1997 Acura RL Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other RL years
- More complaints than other years 8th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Acura RL. That ranks 8th out of 18 RL model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (4 complaints, 21%), typically at around 261,387 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 19owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Acura RL 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 | 4 | 21% | 261,387 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 21% | 127,217 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 16% | 143,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 11% | 148,385 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 11% | 89,050 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 5% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 5% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 5% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 5% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% | 104,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Acura RL recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A transmission case bolt can loosen and fall out allowing the transmission to disengage from the differential.
Risk: 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.
Fix: Dealers will install a redesigned bolt.
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.
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* the contact owns a 1999 acura rl. The contact stated that there was a clicking noise upon turning the steering wheel and it seized several times. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.
On-board diagnostic (obd) system is detecting 5 codes p1304-p1305-p1306-p1300-p1399 and i dont think they are the right codes. *tt
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 acura rl. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the ball joint separated causing the front suspension to collapse. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer advised the contact that his vehicle was…
Switch would fail to engage after starting. I had to hold the switch between start and on in order to maintain engine running. Drove 70 miles like that until i reached home. It did it once before two years ago, but after spraying with cleaner it stopped. *tr
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…
Other Acura RL years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 RL | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 RL | 1 | 6 |
| 2011 RL | 3 | 6 |
| 2010 RL | 9 | 7 |
| 2009 RL | 8 | 6 |
| 2008 RL | 13 | 6 |
| 2007 RL | 20 | 7 |
| 2006 RL | 32 | 8 |
| 2005 RL | 125 | 11 |
| 2004 RL | 11 | 0 |
| 2003 RL | 9 | 1 |
| 2002 RL | 43 | 2 |
| 2001 RL | 12 | 2 |
| 2000 RL | 59 | 4 |
| 1999 RL | 24 | 2 |
| 1998 RL | 11 | 3 |
| 1997 | 19 | 2 |
| 1996 RL | 22 | 2 |
See all Acura RL 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 1997 Acura RL?
Owners most often report electrical system, power train, suspension problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 4 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Acura RL?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Acura RL a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other RL model years, the 1997 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.