1999 Acura CL problems & reliability
49 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Acura CL, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Acura CL vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 13 | 27% |
| Electrical System → | 11 | 22% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 12% |
| Tires | 6 | 12% |
| Engine | 5 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 10% |
| Steering | 5 | 10% |
| Equipment | 3 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 4% |
| Visibility | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 104,000 miles (middle 50% between 76,000 and 138,500 miles), based on 29 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 acura cl. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the battery and alternator were replaced twice. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle was taken to mcgrath acura of downtown chicago (1301 n. Elston ave…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 14, 2020
“Unable to get the airbag replaced after more than 6 months of the recall notice. I contacted acura and their local dealers but was being bounced around without any update in terms of parts availability or timing for fixing the problem. There was another honda airbag related fatality reported today. Acura needs to take…”
Air Bags · filed Oct 5, 2020
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 1999 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 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called…”
Air Bags · filed Jun 25, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
45 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Acura CL. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a bushing kit. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the retail package label for accuracy. If the label is incorrect, the customer may have difficulty locating the…
RFI20210312_BB64 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 12, 2021
Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated.
B98015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2016
"service bulletin - this bulletin updates the troubleshooting procedures for dtc p1456 (evap control system leakage [fuel tank system]) and dtc p1457 (evap control system leakage[evap canister system]). Depending on the…
B99-040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 8, 2015
Acura: there are guidelines for various situations and procedures including: tire pressure valve stem installation, trailer stability malfunction light is on, engine oil application guide, new software, new transmission…
SB-0708 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2010
Homelink won't program with aftermarket remotes. *jb
090105 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 16, 2005
P1706 a/t switch short or open. *eh
01162005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Don't test-drive with the malfunction indicator lamp or d indicator on. Acura. Servicenews. April 2004. *tt
04012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2004
V6 engine oil leaks. *jb this bulletin supersedes 01-041, dated 10/29/2001. *tt
01041 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 20, 2004
Safety recall: ignition switch key interlock. *tt this bulletin supersedes 03/034, dated 01/15/2004. *tt
03034 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 28, 2004
Recall campaign for certain cls and tls equipped with automatic transmission to all sales, service and parts managers. The ignition switch may wear excessively and prevent proper interlock operation, making it possible…
102703 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 27, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1999 Acura CL has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1999 Acura CL?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 104,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.