Car Problem DataNHTSA records

Acura CL

Owners filed 586 complaints across 8 model years of the Acura CL. The 2001 drew the most (271).

Model years8
Complaints586
Recalls20
Fires3
Deaths3

Which Acura CL years should you avoid?

Going by 586 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Acura CL years to avoid are 2001.

  • 2001271 complaints, 4.2× a typical CL year, most often about the transmission.

How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →

Every Acura CL model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
20041
0——Air BagsRoutine
200373
5—5Power Train › Automatic TransmissionFatalities reported
200244
2—1Power Train › Automatic TransmissionFatalities reported
2001Avoid271
3213Power Train › Automatic TransmissionFatalities reported
200011
0—1Power Train › Automatic TransmissionRoutine
199949
3—4Power Train › Automatic TransmissionRoutine
199855
512Electrical SystemRoutine
199782
2—5Power Train › Automatic TransmissionRoutine

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.