IllustrationTURNING IGNITION KEY, FREQUENTLY RESULTS IN NO ACTIVATION OF THE STARTER. THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS WILL ILLUMINATE, BUT THERE IS NO STARTING. HAVE TO TURN THE KEY TO "OFF" POSITION, AND RE-TRY..SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES TO GET CAR TO START. CHECKED BATTERY TERMINALS..CLEANED, WITH NO CHANGE.*AK
1997 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: 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
What owners actually said
19 reportsALTHOUGH UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SPECIFIC RECALL, I UNDERSTAND THAT HONDA RECALLED SOME VEHICLES FOR DASHBOARD LIGHTS. MY 1997 ACURA HAS LOST OVER HALF OF ITS' DASHBOARD LIGHTS, BUT SEE NO RECALL ON IT. IS THERE A WAY TO SEE IF HONDA/ACURA WILL EXPAND THEIR RECALL TO MY VEHICLE?*AK
WHINING NOISE - DIFFERENTIAL NEEDS REPLACING
DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT END DROPPED WITH NO WARNING AT ABOUT TWO MILES PER HOUR TURNING A CORNER. PROBLEM IDENTIFIED AS BROKEN AXLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT A DEFECTIVE PART WAS INVOLVED.
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
TOYO TIRE SIZE P21560R16, NAME SPECTRUM; WHEN TRAVELING 75 MPH, CHUNKS OF TREAD FLEW OFF THE TIRE. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED. THE DAMAGED AREA WAS DOWN TO THE WIRE CORDS. *SCC
VEHICLE WILL NOT START INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER HAS TO TURN KEY TO OFF POSITION AND ATTEMPT TO CRANK SEVERAL TIMES. VEHICLE CHECKED BY DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKES FAILED DURING TEST DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THEY PULSATED, SENDING THE CAR INTO VIOLENT VIBRATIONS. AFTER DEALER REPAIRED THE NOISE IN ALL BRAKES THE PROBLEM DEVELOPED AGAIN. *JG
NHTSA RECALL ID# 98-V-227-000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL K60/99-039; WHILE DRIVING SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END. VEHICLE WAS VERY SLUGGISH, AND TRNSMISSION WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *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.