RecallRadar

Home → Acura → Cl → 1997

1997 Acura Cl Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

106 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.28 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious02V120000

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Moderate99V069000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint

THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS.

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.

Complaint volume

106 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

Complaints filed106
Reporting a crash5
Reporting a fire0
Injuries reported5
Deaths reported0
Severity Index0.28

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

  1. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 13 reports
  2. Air Bags — 7 reports
  3. Air Bags:Frontal — 5 reports
  4. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 5 reports
  5. Electrical System — 5 reports
  6. Vehicle Speed Control — 4 reports
  7. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 4 reports
  8. Suspension — 4 reports
  9. Unknown Or Other — 4 reports
  10. Electrical System:Ignition:Switch — 4 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

From the same data desk

Independent sites, same maintainer, same open-data standards.

TireFit
Is that tyre actually right for your car?
2,808 fitment guides
FuelFacts
What that trip really costs in fuel
Live consumption data
CostCompare
What things cost, city by city
2,123 comparisons