Total Complaints
8 filings
ACURA ACURA · model year
1998 ACURA ACURA
8 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998ACURAACURA carries 8 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 1998 ACURA is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (2) and air bags (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 1998 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.
8
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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010913POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS LINKED TO THE 3.0 V6 OF THE ACURA CL AND HONDA ACCORD HAVE BEEN GIVING NUMEROUS HONDA CUSTOMERS PROBLEMS. THE TRANS. HAS BEEN SHIFTING ABRUPTLY AND INTO INAPPROPRIATE GEARS FOR SOME TIME. THIS IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I NEARLY TOTALED MY ACURA WHILE TRYING TO PASS A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED DURING THIS ATTEMPT AT PASSING. I NEARLY COLLIDED WITH ON COMING TRAFFIC. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR THIS PROBLEM AND HAS CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD THE COST OF A NEW REPLACEMENT FROM THE FACTORY. THIS HAS CAUSED ME A LOT OF WASTED TIME AND MONEY. ON A "LUXURY" BRAND AUTOMOBILE, ONE WOULD NOT EXPECT TO HAVE TO REPLACE OR REBUILF THE TRANSMISSION JUST APPROX. 3 YEARS AFTER IT WAS SOLD AS BRAND NEW. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A FAMILIAR PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF TRANSMISSION AND EXPECT THE HONDA MANUFACTURER TO RECOGNIZE THIS PROBLEM AND REPLACE OR
20010521CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE ACCELERATES WHEN BRAKES APPLIED IN SHARP TURN; OCCURS AT 35 MPH AND 10 MPH. THREE OCCURRENCES TO DATE WITH TWO DIFFERENT DRIVERS.*AK
20010118CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
I WAS STOPPED TO TURN LEFT AND WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED ESTIMATED AT 45-50MPH. WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED COMPLETELY. THE SEAT BACK FOLDED BACKWARDS UNTIL HITTING THE BOTTOM OF THE REAR SEAT. MY VEHICLE WAS THEN PROJECTED ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC, WHILE MY SEAT WAS RECLINED. FORTUNATELY, I DID NOT STRIKE THE ONCOMING VEHICLES AND THERE WAS NO PASSENGER OR CAR SEAT IN THE REAR SEAT.*AK
20000327ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MORALS COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING CHECK LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, RADIO DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. *MJS
20000327EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
MORALS COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING CHECK LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, RADIO DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. *MJS
19990510POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION HAS A HESITATION AND CLUNK WHEN IT SHIFTS FROM 1ST INTO 2ND , THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION DURING APRIL 1999. THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION HAS BEGUN TO EXHIBIT THE SAME HESITATION AND JOLT WHEN IT SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO 2ND. THE DEALER STATES THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IS WORKING ON A FIX. DEALER STATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT SAFETY RELATED, BUT WILL GET INCREASINGLY WORSE. *AK
19981030CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLISION, VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DAMAGED WINDOW.
19981030CrashAIR BAGS
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLISION, VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DAMAGED WINDOW.
Compare 1998ACURAACURA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 ACURA ACURA have?▼
The 1998 ACURA ACURA has 8 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 ACURA ACURA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 ACURA ACURA is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and AIR BAGS.
Is the 1998 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.