2004 Acura RL Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 16, 2017 · Filed: October 26, 2017

THE POWER STEERING LINE IS POURING OUT THE FLUID AND BURNS UNDER THE CAR CAUSING SMOKE

Incident: January 13, 2017 · Filed: January 15, 2017

FAILURE OF POWER STEERING TILT/REACH. POWER STEERING TILT/REACH STOPPED WORKING. THE GEARS ACURA HAVE USED ARE PLASTIC AND FRAGILE. ACURA DOES NOT SELL THE GEARS, THEY WANT PEOPLE TO BUY NEW STEERING COLUMN. ONE PERSON CAN GET STEERING POSITIONED AT COMFORTABLE PLACE BUT THEN IF A PERSON OF DIFFERENT SIZE HAS TO DRIVE HE/SHE GETS TIRED THAT CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENT AND FATALITY. SEARCHING WEB SHOWS THAT PROBLEM IS COMMON IN ACURA RLS. ACURA SHOULD FIX THIS ISSUE ASAP.

Incident: June 19, 2014 · Filed: September 29, 2014

I PARKED THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BLINKED RIGHT AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR. I KNEW I HAD A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE DOOR LOCKS WOULDN'T WORK. I TRIED TO RE-ENGAGE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO OPEN THE DOOR LOCKS, BUT THE CAR WAS TOTALLY ELECTRICALLY DEAD. I TRIED A COUPLE MORE TIMES TO START THE CAR, BUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I SAT IN THE CAR A COUPLE MINUTES WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING. I TRIED ONCE AGAIN TO START THE CAR AND IT WORKED. ALL THE RADIO AND NAV SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE RESET. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 MORE TIMES OVER 3 MONTHS. EACH THE SAME WAY. AS I PARKED AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, IT BLINKED AND ELECTRICALLY FAILED. LAST TWO TIMES BEING ONLY 5 DAYS APART. SO IT'S HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY AND CLOSER TOGETHER. I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR. HE'D NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAD NO CLUE AS TO HOW OR WHY IT HAPPENED. HE EXAMINED THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND FOUND NADA. SO FAR, IT HAS NOT RE-OCCURRED 3 WEEKS AFTER BEING LOOKED AT. FRUSTRATING, CONCERNING. *TR

Incident: August 25, 2014 · Filed: September 1, 2014

I TRIED STARTING MY CAR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY BATTERY WENT DEAD. ALL THE GADGETS ON MY DASH AND NOT ONE COULD TELL ME MY BATTERY WAS DYING OR LOW ON CHARGE. SO I CALL AAA AND THEY REPLACE THE BATTERY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR IS WORKING BETTER AND MY AC IS WORKING BETTER. ALL THE TIMES I COMPLAINED TO THE ACURA DEALERSHIP THAT MY AC WAS NOT COOLING PROPERLY IN THIS FLORIDA HEAT AND THEY CHECK IT AND THEY TELL ME IT'S WORKING JUST FINE. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I GET A NEW BATTERY AND MY AC IS WORKING MUCH BETTER AND NOW MY CAR IS REALLY COOLING DOWN. NO WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TELLING ME LOW BATTERY. A CAR WITH ALL THESE ELECTRONICS AND NO WARNING AND THE ACURA DEALERSHIP IN DELRAY BEACH CHECKED IT OUT NUMEROUS TIME AND DID NOT KNOW THAT THE AC WAS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY BECAUSE THE CAR NEEDED A NEW BATTERY. SHAME ON ACURA. *TR

Incident: September 1, 2014 · Filed: September 1, 2014

MY DOOR LOCKS STOPPED WORKING AGAIN AND I'M UNSURE WHETHER IT'S THE SWITCH OR THE ACTUATOR. HONDA'S AND ACURA'S ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH MALFUNCTIONING ACTUATORS.FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR, I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT IN TO FIX DOOR LOCKS AND WINDOWS NUMEROUS TIMES. MY DOOR LOCKS STOPPED WORKING, MY WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING EVERY SINGLE YEAR THAT I HAVE OWNER THIS CAR. I PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTY SO THEY COULD FIX MY DOOR LOCKS AND WINDOWS EVERY YEAR. IT'S RIDICULOUS THE PRICES THEY CHARGE FOR THIS CAR AND THEY CAN'T MAKE IT LAST MORE THAN 1 YEAR. THE ACURA DEALERSHIP SHOWED ME, THAT ALL THE PARTS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AND THEY WEAR. AS LONG AS IT'S UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, I HAVE TO KEEP PAYING A DEDUCTIBLE AND BRINGING IT IN FOR THEM TO FIX. *TR

Incident: July 17, 2013 · Filed: July 17, 2013

THE AIRBAG OR SRS(SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM) LIGHT IS ON MY 2004 ACURA RL WHEN BUYING THE CAR I DON'T NOTICE THE LIGHT WAS ON UNTIL I DROVE THE CAR OFF THE LOT AND BILL OF SALES WAS FINAL AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS CLOSE SINCE I BROUGHT THE CAR RIGHT BEFORE CLOSING TIME. *TR

