Acura CL Reliability Problems

CL owners have made 26 complaints over 6 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 10th in overall reliability out of 17 Acura models, with real transmission and electrical concerns.

The Most Common CL Problem

A list of some of the most common issues CL owners have to deal with.

  1. Takata Airbag Inflator Recall

    A large number of Acura vehicles have been recalled because they contain dangerous airbag inflators made by Takata. The shrapnel-hurling inflators have been recalled in over 37 million vehicles (and counting).

    Continue reading article "Takata Airbag Inflator Recall" Crash ttest dummy about to slam into an airbag with a super-imposed Takata logo

  2. What Are We Missing?

    We know there's more problems than this. Let us know which one you'd like to see us cover next.

    Continue Crash ttest dummy about to slam into an airbag with a super-imposed Takata logo

What CL Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

Full Lists on CarComplaints.com

CL Generations

The CL has 2 generations, each with their own issues. Using the same PainRank™ system we've determined that you're better off avoiding the 2nd generation (2001–2003).

CL Key Numbers

  1. 26 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 287 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 11 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

CL Class-Action Lawsuits

The CL has been named as a class vehicle in the following lawsuits.

  • Dismissed

    Grodzitsky v. American Honda Motor Company

    1. Dismissed

      A Honda window regulator lawsuit won't move forward as a class action after an appeals court shot down that idea in a 2-1 ruling.

    2. Case Filed

      The plaintiff filed the lawsuit alleging defective Honda/Acura window regulators caused the windows to fall into the door frames.

    Class Vehicles
    • 2000-2011 MDX
    • 2000-2011 TSX
    • 2000-2011 RL
    • 2000-2011 Acura CL
    Location
    California

Recent CL News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Any hope of a proposed class-action lawsuit for faulty window regulators in certain Acure vehicles has fizzled after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals shot down the proposal in a 2-to-1 ruling.

    The plaintiff argued that Honda, parent company of Acura, installed window regulators that are insufficiently strong and insufficiently durable to withstand the forces required to perform [their] intended function. Functions like making sure the dang window doesn't fall into the door, for example.

    The lawsuit originally included the 2000-2011 Acura MDX, Acura TSX, Acura RL and Acura CL but those vehicles were dropped in a last-ditch effort to save the suit.

    It didn't work.

    keep reading article "Window Regulator Class-Action Lawsuit Stopped in Appeals Court"

  2. Over 2.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles are being recalled to replace the Takata non-azide driver-side inflators (NADI) found in certain 1997–2003 models.

    NADI inflators are similar, but somehow even more dangerous to previously recalled Takata products. Both may explode on deployment due to excess moisture build-up, but non-azide inflators can also fail to fully inflate the airbags in a crash.

    It’s a worst-of-both worlds situation and you’ll want to get them out of your vehicle as soon as possible. According to the recall that’ll be sometime in March of 2020.

    keep reading article "Acura CL Part of Larger Recall to Replace Dangerous NADI Airbags"

  3. When Honda and Acura recalled 1.1 million Takata airbag inflators for exploding into pieces, they replaced the defective part with a slightly different version from the same company. Now those are exploding too.

    The replacement PSDI-5D desiccated inflators were exposed to excess moisture during assembly. This rapidly degrades the propellant and allows pressure to build up over time, turning the inflator into a mini-grenade that explodes during airbag deployment.

    Acura plans on mailing recall notifications on April 17th, but parts are already available and affected owners should schedule a replacement as soon as possible. Unlike the dishes, this is one chore you shouldn’t ignore.

    keep reading article "Those Replacement PSDI-5D Takata Inflators That Were Supposedly Safe? Now They're Exploding Too."

Other Acura Models