Acura RL
Owners filed 423 complaints across 18 model years of the Acura RL. The 2005 drew the most (125).
Model years18
Complaints423
Recalls76
Fires8
Deaths0
Which Acura RL years should you avoid?
Going by 423 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Acura RL years to avoid are 2005.
- 2005125 complaints, 2.5× a typical RL year, most often about the headlights.
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 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 | |
| 2005Avoid | 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 |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.