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1997 Acura Rl

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 10 of 19 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 3 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 reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

2 reports
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148,385 miles · Oct 30, 2008
Engine And Engine Cooling

CAR WILL NOT CRANK EVERY TIME. WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY AND PUT A NEW BATTERY IN AND IT WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. I TALKED WITH ACURA OF MEMPHIS AND THEY SAID IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. THEY SAID THAT THE 97 3.5 RL DOES THAT SOMETIME AND THAT IT HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ANY OTHER ACURA VEHICLE.…

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CAR WILL NOT CRANK EVERY TIME. WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY AND PUT A NEW BATTERY IN AND IT WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. I TALKED WITH ACURA OF MEMPHIS AND THEY SAID IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. THEY SAID THAT THE 97 3.5 RL DOES THAT SOMETIME AND THAT IT HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ANY OTHER ACURA VEHICLE. THEY SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. IT MAY NOT CRANK AT FIRST, BUT IT WILL ALWAYS CRANK EVENTUALLY. THAT IS ONE HELL OF A WAY TO DEPEND ON YOUR CAR. I PUT UP WITH IT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THIS UNTIL ONE DAY MY WIFE GOT STRANDED FOR A LONG TIME AND WAS VERY UPSET. SO AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR THE CAR FINALLY CRANKED AND SHE GOT HOME. THIS IS VERY UNSATISFACTORY. I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT ACURA OF MEMPHIS AND TOLD HIM WHAT THE MECHANIC HAD TOLD ME ABOUT IT NOT BEING ABLE TO BE FIXED AND HE SAID THAT WAS NOT RIGHT. HE KNEW THEY COULD FIX IT. SO, I TOOK MY WIFE'S CAR TO THEM AND THEY KEPT IT FOR THREE WEEKS. AFTER THREE WEEKS, THEY CALLED AND SAID THEY TRIED IT EVERY DAY AND IT CRANKED FINE EVERY TIME. WE ASKED IF THEY DROVE IT AROUND BECAUSE IT LOOKED TO US AS IF IT HAD NOT BEEN MOVED. THEY SAID YES, BUT WE DID NOT REALLY BELIEVE IT. MY WIFE PICKED THE CAR UP YESTERDAY, LEFT MEMPHIS AND DROVE TO A SHOP IN BARTLETT. WHEN SHE CAME OUT, IT WOULD NOT CRANK. FINALLY AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IT CRANKED. WHAT IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN TRYING TO ASSAULT HER AND SHE COULD NOT GET THE CAR CRANKED TO GET AWAY. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN OUR MINDS. WE HAVE DRIVEN ACURA'S FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND HAVE SENT MANY CUSTOMERS TO BUY ACURAS BECAUSE OF OUR SATISFACTION WITH THE VEHICLES. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND EITHER FIX THIS CAR OR GIVE MY WIFE A NEW CAR THAT WORKS. I KNOW THAT MAY SOUND RIDICULOUS, BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT THIS SMALL EXPENDITURE ON ACURAS PART WILL SERVE YOU MUCH BETTER THAN THE BAD PRESS WE WILL GIVE ABOUT ACURA AND ITS FAILURE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE UP TO ITS WORD THAT THE CAR CAN BE FIXED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10247205

Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingCrash

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION, IT WAS HIT FROM THE REAR.THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITH DRIVER FEET ON THE BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WHEN IT IMPACTED A HOUSE, AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING. TS

NHTSA ODI #8021521

Official recalls

2

99V227000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.