2004 Acura RL Recalls, Complaints & Specs
No safety recalls list the 2004 Acura RL, and owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
No safety recalls on record
NHTSA's recall database lists no safety campaigns that include the 2004 Acura RL. That is good news, with two caveats: recalls can be issued at any time (this page refreshes daily), and a recall filed under a related model name may not appear here. The VIN check above queries NHTSA directly for your exact vehicle.
11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2004 Acura RL have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. Reports cite 2 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 104,775 miles. Complaints peaked in 2013 with 3 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The power steering line is pouring out the fluid and burns under the car causing smoke”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 26, 2017 · Electronic stability control (esc)
“Failure of power steering tilt/reach. Power steering tilt/reach stopped working. The gears acura have used are plastic and fragile. Acura does not sell the gears, they want people to buy new steering”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 15, 2017 · Steering
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2004 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 2004 Acura RL
How do I know if my 2004 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.
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.
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.