Most common 2000 Acura RL problems
Share of the 59 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Acura RL complaints by model year
Best RL years: 2012, 2003, 2011. Years to avoid: 2005, 2000, 2002, 2006. Compare all years →
2000 Acura RL recalls (4)
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
On certain passenger vehicles, some brake master cylinders May have internal corrosion, resulting in reduced braking performance and increased stopping distances.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the master cylinder assembly, reservoir, and brake fluid. Owner notification began July 28, 2003. Owners should contact Acura at 1-800-382-2238.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
On certain passenger vehicles, during the manufacturing process, oil was applied to the brake pedal assembly to prevent rust. This oil can leak into the brake stop switch and contaminate the electrical contacts.
Remedy: Dealers will clean any excess oil from the pedal assembly and replace the stop switch. Owner notification began May 16, 2002.
What 2000 Acura RL owners say
Air bags all 26 →
The contact owns a 2000 Acura RL. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V027000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer who confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.
Dealerships intentionally ignore Takata/nadi airbag safety occupant safety recalls on jan 2019 this vehicle was delivered to mcconnell Honda alabama dealership repair shop for malfunction indication lights "batt" "brake". This malfunction was a result of aug 2018 patton Honda georgia, dealership shop repair diagnostic (parking lot brake torquing) abuse while in custody to diagnose, a slight hesitation during acceleration and rubber squeak noise near front left wheel. No remedy was provided and vehicle was damaged and battery charging disabled by patton Honda georgia. Owner was charged a $100 service charge. …
Electrical system
The SRS sensor jus pop on the ABS sensor pop on also the check engine light pops I don't know what to do and also I heard ticking and tapping and the engine started jumping whether I'm going slow or fast I really need some serious help why is because I can possibly be in great danger do to the sensors that are going out in my vehicle .
While stopped in traffic, upon acceleration. Engine stalled. Vehicle placed in park and car was restarted and driven away. Main fuel relay was replaced. Per Acura service bulletin 01-044, the incident that occurred could be due to a failed powertrain control module. Per Acura service bulletin 01-044, there was an updated powertrain control module, but this part has since been discontinued and is no longer being produced by Acura. I have called Acura customer service who stated that even though they are aware of the circumstances per technical service bulletin 01-044, there is nothing they are able to do to repair the car. I feel that this is a safety related issue due to the risk that the vehicle has the potential to continue to stall and cannot be repaired.
Transmission & drivetrain
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Acura RL. The contact stated that a bolt prematurely fractured internally associated with the transmission and the gear train differential failed. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was a drastic reduction in speed and the accelerator pedal did not respond. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop who diagnosed that the gear train differential needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 99V227000 (power train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 159,000.
While stopped in traffic, upon acceleration. Engine stalled. Vehicle placed in park and car was restarted and driven away. Main fuel relay was replaced. Per Acura service bulletin 01-044, the incident that occurred could be due to a failed powertrain control module. Per Acura service bulletin 01-044, there was an updated powertrain control module, but this part has since been discontinued and is no longer being produced by Acura. I have called Acura customer service who stated that even though they are aware of the circumstances per technical service bulletin 01-044, there is nothing they are able to do to repair the car. I feel that this is a safety related issue due to the risk that the vehicle has the potential to continue to stall and cannot be repaired.
2000 Acura RL engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Acura RL a good car?
Based on 59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 RL rates avoid: 2.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the RL at the same age. It is one of the RL years we suggest avoiding. 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 2000 Acura RL?
The air bags — 26 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal › sensor/control module. Next are the electrical system (9) and transmission & drivetrain (7).
How many recalls does the 2000 Acura RL have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2000 Acura RL, 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 RL?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2003 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005, 2000, 2002 and 2006. See the full Acura RL years comparison.
At what mileage do 2000 Acura RL problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 77,000 miles; 19% 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.