2002 Acura CL Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CL years
- Fewer complaints than other years 6th of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Acura CL. That ranks 6th out of 8 CL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (33 complaints, 75%), typically at around 41,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 44owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 33 | 75% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 11% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 9% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 9% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 7% | 184,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 5% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 5% | 28,402 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 5% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% | 194,600 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 2% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 2% | 41,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Acura CL recalls (2)
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 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator 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 air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: On some mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Risk: Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
Fix: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. On vehicles with more than 15,000 miles, the dealer will inspect the transmission to identify gears that have already experienced discoloration due to overheating. If discoloration exists, the transmission will be replaced if discoloration is not present, the dealer will perform the revision to the oil cooler return line. The recall began on april 21, 2004, for pilot, odyssey, and mdx owners. Owners of the accord vehicles will start receiving letters on june 28, 2004, and on june 29, 2004, for owners of the tl and cl vehicles. Owners should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Automatic transmission sudden downshift (PE02081) — opened Oct 28, 2002, closed Mar 5, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Unknown
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 acura cl. The contact stated the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed the front driver air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been diagnosed nor repaired. The…
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 acura cl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v027000 (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* the contact owns a 2002 acura cl. When the vehicle was started, the "srs" warning indicator illuminated and remained lit all day. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, but an appointment was scheduled with goodson acura of dallas (4801 lemmon ave, dallas, tx 75219) for…
I bought a used car from chicago suburb individual owner about 15 days ago. Clean title with no accident history. The gas tank during last 15 days was never little above half tank. Today i filled gas full tank and drove about 8 miles and parked in home garage. Liquid fuel leak from rear side of the…
Other Acura CL years
See all Acura CL problems by year, every Acura model, or the Acura VIN decoder.
Similar Acura models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Acura CL?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 33 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Acura CL?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.