2003 Acura RL Recalls, Complaints & Specs
1 safety recall lists the 2003 Acura RL, and owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
1 safety recall for the 2003 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…
9 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 Acura RL have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 91,359 miles. Complaints peaked in 2020 with 3 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 acura rl. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v027000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. T”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 8, 2021 · Air bags
“I received a recall notice in march and was told to park my car. I did for 9 months, forced to buy another car. Acura refused to provide a rental. We filed a class-action suit. Acura required an inspe”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 3, 2021 · Air bags
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2003 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 2003 Acura RL
How do I know if my 2003 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. 1 campaign currently lists the 2003 Acura RL; your car may already have been repaired under it.
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 20V027000).
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.