FaultScore

Acura CL acceleration problems

25 of the 731 complaints filed about the Acura CL are about the throttle and cruise control — 3% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2001.

25

Complaints

3%

Share of all complaints

4

Crashes

0

Fires

Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year

1997 CL 4 16.0%

Median failure at 149,750 miles

1998 CL 5 20.0%

Median failure at 73,500 miles

1999 CL 2 8.0%

Median failure at 92,000 miles

2000 CL 1 4.0%

Median failure at 70 miles

2001 CL 8 32.0%

Median failure at 139,000 miles

2002 CL 4 16.0%

Median failure at 41,000 miles

2003 CL 1 4.0%

Median failure at 48,000 miles

What owners said

1999 Acura CL at 110,000 miles Missouri City, TX Crash 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 ACURA CL. WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND PROCEEDING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE RIGHT, THE VEHICLE TURNED IN THE LEFT DIRECTION. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE LANDED IN A MAN HOLE, WHICH CAUSED THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SHOULDER INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 02/02/16*LJ

NHTSA complaint #10788306 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2001 Acura CL at 139,000 miles Monroe, MI Crash 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ACURA 2001 WAS PARKED ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF A PARKING STRUCTURE. OWNER(DRIVER) BACKED CAR OUT OF ITS PARKING SPOT AT 5:00 P,M, WHEN THE TEMP. WAS 13 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO. AT FIRST OWNER WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY ACCELERATION WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL TO GO FORWARD IN DRIVE, GEAR 5. TAPPED ON GAS PEDAL FOR ACCELERATING AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD WITH ENGINE RACING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. DRIVER WAS TRYING TO DECELERATE THE CAR WHILE STEERING CAR THROUGH THE DESCENDING LEVELS OF THE RAMP. SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT HOLD THE CAR TRIED THROWING IT INTO REVERSE AND NOTHING CHANGED. ON THE FIRST FLOOR DRIVER WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKES SHEARED OFF THE FRONT OF A PICK-UP TRUCK BEFORE SMASHING IN TO THE WALL, WHICH STOPPED THE CAR. DRIVER SUFFERED A BROKEN STERNUM, COLLAR BONE AND L-3 VERTEBRAE FRACTURE IN THE BACK. SPENT TWO DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND 4 WEEKS IN BRACE OFF WORK.

NHTSA complaint #10694131 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2001 Acura CL at 223,000 miles Clifton Forge, VA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TRANSMISSION LOCKUP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE WOULD DROP SPEED FROM 70 MPS TO 10 MPS WITHOUT WARNING IN A MATTER OF SECONDS ALMOST CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL & CRASH WITH CARS FOLLOWING ON HIGHWAY. AS DESCRIBED IN ACURA SERVICE BULLETIN 04-020. CAR WAS FITTED WITH REPAIR PART BUT DID NOT PREVENT IT FROM OCCURRING AGAIN OVER TIME & MILES FROM DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #10664597 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2000 Acura CL at 70 miles Toledo, OH

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS DRIVING ON I75, THE ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK AND CAR STARTED RACING. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STOPPED THE CAR WITH A LOT OF EFFORT ON THE BRAKES, BY WHICH TIME THE ENGINE RPM IS 4000. AFTER I TURNED OFF, I PULLED THE THROTTLE OUT WITH HANDS AND IT SEEMS TO WORKING FINE FOR A BIT. BUT WHEN I STARTED CAR AND DROVE AGAIN THE SAME THING HAPPENED RIGHT AWAY. I PARKED THE CAR AND WILL BE TAKING IT TO THE SHOP VERY SOON.

NHTSA complaint #10567529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

1999 Acura CL at 74,000 miles NEW Britain, CT

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 ACURA CL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE RPMS WOULD INCREASE EXCESSIVELY AND THE VEHICLE WOULD ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE ABNORMALLY. THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED BUT HAD ALSO OCCURRED WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE IDLER VALVE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,550.

NHTSA complaint #10459505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2002 Acura CL Baltimore, MD

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

FOR A COUPLE DAYS MY CAR WOULD BEGIN STALLING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I FELT LIKE IT SLOWED DOWN TO SHIFT OUT OF GEAR BUT NEVER COMPLETELY SHIFTED. THEN, ONE DAY WHEN I WAS DRIVING, ON MY WAY HOME MY CAR SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR COMPLETELY AND I COULDN'T DRIVE FORWARD. MY CAR ONLY ALLOWED ME TO GO IN REVERSE. 2AFTER ALLOWING IT TO SIT FOR A WHILE IT WOULD DRIVE BUT WHILE TRYING TO DRIVE HOME IT CONSTANTLY SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAPPENED AT AN INTERSECTION.

