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2008 Acura RLProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 13 owner complaints about the 2008 Acura RL, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-501 the manufacturer reports only 42% of affected cars repaired.

2008 Acura RL
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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 42%Owner complaints131 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem8Air bags

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 27, 2019. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Acura RL has problems

13 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
Air bags80
Electrical system10
Equipment adaptive/mobility11
Fuel system, gasoline10
Latches/locks/linkages10
Service brakes10
Tires10

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

6 recalls

2008 Acura RL 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.

67%repaired · 2020 Q4

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-500 · Jun 27, 2019 · 1,558 vehicles · 1,048 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 →

42%repaired · 2020 Q4

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 19V-501 · Jun 27, 2019 · 1,657,752 vehicles · 703,124 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 →

68%repaired · 2018 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-029 · Jan 10, 2017 · 308,884 vehicles · 209,114 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

58%repaired · 2017 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-344 · May 23, 2016 · 1,790,894 vehicles · 1,032,577 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
82%repaired · 2018 Q2

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-061 · Feb 3, 2016 · 2,232,187 vehicles · 1,828,033 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

Hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections

Recall 07V-551 · Dec 4, 2007 · 43,200 vehicles

Risk. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING ONTO A HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WILL GENERATE SMOKE AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO AN UNDER-HOOD FIRE.

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.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other RL 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 RL median. How we score

'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'15
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2008 Acura RL safety ratings

2008 Acura RL 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2008 Acura RL frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2008 Acura RL side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 5 stars (9.7% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Optional
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What RL owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

2008 ACURA RL. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL NOTICES 16V-344 & 16V-061 REMEDY NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME- OVER 60 DAYS. *SMD
Complaint 10920655 · Nov 8, 2016
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 ACURA RL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V061000 (AIR BAGS). THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM FOR MONTHS IF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG RECALL WOULD BE COMPLETED OR IF THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED. THE…
Complaint 10915246 · Oct 11, 2016
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 ACURA RL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V061000 (AIR BAGS) AND 16V344000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE…
Complaint 10899133 · Aug 29, 2016

Own a 2008 RL?

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