Federal complaints
82
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.
Fault profile
Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.
When it fails
The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.
Vehicle age when the failure occurred
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 70 of 82 complaints with a usable failure date.
Known issues
The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.
Power train
20 complaint records
"MY TRANSMISSION ON MY ACURA 3.0 FAILED AFTER ONLY 68,000 MILES. THE DEALER AND ACURA HEADQUARTERS REFUSE TO HANDLE THE ISSUE. *NM..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse power train parts in the directory →
Electrical system
17 complaint records1 crash report
"VEHICLE UNABLE TO START. NO RESPONSE. STARTER MOTOR DEFECTIVE. 2ND REPLACEMENT. 1ST REPLACEMENT OCCURRED IN DEC 2003. *JB..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse electrical system parts in the directory →
Air bags
14 complaint records3 crash reports
"CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*JB *YD..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse air bags parts in the directory →
Recall campaigns
Safety-recall remedies are normally provided at no charge. Under US federal law the mandatory free remedy applies when the vehicle was no more than 15 years old at the time the defect was determined; manufacturers often cover older vehicles voluntarily. Canadian rules differ. Confirm eligibility with the manufacturer using the VIN. Each campaign number links to the federal record.
| Campaign | Component | Summary | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02V120000 | Electrical System | 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. | Normally free |
| 99V069000 | Suspension | 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. | Normally free |
Transport Canada recalls
Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.
| Recall | System | Units (CA) | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002096 2002-05-24 | Electrical | 188,463 | On certain vehicles electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is started. |
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFI20210312_BB64 Mar 2021 | Suspension | This SKU is a bushing kit. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the retail package label for accuracy. If the label is incorrect, the customer may have difficulty locating the desired product. | |
| B98015 Mar 2016 | Equipment | Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated. | |
| B99-040 Dec 2015 | Fuel System | "SERVICE BULLETIN - THIS BULLETIN UPDATES THE TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES FOR DTC P1456 (EVAP CONTROL SYSTEM LEAKAGE [FUEL TANK SYSTEM]) AND DTC P1457 (EVAP CONTROL SYSTEM LEAKAGE[EVAP CANISTER SYSTEM]). | |
| SB-90509 Feb 2013 | Electrical System | ACURA: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. INFORMATION REGARDING PRODUCT UPDATE ON BATTERY SENSOR SYSTEM MAY NOT BEEN COMPLETED ON VEHICLE. NO MODEL YEARS PROVIDED. *PE | |
| SB-0708 Nov 2010 | Tires | ACURA: THERE ARE GUIDELINES FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS AND PROCEDURES INCLUDING: TIRE PRESSURE VALVE STEM INSTALLATION, TRAILER STABILITY MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON, ENGINE OIL APPLICATION GUIDE, NEW SOFTWARE, NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID, NOTCHY STEERING FEELING. *RM |
Show 48 more bulletins
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 090105 Sep 2005 | Equipment | HOMELINK WON'T PROGRAM WITH AFTERMARKET REMOTES. *JB | |
| 01162005 Jan 2005 | Power Train | P1706 A/T SWITCH SHORT OR OPEN. *EH | |
| 04012004 Apr 2004 | Power Train | DON'T TEST-DRIVE WITH THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP OR D INDICATOR ON. ACURA. SERVICENEWS. APRIL 2004. *TT | |
| 01041 Feb 2004 | Engine And Engine Cooling | V6 ENGINE OIL LEAKS. *JB THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES 01-041, DATED 10/29/2001. *TT | |
