IllustrationDRIVE AXLE ON MANUAL TRANSMISSION IS LOOSE AND MAY COME APART AND CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *JB
1997 Acura Cl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Acura Cl do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 52.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cl years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
10–25K
125–50K
350–75K
675–100K
4100–150K
10150K+
25 reports with mileage · 57 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
82 reportsAFTER PARKING MY CAR I WENT INTO A STORE. WHEN I RETURNED MY WINDOW WAS DOWN 3/4 OF THE WAY AND I KNOW I DIDN'T LEAVE IT DOWN BECAUSE IT WAS POORING DOWN RAIN OUTSIDE. AS IT TURNS OUT MY WINDOW WOULD NOT GO BACK UP, I HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE WINDOW DOWN, MY SEAT GOT SOAKED WITH RAIN. AS OF NOW MY WINDOW I FOUND OUT THAT A …
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AFTER PARKING MY CAR I WENT INTO A STORE. WHEN I RETURNED MY WINDOW WAS DOWN 3/4 OF THE WAY AND I KNOW I DIDN'T LEAVE IT DOWN BECAUSE IT WAS POORING DOWN RAIN OUTSIDE. AS IT TURNS OUT MY WINDOW WOULD NOT GO BACK UP, I HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE WINDOW DOWN, MY SEAT GOT SOAKED WITH RAIN. AS OF NOW MY WINDOW I FOUND OUT THAT A CLIP IN THE WINDOW BROKE. I AM VERY ANGRY BECAUSE MY CAR IS A 97 AND I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD IT 2 YEARS. I GUESS I HAVE TO GET IT FIXED NOW BUT I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT HONDA MANUFACTURED WINDOW PROBLEMS. I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO TELL SOMEONE MY STORY.*AK
AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME, THE DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM AND RESET THE INDICATOR LIGHT. THE SECOND TIME, ANOTHER DEALER FOUND THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK *JB
THERE WERE A RECALL 99V069000. AND, MY VECHILE FITS THE QUAIFICATIONS: ACURA 1997 3.0CL. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT MY VIN NUMBER DOESN'T QUALIFIY. BUT, THE PROBLEM THAT IS LISTED ON THE RECALL IS THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM THAT I HAVE. SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT IS NOT WORKING CORRECTL…
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THERE WERE A RECALL 99V069000. AND, MY VECHILE FITS THE QUAIFICATIONS: ACURA 1997 3.0CL. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT MY VIN NUMBER DOESN'T QUALIFIY. BUT, THE PROBLEM THAT IS LISTED ON THE RECALL IS THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM THAT I HAVE. SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. *AK
ABOUT A ACURA CL 1997 , SEEMS LIKE THE COMPANY KNEW ABOUT THE TRNSMISSION PROBLEMS THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD AND NEVER RECALLED IT. THE 2.2 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ARE VERY POORLEY BUILT.*AK
97 ACURA, PURCHASED IN MAY 2003, HAD 4 BULLETINS ON THE SAME ITEM, FRONT BALANCER OIL SHAFT SEAL WAS BAD AND FAULTY. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THIS WAS AND STILL IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. HOWEVER, NO ONE EVER MADE THIS MAJOR PROBLEM A RECALL BUT A BULLETIN. WHICH MEANS THAT ACURA SEND OUT BULLETINS FOR THE CUSTOMER AND THEY ONLY HAD 2 Y…
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97 ACURA, PURCHASED IN MAY 2003, HAD 4 BULLETINS ON THE SAME ITEM, FRONT BALANCER OIL SHAFT SEAL WAS BAD AND FAULTY. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THIS WAS AND STILL IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. HOWEVER, NO ONE EVER MADE THIS MAJOR PROBLEM A RECALL BUT A BULLETIN. WHICH MEANS THAT ACURA SEND OUT BULLETINS FOR THE CUSTOMER AND THEY ONLY HAD 2 YEARS TO GET THIS REPAIRED BY ACURA. ON 21 DECEMBER 03, MY ACURA BEGAN TO LEAK SERVERLY. SO I TOOK IT TO AN AUTOMOTIVE SHOP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. BEFORE THE ENGINE BLEW. MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM, SO I HAD IT REPAIRED AT MY ONE EXPENSE, $450. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A NATIONAL RECALL ON THIS DUE TO THE FACT THIS PROBLEM DID, DOES, AND STILL WILL BLOW AND ENGINE.*AK
THE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE (BF GOODRICH G-FORCE T/A 205/55R16). *NLM A FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, SAME MAKE AND MODEL. *PH *JB
I WAS DRIVING A LONG LAST WEEK IN MY 1997 ACURA 2.2CL THAT I JUST PURCHASED LAST AUGUST 2002, WITH ONLY 27,000 MILES ON IT NOW WITH 47,000 MILES AND I WENT TO PUT DOWN MY DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC WINDOW AND THE WINDOW JUST FELL INTO THE DOOR. THIS SHOULD NO WAY HAPPEN TO A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 47,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO AN AUT…
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I WAS DRIVING A LONG LAST WEEK IN MY 1997 ACURA 2.2CL THAT I JUST PURCHASED LAST AUGUST 2002, WITH ONLY 27,000 MILES ON IT NOW WITH 47,000 MILES AND I WENT TO PUT DOWN MY DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC WINDOW AND THE WINDOW JUST FELL INTO THE DOOR. THIS SHOULD NO WAY HAPPEN TO A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 47,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO AN AUTOBODY SHOP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW "RUNNER" AND NEW CABLES IN THE DOOR. APPROXIMATELY A 200-250$ JOB WHICH I SHOULDN'T BE PAYING FOR WHEN MY CAR IS AT SUCH YOUNG MILEAGE. I COULD SEE IF I HAD TO REPLACE A BELT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH THE ENGINE, NO PROBLEM, BUT A WINDOW, NO WAY!*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW FAILED, CAUSING WINDOW TO SLIDE INTO THE DOOR. HAD REPAIRS DONE AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, BUT NOW THE ANTI-THEFT INDICATOR LIGHT IN DOOR DOES NOT WORK. *AK
UPON STARTING VEHICLE, SRS INDICATOR STAYED ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIRBAG HAS NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS DIAGNOSED AS POOR RESISTANCE IN THE WIRING TO OR WITHIN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. DEALER RESET THE INDICATOR. IF RE-ILLUMINATION OCCURS, DEALER STATES A NEED TO REPLACE THE …
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UPON STARTING VEHICLE, SRS INDICATOR STAYED ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIRBAG HAS NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS DIAGNOSED AS POOR RESISTANCE IN THE WIRING TO OR WITHIN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. DEALER RESET THE INDICATOR. IF RE-ILLUMINATION OCCURS, DEALER STATES A NEED TO REPLACE THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS OR THE AIRBAG ITSELF.*AK
Official recalls
202V120000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
May 16, 2002
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238.
99V069000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
May 10, 1999
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.