2002 Acura RL Recalls, Complaints & Specs
2 safety recalls list the 2002 Acura RL, and owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
2 safety recalls for the 2002 Acura RL
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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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began…
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Switch (exterior lighting)
On certain passenger vehicles, during the manufacturing process, oil was applied to the brake pedal assembly to prevent rust. This oil can leak into the brake stop switch and contaminate the electrical contacts.
Remedy: Dealers will clean any excess oil from the pedal assembly and replace the stop switch. Owner notification began may 16, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do…
43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2002 Acura RL have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 88,881 miles. Complaints peaked in 2020 with 13 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“About 2013 the 2000 acura rl vsa and abs lights came on then the tilt on the steering wheel up and down stop working then the srs lights and seat belts light came on and want go off. So from then till”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 23, 2024 · Service brakes
“This is a continuation complaint with national cemter for dispute settlement to fix safty issues and discontinued parts. The car is not 40 years old and i cannot find a maintenance repair book. The po”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 17, 2024 · Service brakes
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2002 Acura RL (3.5RL). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 18 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 16 / 22 |
| Fuel | Premium |
| EPA class | Midsize Cars |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd |
Compare Acura RL model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Acura RL model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 Acura RL | 2 | 22 |
| 1997 Acura RL | 2 | 19 |
| 1998 Acura RL | 3 | 11 |
| 1999 Acura RL | 2 | 24 |
| 2000 Acura RL | 4 | 59 |
| 2001 Acura RL | 2 | 12 |
| 2002 Acura RL | 2 | 43 |
| 2003 Acura RL | 1 | 9 |
| 2004 Acura RL | 0 | 11 |
| 2005 Acura RL | 11 | 125 |
| 2006 Acura RL | 8 | 32 |
| 2007 Acura RL | 7 | 20 |
| 2008 Acura RL | 6 | 13 |
| 2009 Acura RL | 6 | 8 |
| 2010 Acura RL | 7 | 9 |
| 2011 Acura RL | 6 | 3 |
| 2012 Acura RL | 6 | 1 |
| 2015 Acura RL | 0 | 2 |
Checking a specific 2002 Acura RL
How do I know if my 2002 Acura RL 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 2002 Acura RL; 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 02V119000).
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
- Cl586 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.