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...
1997-2004 · 8 model years
Acura CL Problems by year
Owners have filed 608 complaints about the Acura CL across 8 model years, and it has 11 recalls. The 2001 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (270), while 2000, 2004 have far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain, followed by the airbags.
- Complaints
- 608
- Recalls
- 11
- Crashes
- 33
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 29
- Deaths
- 3
CL complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common CL problems
Acura CL recalls 11
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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."
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...
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.
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.
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...
Latest CL complaints
I purchased this vehicle in March 2021 and noticed the issue with the transmission the first time I operated the vehicle. There is a grinding sound whenever the transmission is placed in third gear. I brought the car to Acura by Executive in Wallingford, CT at some point in 2021 to enquire about the issue. I was informed by the service advisor that the problem is a known issue but because there is no recall on the issue and the vehicle is out of warranty Acura is not required to resolve it. Recently I came across...
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service bulletin 08-018 and noticed where it stated that after warranty expiration a repair may be eligible for goodwill consideration. I called Acura Customer Service, was given case #15843108, and told to acquire a formal diagnosis from an Acura dealership. The diagnosis from Acura of Berlin in Berlin, CT verified that the symptoms were the result of the faulty transmission as described in the TSB. I submitted this information to Acura Customer Service and was informed on September 29, 2025, that due to the age of the vehicle Acura will not compensate me fully or partially for the repair. In my view, although this is an older vehicle, it has low mileage at 102.000 miles and is therefore expected to be on the road for many years. The transmission only grinds at this point, but it may start to pop out of third gear in the future as described in the TSB. I consider this a safety issue in that the transmission popping out of gear unexpectedly would result in some loss of control of the vehicle. I don't expect Acura to fully compensate me for this repair but in light of this problem being a known and documented issue with this vehicle and all the parts for repair are still available I would expect that Acura would stand by its product and offer to contribute to the total cost of this repair.
I have a safety concern. When my vehicle was assembled, someone decided to have the workers not remove the protective film from the plastic screen on the navigation system that would typically be released. I assume this saved money and time during production. However, that film has deteriorated and crinkled over time, making it difficult to see the screen, especially at night. This does not seem acceptable, and I have been told that the remedy is costly, which upset me as removing the film should have been part of the assembly procedure.
In and around July 2024 my Acura cl started to have erratic shifting and locking up at highways speeds the vehicle is so unsafe to drive I cannot get the air bags fixed it shifts from 5th gear to 2nd gear in 2004 a remedy was applied to the transmission to aid and fix the downshifting issues and overheating issues the vehicle does have these problems and was not repaired correctly in 2004 by Acura I called Honda/acura and they are not willing to replace or fix the transmission
There is a major issue with the relay under the steering wheel blocking the fuel from the pump going to the engine. This also affects the security system as well as the rack and pinion. The vehicle security turns itself on and off as it pleases, often leaving driver/passengers stranded and sometimes with the alarm not shutting off. This is after having keys re-programmed and most parts replaced for a hefty price tag. Due to this, the vehicle will only start at times. I've seen several similar complaints and taken it to many costly mechanics. I paid $7,000 for this vehicle a couple of years ago but only got to drive it a few times because there is always an issue that can't be fixed.
The contact owned a 2001 Acura CL. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, there was a vehicle driving toward the contact's driver's side that ran the red light and crashed into the front of the vehicle. The entire front of the vehicle was damaged. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belt restraint system did not operate. The contact was treated for a back muscle injury and it was unknown if the other driver sustained injuries. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where the...
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contact was informed the vehicle was a total loss. The vehicle was towed to the junkyard. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 262,515.
My 2003 3.2cls Acura had an airbag recall in in 2016. My vehicle was supposedly repaired at this time. However, recently my SRS light has been on requiring me to take my car to an Acura dealer. The dealer believes my steering wheel air bag has a faulty air inflator, which they claim is out of warranty and may require me to pay $3000 to repair. I do not understand how the manufacturer of the airbag/inflator can avoid repairing this. Shouldn't an airbag last longer than 8 years? What if everyone had to replace their airbags every eight years?
Questions about the Acura CL
Which Acura CL years have the most problems?
Which Acura CL years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common Acura CL problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the transmission & drivetrain (334), airbags (78), electrical system (60) most often.
How many recalls does the Acura CL have?
NHTSA lists 11 recalls across all Acura CL model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data