2003 Acura CL problems & reliability
73 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Acura CL, alongside 5 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.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Acura CL vehicles were involved in 10 fatal crashes with 8 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 → | 36 | 49% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 12% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 5% |
| Engine | 3 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 4% |
| Steering | 3 | 4% |
| Structure | 3 | 4% |
| Suspension | 3 | 4% |
| Tires | 3 | 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 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 50,575 and 117,800 miles), based on 50 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I purchased this vehicle in March 2021 and noticed the issue with the transmission the first time I operated the vehicle. There is a grinding sound whenever the transmission is placed in third gear. I brought the car to Acura by Executive in Wallingford, CT at some point in 2021 to enquire about the issue. I was…”
Power Train · filed Oct 2, 2025
“There is a major issue with the relay under the steering wheel blocking the fuel from the pump going to the engine. This also affects the security system as well as the rack and pinion. The vehicle security turns itself on and off as it pleases, often leaving driver/passengers stranded and sometimes with the alarm not…”
Electrical System · filed Sep 5, 2024
“My 2003 3.2cls Acura had an airbag recall in in 2016. My vehicle was supposedly repaired at this time. However, recently my SRS light has been on requiring me to take my car to an Acura dealer. The dealer believes my steering wheel air bag has a faulty air inflator, which they claim is out of warranty and may require…”
Air Bags · filed Apr 1, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA15001 · opened Feb 24, 2015 · open · led to recall 22V945
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Preliminary Evaluation PE14016 · opened Jun 11, 2014 · closed Mar 2, 2015 · led to recall 15V226000
- AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT
Preliminary Evaluation PE02081 · opened Oct 28, 2002 · closed Mar 5, 2003
Technical service bulletins
177 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Acura CL. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - Case v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Case No. BC 424169 (Third Clutch Transmission Settlement - $25 Credit Vouchers).
B21-022 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 28, 2021
Service Bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects…
B20-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2020
Dealer message - Today, Acura is notifying dealers of a voluntary noncompliance recall for a small number of Acura vehicles due to an error on the replacement (service part) underhood emissions labels. American Honda…
BBOM08092018901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2018
Service bulletin - Emission certification labels that were replaced on a small number of vehicles may have been replaced with a label listing incorrect information. The affected emission labels are replacement service…
B18034 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2018
Service bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects…
B18-017 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 24, 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
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
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 2003 Acura CL has 5 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 2003 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 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.