NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
23 reports120,000 miles · Aug 29, 2018
Electrical SystemSteeringWheels
ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS ABOUT 20 YEARS OLD NOW, I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT THE PROBLEMS I'VE EXPERIENCED AND IT APPEARS CARS MADE FROM 1997 EXPERIENCED MALFUNCTIONING IGNITION SWITCHES. MY KEY WILL NOT START MY ENGINE AND HAS GOTTEN STUCK INSIDE THE CYLINDER MANY TIMES. I JUST REPLACED THE BATTERY AS WELL DUE TO MY VEHICLE STA…
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ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS ABOUT 20 YEARS OLD NOW, I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT THE PROBLEMS I'VE EXPERIENCED AND IT APPEARS CARS MADE FROM 1997 EXPERIENCED MALFUNCTIONING IGNITION SWITCHES. MY KEY WILL NOT START MY ENGINE AND HAS GOTTEN STUCK INSIDE THE CYLINDER MANY TIMES. I JUST REPLACED THE BATTERY AS WELL DUE TO MY VEHICLE STALLING WHEN I TURN IT ON. THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON OTHER THAN THE FAULTY MACHINERY THAT'S GIVING ME ALL THIS TROUBLE. MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR HAVE EXPIRENCED THESE EXACT ISSUES. I BELIEVE YOU GUYS HAVE ISSUED A RECALL WHICH IS WHY I'M INFORMING THE COMPANY. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HELP. THANK YOU .
NHTSA ODI #11123319
101,000 miles · Jul 10, 2008
Electrical SystemFire
MY 1997 ACURA TL 2.5 SPONTANEOUSLY BURST INTO FLAMES IN THE AREA OF THE STARTER. THIS WAS CLEARLY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10233732
Mileage unknown · May 21, 2006
Electrical System
MY 1997 ACURA TL HAS BEEN ACTING UP. IT WOULD STALL PERIODICALLY WITHOUT ANY WARNING (I.E WHEN I WAS GOING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR RAN JUST FINE; BUT ALL THE SUDDEN I LOSE POWER AND THE CAR STALL. IT ALSO HAPPEN WHEN I TOOK THE INSIDE ROAD.) WHEN I TRIED TO RESTARTED THE CAR. IT WOULDN'T STARTED. I WAITED 10 MINUTES LATER, I…
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MY 1997 ACURA TL HAS BEEN ACTING UP. IT WOULD STALL PERIODICALLY WITHOUT ANY WARNING (I.E WHEN I WAS GOING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR RAN JUST FINE; BUT ALL THE SUDDEN I LOSE POWER AND THE CAR STALL. IT ALSO HAPPEN WHEN I TOOK THE INSIDE ROAD.) WHEN I TRIED TO RESTARTED THE CAR. IT WOULDN'T STARTED. I WAITED 10 MINUTES LATER, IT STARTED, BUT ONLY TO STALL AGAIN AFTER 5 MINUTES.) I HAD TO HAVE TOW IT TO MY MECHANIC BUT THE CAR STARTED FINE WHEN HE TRIED IT. HE RAN A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT COULDN'T NOT FIND ANY THING WRONG WITH IT. THE CAR WORK FINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK; THEN IT START STALLING AGAIN. I HAVE TO WAIT FROM 10 MIN TO AN HOUR SOMETIME FOR THE CAR TO START UP AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSE ME TO ALMOST GET INTO SEVERAL WRECKS AND MADE OTHER DRIVERS ANGRY AT ME. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID MY CAR HAS SOME RECALLS WHICH PREVIOUS OWNER HAD ALREADY HAD IT FIXED. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO BRING IT TO MY DEALER. AND I CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10157954
91,000 miles · Jul 8, 2005
Electrical SystemFire
DT: THERE WAS HEAVY RAIN THE NIGHT BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CONSUMER GOT UP AND WENT TO GET IN THE CAR AND FOUND THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, DRIVER SIDE DASH , AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT HAD BURNED. THE FLOORBOARD WAS DAMAGED BY DRIPPING PLASTIC. THE ONLY HOT WIRE WAS IN THE DOOR …
