Acura RL
Owners filed 423 complaints across 18 model years of the Acura RL. The 2005 drew the most (125); the 2012 the fewest (1).
Model years18
Complaints423
Recalls76
Fires8
Deaths0
Every Acura RL model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2012 | 1 | 6 | — | — | Exterior Lighting | Routine | |
| 2011 | 3 | 6 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2010 | 9 | 7 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2009 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2008 | 13 | 6 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2007 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 32 | 8 | 1 | 3 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2005 | 125 | 11 | 1 | 4 | Exterior Lighting | Routine | |
| 2004 | 11 | 0 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2003 | 9 | 1 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2002 | 43 | 2 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2001 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2000 | 59 | 4 | — | 5 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1999 | 24 | 2 | 1 | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1998 | 11 | 3 | — | — | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 1997 | 19 | 2 | — | 2 | Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint | Routine | |
| 1996 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls | Routine |
Which Acura RL years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2005 is the weakest year on record, with 125 complaints concentrated in the exterior lighting. It carries 11 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.