Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Acura RL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I bought the car there was no airbag light on it I was driving down my road and it just randomly turned on been on ever since. Sunnyside Acura Told me that the frontal driver side airbag was replaced in 2016, Then they told me that it would not be under recall because they pretty much said they had already fixed it but the problem had occurred. They said it was done it 2016 the air bag should last the life of the vehicle. I was doing some research on Kelley Blue Book I had noticed that there is a campaign number and it sounds exactly like they issue that I was occurring that Acura told me and charged me $189 for diagnosis and told be about 2K to replace airbag . …
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 Acura RL. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator intermittently illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 16V061000, 16V344000 (air bags), and 13V092000 (service brakes, hydraulic, traction control system). The parts needed for the repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 174,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available and parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Acura RL. The contact stated that her son was driving and approached a crash that had already taken place. The victim of the crash was ejected from the vehicle and was lying in the road. The contact applied the brakes and attempted to avoid a vehicle that was stopped in the road. The contact's son swerved into the other lane and crashed into the vehicle that was involved in the crash as well as the vehicle that was stopped in the middle of the road. The driver's vehicle flipped over onto the shoulder of the road and then landed upright again. The contact's son sustained head trauma, cuts to the eyes, a broken nose, and one of his eyelids was detached from his eye and had to be repaired by a plastic surgeon. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital where he remained for a month and a half, battling infections during his recovery. …
The SRS light came on suddenly on day in January 2014 and after disappeared after two weeks. However, the message in the log showed a 92-22 error message and required me to take the car to dealership. As the light SRS had gone off I took the car in to dealership on April 4th for another recall issue and asked them to look in to SRS message. Mind you the SRS light was off when I took the car to the dealership. After they looked into the issue the SRS light came back on and now the dealership wants $1300 to replace the SRS system. I called Acura and they said the SRS is out of warranty and they suggested that they will not replace it. There is a technical service bulletin out for collecting all passenger air bags however they want to charge me. Really disappointed with the way both the Acura dealership in bethesda, md area and Acura both are treating the situation. …
Takata recall I had my driver side air bag replaced almost 87 days with out my Acura RL recieved a loaner... 33 days later july7 2016 I recieve a recall for passanger side air bag can send metal injure or kill passanger please dont have a passanger I brought the car to Acura dealer told me end of September they will have parts gave me a rental today dealer calls and ask me to bring back rental Acura not going to pay for it ??? I ask the dealer how should I drive my children to sports and work my wife cant drive with me I only have this vehicle,I called Acura 800 complaint area now they are reconcidering if they will pay for loaner,I cant sell this vehicle because what if I sell it and the pasanger gets killed this is so crazy vw is buying back their cars from people. …
"Takata recall" I received a letter from American Honda in March, 2016 about a safety recall notice. Under the section "what should you do?" the letter states the remedy parts will be available in summer 2016 and "Acura will send another letter when parts become available" I never received this second letter so on October 24 I called American Honda Acura client relations and was told it was my responsibility to locate the parts and have them installed. I called my local Acura dealer and was told they have the parts and can install immediately. American Honda is not handling this recall with the life threatening urgency it deserves and is putting life's at risk.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 Acura RL. The contact wanted to voice their dissatisfaction at Honda for the way they were handling a manufacturers air bags recall. The contact stated that the dealer did offer the option of a temporary provisional vehicle however they stated the consumer had to pay the insurance for the vehicle. The contact stated that the their insurance would only cover 30 days. The contact the time frame the manufacturer provided was unreasonable. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The manufacturer notified the contact that they would cover the cost of the rental but would not cover the cost for the insurance.
SRS light came on. Took car to dealership for repair. Was told it was fault code 92-21. Was told a new wiring harness could possibly fix the problem at a cost to me of $3000. Yes, that was three thousand dollars$$ now I have no SRS on my car an Acura feels its not there problem. I understand how warranties work and how wear and tear effect every car, but a wiring harness should not malfunction, especially on a safety system!! This has to be a manufacture defect!! Thanks Acura for standing behind the safety of your vehicles!!! Btw, this car has never had a accident.
When driving the message comes on that the passenger side airbag is off.the message appears constantly. I have called Acura in torrance ca.the message went away,but it is constantly appearing . They gave me a reference number b012014-06-2701911. They said that they will investigate my VIN # to see if there is a problem. In the meantime my passenger side airbag is inactive.the message is still on my computer screen.I am worried I am taking the car in to the dealer.I think that Acura is trying to play down the seriousness of this. Thank you
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 Acura RL. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 16V344000 (air bags) and 16V061000 (air bags). The parts needed to repair the vehicle were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect and VIN tool confirms parts not available respectively.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 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 › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda Element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura RL vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2011 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Show 3 more recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Air bags
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in California, and equipped…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
NHTSA investigations
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…
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…
Airbag complaints in other RL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Acura RL?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Acura RL, 29% of the model year's 125 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2005 Acura RL airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-500 (inflator module, Jun 27, 2019); NHTSA recall 19V-501 (inflator module, Jun 27, 2019); NHTSA recall 17V-029 (inflator module, Jan 10, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Acura RL airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 140,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.