Projector headlights are often pointed far too low and make it extremely difficult to see in normal city conditions, highway conditions however especially on backroads. According to an online forum for other acura owner's, this is a common problem that factory standards do not correct.
Acura RL headlights problems
60 of the 422 owner complaints about the Acura RL describe headlights failing or too dim, most of them for the 2005 model year.
- owner complaints
- 60
- worst model year
- 2005
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,000
- typical mileage
- 65,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
Check airbag system light on. Connection to headlight defective, headlight turns on and off randomly like when going over a bump, but turns back on if you turn light off then on again.
Headlights randomly quit working creating hazard driving at night and inclement weather. Sometimes one side and then randomly both lights discontinue working. According to owners on acura owner website/forum, this is a common issue.
Hid headlights. My problem has been with my headlights ever since I bought the vehicle used in july of 2015. Every now and then the passenger side headlight would flicker and go out. I can get the headllight to come back on by turning off the headlights and turning them back on. The problem can be so bad at times that I have to do it repeatedly while I'm driving. I do most of my driving at night so this has become a very real issue for me. I've read how others have had the same problem but acura refuses to acknowledge it. It's a costly repair especially if they can't find exactly what the issue is. I've already gotten stopped by a policeman about the headlight being out. And when I explained to him what the issue was he let me go once I showed him that it came back on. The car itself has been amazing to drive especially how hard I've driven it over the years and it now has about 238,000 miles on it of which I put about 95,000 miles. Other major repairs like the air conditioning I had replaced within a month after purchasing the car under warranty. I was not so lucky with the radiator that went up. The whole ordeal ended up costing over $1000 at a aaa auto repair center. I still say it is an amazing car for the technology, road miles, and age of vehicle. I purchased it because it was all-wheel drive and the price was just under $10k back in 2015. This car new was more like $50k-$55k. I wish that acura would issue a recall and make the necessary repairs for the hid system. I actually read how one owner had both headlights go out while driving. Scary to even think about that happening at the wrong time and they not knowing how to fix it the way I learned which is to turn them off and on. Sometimes I can go several months with no issues and then others it happens just about every night depending on climate I sometimes think, specifically, humidity, but I can't be sure.
The headlights intermittently go off while driving. Sometimes its one and sometimes both. You have to turn the lights off and back on and they turn back on. This is a major safety issue.
Passenger side low beam flickers and will completely go off. Have taken into dealer with no results (claim they could not find the problem). This I believe is a safety issue. People have complained of this since 2005 with no solution. If when driving you turn your lights off then back on they come back on till the flickering starts again.
My headlights flicker a lot while driving at night. They go out sometimes one at a time, driver's side headlight or passenger side headlight. Sometimes they both go off and I am required to turn the headlights off and back on using the switch. This is very dangerous and the afs light comes on every so often. This needs to be fixed immediately. I read from several forums that a lot of acura owners for years 2005 and 2006 experienced this same issue that I am going through. I need acura to resolve this issue. Is there a recall for this? Please have someone contact me asap!
2005 acura rl, headlights have flickered since purchase in 2005, have reported this over the past 9-10 years corporately and to the local acura dealers, acura of pleasanton and acura of the desert. This has now become a safety issue, flickering lights now turn off at night in the dark while in motion creating a driving hazard for both the occupants of the acura and any surrounding vehicles. This is a common problem with the 2005 acura rl according to numerous online blogs and sites. Acura continues to ignore and refuses to assume responsibility. Please intervene on behalf of current 2005 acura rl owners, a fix or recall is necessary before some is killed or injured.
Front passenger light flickering more frequently these day. Went to dealer and replaced the low beam light bulb. Still experienced the issue when you made a right turn and noticed light start flickering and sometime it off. Very annoying and bothersome to driver. Saw numerous complaints about the flickering light and think it's time for the federal safety agency to start looking into this problem before they get worse. Honda knew the problem but avoid acknowledge until someone get hurt. Dealer are charging consumer over $1000 just to replace the whole headlight. Sometime, still wouldn't fix the problem, I urge nthsa to investigate immediately.
Headlights have previously flickered and temporarily turned off, dealer has claimed our vehicle was the only one impacted, low beams have now comlpletely failed creating a safety hazard
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, during the manufacturing process, oil was applied to the brake pedal assembly to prevent rust. This oil can leak into the brake stop switch and contaminate the electrical contacts.
- Risk
- Eventually, the brake lights will not illuminate when the brakes are applied, which increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will clean any excess oil from the pedal assembly and replace the stop switch. Owner notification began may 16, 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 acura at 1‑800‑382‑2238.
Recall number 02V119000 · Recall details
Questions about the Acura RL headlights
Which Acura RL years have headlights failing or too dim problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2005 (49 complaints), 2006 (5 complaints) and 2007 (2 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix headlights failing or too dim on the Acura RL?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 11 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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