Acura Rl Years to Avoid
CarWhere's analysis of 36 federal NHTSA complaints for the Acura Rl, by model year, updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No year rated avoid
No year rated caution
No standout best year
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 13 | 3 | 6 | N/A |
| 2009 | 8 | 5 | 6 | N/A |
| 2010 | 9 | 1 | 7 | N/A |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | 6 | N/A |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | 6 | N/A |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | 0 | N/A |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Acura Rl. Full methodology.
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FAQ
What years of the Acura Rl should you avoid?
No Acura Rl model year rises to an "avoid" rating in the current federal data; see the year-by-year verdicts below.
What are the best years for the Acura Rl?
No single Acura Rl year stands out as a clear "best" in the federal data yet; the year-by-year table shows the full spread of verdicts.
How is the Acura Rl verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Acura Rl's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Acura Rl before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Acura Rl reliable?
No Acura Rl model year rates "avoid" in the current federal data. Across 36 NHTSA owner complaints, the model's record is relatively even year to year — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Acura Rl?
Owner complaints for the Acura Rl are spread across components without a single dominant failure; see the year-by-year table and known-issue cards above for the federal record.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Acura Rl across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Acura Rl, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.