NHTSA complaint #10453834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2001 Acura CL at 86,000 miles Dunn Loring, VA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. "LOST" ACCELERATOR PEDAL. COASTED TO SHOULDER, STOPPED CAR. FOUND THAT PEDAL HAD DROPPED TO FLOOR AND CONNECTOR END OF CABLE WAS HANGING ABOVE PEDAL AREA. ALSO FOUND THAT THE CABLE CONNECTING TO ENGINE JUST AT EDGE OF COVER/HOUSING WAS MISSING. CAR WAS TOWED ON A FLATBED TO THE NEAREST REPAIR FACILITY. ACURA REPAIR PART WAS OBTAINED FROM NEAREST DEALERSHIP AND INSTALLED. CABLE SHOWED SIGNS OF FRAYING AT POINT WHERE IT BROKE. TECHNICIAN SURMISED THAT IT HAD FATIGUED AND THAT THE BREAK WAS INSIDE THE CABLE HOUSING. CAR HAD BEEN GIVEN A COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE AND AN ACURA MULTIPOINT INSPECTION IN MARCH 2011. MOST RECENT MAINTENANCE WAS AN OIL CHANGE AND MULTIPOINT INSPECTION ON 10/22/11.

NHTSA complaint #10439019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

1997 Acura CL at 212,000 miles Duluth, GA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

1997 ACURA CL CUTS OFF/QUITS WHILE DRIVING. IT WILL NOT RESTART AT FIRST BUT AFTER A REST IT WILL RESTART. THIS HAPPENED OVER 6 MONTH PERIOD. THEN IT WOULD NOT START BACK AT ALL. MANY REPAIRS WERE ATTEMPTED WHICH INCLUDED CHANGING FUEL RELAY AND IGNITION SWITCH. CAR IS STILL STALLING UNEXPECTEDLY AND NOW REVS AT INTERVALS WHILE DRIVING. VERY UNRELIABLE AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.

NHTSA complaint #10359194 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

1998 Acura CL at 83,000 miles Sacramento, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

RUNAWAY CAR: I BACKED OUT OF A BUSINESS PARKING SPACE AND BARELY TAPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO MOVE FORWARD. I KNOW I HARDLY TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR BECAUSE I WAS GOINIG TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN ONTO A SIDE STREEET WITH A STOP SIGN. AS SOON AS I TAPPED THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR WENT FORWARD WITH FULL POWER. MY FOOT WENT TO THE BRAKE INSTANTLY BUT THE BRAKES DID NOTHING. MY NIECE AND I FLEW ACROSS THE SIDE STREET, THROUGH A FOOT HIGH CONCRETE BARRIER (BREAKING IT), A HEDGE THEN IN ANOTHER BUSINESS'S PARKING LOT WHERE THE CAR CAME TO AN INSTANT STOP. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND IT WAS OVER. WE WERE NEVER SO SCARED IN OUR LIVES. WE STOPPED JUST SORT OF GOING INTO A STREET FULL OF TRAFFIC. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE ACURA'S ARE NOT LISTED WITH ANY RECALLS. MY FLOOR MATS WERE NOT IN BECAUSE I JUST HAD THE CAR DETAILED SO THEY WERE DAMP. THERE WAS NO MIX UP RE THE BRAKE AND ACCEERATOR PETALS BECAUSE I MOVED MY FOOT TO ANOTHER PETAL. I DON'T KNOW IF THE ACCERATOR WAS DOWN ALL THE WAY, THERE WAS NO TIME TO SEE AS I WAS BUSY TRYING TO STOP THE CAR. IT IS MY BELIEF THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10310346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2003 Acura CL at 48,000 miles Toronto, 00

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT HOLD SPEED. EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NORMAL, THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WOULD GO ON. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE FROM CRUISE CONTROL SEPARATED FROM THE PLASTIC THROTTLE BODY PIECE. IT APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN. INITIALLY THE DEALER JUST PUT A SMALL CLIP AS A TEMPORARY FIX, BUT IT ONLY LASTED A FEW DAYS. THE CRUISE CONTROL CANNOT ENGAGE AND THE COMPANY REFUSES TO ACCEPT THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. EVEN THOUGH UPON CLOSER INSPECTION IT CAN BE SEEN THAT THERE IS NO WAY THE PART COULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY SOMEONE HITTING THE PART. IT CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN THAT THE PART INITIALLY DEFORMED DUE TO VARIOUS STRESSES SUCH AS HEAT (BEING CLOSE TO THE MOTOR), AND WEAR. PICTURES AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER EXPLANATION

