1997 Acura Cl Recalls, Complaints & Specs
2 safety recalls list the 1997 Acura Cl, and owners have filed 82 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
2 safety recalls for the 1997 Acura Cl
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Switch (electrical system)
On certain sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, and sport utility vehicles, electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is started.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ignition switch. Owner notification began june 14, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
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Suspension: lower ball joint
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Certain vehicles were manufactured with ball joints that can prematurely wear out and, in the worse case, the ball joint would separate causing the front suspension to collapse.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
82 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1997 Acura Cl have filed 82 complaints with NHTSA; 5 describe a crash. Reports cite 5 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 124,157 miles. Complaints peaked in 2000 with 9 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“AIRBAG recall was issued in march 2020. Honda advises that no replacement parts are available as of 8/14/2020.could be up to a year (from march 2020) before parts are available.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 14, 2020 · Air bags
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 acura cl. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v026000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact reached ou”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 10, 2020 · Air bags
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 1997 Acura CL (2.2CL/3.0CL). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 20–24 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 18–22 / 26–28 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Subcompact Cars |
| Engine | 4/6 cyl, 2.2/3 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd |
Compare Acura Cl model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Acura Cl model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 Acura Cl | 2 | 82 |
| 1998 Acura Cl | 5 | 55 |
| 1999 Acura Cl | 3 | 49 |
| 2000 Acura Cl | 0 | 11 |
| 2001 Acura Cl | 3 | 271 |
| 2002 Acura Cl | 2 | 44 |
| 2003 Acura Cl | 5 | 73 |
| 2004 Acura Cl | 0 | 1 |
Checking a specific 1997 Acura Cl
How do I know if my 1997 Acura Cl has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 2 campaigns currently list the 1997 Acura Cl; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Acura dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 02V120000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Acura models
- MDX3,296 complaints
- TL3,118 complaints
- RDX2,164 complaints
- TLX891 complaints
- TSX671 complaints
- Integra657 complaints
- RL423 complaints
- Legend382 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.