What breaks most · 1997 to 2004 model years
Acura CL problems by year
Owners have filed 537 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Acura CL across model years 1997 to 2004. One year stands out: 2001 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2000, 2002 and 1999.
- Years to check closely: 2001
- Fewest complaints: 2000, 2002, 1999
- Complaints on file
- 5371997 to 2004, all trims
- Worst year
- 2001251 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 263 fires · 22 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 76kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 20Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 4 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (20) | |
| 49 | 2 | 5 | Electrical system (18) | |
| 44 | 4 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (13) | |
| 11 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (7) | |
| 251 | 9 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (200) | |
| 40 | 1 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (33) | |
| 64 | 5 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (34) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2001 Acura CL
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 80% |
200 | 4 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 8% |
19 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 5% |
12 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 3% |
8 | 2 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2001 Acura CL |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 3% |
8 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2001 Acura CL |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 3% |
7 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2001 Acura CL |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 2% |
5 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2001 Acura CL |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 2% |
4 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2001 Acura CL |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Transmission failed prematurely. Transmission was rebuilt. Transmission failed again years later unexpectedly on the highway.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Acura CL years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001 carries the most filings on the Acura CL. The 2001 alone has 251 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Acura CL problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 200 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Acura CL problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Acura CL complaints that include mileage is about 76,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.