- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2003 Acura CL Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 79 complaints about the 2003 Acura CL with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (36) and the airbags (11). Those complaints describe 7 crashes, 9 injuries and 1 death. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in June 2019 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2002 has 61 and the 2004 has 1.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical CL year, for its age
#137 most complained-about 2003 vehicle
- Complaints
- 79
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 7
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 9
- Deaths
- 1
Most common 2003 Acura CL problems
Share of all 79 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2003 Acura CL recalls 5
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- 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.
- The fix
- 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- 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.
- The fix
- 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
- The fix
- 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- 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.
What owners say
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79 complaints about the 2003 Acura CL
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 4.
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.
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.
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?
I have an SRS light illuminated on my dashboard. Upon researching this, it is apparently a sensor issue which, when the light is on, indicates that the sensor in the seat - belt is malfunctioning, and this will keep the air bags from deploying. This of course is a serious safety issue. Also, in reviewing the warranty information, it states that all seat-belt issues are under a lifetime warranty. I'm wondering if you could provide confirmation of this. Thank you, [[redacted]] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) Randal Steadman
Subframe rusted through on the passenger side where the cause is a manufacturer defect of condensation from the air conditioning dripping directly above onto the subframe on the passenger side, which created a perforation of the passenger side subframe. Subframe holds the suspension and steering components together and if the passenger side frame from the manufacter defect were to break traveling at highway speed, the car would loose control and cause accidents. The vehicle was inspected at an independent facility and is ready to be inspected again upon request.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura cl. While driving 45 mph, the contact heard an abnormal grinding noise coming from the vehicle. Also, while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle shut off. The contact pulled over, turned the vehicle off and on, and it resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the sensor for the driveshaft three and four gear cable failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure...
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recurred. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 04v176000 (power train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in the recall. The manufacturer provided case number: 10011555. The failure mileage was approximately 1,054.
I am unable to open drivers side door from inside or outside. Car still locks and unlocks like normal, so I don't believe that the actuator is at fault. The control arms for both handles are intact & seem to function as normal. I am assuming that either the latch mechanism is stuck, jammed, or otherwise dysfunctional. The vehicle was stationary when it happened, and the door itself isn't damaged/impacted. I live in atlanta, ga, so the latch isn't frozen. I am aware that this is an older model (2003), however in the...
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past I have cleaned & lubricated the latch/lock mechanism. It is extremely difficult to figure out how to fix this problem when the door is unable to be opened, and in this model, it isn't possible to completely remove door panel without damage. It is a safety hazard to be unable to open 1 of 2 doors, especially being that it's the drivers side. I have yet to be able to find anyone knowledgeable of this situation, and haven't come across any solution online.
Acura says they guarantee all parts of the safety belt for the use of a lifetime of the car. Car has 120000 miles on it. I have intermittent buckling issues and srs airbag switch is bad inside a sealed safety belt. Could easily be remedied if it wasn't a sealed unit. They say they won't fix it because it's a canadian car even though it's spent 100% of its owned life in the united states. They want an excessive amount of money, over $400 to fix it. I feel my safety is being held hostage by this excessive amount and...
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I can't even do it myself because my electric seats won't work if I try, only factory software can reset them so they work. I know this is a known problem but I don't understand why I'm being discriminated against because I have a canadian made car. I know they have to pass all the same production regulations for safety to enter the united states whether they're made in canada or here. What I'm really hoping for is that the government would try to put a stop to this corporate greed of engineering products poorly and not following through with a fix and trying to profit off of people that don't have that much money. I would be willing to pay for this fix if they would provide it at a fair price. The safety belt probably cost them no more than $20 but by the time everyone makes their profit and it comes to me and then add the labor together we're over $400 to have my safety back when they say that they guarantee their safety belts for life in the united states. It is in my owner's manual, and you can find this information online. I was hoping that they would be issued a major fine to make it so they don't treat other customers this way as well. I know there are probably reasons to seal a safety belt so that it is not tampered with but they used to make specialty tools so we could be accessed easily for cleaning and changing of these inexpensive switches.
Upon removing my front right (passenger side) wheel to check my brake pads, I noticed the rear portion of the sub-frame (which holds up the engine and transmission as well as the steering rack and sway bar) had rusted away allowing the sway bar to come completely loose on the right side. I researched this problem and found that many late 1990s and early 2000 honda/acura models (primarily honda accords, acura tl and cl models) had this issue due to the poorly designed air-conditioning condenser drain that drained...
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right on top of this part, causing an extreme rust condition. (The left (driver's) side of this part still looks like new and is sound) if I had not found this extremely dangerous situation, it may have caused a loss of steering control resulting in a potentially serious accident. I feel that these cars should be subject to a recall. I am in the process of having this part replaced (a repair of this part is not possible, it must be a full replacement), I will retain the removed part for inspection after removal should you desire to see it. I have attached some photos showing the deterioration as best I could. (I'm sorry the photos are not better, it's a difficult area to reach with a camera)
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura cl. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently shut off without warning. The contact had to add starter fluid to the vehicle in order to get it to drive. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 02v120000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 278,000.
