2008 Acura RL Recalls, Complaints & Specs
6 safety recalls list the 2008 Acura RL, and owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
6 safety recalls for the 2008 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 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda Element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura RL vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2011 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1,…
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Hose, piping, and connections (steering)
On certain passenger vehicles, prolonged high under-hood temperatures may cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new heat resistant power steering hose free of charge. The recall began on december 12, 2007. Owners may contact honda at 800-382-2238.
13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2008 Acura RL have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 28,026 miles. Complaints peaked in 2016 with 8 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 acura rl. The contact stated that there was a progressing failure of which the brakes failed to function properly when applied. The dealer (dave white acura, 5868 monroe st”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 21, 2017 · Service brakes
“2008 acura rl. Consumer writes in regards to recall notices 16v-344 & 16v-061 remedy not available within a reasonable time frame- over 60 days. *smd”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 8, 2016 · Air bags
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2008 Acura RL. Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 19 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 16 / 24 |
| Fuel | Premium |
| EPA class | Midsize Cars |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S5) |
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 2008 Acura RL
How do I know if my 2008 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. 6 campaigns currently list the 2008 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 07V551000).
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.