2002 Acura RL

Typical pattern

8.9% of complaints about the 2002 Acura RL came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 17.1 yr in service. The most-reported system is air bags (18 complaints), typically at 18.5 yr or about 128,000 miles.

Complaints: 45
Median age at failure: 17.1 yr
Median mileage: 85,500 n=17
Crash / fire / tow: 2.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

20V027000 2020-01-17

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.

02V119000 2002-05-14

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

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.

EVENTUALLY, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Air bags 130,000 mi 10.3 yr in service

SRS INDICATOR IS ON AT DASHBOARD. CHECKED WITH THE DEALER , SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE. ITS A SAFETY ITEM, SHOULD WORK THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE CAR. *TR

Air bags 128,000 mi 14.6 yr in service

INITIAL PROBLEM; SRS LIGHT , ADVISED BY ACURA TECHS PROBLEM WAS FAULTY OPDS OCCUPANT POSITION DETECTION SYSTEM AND POSSIBLY OPDS SENSOR. (SAFETY ISSUE) 10/14/15. SINCE THAT TIME AIR BAG INOP LIGHT HAS ALSO DEPLOYED

Air bags 201,373 mi 16.3 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 ACURA RL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED EIGHT TSBS ON THE AIR BAGS, BUT NO AIR BAG RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 201,373.

Other RL model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2002 Acura RL

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other RL model years

How to read this