Incident: February 18, 2013 · Filed: April 21, 2013

THE DVD NAVIGATION SYSTEM IN THE RL IS BURNING OUT THE DVD DISK AND CAUSING THE NAVIGATION TO STOP WORKING. THE GPS LOCATOR ON THE SCREEN HAD MY VEHICLE NOWHERE NEAR THE ACTUAL LOCATION. THE NAVIGATION VOICE WOULD GIVE COMMAND TO MAKE A TURN WHERE NO ROAD EXISTED. I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE FAILURE OF THE DVD DRIVE IN THE CAR IS A MORE COMMON EVENT AS I READ THE ACURA FORUMS. HTTP://TSX.ACURAZINE.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=676588. *TR

Incident: October 18, 2012 · Filed: January 31, 2013

(10/18/12 APPROXIMATELY) THE ALARM SYSTEM WENT OFF RANDOMLY AND THE REMOTE FOB FAILED TO OPERATE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS CYCLING ON AND OFF AND THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY WOULD REMAIN LIT. IT WAS A STORMY NIGHT WHEN THIS HAPPENED SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE ALARM SENSOR BEING OVER SENSITIVE. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL. ON 1/29/13 THE VEHICLE ALARM ACTIVATED AGAIN RANDOMLY AND WAS ABLE TO BE RESET WITH THE KEYLESS FOB. ON THE MORNING OF 1/30/13 THE VEHICLE FOB FAILED TO LOCK OR UNLOCK THE VEHICLE. THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY LIGHTS WERE ON WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE STARTED AND AFTER A 20 MINUTE DRIVE AND TURNING OFF THE ENGINE THE DASHBOARD LIGHT WENT OFF AS THE SHOULD. ON THE EVENING OF 1/30/13 THE VEHICLE KEYLESS ENTRY OPERATED CORRECTLY HAVING NOT FUNCTIONED EARLIER IN THE DAY. LATER ON THAT SAME EVENING (1/30/13) THE ALARM ACTIVATED. IT COULD NOT BE RESET BY THE KEYLESS FOB AND THE KEY NEEDED TO BE USED IN THE DOOR TO UNLOCK THE VEHICLE WHICH DEACTIVATED THE ALARM. THE VEHICLE WAS RE-LOCKED WITH THE KEY AND APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES LATER I WENT OUT AND THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON AND THE ALARM WAS NOT SOUNDING. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT FLASHING BUT REMAINED ON CONTINUOUSLY. I TURNED THE HEADLIGHT CONTROL FROM 'AUTO' TO 'OFF AND THE LIGHT TURN OFF BUT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS REMAINED LIT. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AND GOT NO RESPONSE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE FUSE BOX IN THE DRIVER WELL I FOUND WATER IN THE FUSE BOX AND A DRIP COMING FROM SATURATED INSULATION ABOVE. PRESSING ON THE INSULATION RESULT IN A FLOW OF WATER. A SIMILAR SITUATION DOCUMENTED IN THE ACURA SERVICE BULLETIN 98-028 MAY BED A SIMILAR PROBLEM NOW OCCURRING IN THE 2004 MODEL. ELECTRICAL FAILURES COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE SYSTEMS TO SHUT DOWN OR MALFUNCTION DURING OPERATION RESULTING IN SERIOUS IF NOT FATAL INJURIES. *TR

Incident: October 11, 2012 · Filed: October 18, 2012

MY WIFE WAS ENTERING A BEND IN THE ROAD AND CAME UPON A CAR STOPPED IN HER LANE, WITH NO BRAKES LIGHTS!!! SHE ATTEMPTED TO SWERVE TO THE SHOULDER BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. SHE IMPACTED THE CAR IN THE REAR, SLIGHTLY OFFSET TO THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE. THE FRONT OF HER CAR IMPACTED SLIGHTLY OFFSET TO THE LEFT (DRIVER'S) SIDE. SHE BRACED FOR IMPACT WITH HER LEFT HAND ON THE WHEEL. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG (EMPTY SEAT!) DEPLOYED BUT THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT!! THE FULL FORCE OF THE IMPACT WAS ABSORBED BY HER HAND, SHATTERING HER WRIST. SHE NEEDS SURGERY TO PIECE IT BACK TOGETHER AND THE SURGEON ESTIMATES A 12-18 MONTH RECOVERY TIME. SHE'S A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER WITH ~20 YEARS EXPERIENCE AND DRIVES A SCHOOL BUS FOR A LIVING. NO WAY SHOULD HER AIRBAG NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. HER CAREER AND OUR FINANCIAL WELL BEING IS IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF HER INJURY. I'VE NEVER SUED ANYONE IN MY LIFE AND DON'T CARE FOR THE PRACTICE, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW I CAN'T, THIS IS JUST NOT RIGHT. *TR

Incident: February 4, 2004 · Filed: September 20, 2004

NO SUMMARY. *AK