IllustrationANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ; LOCKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING. FREQUENT ALARMS.
1996 Acura Rl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Rl 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
Limited mileage data: 9 of 22 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Visibility. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports2 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
22 reportsTL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 ACURA RL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V061000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. T…
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TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 ACURA RL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V061000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* CONTACT OWNS A 1996 ACURA RL. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A STRONG BURNING ODOR WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DIMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS…
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TL* CONTACT OWNS A 1996 ACURA RL. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A STRONG BURNING ODOR WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DIMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 179,000.
WHEN DRIVING NORMALLY, THE ENGINE WILL COMPLETELY DIE, AS IF THE IGNITION HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. THE COSE SET IN OBD II INDICATED MISFIRE ON ALL CYLINDERS. IT STARTS AGAIN IMMEDIATELY, BUT DOES NOT ALWAYS CONTINUE TO RUN. THIS WILL HAPPEN NUMEROUS TIMES PER DAY, SEVERAL DAYS IN A ROW, THEN NOT HAPPEN AGAIN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. TH…
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WHEN DRIVING NORMALLY, THE ENGINE WILL COMPLETELY DIE, AS IF THE IGNITION HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. THE COSE SET IN OBD II INDICATED MISFIRE ON ALL CYLINDERS. IT STARTS AGAIN IMMEDIATELY, BUT DOES NOT ALWAYS CONTINUE TO RUN. THIS WILL HAPPEN NUMEROUS TIMES PER DAY, SEVERAL DAYS IN A ROW, THEN NOT HAPPEN AGAIN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TESTS COMPLETELY OK. FUEL PRESSURE TESTS ARE OK TOO. CAR IS AT GOSS' GARAGE IN SEABROOK, MD, PHONE 301-577-9200. *TR
WHEN DRIVING NORMALLY, THE ENGINE WILL COMPLETELY DIE, AS IF THE IGNITION HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. THE CODE SET INDICATES MISFIRE ON ALL CYLINDERS. STARTS AGAIN IMMEDIATELY, BUT DOES NOT ALWAYS CONTINUE TO RUN. THIS WILL HAPPEN NUMEROUS TIMES THEN NOT AGAIN FOR DAYS. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TESTS OK, FUEL PRESSURE TEST OK, TOO. *TR
SPEEDOMETER DEFECTIVE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 ACURA 3.5RL. ON OCTOBER 22, 2007, THE CONTACT ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND SMELLED SMOKE. SHE THEN HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE CIRCUI…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 ACURA 3.5RL. ON OCTOBER 22, 2007, THE CONTACT ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND SMELLED SMOKE. SHE THEN HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE CIRCUIT BOARD BURNED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 125,500.
WHEN I FIRST START VEHICLE I HEAR A NOISE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR THE FIREWALL. THE NOISE SOUNDED FOR A 20 TO 30 SECONDS, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ABS SYSTEMS WENT OUT. WHEN THE NOISE WAS SHORT THE ABS SYSTEM WENT OUT AFTER A MILE OR TWO DRIVE. DURING THE MILE OR TWO DRIVE. I HEARD THE SAME NOISE OFF AND ON UNT…
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WHEN I FIRST START VEHICLE I HEAR A NOISE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR THE FIREWALL. THE NOISE SOUNDED FOR A 20 TO 30 SECONDS, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ABS SYSTEMS WENT OUT. WHEN THE NOISE WAS SHORT THE ABS SYSTEM WENT OUT AFTER A MILE OR TWO DRIVE. DURING THE MILE OR TWO DRIVE. I HEARD THE SAME NOISE OFF AND ON UNTIL THE ABS SYSTEM EVENTUALLY WENT OUT. THIS FIRST OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2006. *AK
THE WINDOW REGULATORS ON MY 1996 ACURA 3.5 RL ARE BROKEN ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR WINDOWS. BEFORE THE REGULATORS BROKE, THE WINDOW WOULD COME UP SLOWLY AND STOP ALMOST TO THE TOP. AFTER A LITTLE WHILE, I HAD TO PULL THE WINDOW UP THE REST OF THE WAY. *JB
WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO STRIKE A POST. DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER DID NOT AGREE.*AK
Official recalls
299V227000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Aug 19, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A TRANSMISSION CASE BOLT CAN LOOSEN AND FALL OUT ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO DISENGAGE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE VEHICLE COULD LOSE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO THE PARK POSITION WOULD NOT LOCK THE WHEELS, AND A PARKED VEHICLE COULD MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY IF THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT SET.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REDESIGNED BOLT.
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.