I bought a used acura and on the way home on the highway the car suddenly down shifted violently several times causing the car to skid sideways .I pulled over and the car would not shift out of 3rd gear.Eventully I got it to reset and it drove fine for 35 minutes until once again it locked up doing 65mph.
Engine cradle is totally broken in half. The car is unsafe to drive & it is all I have. Only 120,000 miles on it, was this a defect on your part? I need help. This repair includes removing engine, transmission, from car to access engine cradle. The cost is over $1500.00 Dollars. I truly thought I was buying a quality car! I have no idea how long I have been driving this highly unsafe vehicle of yours!! It also lurches forward at times when I press on the brake. I'm making payments on it & now must borrow again to repair this car. Please get back to me on this asap.
The driver's side hid light went out. I paid to get the ballast and inverter replaced. Less than 3 weeks later, the passenger side went out; same issue. Since then, I have personally talked to 4 people with the exact same story. They also fixed the driver's light but not the passenger due to the cost. A service man at the acura store told me he has a friend with the same car as mine, same issue. Also, he has had "quite a few customers" go thru the same thing. In, addition, I have seen 3 cars with the passenger...
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headlight out in my area. It seems to me that if I have come across 12-17 people with the same hid headlight issues within a 15 mile radius, and this was the first year these lights were installed, there is obviously a problem with them and there should be a recall. A
I was riding on the highway when the engine went into high rpm's and the car was slowing down. The automatic transmission went out. I barely got to the side of the road without power. The car only has 77,248 miles on it. There was acura service bulletin 02-027 feb 5, 2008, about tranmission problems. Very scarey!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura cl. While driving 45 mph and attempting to brake, the contact felt a vibration in the steering wheel and brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to four dealers. One dealer diagnosed that the brakes needed to be replaced; however, the contact stated that nothing failed and she did not know what the cause of the failure. Another dealer diagnosed that the rear rotors could be warped and needed to be replaced. The other two dealers also diagnosed that there was an issue with the brakes....
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The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that they could not assist. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000. ..Updated 06/21/17 *bf *as
Check engine light eliminated, vsa light comes on and d5 light flashes while driving after transmission warms up., Car wont shift into 4th or 5th gear rpms wind up real high have to pull over turn off engine then restart to drive only short distance before it starts doing the same thing. The vehicle was driving on the freeway at approx. 65 Mph when car suddenly started downshifting on its own causing me to almost crashed when I was jerked to the side of the road. *Tr
Going 5 mph in parking lot, coasting to a stop at end of aisle with foot off throttle pedal. Put foot on brake and the engine revved to high speed. Barely held car with brake. Shut off ignition. Car restarted fine. This was the second time in a week it had happened. Previous incident was on a residential street coming to a stop at a stop sign. Acura dealer and acura techline say the problem can't happen because the throttle control is a hard cable, no electronics involved.
Erratic/raised engine idle caused by worn idle air control valve creates a condition where engine idle is suddenly higher than 2000rpm in gear which results/resulted in unintended acceleration (vehicle speeds up with no accelerator pedal input) and the engine is more powerful than the braking system (with vehicle in drive gear, brake pedal to the floor, vehicle will still move forward.) Condition happens to my vehicle when engine is normal operating temperature, with warm to hot ambient temperatures, on any road condition.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura cl. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and crashed. The contact sustained injuries that did not require medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v176000 (power train). The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura cl. The contact stated that nhtsa campaign number: 15v320000 (air bags) exceeded a reasonable amount of time for repair. The dealer stated that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the delay. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura cl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v351000 (air bags) and stated that the parts were not available. The dealer did not provide a specific date for when the parts would become available. The manufacturer was contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repairs. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 4/15/15*cn the consumer stated the air bag issue was resolved. Updated 04/16/15*jb
Air bags failed to deploy after vehicle skid on black ice crashing into a series of trees causing major front end damage. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura cl. The contact stated that when the vehicle was being serviced, the technician discovered that the subframe was rusted. The technician stated that the subframe needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
Http://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=lietynxgjjc airbags failed to deploy. Above is the link showing the car and the airbags intact......Updated 12/15/15 *bf
Transmission failed despite the car having the factory recommended service for the transmission being performed at 60k and 89k. The transmission dropped into 2nd while on the highway at 65mph. Upon investigating it was found the car was part of a class action due to transmission failure, but I was not eligible since the car was out of the extended warranty period. *Tr
Acura CL: every year compared
All CL years2003 Acura CL vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Acura CL | 79 | 5 | D | |
| 2003 Acura TL | 397 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Acura MDX | 212 | 13 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Acura RSX | 31 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Acura RL | 14 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Acura NSX-T | 6 | 0 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2003 Acura CL
Does the 2003 Acura CL have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2003 Acura CL: inflator module (June 2019); inflator module (March 2019); inflator module (May 2015); automatic transmission (April 2004) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Acura CL?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (36), airbags (11), wheels & tires (7).
How many complaints has the 2003 Acura CL had?
79 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on June 24, 2002 and the latest on October 2, 2025. Of these, 7 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 9 injuries and 1 death.
Is the 2003 Acura CL a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 31 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Acura CL year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Acura CL years have the most complaints?
2001 (270), 1997 (82), 2003 (79). See every Acura CL year compared.
What should I do if my 2003 Acura CL has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data