VehicleVerdict

Acura CL years to avoid

The Acura CL years to avoid are 2001, 1997, 2003 — each drew complaint volumes well above the model's norm or has an open safety investigation. The 2004 is the cleanest year on record.

731

Total complaints

11

Recall campaigns

1997–2004

Years covered

3

Years to avoid

Complaints by model year

Acura CL NHTSA complaints by model year317 complaints1997: 106 complaints1998: 69 complaints1999: 66 complaints2000: 11 complaints2001: 317 complaints2002: 71 complaints2003: 89 complaints2004: 2 complaints
Acura CL NHTSA complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

CL years to avoid

YearWhyComplaints
2001High complaint rate317
1997High complaint rate106
2003Open safety investigation89

Every CL year

YearComplaintsRecalls
200420
2003avoid895
2002712
2001avoid3173
2000110
1999663
1998695
1997avoid1062

Common questions

What are the worst Acura CL years?

Based on NHTSA complaint rates and open investigations, the CL years to avoid are 2001, 1997, 2003. The cleanest year on record is 2004.

What is the best year for the Acura CL?

By complaint volume, 2004 has the cleanest NHTSA record among CL years with enough data to compare.

How many recalls does the Acura CL have?

Across all model years, the CL has 11 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns and 731 consumer complaints on file.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.