- 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
2003 Acura RL Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 2003 Acura RL with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (8) and the wheels & tires (2). Those complaints describe 2 crashes and 4 injuries. It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in January 2020 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2002 has 59 and the 2004 has 11.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical RL year, for its age
#220 most complained-about 2003 vehicle
- Complaints
- 14
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes
- 2
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 4
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2003 Acura RL problems
Share of all 14 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2003 Acura RL recalls 1
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
What owners say
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14 complaints about the 2003 Acura RL
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 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. Lester raines honda (5102 maccorkle avenue sw, south charleston, wv 25309, (304) 768-1251) was contacted and informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
I received a recall notice in march and was told to park my car. I did for 9 months, forced to buy another car. Acura refused to provide a rental. We filed a class-action suit. Acura required an inspection of the airbags/inflator. I received an invoice I could not understand and called the dealer. They refused to return five messages, and when we I reached them they wouldn't tell me what items on the invoice meant, saying they were not allowed to, and that I had to call acura. I called acura and they told me to...
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call the dealer. The invoice mentioned a disconnected air bag and a faulty module. Both of those items put me and my passengers in danger. There was a reference to 'increased pressure in the airbag deflator.' I felt I deserved an explanation because I don't know if increased pressure is a good thing or a bad thing. The acura rep told me she was not allowed to give me any information. After some pressure she told me they could not access the dealer information. Upon pressure, she read me some house information that said the control module is faulty and that they replaced the inflator, among other things. I asked her to repeat that. Again she used the word replaced. 'Replaced' is very different from 'inspected.' I asked for a copy of that documentation, but she refused. I think there's a possibility that I actually had the faulty inflator, but they replaced it and reported that to acura, and then simply sent an invoice to me and my attorney showing the car had been inspected. I think they thought that once everybody saw it has been inspected, that would be the end of the issue and the class action suit. Regardless, they behaved egregiously, my car is in the same shape, if not worse, than it was before the inspection, my passengers and I remain in danger, and I fear driving the car even more than I did before. I deserve better than this and I want some answers.
2003 Acura rl. Consumer writes in regards to driver frontal airbag safety recall. *Ld the consumer stated the manufacturer did not make a reasonable attempt to assist with the 500 mile round trip to an authorized dealer. The manufacturer was no longer authorizing local dealerships to complete recalls. *Js
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 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 the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to acura of westchester (2155 palmer ave, larchmont, ny 10538, (914) 834-2222) and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 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. Phil smith acura (940 n federal hwy, pompano beach, fl 33062, (954) 785-7100) was contacted and it was confirmed that the remedy part was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
The ignition immobilizer defective. When the car is in park and I try to start it I put the key in the ignition and wait for the green light in the shape of a key to go out on the panel - then I turn the key. The ignition does not always recognize the key and so the immobilizer is activated. When that happens the car either starts and shuts right off or it just will not start at all. On more than one occasion I have been alone after dark and unable to start my car and leave. I have a type 1 diabetic grandchild...
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that I watch and I am very fearful of not being able to get him what he needs because of this issue. I purchased 2 new keys and it is acting up even worse now. I googled the problem and saw that this is not an uncommon problem. I found another complaint on this site.
Was driving on interstate 71 north, at the posted speed limit (70) when the car stopped running. All dash warning lights came on. The engine stopped running, so all of the power-assist stopped working. I pulled to the side of the road, came to a complete stop, turned off the ignition and tried to restart the car. I turned the ignition key and the car started and ran without any problems. This has now happened 6 more times. The most recent time was after 6pm on monday june 22nd. This time, after restarting the car,...
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the check engine light stayed on. I took the car to my local service garage and they diagnosed the faulty ignition switch. I have checked numerous sites on the internet and found many other people have had the same issue with honda and acura products. I contacted acura, to see if there had ever been a recall, they told me there had not. I am shocked to learn that hundreds if not thousands of people have had their cars stop running, with no notice, and there has been no action by the manufacturer!!
Side airbag indicator goes on and stays on intermittently. Happens almost always. Reported to dealer several times. Dealer can't find anything wrong. Believe side air bags are not functional when light is on. Started after dealer servicing about sept., 2003 And continues to this day. *Tr
We were traveling west on route 76 in my 2003 acura mdx just outside denver colorado. Debris came across the road. The driver swerved to avoid the debris. We then swerved back to straighten out. The back end of the car broke loose onto the median. The car then rolled once, flipped up into the air and revolved three times and landed upright. The back seat passenger was ejected and miraculously just bruised. The driver was only bruised as well. The passenger however was taken to two local hospitals and has a broken...
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neck and many lacerations on his head. None of the airbags went off and the car was very difficult to get control of and to steer during this accident. Did all the safety equipment in this car function the way it was designed to? *Jb
Vehicle skidded-hit divider-passenger airbag deployed-driver airbag did not. *Ak
We have an '03 mdx with just about 6k miles on it. Around 4.2K we started noticing the thud. Mostly just when we're breaking. So today my wife goes in and they are nice about it, but say it's "just the way the mdx is..." They give her some "service news" bulletin that says: "some brake click is normal - on any acura vehicle, clearance between the brake caliper brackets and the ends of the brake pad backing plates can cause the pads to hit the caliper brackets when you first apply the brakes in a new direction of...
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travel (for example: backing up, applying the brakes, then driving forward and applying the brakes). The clicking you hear is a normal characteristic of the brake system; the clearance is there to allow for heat expansion an / or corrosion of the pads." This has got to be bs in the case of the clunk / thud noise. I've got two friends with mdx's and no [[redacted]] noise... Anyone care to comment? I'm considering taking ours in myself and see if I get the same run around. *Ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
There should be a ban on the hid front bright beams on cars for traffic safety. I have many friends and family who have all stated their disgust with the lights as being a road hazard. Many times on two-lane highways you can't even see the car in front of you because the car approaching has those lights. The manufacturers should be banned from selling the cars with the lights and replace, at their cost, for any vehicles that have them on currently. *Ak
The vehicle skidded, when the consumer changed lanes. Dealer will be notified. *Ak the vehicle skidded and turned 180 degrees. *Scc *jb
While parking the right front tire hit a section of curbing that was extended from the next section of curbing, there was a hissing sound and consumer then discovered the tire was flat, consumer was informed that the tire needed to be replaced because the sidewall was broken.*Yh
Acura RL: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 20 | 7 | D |
| 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 |
2003 Acura RL vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Acura RL | 14 | 1 | C | |
| 2003 Acura TL | 397 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Acura MDX | 212 | 13 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Acura CL | 79 | 5 | D | Compare |
| 2003 Acura RSX | 31 | 4 | D | 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 RL
Does the 2003 Acura RL have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2003 Acura RL: inflator module (January 2020). 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 RL?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (8), wheels & tires (2), brakes (1).
How many complaints has the 2003 Acura RL had?
14 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on July 18, 2002 and the latest on March 8, 2021. Of these, 2 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 4 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2003 Acura RL a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 54 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as 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 2003 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