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DT: THERE WAS HEAVY RAIN THE NIGHT BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CONSUMER GOT UP AND WENT TO GET IN THE CAR AND FOUND THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, DRIVER SIDE DASH , AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT HAD BURNED. THE FLOORBOARD WAS DAMAGED BY DRIPPING PLASTIC. THE ONLY HOT WIRE WAS IN THE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM. THE FIRE WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THERE WAS A FUSE OPERATIONAL IN THE CIRCUIT. THE BATTERY WAS ALMOST BRAND NEW, AND IT WAS ALMOST DEAD. THE CALLER STATED THAT THE ONLY REASON THE FIRE DIED OUT WAS BECAUSE IT RAN OUT OF OXYGEN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED, AND HAS NOT RETURNED THE CALL. ALSO THE CALLER INDICATED THAT THE DOOR LOCK MADE A NOISE EVEN AFTER THE DOORS WERE LOCKED BUT NOT ALL THE TIME. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS DETERMINED UNREPAIRABLE. *SC *JB
NHTSA ODI #10121900
20,000 miles · Feb 17, 2005
Power Train
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION KEEPS POPPING WHEN CHANGING GEARS. BROUGHT BACK FOR SERVICE WHEN UNDER WARRANTY. TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS FLUSHED. PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR A MONTH. AFTER A MONTH PROBLEM WOULD ARISE AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. I FRIEND WAS THE SAME MODEL, HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10110678
Mileage unknown · Nov 5, 2004
Air Bags
1997 ACURA 3.2 TL FAULTY AIRBAG. MY ACURA RECENTLY DISPLAYED A SRS ERROR. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO RADLEY ACURA IN FALLS CHURCH WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT A POTENTIALLY FAULTY AIRBAG IS NOT COVERED BY ACURA AND THAT TO HAVE THE AIRBAG REPLACED TO PREVENT IT FROM EITHER DEPLOYING RANDOMLY OR NOT DEPLOYING AT ALL IT WOULD COST ME OVE…
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1997 ACURA 3.2 TL FAULTY AIRBAG. MY ACURA RECENTLY DISPLAYED A SRS ERROR. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO RADLEY ACURA IN FALLS CHURCH WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT A POTENTIALLY FAULTY AIRBAG IS NOT COVERED BY ACURA AND THAT TO HAVE THE AIRBAG REPLACED TO PREVENT IT FROM EITHER DEPLOYING RANDOMLY OR NOT DEPLOYING AT ALL IT WOULD COST ME OVER $1200. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10098341
78,500 miles · Jul 27, 2004
Electrical SystemEquipment
DIGITAL A/C DISPLAY STOPPED FUNCTIONING. DEALER SAID COMPONENT COST WOULD BE @ $1,600.00 (85% VALUE OF CAR). OFFERED NO ALTERNATIVE (AFTER-MARKET, USED PART). COINCIDED WITH DASH LIGHTS GOING OUT, INDICATED GEAR POSITION (NUETRAL, REVERSE, DRIVE, ETC).*AK
NHTSA ODI #10082791
81,519 miles · Dec 13, 2002
Power Train
TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON MY 97 ACURA 3.2TL
NHTSA ODI #10000021
Mileage unknown · Nov 7, 2002
Electrical System
CALLED DEALERSHIP, ACURA OF BOARDMAN SERVICE DEPT., SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AND HAD NEVER HEARD OF INGNITION FAILURE BEING A PROBLEM. DID RESEARCH BECAUSE OF THE ODD AND DAMAGING BEHAVIOR OF THE IGNITION SWITCH TO MY VEHICLE AND BECAME AWARE OF MAJOR RECAL ON IGNITION SWITCHES. HOWEVER THE RECALL DOES NOT INCLUDE MY SP…
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CALLED DEALERSHIP, ACURA OF BOARDMAN SERVICE DEPT., SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AND HAD NEVER HEARD OF INGNITION FAILURE BEING A PROBLEM. DID RESEARCH BECAUSE OF THE ODD AND DAMAGING BEHAVIOR OF THE IGNITION SWITCH TO MY VEHICLE AND BECAME AWARE OF MAJOR RECAL ON IGNITION SWITCHES. HOWEVER THE RECALL DOES NOT INCLUDE MY SPECIFIC MAKER IN MY SPECIFIC YEAR BUT IT DOES INCLUDE MY MAKE AND A DIFFERENT YEAR. WILL CONTACT ACURA/HONDA ABOUT HAVING THEM REPLACE. IT IS DEFINITELY A HAZARD! DT
NHTSA ODI #769404
Mileage unknown · Aug 21, 2002
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED BRAKES WERE GOOD. ABS LIGHT IS STILL COMING ON, CONSUMER FEELS THERE IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE ABS LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NHTSA ODI #8016855