2001 Acura CL problems & reliability
271 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 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.
8 complaints report injuries (8 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Acura CL vehicles were involved in 13 fatal crashes with 14 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 | 206 | 76% |
| Air Bags | 32 | 12% |
| Visibility | 12 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 3% |
| Suspension | 5 | 2% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 1% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% |
| Engine | 3 | 1% |
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 63,000 miles (middle 50% between 35,750 and 114,500 miles), based on 176 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2001 Acura CL. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. On another occasion, while making a left turn on a city street, the vehicle stalled and experienced a loss of power steering functionality. There…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 29, 2026
“I have a safety concern. When my vehicle was assembled, someone decided to have the workers not remove the protective film from the plastic screen on the navigation system that would typically be released. I assume this saved money and time during production. However, that film has deteriorated and crinkled over time…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jan 24, 2025
“In and around July 2024 my Acura cl started to have erratic shifting and locking up at highways speeds the vehicle is so unsafe to drive I cannot get the air bags fixed it shifts from 5th gear to 2nd gear in 2004 a remedy was applied to the transmission to aid and fix the downshifting issues and overheating issues the…”
Power Train · filed Sep 12, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT
Preliminary Evaluation PE02081 · opened Oct 28, 2002 · closed Mar 5, 2003
Technical service bulletins
165 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Acura CL. The 10 most recent:
Test
- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 23, 2024
Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
B18010I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
B18010I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
BTS170801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 26, 2017
Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and are looking for a solution.
BTS170801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2017
Service bulletin - You are required to install a remanufactured A/T (automatic transmission) and torque converter on any vehicle with an internal failure that calls for A/T disassembly that is covered under any of the…
B90-009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 30, 2017
Service bulletin - navigation system information.
B05-018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 23, 2016
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
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 2001 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 2001 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 63,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.