2002 Acura RL problems & reliability
43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Acura RL, alongside 2 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.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Acura RL vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 18 | 42% |
| Power Train → | 10 | 23% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 12% |
| Steering | 4 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 7% |
| Suspension | 3 | 7% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 5% |
| Structure | 2 | 5% |
| Tires | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“About 2013 the 2000 acura rl vsa and abs lights came on then the tilt on the steering wheel up and down stop working then the srs lights and seat belts light came on and want go off. So from then till now I have spent about 15k to correct the vsa and abs issues. Replace rotors bearing wheel sensor tires rack and…”
Suspension · filed Oct 23, 2024
“This is a continuation complaint with national cemter for dispute settlement to fix safty issues and discontinued parts. The car is not 40 years old and i cannot find a maintenance repair book. The power door locks are coming on and off and the fob key do not work Sutton acuta in macon said it needs the antenna but…”
Suspension · filed Apr 17, 2024
“Rack and pinion replacement. Exterior issues: rear bumper felled off; gasoline cover won't closed; door handles falling off; fuel pump needs replacement”
Electrical System · filed Mar 20, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
72 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Acura RL. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would…
DORE5C4S09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2019
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
Sending vehicle data to tech line.
BJA46167 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 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
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, Acura announced three recalls for various 2002-06 Acura models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated.
DLR MSG - Acura · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2014
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 2002 Acura RL has 2 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 2002 Acura RL?
- · 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.