Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Acura CL, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train20
- Electrical system15
- Air bags14
- Suspension9
- Service brakes, hydraulic7
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Visibility6
- Unknown or other4
- Structure4
- Vehicle speed control4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 5 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 8 1997 CL vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 6 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1997 Acura CL failed the safety check 1.26% of the time — 21% less often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 137,741 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1997 Acura CL.
| 2002096 24 May 2002 | Electrical On certain vehicles electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is sta… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Acura told its dealers about the 1997 Acura CL: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 636758 | SUBJECT REGARDING FRONT SUSPENSION SQUEAKS IN COLD WEATHER. *TT |
| 633346 | SERVICE BULLETIN INFORMATION REGARDING POWER WINDOWS THAT DO NOT WORK. *TT |
| 631035 | SOME 2000 MDX MODELS AS WELL AS OTHER MODELS MAY EXHIBIT BRIEF HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGH ENGINE SPEED. *TT |
| 629320 | SUBJECT REGARDING A SQUEAL NOISE AT FRONT SUSPENSION AT LOW TEMPERATURE. *TT |
| 627128 | INFORMATION REGARDING EGR PORT CLOGGING. *YH |
| 626607 | SUBJECT REGARDING SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 5-1 THROUGH 8-3, INTERNAL SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM UNIT FAILURE. *YD |
| 626468 | SUBJECT REGARDING THE CL SECURITY SYSTEM LAST TRIPPED SENSOR MEMORY. *YD |
| 626463 | SUBJECT REGARDING ALL MODELS ,EXCEPT SLX, -DTCP0740, LOCK-UP SYSTEM ERROR. *YD |
| 626428 | INFORMATION ON WARRANTY EXTENSION ON EGR SYSTEM CLOGGING.*JB |
| 626267 | V6 ENGINE OIL LEAKS. *JB THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES 01-041, DATED 10/29/2001. *TT |
| 626225 | SUBJECT REGARDING WARRANTY EXTENSION ON EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION PORT CLOGGING. *JB |
| 623629 | SUBJECT ON SECURITY SYSTEM LAST TRIPPED SENSOR MEMORY. NLM |
| 623218 | SUBJECT REGARDING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP COMING ON WITH A/T DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE. *JB |
| 619882 | INFORMATION PERTAINING TO A COPY OF THE REVISED SERVICE BULLETIN 00-029, PRODUCT UPDATE - FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL WITH TWO NEW LABOR OPERATION NUMBERS ADDED. *TT |
| 619879 | PRODUCT UPDATE REGARDING THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL FOR VEHICLES WITHIN VIN 19UYA1 ... VL000001 THRU 19UYA1 ... VL020752. *TT |
| 618745 | SUBJECT REGARDING CL FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE. *TT |
| 618740 | ON SOME VEHICLES, THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL MAY BACK OUT OF THE OIL PUMP HOUSING OVER TIME RESULTING IN THE OIL RAPIDLY PUMPING OUT OF THE ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING. *TT |
| 618739 | SUBJECT REGARDING A LETTER TO SERVICE MANAGERS PERTAINING TO SERVICE BULLETIN 00-029, PRODUCT UPDATE - BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL. *TT |
| 617707 | CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY REPORT FOR THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL UPDATE CAMPAIGN. *TT |
| 615753 | SUBJECT REGARDING P1259 AFTER BARE BLOCK REPLACEMENT FOR 2001 3.2CL, 2001 MDX, 1999 - 2001 3.2TL AND 1997 - 1999 3.0CL MODEL VEHICLES. *TT |
| 615578 | SOME 2.2CL MODELS MAY EXHIBIT THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON, AND THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE HAS STORED AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SAE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE OF P0740. *TT |
| 610581 | PRODUCT UPDATE CAMPAIGN ON REPLACING PCV HOSE ROUTING. *TT |
| 610264 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A D4 LIGHT THAT BLINKS INTERMITTETLY WHILE DRIVING AND THE TACHOMETER NEEDLE FLUCTUATES DUE TO AN ERROR IN THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. *TT |
| 610236 | SOME VEHICLES BUILT WITHIN VIN 19UYA2 ... XL005044 AND 19UYA2 ... XL005158 MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INIDCATOR LAMP ON AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0401 (INSUFFICIENT EGR FLOW) IS SET. *TT |
| 609923 | TOO MUCH CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE WINDOW GUIDE PIN AND REAR CHANNEL GUIDE CAUSING, RATTLE FROM A PARTIALLY OPEN WINDOW WHEN DRIVING ON A ROUGH ROAD. YD |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)