Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2005 Acura RL
NHTSA data on file today
The 2005 Acura RL has 11 NHTSA recall campaigns and 125 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #19V500000 Driver Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V501000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #17V029000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V344000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V061000 Driver's Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V700000 Passenger Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V353000 Passenger Side Air Bag Inflator may Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #13V092000 Inadvertent Application of Brakes NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10V504000 BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #07V551000 POWER STEERING HOSE OIL LEAKING NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #07V097000 FUEL PUMP RELAY NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Exterior Lighting 49 complaints
- Air Bags 36 complaints
- Electrical System 18 complaints
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic 7 complaints
- Structure 7 complaints
- Unknown or Other 5 complaints
Of the 125 complaints on file, 4 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 125 complaints, owners report 2 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $4,500–$9,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2005 Acura RL has a moderate number of airbag recalls, typical for vehicles of its age. Common issues involve the airbag system and electrical components, but these are addressable. Overall, the vehicle maintains decent reliability with manageable repair costs.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| airbag system | 80,000–120,000 miles | $500–$1,200 | common |
| exterior lighting | 90,000–130,000 miles | $150–$450 | common |
| electrical system | 100,000–140,000 miles | $300–$700 | occasional |
| service brakes | 60,000–100,000 miles | $250–$600 | occasional |
| power steering hose | 70,000–110,000 miles | $200–$500 | rare |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil change every 5,000 miles
- Brake fluid replacement every 2 years
- Coolant flush every 30,000 miles
- Transmission service every 40,000 miles
- Timing belt replacement at 100,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Airbag warning light
- Dimming headlights
- Frequent electrical malfunctions
- Spongy brake pedal
- Steering fluid leaks
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2005 Acura RL at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.