1998 Acura CL Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CL years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Acura CL. That ranks 4th out of 8 CL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (18 complaints, 33%), typically at around 95,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 55owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Acura CL problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 18 | 33% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 10 | 18% | 85,470 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 15% | 114,297 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 13% | 171,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 9% | 73,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 7% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 7% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 4% | 183,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 4% | 98,223 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 2% | 344,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 2% | 85,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Acura CL recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999 Isuzu Oasis vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138 or Isuzu customer service at 1-800-255-6727.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles and mini vans, the ignition switch may wear excessively and prevent proper interlock operation, making it possible to turn the ignition key to the "off" position and remove the key without shifting the transmission to "park."
Risk: If the vehicle operator does not shift to "park" before removing the key and fails to engage the parking brake, the vehicle could roll and a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will perform an inspection procedure that determines the amount of cylinder body wear. If significant wear is indicated, the dealer will replace the cylinder body, collar, and latch plate. If no signs of wear are indicated, dealers will replace the latch plate with a redesigned part. Owner notification began december 8, 2003. Owners should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: 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.
Risk: Worn contacts could cause the engine to stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition would result in vehicle deceleration and a sudden loss of power. Also steering controllability would be reduced.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
Power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles (honda accord sedans manufactured from september 18, 1997 to january 10, 1998; coupes manufactured december 11, december 15, 1997, and january 5, 1998; acura 2.3cl manufactured october 22, 1997 through january 7, 1998). During manufacturing, the casting die caused an irregularity in the right-side transmission cover. This irregularity can limit the movement of the parking pawl actuation level and prevent adequate engagement of the parking gear pawl. This does not comply with fmvs no. 114, "theft protection."
Risk: This condition can cause the vehicle to roll down an incline when the transmission is locked in "park," increasing the risk of personal injury and/or property damage.
Fix: Dealers will install a collar on the transmission parking pawl to ensure proper movement of the actuation lever.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 ACURA CL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V026000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED NAPLETON'S PALM BEACH ACURA (6870 OKEECHOBEE BLVD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33411…
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 1998 acura cl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v026000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 1998 acura cl. The contact received a recall notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v026000 (air bags) however the part to do the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair…
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 ACURA CL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V026000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. CROWN ACURA LOCATED AT 18911 US 19 NORTH CLEAR WATER FL 33764, [redacted]) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 ACURA CL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V026000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. NAPLES ACURA…
Other Acura CL years
See all Acura CL problems by year, every Acura model, or the Acura VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Acura CL?
Owners most often report electrical system, power train, air bags problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 18 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Acura CL?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Acura CL a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other CL model years, the 1998 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.