Free. Instant. No signup. Pulls recalls and complaints for your exact vehicle.
Couldn't find that VIN. Check the digits and try again.
The 2005 Acura RL has 7 critical safety recalls on file — the kind NHTSA opens when crashes, fires, or injuries are documented. 125 owner complaints alongside. Read those first.
The 2005 Acura RL has 125 NHTSA owner complaints and 11 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is lighting at 40 complaints, typically surfacing around 89,607 miles (~$250 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 RL (this page) | 125 | 11 |
| 2006 RL | 32 | 8 |
| 2007 RL | 20 | 7 |
| 2008 RL | 13 | 6 |
Significant reliability concerns on file. Read the trouble spots before buying.
Repair exposure runs above average — only with money set aside and eyes open.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: airbags is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 153,125 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 11 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 2.6/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
Driver and passenger side mirrors became dangerously loose. Service bulletin 08-022 issued june 7, 2008 by Acura warning "probable cause: the bolts fastening the mirror housing to the mirror base were not properly torqued." mirrors must be replaced at cost of $750 each to…
2005 Acura rl broke down within 10 miles of dealership immediately after purchase. Vehicle has electrical problems. *bf on each breakdown, the sh-AWD and vsa warning light illuminated at the same time. The navigation screen which controlled all of the electrical system…
Passenger side low beam flickers and will completely go off. Have taken into dealer with no results (claim they could not find the problem). This I believe is a safety issue. People have complained of this since 2005 with no solution. If when driving you turn your lights off…
Headlights flicker when car hit bumps or when headlights turn. It is very annoying. The flickering comes and goes, but it is getting more frequent. Have called the dealer about taking the car in and will make an appointment to take my cpo rl to dealer for inspection this…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA15001 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 2.6 out of 10 based on 125 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Acura RL has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2005 Acura RL is a higher-risk ownership prospect. Repair exposure runs above average — only with money set aside and eyes open. The record behind that call: Reliability score 2.6/10 — below the segment average; 11 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the lighting first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 40 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 89,607 miles. Average repair cost runs about $250 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 2.6 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 125 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is lighting. Typical failure occurs around 89,607 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is lighting, with 40 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 89,607 miles. Average repair cost runs about $250 at an independent shop.
The lighting is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $250 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 89,607 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 125 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $250, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.