Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Acura RL, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags18
- Power train10
- Electrical system5
- Steering4
- Suspension3
- Engine and engine cooling3
- Electronic stability control (esc)2
- Service brakes2
- Tires2
- Structure2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 5 2002 RL vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. 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 2002 Acura RL failed the safety check 1.78% of the time — 11% less often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 139,388 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2002 Acura RL.
| 2020015 17 Jan 2020 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, exposure to moisture over time could cause the driver-front airbag not to inflate properly in a crash. In some cases, this could c… |
| 2002084 15 May 2002 | Electrical On certain passenger vehicles, during the manufacturing process, oil was applied to the brake pedal assembly to prevent rust. This oil can leak into the brake s… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, OIL WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO PREVENT RUST. THIS OIL CAN LEAK INTO THE BRAKE STOP SWITCH AND CONTAMINATE THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS.
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 2002 Acura RL: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637936 | SUBJECT REGARDING ONSTAR COMPONENT SYNCHRONIZATION AND REGISTRATION. *TT |
| 637638 | INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSING SRS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 6-7 AND / OR 7-2 INTERNAL FAILURE OF SRS UNIT. *TT |
| 636881 | SUBJECT REGARDING DISC BRAKE THICKNESS ERROR. *TT |
| 633353 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM, TYPE 1. *TT |
| 633350 | SUBJECT REGARDING SRS INDICATOR ON WITH SRS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES 15-1, 15-2, AND 15-3. REPLACES 01-013 AS WELL. *TT |
| 633348 | SERVICE INFORMATION REGARDING SHIFT SHOCK, JUDDER, OR CLUNK NOISE DURING 1ST TO 2ND UPSHIFT. *TT |
| 629322 | INFORMATION ON TROUBLESHOOTING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P1705, P1768, P0753, P0758. *TT |
| 627142 | VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE HESITATION OR STALL AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. *YH |
| 626607 | SUBJECT REGARDING SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 5-1 THROUGH 8-3, INTERNAL SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM UNIT FAILURE. *YD |
| 626530 | SUBJECT REGARDING SRS LIGHT ON AFTER OPDS CONTROL UNIT REPLACEMENT. *YD |
| 626524 | SUBJECT REGARDING DRIVER'S POWER WINDOW AUTO-DOWN INOPERATIVE. *YD |
| 626449 | SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE STARTS AND DIES WHEN IGNITION IS RELEASED. *YD |
| 625978 | SUBJECT REGARDING INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *JB |
| 623649 | SUBJECT REGARDING SRS DTC 15-3, FAULTY OPDS SENSOR CODE. *YD |
| 623461 | SUBJECT REGARDING SRS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE.*YD 8UC 15-3 SET BY ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE. *YD |
| 623291 | SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE STARTS AND DIES WHEN IGNITION IS RELEASED. *JB |
| 619904 | INFORMATION ON MODULATOR REPLACEMENT AND STEERING ANGLE MEMORIZATION. *TT |
| 10211608 | Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated. |
| 10193392 | Sending vehicle data to tech line. |
| 10165333 | This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would prevent the part from being installed, and would therefore have no impact on the end user besides time to complete installation. |
| 10130044 | Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation. |
| 10128558 | Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, Acura announced three recalls for various 2002-06 Acura models. As of July 23, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and service bulletins 14-023, Safety Recall: Front Passenger?s Airbag Inflator Can Be Over-Pressurized, 14-029, Recall: Front Driver?s Airbag Inflator May Produce Excessive Pressure After Long-Term Exposure to High Absolute Humidity Recall, and 14-030, Recall: Front Passenger?s Airbag Inflator May Produce Excessive Pressure After Long-Term Exposure to High Absolute Humidity have been posted to ISIS. However, due to the large number |
| 10128529 | Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, Acura announced three recalls for various 2002-06 Acura models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated. |
| 10127358 | Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation. |
| 10118544 | Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)