Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 | 13% | 130,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 8% | 75,000 miles |
| 2007 | 2 | 10% | 40,000 miles |
| 2006 | 8 | 25% | 55,000 miles |
| 2005 | 18 | 14% | 70,000 miles |
| 2004 | 5 | 45% | 101,000 miles |
| 2003 | 1 | 11% | 200,000 miles |
| 2002 | 5 | 12% | 65,000 miles |
| 2000 | 9 | 15% | 77,000 miles |
| 1999 | 2 | 8% | 17,000 miles |
| 1998 | 1 | 9% | 99,000 miles |
| 1997 | 4 | 21% | 261,000 miles |
| 1996 | 3 | 14% | 126,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
Small electric fire in driver side door panel melted all the way through outside door handle . After this happened to me I looked through forums and this seems to be a common issue with this car and there has been no recall for this issue . Very unsafe
When trying to use keyless access system when locking the 2005 Acura RL I press the button on the door handle to lock the doors but it is not locking the car. The remote is in my pocket. The keyless access does let me unlock the door with the pull on the driver door handle. The problem is when trying to lock the vehicle with the driver door handle it will not lock the car. So now I have to just use the keyfob to lock the car with pressing the lock button on the remote. I have read and done all required to do what the manual says but it is still not working. I have just read a service bulletin saying that there is a problem with the door handles that weather like rain or moisture has gotten inside and damaged the door handle sensors.
I parked the car and turned off the ignition. The lights on the dash blinked right after turning off the car. I knew I had a problem because the door locks wouldn't work. I tried to re-engage the electrical system to open the door locks, but the car was totally electrically dead. I tried a couple more times to start the car, but absolutely nothing. I sat in the car a couple minutes without touching anything. I tried once again to start the car and it worked. All the radio and nav system needed to be reset. This has occurred 3 more times over 3 months. Each the same way. As I parked and turned off the ignition, it blinked and electrically failed. Last two times being only 5 days apart. So it's happening more frequently and closer together. I had my mechanic look at the car. He'd never heard of this problem and had no clue as to how or why it happened. …
I tried starting my car and all of a sudden, my battery went dead. All the gadgets on my dash and not one could tell me my battery was dying or low on charge. So I call aaa and they replace the battery and all of a sudden my car is working better and my ac is working better. All the times I complained to the Acura dealership that my ac was not cooling properly in this florida heat and they check it and they tell me it's working just fine. All of a sudden, I get a new battery and my ac is working much better and now my car is really cooling down. No warning light came on telling me low battery. A car with all these electronics and no warning and the Acura dealership in delray beach checked it out numerous time and did not know that the ac was not functioning correctly because the car needed a new battery. Shame on Acura.
This is a continuation complaint with national cemter for dispute settlement to fix safty issues and discontinued parts. The car is not 40 years old and i cannot find a maintenance repair book. The power door locks are coming on and off and the fob key do not work Sutton acuta in macon said it needs the antenna but the antenna is discontinued. The navigation system doesn't work because the 6 chamger dvd in the trunk is not working with no electrical tech support from on star. ABS VSA TRACHION CONTROL IS ON for motr tan 3 years but the VSA switch is discontinued part. The SRS light was turn off at the nally acura in Marietta but they came back on and been on for 3 or 5 years. The car is not safe for driving after spending 10000 dollars to repair the same issue. This is my frustration with safty and no support.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Acura RL. The contact was driving 45-50 MPH when the SRS light illuminated. The dealer advised that the vehicle would need an occupant position detection system. The dealer replaced the occupant position detection system. The failure recurred within eight months. The dealer then advised the contact to cycle the ignition faster to correct the failure and reprogrammed the computer to deactivate the SRS light. The contact was concern that with the reprogramming of the computer, the air bag May not deploy in the event of a crash. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 69,000. Updated 01/03/11
Frequently asked questions
Which Acura RL years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (18), 2000 (9), 2006 (8), 2002 (5) and 2004 (5) model years. Electrical complaints make up 14% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Acura RL electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for any Acura RL model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Acura RL electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles; 25% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the instrument cluster/panel (2 mentions), followed by the ignition › switch (2).
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.