Tl* the contact owns a 1999 acura rl. The contact stated that there was a clicking noise upon turning the steering wheel and it seized several times. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.
The worst 1997 Acura RL problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical4
- Transmission4
- Engine3
- Suspension3
- Tires2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical4
- Transmission4
- Engine3
- Suspension3
- Tires2
- Acceleration1
- Brakes1
- Driver assistance1
- Fuel system1
- Steering1
Recalls 2
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A transmission case bolt can loosen and fall out allowing the transmission to disengage from the differential.
- Risk
- The vehicle could lose power to the drive wheels without warning. Also, shifting the transmission into the park position would not lock the wheels, and a parked vehicle could move unexpectedly if the parking brake is not set.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a redesigned bolt.
Recall number 99V227000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 99V069000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Acura RL 70
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint
- Sending vehicle data to tech line.
- Service bulletin - navigation system information.
- Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated.
- "Service bulletin
- Acura: there are guidelines for various situations and procedures including: tire pressure valve stem...
- Speedometer shops CAN transfer odometer mileage. acura. servicenews. tt
- Cranks won't start, immobilizer light flashes. tt
- Navigation system won't map match or gets lost. acura tech line summary. tt
- Audio unit and navi anti-theft codes available on in. acura servicenews. may 2004. tt
1997 Acura RL fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 23 | 19 |
What 1997 Acura RL owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
On-board diagnostic (obd) system is detecting 5 codes p1304-p1305-p1306-p1300-p1399 and I dont think they are the right codes.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 acura rl. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the ball joint separated causing the front suspension to collapse. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer advised the contact that his vehicle was previously repaired according to recall# 99v069000 (suspension:front: control arm: lower ball joint) and they would not assume any responsibility for the repairs. The failure and current mileages were 163,000. Updated 10/13/09. *lj updated 10/14/09.
Switch would fail to engage after starting. I had to hold the switch between start and on in order to maintain engine running. Drove 70 miles like that until I reached home. It did it once before two years ago, but after spraying with cleaner it stopped.
Car will not crank every time. We thought it was the battery and put a new battery in and it worked fine for about a week and then started all over again. I talked with acura of memphis and they said it could not be fixed. They said that the 97 3.5 rl does that sometime and that it has not happened to any other acura vehicle. They said not to worry about it. It may not crank at first, but it will always crank eventually. That is one hell of a way to depend on your car. I put up with it for several months after this until one day my wife got stranded for a long time and was very upset. So after about an hour the car finally cranked and she got home. This is very unsatisfactory. I called the service manager at acura of memphis and told him what the mechanic had told me about it not being able to be fixed and he said that was not right. He knew they could fix it. So, I took my wife's car to them and they kept it for three weeks. After three weeks, they called and said they tried it every day and it cranked fine every time. We asked if they drove it around because it looked to us as if it had not been moved. They said yes, but we did not really believe it. My wife picked the car up yesterday, left memphis and drove to a shop in bartlett. When she came out, it would not crank. Finally after about 10 minutes, it cranked. What if someone had been trying to assault her and she could not get the car cranked to get away. This is not acceptable in our minds. We have driven acura's for over 15 years and have sent many customers to buy acuras because of our satisfaction with the vehicles. Please do the right thing and either fix this car or give my wife a new car that works. I know that may sound ridiculous, but I can promise you that this small expenditure on acuras part will serve you much better than the bad press we will give about acura and its failure to be able to live up to its word that the car can be fixed. Thank you very much for your time.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 acura rl. While pulling into a parking space at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into four parked vehicles. There were no injuries. The insurance company stated that the vehicle was destroyed; however, they did not investigate the failure. The acceleration failure also occurred with the contacts 1986 acura legend, which was caused by a stuck butterfly valve. Police report number 08-007317 was filed. The current and failure mileages were 104,000. Updated 02-19-08 *bf updated 02/19/08
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 acura rl. The contact heard a loud clicking noise coming from the wheels when the brake pedal was depressed. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the lower ball joints needed to be replaced. He did not have the ball joints replaced because they were replaced at 70,000 miles. The contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The current and failure mileages were 143,000. Updated 01-29-08. *kb update
I was driving on the interstate at about 75 MPH, when one half of my tire expanded, causing the car to shake violently, and almost forcing me to lose control. The tire was taken off, and replaced with the donut. I will attempt tomorrow to have all 4 of my tires replaced, as they are fairly new (under 10,000) and I no longer feel comfortable driving the vehicle. These were cooper life liner, touring sle tires. Size 215 60r16 95t m+s.
1) while exiting a shopping mall parking into the street I heard a sudden loud noise followed by a loud grinding sound. My vehicle stopped dead in the middle of the street. When we pushed the vehicle to the curb side, and put it in park it started rolling downhill till I pulled the hand brake. 2) the failure was in the same area for which my vehicle was recalled previously. (99v227000) the spline of the shaft that connects the differential to the transmission had failed. 3) this shaft and the transmission had to be replaced. I have the parts. Note: this failure could have been life threatening due to sudden and unanticipated failure and loss of power. I was lucky that I was not on a highway or main street.
While consumer was traveling vehicle stopped. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and mechanic determined that the passenger front ball joint stud has broken off from the lower ball joint. Mechanic informed consumer that the left and right ball joints needed to be replaced. *ak updated 4/12/2006 - there was no noise prior to the failure. The passenger side axle also failed. The consumer contacted honda canada for assistance but they refused because the vehicle is being operated in the united states in addition to the vehicle being outside the warranty parameters .
Compare the 1997 Acura RL
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Questions about the 1997 Acura RL
Is the 1997 Acura RL reliable?
Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 1997 Acura RL, 1.7 times a typical RL model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Acura RL?
Electrical system, with 4 complaints. Next is transmission (4).
How many recalls does the 1997 Acura RL have?
2 recalls, covering power train and suspension.
What gas mileage does the 1997 Acura RL get?
Official estimates for the 1997 Acura RL range from 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 23 highway.
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