Most common 2003 Acura CL problems
Share of the 73 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 →
2003 Acura CL recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
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.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began August 30, 2002.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2003 Acura CL:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Automatic transmission sudden downshift
See attached report.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2003 Acura CL owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 36 →
I purchased this vehicle in March 2021 and noticed the issue with the transmission the first time I operated the vehicle. There is a grinding sound whenever the transmission is placed in third gear. I brought the car to Acura by Executive in Wallingford, CT at some point in 2021 to enquire about the issue. I was informed by the service advisor that the problem is a known issue but because there is no recall on the issue and the vehicle is out of warranty Acura is not required to resolve it. Recently I came across service bulletin 08-018 and noticed where it stated that after warranty expiration a repair may be eligible for goodwill consideration. I called Acura Customer Service, was given case #15843108, and told to acquire a formal diagnosis from an Acura dealership. …
My 2003 Acura CL-type s manual 6 speed is also having similar problems as the other owners with change in pedal pressure and difficulty shifting in cold weather, sometimes with gears grinding and it is unavoidable unless you put the vehicle in neutral and come to a complete stop and start from 1st gear again,reverse is also a issue, sometimes it wont go in at all, I have been to the Acura dealerships to purchase the new tranny sensors which are not cheap but the problem still persists. I was driving on the freeway conditions were normal, nothing unusual and my transmission totally locked on 3rd gear, luckily I or anybody else was hurt. My front drivers side fender was damaged because I had to maneuver vehicle out of freeway traffic to avoid a major collision. Also front bumper needs some repair and repainting.
Air bags
I have an SRS light illuminated on my dashboard. Upon researching this, it is apparently a sensor issue which, when the light is on, indicates that the sensor in the seat - belt is malfunctioning, and this will keep the air bags from deploying. This of course is a serious safety issue. Also, in reviewing the warranty information, it states that all seat-belt issues are under a lifetime warranty. I'm wondering if you could provide confirmation of this. Thank you, [redacted] Randal Steadman
My 2003 3.2cls Acura had an airbag recall in in 2016. My vehicle was supposedly repaired at this time. However, recently my SRS light has been on requiring me to take my car to an Acura dealer. The dealer believes my steering wheel air bag has a faulty air inflator, which they claim is out of warranty and may require me to pay $3000 to repair. I do not understand how the manufacturer of the airbag/inflator can avoid repairing this. Shouldn't an airbag last longer than 8 years? What if everyone had to replace their airbags every eight years?
Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Acura CL. While driving 45 MPH and attempting to brake, the contact felt a vibration in the steering wheel and brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to four dealers. One dealer diagnosed that the brakes needed to be replaced; however, the contact stated that nothing failed and she did not know what the cause of the failure. Another dealer diagnosed that the rear rotors could be warped and needed to be replaced. The other two dealers also diagnosed that there was an issue with the brakes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and stated that they could not assist. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000. ..updated 06/21/17
Going 5 MPH in parking lot, coasting to a stop at end of aisle with foot off throttle pedal. Put foot on brake and the engine revved to high speed. Barely held car with brake. Shut off ignition. Car restarted fine. This was the second time in a week it had happened. Previous incident was on a residential street coming to a stop at a stop sign. Acura dealer and Acura techline say the problem can't happen because the throttle control is a hard cable, no electronics involved.
2003 Acura CL engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 17 / 26 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Acura CL a good car?
Based on 73 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 CL rates average: 1.2× 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 2003 Acura CL?
The transmission & drivetrain — 36 complaints, 49% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (9) and brakes (5).
How many recalls does the 2003 Acura CL have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2003 Acura CL, the most recent from June 27, 2019 (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 2003 Acura CL problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 27% 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.