Most common 2006 Acura RL problems
Share of the 32 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 →
2006 Acura RL recalls (8)
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.
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 odyssey and Acura rl vehicles. Brake fluid containing polymers is used that acts as a lubricant for certain brake system components. If replacement brake fluid is used that does not contain such polymers, or that contains only small amounts, a part of the rubber seal located at…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder seal free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during December 2010. Owners May contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Show 2 more recalls
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections
On certain passenger vehicles, prolonged high under-hood temperatures May cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new heat resistant power steering hose free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2007. Owners May contact Honda at 800-382-2238.
Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual
On certain passenger vehicles and motorcycles, the owner's manuals contain incorrect contact information for the national highway traffic safety administration's (NHTSA) vehicle safety hotline.
Remedy: Honda will send a postcard to dealers and owners with the correct NHTSA vehicle safety hotline information and with instructions to insert the card into the "reporting safety defects" section of the owner's manual.
What 2006 Acura RL owners say
Air bags
Tl contact owns a 2006 Acura RL. While driving 70 MPH the vehicle hydroplaned on water, crashed into a rail, and then was struck by a semi-tractor trailer. The vehicle was completely destroyed. After the failure, the check air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel, but the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed the dealer. A technician stated that the air bags will only deploy if the driver was in great danger. A police report was available. The failure and current mileages were 50000. Updated 01/12/10 updated 01/13/10.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 Acura RL. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 10V504000 (service brakes, hydraulic), 16V061000 (air bags), and 16V344000(air bags). The parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system
Front passenger door lock actuator was replaced less than two years ago. The exact same problem with the same door lock has reoccurred. The locked door will not open when the door handle is touched nor will the driver side door lock control lock or unlock the front passenger door. While driving the actuator is constantly trying to lock the doors but it doesn't work. I have seen other similar problems with this vehicle during my on-line research. I contacted the Acura dealer that repaired and replaced the original actuator but was told that the part warranty is 1 year.
In 2008 I bought a 2006 Acura RL that after 8 months caught fire while is parked overnight, the fire inspector deemed electrical due to faulty electric in door channel overhead. I subsequently bought another of the same Acura RL 2006 as of 6 weeks ago the air conditioning system was faulty and by the Acura dealer deemed electrical. Now the same car when I started last week had all the electrical warning lights come on , Acura told me ut was a low battery so once I replaced the battery immediately now I receive a cooling system warning and the temp gauge goes up and down.
Lights
While driving at night, on numerous occasions the right headlight would flicker intermittently and then go out completely. You have to turn headlight switch off and then back on for the headlight to come back on. I have concerns for me and my family's safety.
Headlights randomly quit working creating hazard driving at night and inclement weather. Sometimes one side and then randomly both lights discontinue working. According to owners on Acura owner website/forum, this is a common issue.
2006 Acura RL engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Acura RL a good car?
Based on 32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 RL rates use caution: 1.7× 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 2006 Acura RL?
The air bags — 9 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (8) and lights (5).
How many recalls does the 2006 Acura RL have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2006 Acura RL, 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 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 2006 Acura RL problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 46,000 miles; 53% 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.