ACURA CL · model year

2000 ACURA CL

11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2000ACURACL carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 2000 CL is power train:automatic transmission with 7 filings, followed by visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:exterior (1) and air bags:frontal (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 2000 CL, 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.

11
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

11 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION7
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
AIR BAGS1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1

Recent Complaints

20140306VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS DRIVING ON I75, THE ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK AND CAR STARTED RACING. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STOPPED THE CAR WITH A LOT OF EFFORT ON THE BRAKES, BY WHICH TIME THE ENGINE RPM IS 4000. AFTER I TURNED OFF, I PULLED THE THROTTLE OUT WITH HANDS AND IT SEEMS TO WORKING FINE FOR A BIT. BUT WHEN I STARTED CAR AND DROVE AGAIN THE SAME THING HAPPENED RIGHT AWAY. I PARKED THE CAR AND WILL BE TAKING IT TO THE SHOP VERY SOON. *TR

Mileage: 70

20071121POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

IN OCTOBER 2007, I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY 2000 ACURA 3.2TL. THE CAR JERKED WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND AS IT CHANGED GEARS IT STARTED SHAKING. I HAD IT CHECKED DURING AN OIL CHANGE THAT MONTH AND WAS TOLD IT WAS OK. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AN DIN NOVEMBER I TOOK IT IN TO MCDANIELS ACURA IN COLUMBIA, SC. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSIONS AND THAT THE RECALL EXPIRED DUE TO VEHICLE MILEAGE. I INFORMED THE GENERAL MANAGER I DID NOT RECEIVE RECALL INFORMATION. AFTER CONTACTING THE ACURA CORPORATION, I WAS INFORMED SINCE I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, I DID NOT RECEIVE THE INFORMATION. I AM THE REGISTERED OWNER AND INFORMATION WAS NOT SENT TO ME. NOW, I AM FACING $4000 IN REPAIRS ON A VEHICLE I AM STILL PAYING ON. *TR

20070102POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TL* - THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL 04V176000 ON A 2002 ACURA 3.2CL FOR THE TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER REPAIRED SOMETHING, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS STILL SLIPPING. THE DEALER TOLD HIM LAST WEEK THAT THEY WOULD GIVE HIM A NEW TRANSMISSION, AND THE PARTS WOULD BE IN ON 01/02/2007, BUT HE HAD TO PAY FOR THE LABOR TO PUT THE OLD TRANSMISSION IN. IF THERE WAS A RECALL WHY DID HE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR. THEY FIXED IT BEFORE THEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO FIX IT STILL UNDER THE RECALL. AK

20041130POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CAR STARTED TO DELAY BETWEEN SHIFTING. AFTER BEING IN 5TH GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEED (ABOUT 55 MPH) CAR DOWN SHIFTED TO 2ND GEAR. PULLED OVER. CAR HAD RECENTLY BEEN SERVICED FOR RECALL OF TRANSMISSION. MECHANIC SAYS NEED NEW TRANSMISSION. CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM.*AK

20030723CrashAIR BAGS

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN HIT IN THE FRONT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK *TS

Mileage: 42,000

20021218POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION FAILURES MAY BE A SAFETY HAZARD, VEHICLE ON HILLS TRANSMISSION SLIPPERY, SLOWS DOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

20021108AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING NOTICE AIR BAG INDICATION LIGHT FLASHING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

20021001VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS WERE POSITIONED TOO HIGH, CONSUMER STATED THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.*YH

20020916POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION SLIPPED FROM 5TH TO 3RD GEAR, ALSO CONTINUOS SLIPPING FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR. IMMEDIATLY TOOK TO ACURA DEALER AND THEY HAVE ONLY REPLACED AND FLUSHED TRANSMISSION, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THEY NEVER MENTIONED POSSIBLE COMPANY WIDE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAD TO READ IT IN THE LA TIMES AUTO SECTION ON 9-11-02.*AK

20020822POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

MY TRANSMISSION FAILED IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. IT COULD HAVE LED TO A CATASTROPHE. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED OF MANY MORE FAILURES OF THIS TRANSMISSION FROM OTHER CUSTOMERS AT THE DEALERSHIP, CRYPTIC REMARKS FROM SERVICE REPS, AND FROM RENTAL CAR COMPANIES IN THE AREA. I WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL.*AK

20020701POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION HAS A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE . DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

Compare 2000ACURACL to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2000 ACURA CL have?
The 2000 ACURA CL has 11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 ACURA CL?
The most-complained component for the 2000 ACURA CL is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR and AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 2000 ACURA CL 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.