| 03034 Jan 2004 | Electrical System | SAFETY RECALL: IGNITION SWITCH KEY INTERLOCK. *TT THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES 03/034, DATED 01/15/2004. *TT | |
| 102703 Oct 2003 | Power Train | RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR CERTAIN CLS AND TLS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO ALL SALES, SERVICE AND PARTS MANAGERS. 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... | |
| 091203 Sep 2003 | Electrical System | LETTER TO SERVICE MANAGER REGARDING IGNITION SWITCH RECALL CAMPAIGN. *TT | |
| 1202 Dec 2002 | Power Train | STRAINING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID TO DIAGNOSE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. *TT | |
| 110102 Nov 2002 | Equipment | AIR CONDITIONING (A/C) COMPRESSOR CONTROL LOGIC. ACURA SERVICE NEWS. *TT | |
| 1002 Oct 2002 | Equipment | A/C COMPRESSOR CONTROL LOGIC. OCTOBER TECH LINE INFORMATION. *TT | |
| 99001 Apr 2002 | Visibility | SERVICE BULLETIN INFORMATION REGARDING POWER WINDOWS THAT DO NOT WORK. *TT | |
| 302 Mar 2002 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SOME 2000 MDX MODELS AS WELL AS OTHER MODELS MAY EXHIBIT BRIEF HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGH ENGINE SPEED. *TT | |
| 010302 Mar 2002 | Suspension | SUBJECT REGARDING FRONT SUSPENSION SQUEAKS IN COLD WEATHER. *TT | |
| 102 Jan 2002 | Suspension | SUBJECT REGARDING A SQUEAL NOISE AT FRONT SUSPENSION AT LOW TEMPERATURE. *TT | |
| 99045 Dec 2001 | Engine And Engine Cooling | INFORMATION REGARDING EGR PORT CLOGGING. *YH | |
| 99045 Oct 2001 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SUBJECT REGARDING WARRANTY EXTENSION ON EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION PORT CLOGGING. *JB | |
| 1001 Oct 2001 | Air Bags | SUBJECT REGARDING SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 5-1 THROUGH 8-3, INTERNAL SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM UNIT FAILURE. *YD | |
| 011001 Oct 2001 | Engine And Engine Cooling | INFORMATION ON WARRANTY EXTENSION ON EGR SYSTEM CLOGGING.*JB | |
| 801 Aug 2001 | Power Train | SUBJECT REGARDING ALL MODELS ,EXCEPT SLX, -DTCP0740, LOCK-UP SYSTEM ERROR. *YD | |
| 080101 Aug 2001 | Electrical System | SUBJECT ON SECURITY SYSTEM LAST TRIPPED SENSOR MEMORY. NLM | |
| 01021 Jun 2001 | Unknown Or Other | SUBJECT REGARDING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP COMING ON WITH A/T DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE. *JB | |
| 00029 Mar 2001 | Engine And Engine Cooling | PRODUCT UPDATE REGARDING THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL FOR VEHICLES WITHIN VIN 19UYA1 ... VL000001 THRU 19UYA1 ... VL020752. *TT | |
| 070301 Mar 2001 | Engine And Engine Cooling | INFORMATION PERTAINING TO A COPY OF THE REVISED SERVICE BULLETIN 00-029, PRODUCT UPDATE - FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL WITH TWO NEW LABOR OPERATION NUMBERS ADDED. *TT | |
| 180101 Jan 2001 | Suspension | CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY REPORT FOR THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL UPDATE CAMPAIGN. *TT | |
| 181000 Oct 2000 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SUBJECT REGARDING CL FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE. *TT | |
| 00029 Oct 2000 | Engine And Engine Cooling | ON SOME VEHICLES, THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL MAY BACK OUT OF THE OIL PUMP HOUSING OVER TIME RESULTING IN THE OIL RAPIDLY PUMPING OUT OF THE ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING. *TT | |
| 011000 Oct 2000 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SUBJECT REGARDING P1259 AFTER BARE BLOCK REPLACEMENT FOR 2001 3.2CL, 2001 MDX, 1999 - 2001 3.2TL AND 1997 - 1999 3.0CL MODEL VEHICLES. *TT | |
| 99045 Mar 2000 | Engine And Engine Cooling | PRODUCT UPDATE CAMPAIGN ON REPLACING PCV HOSE ROUTING. *TT | |
| 090199 Sep 1999 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SERVICE MANUAL REVISION MADE TO SHOW 5W-30 MOTOR OIL BEING USED IN THE TIMING BELT AUTO-TENSIONER. *TT | |
