Your vehicle report
1997 Acura CL
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 82
- Received Sep 1996 to Aug 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ignition key sticks or will not turn8 complaints · 9.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbag warning light stays on5 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates5 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #02V120000On 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.
- Recall #99V069000Vehicle 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 0 fires, 5 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 3 |
| 1999 | 8 |
| 2000 | 9 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 9 |
| 2003 | 7 |
| 2004 | 6 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 82 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 8 | 9.8% | – | NHTSA recall #02V120000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 5 | 6.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 6.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 6.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 6.1% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 4 | 4.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 4.9% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 4.9% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 4 | 4.9% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 4 | 4.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #02V120000May 16, 20021,000,000 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition: switch
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.
Worn contacts could cause the engine to stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.
NHTSA recall #99V069000May 10, 1999124,875 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: 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.
This condition would result in vehicle deceleration and a sudden loss of power. Also steering controllability would be reduced.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Acura CL.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN