Most common 2002 Acura CL problems
Share of the 44 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Acura CL complaints by model year
Best CL years: 2000, 1999. Years to avoid: 2001, 1997. Compare all years →
2002 Acura CL recalls (2)
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.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge.
Power train › Automatic transmission
On some Mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Remedy: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2002 Acura CL:
Automatic transmission sudden downshift
See attached report.
What 2002 Acura CL owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 33 →
Transmission problem: erratic shifting, hard downshifts, shifts from 5th gear into 2nd gear at high speed: close-to-death experience on the highway!! This has happened 3 months after the recall service was done concluding nothing wrong. From my research I have found that the recall - "band-aid fix" does not fix whats actually wrong with the transmission because it is a trick to make consumers think that the car is fine. The recall was put out but does not work!! This matter should be looked into properly and thuroughly again. I do not wish to injure or kill myself or others because my car is poorly designed. My car is out of warranty and will not be covered under recall since it was already provided. Furthermore, the symptoms of my problem are different than the recall symptoms. The Honda motor co. …
Acura is knowingly putting defective transmissions in these cars. When my first trans went out, I was doing 50 MPH on lake shore dr. And if I weren't wearing my seatbelt, I would've gone through the windshield. They admitted that they knew all these trans were bad and replaced the 1st one @ 103,000 miles and said they would "good will" these trans as long as im the original owner. My husband was a master tech. Mechanic at Acura for 10 yrs. And said they never came out with a good trans. For these cars. They just keep rebuilding them and replacing them when they go out! Now my replacement trans is going out @ 30,000 less miles than the 1st and they refuse to replace it without me paying for it! Pay for another bad transmission? …
Air bags
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 Acura CL. The contact stated the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed the front driver air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been diagnosed nor repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V027000 (air bags). The contact stated that keyes woodland hills Honda (6111 topanga canyon blvd, woodland hills, ca 91367), exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The part was not available for the repair. Parts distribution disconnect. The failure mileage was 260,878.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Acura CL. When the vehicle was started, the "SRS" warning indicator illuminated and remained lit all day. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, but an appointment was scheduled with goodson Acura of dallas (4801 lemmon ave, dallas, tx 75219) for September 11, 2019. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Speed control & acceleration
Since the second day of having my car, my car has been continuously plagued with problems. I have taken my car in for repair over 10 times for various and sometimes repeating problems. This all has occurred within a three year period. I have never had a vehicle that has had so many problems. Some of the problems have been so severe that I no longer feel safe driving my car. One of these problems was my transmission spontaneously downshifting from 5th gear to 2nd gear at highway speeds. This caused a tremendous decrease of speed. Had someone been in back of me, I would have been seriously injured. The transmission was replaced, but it continues to act spontaneously. After making complaints directly to Acura of America, I feel snubbed by them in that they have not sought to assist me other than warranty repairs.
For a couple days my car would begin stalling while I was driving on the highway. I felt like it slowed down to shift out of gear but never completely shifted. Then, one day when I was driving, on my way home my car slipped out of gear completely and I couldn't drive forward. My car only allowed me to go in reverse. 2after allowing it to sit for a while it would drive but while trying to drive home it constantly slipped out of gear which was very dangerous especially when it happened at an intersection.
2002 Acura CL engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Acura CL a good car?
Based on 44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 CL rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the CL at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Acura CL?
The transmission & drivetrain — 33 complaints, 75% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (5) and speed control & acceleration (4).
How many recalls does the 2002 Acura CL have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2002 Acura CL, the most recent from January 17, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Acura CL?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001 and 1997. See the full Acura CL years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Acura CL problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 45,000 miles; 57% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.