| 99018 Aug 1999 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SOME VEHICLES BUILT WITHIN VIN 19UYA2 ... XL005044 AND 19UYA2 ... XL005158 MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INIDCATOR LAMP ON AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0401 (INSUFFICIENT EGR FLOW) IS SET. *TT | |
| 99030 Jul 1999 | Power Train | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A D4 LIGHT THAT BLINKS INTERMITTETLY WHILE DRIVING AND THE TACHOMETER NEEDLE FLUCTUATES DUE TO AN ERROR IN THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. *TT | |
| 060199 Jun 1999 | Power Train | CUSTOMER MAY COMPLAIN OF FAST OR EARLY UPSHIFTS, SHIFT HARSHNESS, DELAY FLARING OR SLIPPAGE. *TT | |
| 99002 Jan 1999 | Seats | SUBJECT REGARDING POWER SEAT MAKING A GROWLING OR RATTLING NOISE. *TT | |
| 99001 Jan 1999 | Visibility | PROCEDURES ON REPAIRING INOPERATIVE POWER WINDOW. *TT | |
| 98024 Nov 1998 | Structure | PRODUCT UPDATE ON HOOD RELEASE CABLE. *YC | |
| 98020 Aug 1998 | Power Train | SOME 2.2CL MODELS MAY EXHIBIT THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON, AND THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE HAS STORED AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SAE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE OF P0740. *TT | |
| 98019 Aug 1998 | Visibility | TOO MUCH CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE WINDOW GUIDE PIN AND REAR CHANNEL GUIDE CAUSING, RATTLE FROM A PARTIALLY OPEN WINDOW WHEN DRIVING ON A ROUGH ROAD. YD | |
| 96-021 Jun 1998 | Visibility | CONDITION WITH MOONROOF SEAL STICKS UP. *YC | |
| 97-002 Jun 1998 | Service Brakes | CONDITIONS WITH BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE ABS MODULATOR. *YC | |
| 97006 May 1998 | Seats | CONDITION WITH DRIVER'S SEAT WALK-IN FEATURE IS INOPERATIVE. *TT | |
| 981301 May 1998 | Unknown Or Other | INVESTIGATING THE KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM REMOTES THAT INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK THE DOORS. *YC | |
| 98013 Apr 1998 | Service Brakes | CONDITION WITH FRONT BRAKE JUDDER. *YC | |
| 98124 Feb 1998 | Structure | EXPERIENCING PAINT PEELING FROM BUMPER. *YC | |
| 98021097-028 Feb 1998 | Unknown Or Other | EXPERIENCING A SQUEAK FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS. *YC | |
| 97011 Mar 1997 | Electrical System | MIL STAYS ON AFTER STARTING. *JD | |
| 97006 Feb 1997 | Seats | DRIVER'S SEAT WALK-IN FEATURE INOPERATIVE. *TW | |
| 97004 Feb 1997 | Power Train | SPEEDOMETER READS HIGH. *TW | |
| 96028 Dec 1996 | Seats | PASSENGER'S SEAT HARD TO RELEASE. *TW |
Before you buy this vehicle
A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.
- Drive it from a dead stop, twice, on a hill if you can.Shudder, hesitation, or a lurch under light throttle is how this vehicle's largest complaint cluster shows itself. Then ask for the transmission service history in writing; repeat repairs are a pattern, not a fluke.
- Sit in it with the engine off and test everything that has a switch.Windows, locks, lights, the cluster, the radio. Electrical faults are this vehicle's story and the hardest to see on a drive: an intermittent no-start waits for the second week of ownership. Ask for the battery's age and whether any control module has been replaced.
- Watch the airbag warning light through a full key cycle.It should light on start and go out within seconds. A light that stays on, or never lights at all, means the system needs attention. Run the VIN for inflator recalls specifically.
- Run the VIN against open recalls before you negotiate.This vehicle has 2 recall campaigns on file. An open recall needs VIN-specific confirmation. Many are quick, no-charge fixes and worth negotiating over; an unresolved do-not-drive advisory, or a remedy the manufacturer has not yet made available, should stop the purchase until it is resolved.
- Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.
Parts search directory
The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.
Open the parts directory for this Acura CL →