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module

    Model years 2001–2002

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

  2. NHTSA campaign 20V026000

    Reported

    Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module

    Model years 1998–1999, 2001

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999 Isuzu Oasis vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138 or Isuzu customer service at 1-800-255-6727.

    Filed by Isuzu Motors Limited

  3. NHTSA campaign 19V499000

    Reported

    Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module

    Model year 2003

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are Q5A and Y58.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

  4. NHTSA campaign 19V182000

    Reported

    Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module

    Model year 2003

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

    Consequence:
    An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

  5. NHTSA campaign 15V320000

    Reported

    Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module

    Model year 2003

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238, select option 4. Note: Vehicles that have had their driver frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy prior to September 12, 2014 need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Vehicles that, on or after September 12, 2014, received a remedy for a prior driver frontal air bag inflator recall already received an inflator of a different design, and therefore are not included in this recall and do not require additional servicing. Note: This recall fully supersedes recalls 08V-593, 09V-259, 10V-041, 11V-260, 14V-351 and 15V-153. Honda's numbers for this recall are JQ9, JR0, JR1, JR2, JR3, JR4, JR5, JR6, JR7, and JR8.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

  6. NHTSA campaign 04V176000

    Reported

    Power Train › Automatic Transmission

    Model years 2001–2003

    On some mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.

    Consequence:
    Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
    Remedy:
    On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. On vehicles with more than 15,000 miles, the dealer will inspect the transmission to identify gears that have already experienced discoloration due to overheating. If discoloration exists, the transmission will be replaced if discoloration is not present, the dealer will perform the revision to the oil cooler return line. The recall began on April 21, 2004, for pilot, odyssey, and MDX owners. Owners of the accord vehicles will start receiving letters on June 28, 2004, and on June 29, 2004, for owners of the TL and CL vehicles. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

  7. NHTSA campaign 03V423000

    Reported

    Electrical System › Ignition › Switch

    Model years 1998–1999

    On certain passenger vehicles and mini vans, the ignition switch may wear excessively and prevent proper interlock operation, making it possible to turn the ignition key to the "off" position and remove the key without shifting the transmission to "park."

    Consequence:
    If the vehicle operator does not shift to "park" before removing the key and fails to engage the parking brake, the vehicle could roll and a crash could occur.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will perform an inspection procedure that determines the amount of cylinder body wear. If significant wear is indicated, the dealer will replace the cylinder body, collar, and latch plate. If no signs of wear are indicated, dealers will replace the latch plate with a redesigned part. Owner notification began December 8, 2003. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

  8. NHTSA campaign 02V226000

    Reported

    Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

    Model year 2003

    On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with V6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.

    Consequence:
    If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began August 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

  9. NHTSA campaign 02V120000

    Reported

    Electrical System › Ignition › Switch

    Model years 1997–1999

    On certain sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, and sport utility vehicles, electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is started.

    Consequence:
    Worn contacts could cause the engine to stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the ignition switch. Owner notification began June 14, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

  10. NHTSA campaign 99V069000

    Reported

    Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint

    Model years 1997–1998

    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.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Show 1 more recall

  1. NHTSA campaign 98V018000

    Reported

    Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch

    Model year 1998

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles (Honda Accord sedans manufactured from September 18, 1997 to January 10, 1998; coupes manufactured December 11, December 15, 1997, and January 5, 1998; Acura 2.3CL manufactured October 22, 1997 through January 7, 1998). During manufacturing, the casting die caused an irregularity in the right-side transmission cover. This irregularity can limit the movement of the parking pawl actuation level and prevent adequate engagement of the parking gear pawl. This does not comply with FMVS No. 114, "theft protection."

    Consequence:
    This condition can cause the vehicle to roll down an incline when the transmission is locked in "park," increasing the risk of personal injury and/or property damage.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will install a collar on the transmission parking pawl to ensure proper movement of the actuation lever.

    Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means
What each recall field means
FieldWhat it tells you
Campaign numberNHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
ComponentThe system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
SummaryWhat the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
ConsequenceThe safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
RemedyWhat the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.
  • Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
  • A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
  • Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Acura CL questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Acura CL have?

NHTSA lists 11 vehicle recall campaigns for the Acura CL, covering model years 1997 to 2004. The most recent, 20V027000, was reported on January 17, 2020 and is filed under “Air bags”. The 1998 and 2003 model years are covered by the most campaigns (5 each).

Which Acura CL model year has the most complaints?

The 2001 model year, with 271 of the 586 complaints in NHTSA’s file (46.2%). The next are 1997 (82) and 2003 (73). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Acura CL complaint?

Power Train is the component named most often: 325 complaints, or 55.5% of all 586. Air Bags (77) and Electrical System (61) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Acura CL?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Acura dealer.

How many Acura CL complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 586 complaints, 31 report a crash, 3 a fire, 23 at least one injury and 3 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

Other Acura models

8 models · most complaints first

The Acura models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Acura VIN decoder with every Acura model page, WMI code and VIN note.

  • Acura MDX 2001–2026 · 42 recalls · 3,275 complaints
  • Acura TL 1995–2014 · 25 recalls · 3,118 complaints
  • Acura RDX 2007–2026 · 16 recalls · 2,152 complaints
  • Acura TLX 2012–2025 · 13 recalls · 885 complaints
  • Acura TSX 2004–2014 · 12 recalls · 671 complaints
  • Acura Integra 1995–2026 · 5 recalls · 443 complaints
  • Acura RL 1996–2015 · 20 recalls · 423 complaints
  • Acura ILX 2013–2022 · 11 recalls · 269 complaints

All Acura models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.