- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- 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.
- The fix
- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2002 Acura RL Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 59 complaints about the 2002 Acura RL with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (20) and the airbags (18). Those complaints describe 1 crash. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in January 2020 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2001 has 25 and the 2003 has 14.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical RL year, for its age
#145 most complained-about 2002 vehicle
- Complaints
- 59
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2002 Acura RL problems
Share of all 59 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2002 Acura RL recalls 2
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
- On certain passenger vehicles, during the manufacturing process, oil was applied to the brake pedal assembly to prevent rust. This oil can leak into the brake stop switch and contaminate the electrical contacts.
- The risk
- Eventually, the brake lights will not illuminate when the brakes are applied, which increases the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will clean any excess oil from the pedal assembly and replace the stop switch. Owner notification began may 16, 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 acura at 1-800-382-2238.
What owners say
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59 complaints about the 2002 Acura RL
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 3.
About 2013 the 2000 acura rl vsa and abs lights came on then the tilt on the steering wheel up and down stop working then the srs lights and seat belts light came on and want go off. So from then till now I have spent about 15k to correct the vsa and abs issues. Replace rotors bearing wheel sensor tires rack and pinion ball joints and power steering pressure hose. But I found out that the problem is the driver side motor mount. Cost is 100 for the part. The part to fix the issue is discontinued. I talk to daisy at...
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acura corporation relations and disagreed with the answer because the motor mount is a common problem for acura 3.5rl because the angle sensor can not be connected with out replacing the driver door side motor mount I gave her the part number from acura warehouse parts and she couldn't the part and told me it was discontinued part number 50815-sz3-033. There is no refund for the trouble that this part has cost me. The high pressure power steering switch is also discontinued. The navigation and security door locks are also not working no communication with onstar.
This is a continuation complaint with national cemter for dispute settlement to fix safty issues and discontinued parts. The car is not 40 years old and i cannot find a maintenance repair book. The power door locks are coming on and off and the fob key do not work Sutton acuta in macon said it needs the antenna but the antenna is discontinued. The navigation system doesn't work because the 6 chamger dvd in the trunk is not working with no electrical tech support from on star. ABS VSA TRACHION CONTROL IS ON for...
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motr tan 3 years but the VSA switch is discontinued part. The SRS light was turn off at the nally acura in Marietta but they came back on and been on for 3 or 5 years. The car is not safe for driving after spending 10000 dollars to repair the same issue. This is my frustration with safty and no support.
Rack and pinion replacement. Exterior issues: rear bumper felled off; gasoline cover won't closed; door handles falling off; fuel pump needs replacement
I recieved a notice of recall about the air bags more than 10 months ago and dealer says they do not have part yet. When will the part be in? We don't want to wait until their is a problem.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v027000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Bobby rahal acura (6694 carlisle pike, mechanicsburg, pa 17050 (717) 790-6000) was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Acura dealership said takata airbag part would take 1 year to come in. Obviously this is dangerous and unacceptable. What is the workaround? Is there a class action lawsuit?
THERE'S A RECALL ON MY CAR AIRBAGS
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v027000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the steering warning light was illuminated. The contact called acura of augusta (1760 gordon hwy, augusta, ga 30904, (706) 426 9817) where it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure milage was unknown. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v027000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. *Bf*jb
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v027000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. A dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. *Ln*jb
I received letter march 2020 notifying me of safety recall for airbag module and inflator- manufacturer recall number h6s, nhtsa recall number 20v-027 for my 2002 acura 3.5 Rl. The letter stated I was to wait for replacement parts to be prepared and I would receive a follow up letter when said parts were available and then I was to call an acura dealership and make an appointment. It is now june 2020 and I have not received a follow up letter. I've searched on the honda and acura website for any kind of remedies,...
