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2003 Acura CLProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 73 owner complaints about the 2003 Acura CL, most often about the power train. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-499 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.

2003 Acura CL
46
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the CL median · #3 of 7 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 22%Owner complaints7310 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage75kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 2, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Acura CL has problems

73 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train362
Air bags94
Exterior lighting50
Electrical system40
Wheels31
Engine30
Service brakes, hydraulic30
Steering30
Structure30
9 other systems161

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2003 Acura CL recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

22%repaired · 2020 Q4

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-499 · Jun 27, 2019 · 3,947 vehicles · 879 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

49%repaired · 2020 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-182 · Mar 6, 2019 · 1,101,534 vehicles · 541,670 repaired

Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

68%repaired · 2017 Q4

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 15V-320 · May 28, 2015 · 6,281,043 vehicles · 4,252,609 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 04V-176 · Apr 15, 2004 · 1,099,796 vehicles

Risk. GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Recall 02V-226 · Aug 28, 2002 · 17,551 vehicles

Risk. IF THE TIMING BELT BREAKS, THE ENGINE WILL STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Acura.

Mileage at failure

When do power train problems start?

75kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 33 power train complaints. 70% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
6under 30k miles23under 100k miles10100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other CL year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the CL median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Acura CL safety ratings

2003 Acura 3.2 CL 2-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Acura CL, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA15001 · still open
    Led to recall 14V-668
  2. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  3. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SUDDEN DOWNSHIFTPE02081 · closed Mar 5, 2003
    No recall
  4. Air Bag Inflator RupturePE14016 · closed Mar 2, 2015
    Led to recall 13V-172
In owners' words

What CL owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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…
Complaint 11690951 · Oct 2, 2025
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA CL. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. ALSO, WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON, AND IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE…
Complaint 11278019 · Nov 4, 2019 · 1,054 miles
I BOUGHT A USED ACURA AND ON THE WAY HOME ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY DOWN SHIFTED VIOLENTLY SEVERAL TIMES CAUSING THE CAR TO SKID SIDEWAYS.I PULLED OVER AND THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 3RD GEAR.EVENTULLY I GOT IT TO RESET AND IT DROVE FINE FOR 35 MINUTES UNTIL ONCE AGAIN IT LOCKED UP DOING…
Complaint 11193565 · Apr 3, 2019 · 148,000 miles

Own a 2003 CL?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.