Reliability & cost of ownership
Acura CL Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Acura CL? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Acura CL problems by model year
20 recall entries across 7 model years and 585 owner complaints across 8 model years on file, sourced from the federal NHTSA database. We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the remaining model year — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 CL | Not confirmed | 1 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2003 CL | 5 | 74 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2002 CL | 2 | 44 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2001 CL | 3 | 270 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2000 CL | 0 | 11 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1999 CL | 3 | 48 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1998 CL | 5 | 55 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1997 CL | 2 | 82 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Acura CL, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- power train324 complaints
- air bags76 complaints
- electrical system58 complaints
- suspension26 complaints
- vehicle speed control25 complaints
- engine and engine cooling24 complaints
- visibility23 complaints
- service brakes, hydraulic20 complaints