NHTSA complaint #10259589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

1997 Acura CL at 87,500 miles Tampa, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE DEALER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

NHTSA complaint #10162423 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2002 Acura CL at 41,000 miles Davie, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

SINCE THE SECOND DAY OF HAVING MY CAR, MY CAR HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY PLAGUED WITH PROBLEMS. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR REPAIR OVER 10 TIMES FOR VARIOUS AND SOMETIMES REPEATING PROBLEMS. THIS ALL HAS OCCURRED WITHIN A THREE YEAR PERIOD. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE THAT HAS HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS. SOME OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN SO SEVERE THAT I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR. ONE OF THESE PROBLEMS WAS MY TRANSMISSION SPONTANEOUSLY DOWNSHIFTING FROM 5TH GEAR TO 2ND GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS CAUSED A TREMENDOUS DECREASE OF SPEED. HAD SOMEONE BEEN IN BACK OF ME, I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, BUT IT CONTINUES TO ACT SPONTANEOUSLY. AFTER MAKING COMPLAINTS DIRECTLY TO ACURA OF AMERICA, I FEEL SNUBBED BY THEM IN THAT THEY HAVE NOT SOUGHT TO ASSIST ME OTHER THAN WARRANTY REPAIRS.

NHTSA complaint #10120061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

1998 Acura CL at 64,000 miles Cumming, GA 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING ON AN OPEN STRETCH OF HIGHWAY, MY 1998 ACURA 3.0CL BEGAN ACCELERATING WITHOUT ME PUSHING DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CAR REACHED A SPEED OF 95 MPH, AND I COULD NOT STOP IT WITH THE BRAKES, THEY WERE COMPLETELY USELESS. I HAD TO SLAM THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK TO MAKE THE CAR SLOW DOWN. WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN TO 60 MPH I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO BRING IT TO A STOP. THE ENGINE WAS WOUND UP AT THIS POINT DUE TO THE ACCELERATOR STILL BEING STUCK. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I AM RETURNING THIS CAR TO ACURA AND MAY BEGIN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AT THIS POINT.

NHTSA complaint #10060569 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2001 Acura CL Washington, DC

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT PROPERLY. WOULD JERK FORWARD AS IF IT WAS DOWN SHIFTING ON ITS OWN. TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF 2ND GEAR. ALSO, RPMS WOULD RUN VERY HIGH. RECENTLY WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT IN TO REVERSE. FELT AS IF THE BRAKES WERE ON. THE DRIVE INDICATOR STARTED FLASHING. TRACTION LIGHT HAD CAME ON WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT AND STAYED ON. PROBLEM HAD STARTED ON 7/7/03. HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP ON 7/11, AND HAD PICKED UP VEHICLE ON 7/18. MECHANIC INDICATED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STILL EXISTS.*AK

NHTSA complaint #10030000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2001 Acura CL Exton, PA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CONSUMER STATES WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO ANY GEAR VEHICLE RESPONSE LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL. WHEN IN 3RD GEAR RPMS REV UP VERY HIGH. TOOK TO DEALER, AND HE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA complaint #10029469 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

1998 Acura CL Angier, NC Crash 2 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND PEDESTRIANS. NO WARNING.

NHTSA complaint #10024369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2002 Acura CL Studio City, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CAR STARTED FREE REVVING AND ERRATICALLY UPSHIFTING AND DOWNSHIFTING WITH HARD JERKS. ALL MALFUNCTION INDICATORS LIT UP. ALMOST LOST CONTROL ON THE FREEWAY. WAS TOLD TRANSMISSION IS SHOT ON A CAR THAT IS A BIT OVER A YEAR OLD AND LESS THAN 000MILES. POOR SERVICE FROM DEALER.

NHTSA complaint #766225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2001 Acura CL Louisville, CO

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

AT 50 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED ACCELERATOR, VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. DEALER DETERMINED THATTRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #8016179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2002 Acura CL Miami, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING THERE WILL BE SUDDEN ACCELARATION WITHOUT APPLYING GAS, ALL LIGHTS ON DASH BOARD LIGHT UP AND VEHICLE WILL NOT GO OVER 1000 RPM. WHICH WAS CAUSED BY TRANSMISSION BEING SHOT.

NHTSA complaint #8008385 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2001 Acura CL Rock Hill, SC

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TOTAL LOSS OF POWER ON ACCELLERATION, CAR UNRESPONSIVE.

NHTSA complaint #759703 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Acura CL problems