Total Complaints
13 filings
ACURA ACURA · model year
1997 ACURA ACURA
13 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997ACURAACURA carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 ACURA is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (1) and steering: steering wheel/handle bar (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1997 ACURA, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
13
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030109AIR BAGS
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES, THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *NLM
20020628CrashAIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
AT A 25MPH VEHICLE CRASH DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT FULLY DEPLOY. CAUSE UNKNOWN DEALER NOTIFIED.*AKI
20011114VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE DOES NOT GO OVER THE END OF THE WINDOW ENOUGH, CAUSING A 7-8" BLIND SPOT.
20000724CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
VEHICLE LOST ALL CONTROL RESULTING IN COLLISION DUE TO POSSIBLE RECALL RELATED FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINTS (99V-069), NO DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DURING COLLISION AND THE HEAD REST FAILED, THE BOTTOM POSTS THAT SUPPORT THE HEAD RESTS, SPLIT THE HEAD OF THE DRIVER THROUGH THE PADDING MATERIAL. *MJS
20000724CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE LOST ALL CONTROL RESULTING IN COLLISION DUE TO POSSIBLE RECALL RELATED FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINTS (99V-069), NO DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DURING COLLISION AND THE HEAD REST FAILED, THE BOTTOM POSTS THAT SUPPORT THE HEAD RESTS, SPLIT THE HEAD OF THE DRIVER THROUGH THE PADDING MATERIAL. *MJS
20000724CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT
VEHICLE LOST ALL CONTROL RESULTING IN COLLISION DUE TO POSSIBLE RECALL RELATED FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINTS (99V-069), NO DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DURING COLLISION AND THE HEAD REST FAILED, THE BOTTOM POSTS THAT SUPPORT THE HEAD RESTS, SPLIT THE HEAD OF THE DRIVER THROUGH THE PADDING MATERIAL. *MJS
20000623POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
20000407UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FUEL CHARCOAL CANISTER OVERFLOWS AND SPRAYS OVER UNDER CARRIAGE OF VEHICLE. GAS FUMES CIRCULATE INTO CABIN THROUGH AIR CONDITIONER ASPHYXIATING DRIVER AND PASSENGERS WHILE DRIVING OR STOPPED. AFTER PARKING CAR IN HOME GARAGE GAS FUMES ARE TOO STRONG TO CLOSE GARAGE DOOR FOR HOURS. THE GAS FUMES ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO BECOME A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD. WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CAR I BECAME VERY ILL, DIZZY, NAUSEATED, EYES STARTED TO BURN, THAN VISION BLURRED, ALMOST CRASHED AND HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE NOTIFIED ACURA IN OUR LAS VEGAS AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, YET WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *AK
19991129VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE DEACCELERATES 65 MPH UNTIL 0. YH
19990419AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY
UNABLE TO HAVE ON / OFF AIR BAG SWITCH INSTALLED DUE TO LACK OF PARTS,PARTS NOT DEVELOPED YET. *YC
19980716ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION/STEERING COLUMN FAILED.
19980716STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
IGNITION/STEERING COLUMN FAILED.
19971204ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM SLOW SPEED.
Compare 1997ACURAACURA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 ACURA ACURA have?▼
The 1997 ACURA ACURA has 13 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 ACURA ACURA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 ACURA ACURA is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR.
Is the 1997 ACURA ACURA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.