What is the worst year for a Acura RL?

The 2000 Acura RL has the worst FaultScore of any year of this model, with 79 complaints filed with NHTSA, most of them about the airbags.

What is the best year for a Acura RL?

The 1998 Acura RL has the cleanest record of the graded years, with 16 complaints on file.

What breaks most often on a Acura RL?

Airbags accounts for more complaints than any other part on the Acura RL.

Worst years for a Acura RL

Owners have filed 525 complaints about the Acura RL with NHTSA across model years 1996 to 2015. More of them are about the airbags than anything else.

Avoid

2000 Acura RL

79 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly airbags.

Cleanest on record

1998 Acura RL

16 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Acura RL year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

26 24 16 26 79 12 54 11 16 153 39 24 14 14 10 3 1 3

96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 15

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

Year	Grade	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Median miles	Most reported
2015	—	3	0	0	—	Engine & Cooling
2012	—	1	0	0	—	Lights
2011	—	3	0	0	—	Engine & Cooling
2010	B	10	1	0	—	Airbags
2009	C	14	4	1	17,000	Airbags
2008	C	14	1	0	33,754	Airbags
2007	C	24	1	1	34,750	Airbags
2006	D	39	3	1	48,000	Airbags
2005	D	153	4	1	74,000	Lights
2004	B	16	1	0	101,000	Electrical System
2003	A	11	0	0	132,000	Airbags
2002	C	54	1	0	81,000	Airbags
2001	A	12	0	1	112,200	Transmission & Drivetrain
2000	D	79	6	0	77,000	Airbags
1999	C	26	0	1	81,395	Airbags
1998	A	16	0	0	99,446	Transmission & Drivetrain
1997	C	24	2	0	145,000	Transmission & Drivetrain
1996	C	26	2	2	144,000	Brakes

What breaks on a Acura RL

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Airbags 141 26.9%

Worst in 2005

Lights 63 12.0%

Worst in 2005

Electrical System 60 11.4%

Worst in 2005

Transmission & Drivetrain 42 8.0%

Worst in 2002

Brakes 34 6.5%

Worst in 2005

Engine & Cooling 24 4.6%

Worst in 1996

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 19 3.6%

Worst in 1996

Other & Unspecified 17 3.2%

Worst in 2005

Steering 16 3.0%

Worst in 2000

Acceleration & Cruise Control 16 3.0%

Worst in 2000

Body & Structure 15 2.9%

Worst in 2005

Suspension 14 2.7%

Worst in 1997

Fuel & Propulsion 14 2.7%

Worst in 2005

Seat Belts 13 2.5%

Worst in 2000

Exactly what failed on a Acura RL

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Automatic Transmission 13 18.3%

Headlights 9 12.7%

Power Window Devices AND Controls 9 12.7%

Body 8 11.3%

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 8 11.3%

Sensor/Control Module 6 8.5%

Manual Transmission 6 8.5%

Lower Ball Joint 5 7.0%

Gasoline 4 5.6%

Side/Window 3 4.2%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Acura RL, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Apr 1997 peak 19 Apr 2026

Acura RL problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Acura RL in California 65 Acura RL in Georgia 48 Acura RL in Florida 45 Acura RL in Texas 30 Acura RL in New York 28 Acura RL in Pennsylvania 27 Acura RL in Maryland 26 Acura RL in New Jersey 26 Acura RL in North Carolina 23

Compare the Acura RL

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.

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