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1996 Acura Rl Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

26 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.39 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious06E049000

Exterior Lighting

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Moderate99V227000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

THE VEHICLE COULD LOSE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REDESIGNED BOLT.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A TRANSMISSION CASE BOLT CAN LOOSEN AND FALL OUT ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO DISENGAGE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL.

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

26 this model-year 4 median, same year

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

Complaints filed26
Reporting a crash2
Reporting a fire2
Injuries reported0
Deaths reported0
Severity Index0.39

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. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 6 reports
  2. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 5 reports
  3. Engine And Engine Cooling — 3 reports
  4. Power Train — 1 reports
  5. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 1 reports
  6. Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Column Shift — 1 reports
  7. Air Bags:Frontal — 1 reports
  8. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 1 reports
  9. Structure:Body:Door:Hinge And Attachments — 1 reports
  10. Service Brakes, Air:Antilock:Control Unit/Module — 1 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

1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2015

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.

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