PlainCars

ACURA · vehicle model

ACURA CL

730 NHTSA complaints and 7 safety recalls across model years 1997–2004.

Complaints
730
Recalls
7
Model years
8

The ACURACL appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 730 consumer safety complaints and 7 recall campaigns across 8 model years (1997–2004). That averages roughly 91 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 2 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
20042
200389
200271
2001316
200011
199966
199869
1997106

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 81 in 2017-2021 to 18 in 2022-2026, a fall of 77.8%. That is the 19th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

1
’96
6
’97
7
’98
24
’99
17
’00
27
’01
92
’02
101
’03
73
’04
41
’05
29
’06
27
’07
33
’08
23
’09
18
’10
24
’11
13
’12
8
’13
23
’14
32
’15
12
’16
15
’17
11
’18
19
’19
35
’20
1
’21
3
’22
4
’23
9
’24
2
’25

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare ACURACL to Similar Vehicles

ACURACL vs VOLVO850 → ACURACL vs CADILLACDTS → ACURACL vs RAMPROMASTER → ACURACL vs CHEVROLETSPARK →

NHTSA Investigations

DP26001Defect PetitionClosed2026-03-06

All wheel drive allegation

PE07060Preliminary EvaluationClosed2007-11-29

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILURE

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the ACURA CL?▼
The ACURA CL has received 730 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1997 to 2004, with 7 recalls. That averages about 91 complaints per model year.
What years of ACURA CL are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the ACURA CL from 1997 to 2004 (8 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the ACURA CL have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many ACURA CL model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common ACURA CL complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the ACURA CL are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my ACURA CL has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. ACURA CL totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.