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because the letter states 'the airbag inflator could rupture during deployment, with metal fragments possibly striking the driver or passengers, increasing the risk of serious injury or death.' I entered my vin on both websites recall searches- which turned up nothing. There's no indication of a solution or time frame. I have been fortunate enough to not have an accident of any kind, but I don't have another vehicle to drive- so I'm just crossing my fingers. It's been 60 days since this letter, and I was instructed to wait before contacting a dealer with this. *Tr
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v027000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Acura of columbus (4340 dublin grandville rd, dublin, oh 43017), was contacted and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v056000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. An unknown dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. *Js
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v027000 (air bags) however the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to acura of salem (2475 commercial st se, salem, or 97302), and was rejected to be serviced due to the part not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v027000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. A dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. *Bf*jb
Doors lock when inside, sitting stationary, and can't get them to unlock from drivers position. Passenger may need to get out to use key to unlock from outside.
"Takata recall" the vehicle was traveling in city at approximately 10mph. I had just finished gasing up. As I was driving I noticed the srs light was illuminated. Once arriving home, I began to research and troubleshoot the issue. I came up with 2 codes. The first was 3-5, and the second was 1-1. 3-5 Was pertaining to a ground for the seatbelt pretensioner, driver's side. 1-1 Was pertaining to a module for an airbag. I can't remember which side. As aforementioned, the research I did confirmed there were some recalls pertaining to the air bag system. If someone could please get back to me regarding these matters as soon as feasible it would be greatly appreciated!
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact stated that the air bag indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The manufacturer issued eight tsbs on the air bags, but no air bag recalls. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 201,373.
I saw on tv there is a possible recall on takata airbags on my car.
The adjustable steering column quit working in a position that isn't good for me to drive, you can't buy a part to fix this you have to replace the steering column. This is a $2,500.00 Repair. It is not safe to drive in the position it quit working for me. I feel acura should fix this or replace it with a column that can be repaired instead of replacing the whole column. This could be a serious safety issue. The vehicle was stationary when I tried to adjust it.
Initial problem; srs light , advised by acura techs problem was faulty opds occupant position detection system and possibly opds sensor. (Safety issue) 10/14/15. Since that time air bag inop light has also deployed
I have purchased this vehicle and upon examination noticed that there is a common problem with the telescoping mechanism in the steering column. I did a search of this problem online and found that this is a fairly common issues with these vehicles and may be well known by the manufacture as they do not sell the individual piece to fix this issue but instead sell the whole column as a unit which is $2500. The problem exist because they managed to merge plastic and metal together to create a screw-drive motor in the steering column. *Tr
Srs indicator is on at dashboard. Checked with the dealer , switch is defective. Its a safety item, should work through the life of the car. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 acura rl. The contact was driving 45-50 mph when the srs light illuminated. The dealer advised that the vehicle would need an occupant position detection system. The dealer replaced the occupant position detection system. The failure recurred within eight months. The dealer then advised the contact to cycle the ignition faster to correct the failure and reprogrammed the computer to deactivate the srs light. The contact was concern that with the reprogramming of the computer, the air bag may not deploy in the event of a crash. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 69,000. Updated 01/03/11
CAR STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS. *TR
Acura RL: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 32 | 8 | D |
| 2005 | 125 | 11 | F |
| 2004 | 11 | 0 | B |
| 2003 | 14 | 1 | C |
| 2002 | 59 | 2 | D |
| 2001 | 25 | 2 | C |
| 2000 | 70 | 4 | F |
| 1999 | 38 | 2 | D |
| 1998 | 11 | 3 | B |
2002 Acura RL vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Acura RL | 59 | 2 | D | |
| 2002 Acura TL | 350 | 7 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Acura MDX | 223 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2002 Acura RSX | 93 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2002 Acura CL | 61 | 2 | C | Compare |
| 2002 Acura NSX-T | 17 | 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 2002 Acura RL
Does the 2002 Acura RL have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2002 Acura RL: inflator module (January 2020); switch (May 2002). 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 2002 Acura RL?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (20), airbags (18), engine & cooling (7).
How many complaints has the 2002 Acura RL had?
59 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on May 1, 2001 and the latest on October 23, 2024. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2002 Acura RL a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 25 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Acura RL 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 RL years have the most complaints?
2005 (125), 2000 (70), 2002 (59). See every Acura RL year compared.
What should I do if my 2002 Acura RL 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