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Acura CLModel year report

2003 Acura CL Problems

Complaints
73filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
74,728miles, 52 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2003 Acura CL (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year report the automatic transmission far more than anything else: slipping, missed or sudden downshifts, warning lights, and in some cases loss of power or a replacement unit, often in the 60,000-120,000 mile range. The manual-transmission cars draw a smaller but consistent set of complaints about hard cold shifting and clutch pedal feel. Other reports cover airbag inflator recalls and repairs, brake vibration, and a few electrical and subframe issues at higher mileage.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Automatic transmission slips, misses gears, or fails

    • 29 complaints (40%)
    • median 76,124 mi at 6.8 yrs old (28 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2025

    Complaints describe the automatic transmission slipping or hunting for gears, delayed or harsh engagement, and sudden downshifts that drop vehicle speed on the highway. Some owners report the D5 or transmission light flashing and the car refusing to shift out of a low gear until it is shut off and restarted, and several were told by a dealer or shop that the transmission needed replacement. Owners also describe repeated failures after a previous replacement or repair, and difficulty getting coverage under the earlier extended warranty or recall depending on the VIN. Most reports fall between roughly 60,000 and 120,000 miles, though some appear at very low mileage and others past 200,000.

    Recall 04V1760002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for service records showing whether the transmission was replaced or repaired and when, and whether any extended-warranty coverage still applies. On a test drive, watch for delayed or harsh shifts, slipping under light acceleration, and any flashing D5 or warning light.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was riding on the highway when the engine went into high RPM's and the car was slowing down. The automatic transmission went out. I barely got to the side of the road without power. The car only has 77,248 miles on it. There was Acura service bulletin 02-027 feb 5, 2008, about tranmission problems. Very scarey!”

    NHTSA complaint #11046666, filed 2017-11, 77,248 miles

    “1) rough shifting. 2) gear would not change, erratic shifting, and then car would not move. 3) 01-some 03 cls had many problem w/ transmission so transmission warranty was extended to 109k but I have an 03 that is not covered and transmission blew. Dealer paid for the transmission but I had to pay for labor.”

    NHTSA complaint #10209098, filed 2007-11, 74,455 miles
  2. Air bags

    Airbag inflator recall and repairs

    • 9 complaints (12%)
    • median 105,500 mi at 8.2 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2005–2024

    Complaints describe airbags that did not deploy in a collision, an SRS light staying on, and delays or confusion around the driver-side inflator recall. Some owners report being told parts were unavailable, or that a car previously repaired under the campaign needed inflator work again, with cost questions raised about whether it should be covered. Reports span from under 30,000 miles to well past 100,000, and include vehicles repaired years earlier.

    Recall 19V499000Recall 19V182000Recall 15V3200004 related service bulletins

    What to check: Run the VIN through the manufacturer's recall lookup to confirm the driver-side inflator campaign was completed, and ask for the repair paperwork. Have any persistent SRS light diagnosed before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was sideswiped by an 18-wheeler on I-40 in arkansas and it caused me to lose control and barrel roll into a wooded area. The car is completely totaled- thank god my seatbelt was on. My Acura CL's airbags did not deploy. I have pictures of the car and the airbags without question should have deployed. I need this investigated... I cannot believe Acura airbags failed on me.”

    NHTSA complaint #10428436, filed 2011-10, 150,000 miles

    “I have an SRS light illuminated on my dashboard. Upon researching this, it is apparently a sensor issue which, when the light is on, indicates that the sensor in the seat - belt is malfunctioning, and this will keep the air bags from deploying. This of course is a serious safety issue. Also, in reviewing the warranty information, it states that all seat-belt issues are under a lifetime warranty. I'm wondering if you could provide confirmation of this. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11538632, filed 2023-08
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    Manual gearbox hard to shift, especially when cold

    • 6 complaints (8%)
    • median 53,500 mi at 3.3 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2005–2011

    Owners of the six-speed manual describe difficulty engaging second and reverse, gear grinding when cold, and a clutch pedal that changes pressure or fails to engage after being held at a stop. Some report the lever popping out of gear at low speed. Dealers replaced clutch and synchronizer parts in some cases, while others were told the behavior was normal for the car and that no further repair was indicated. Reported from very low mileage up to around 75,000 miles, most often in cold weather or when the car has sat.

    What to check: Test the manual car from a cold start: shift through first to second and into reverse before it warms up, and feel whether the clutch pedal is consistent. Ask whether the clutch, hydraulics, or synchronizers have been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2003 Acura CL type s 6 speed manual trans. Traveling slow in 1st. Gear on and off the gas trans. Pops out of gear with a clunk. If I hold the shift lever in place it will not pop out if gear. This has happened since I bought the car new in 08-2003. Dealer checked into it but said everything looked fine. I love the car but this problem with it poping out of gear is concerning and dangerous. I'm wondering if this is causing damage to my car in other ways.”

    NHTSA complaint #10112021, filed 2005-02, 100 miles

    “My 2003 Acura CL-type s manual 6 speed is also having similar problems as the other owners with change in pedal pressure and difficulty shifting in cold weather, sometimes with gears grinding and it is unavoidable unless you put the vehicle in neutral and come to a complete stop and start from 1st gear again,reverse is also a issue, sometimes it wont go in at all, I have been to the Acura dealerships to purchase the new tranny sensors which are not cheap but the problem still persists. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10163434, filed 2006-07, 52,000 miles
  4. Steering

    Subframe rust near the air-conditioning drain

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the front subframe rusting through on the passenger side, with owners pointing to condensate from the air-conditioning drain running onto the frame. In one case the sway bar came loose once the metal gave way, and another owner had the cradle repaired at significant cost. Technicians identified the corrosion during routine service in some instances. Reported from roughly 74,000 miles upward, on older cars in the sample.

    What to check: Look underneath the front passenger-side subframe for rust, flaking metal, or loose sway bar mounts, especially on cars from wet or snowy regions. Ask whether the area has been inspected or repaired.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Upon removing my front right (passenger side) wheel to check my brake pads, I noticed the rear portion of the sub-frame (which holds up the engine and transmission as well as the steering rack and sway bar) had rusted away allowing the sway bar to come completely loose on the right side. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11245484, filed 2019-08, 236,700 miles

    “Subframe rusted through on the passenger side where the cause is a manufacturer defect of condensation from the air conditioning dripping directly above onto the subframe on the passenger side, which created a perforation of the passenger side subframe. Subframe holds the suspension and steering components together and if the passenger side frame from the manufacter defect were to break traveling at highway speed, the car would loose control and cause accidents. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11450505, filed 2022-02

Buying note. The transmission history is the main thing to verify on this model year, so ask for repair records and confirm what, if anything, was done under the earlier campaign. On older examples, also check the passenger-side subframe for rust and confirm the driver-side airbag inflator recall was completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 73 consumer complaints for the 2003 Acura CL. 52 of the complaints include a mileage, and 27% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 74,728 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 5 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 93 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Tires (3), Wheels (3), Other or unknown (2), Seat belts (2), Engine cooling (1), Equipment (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “I bought a used Acura and on the way home on the highway the car suddenly down shifted violently several times causing the car to skid sideways .I pulled over and the car would not shift out of 3rd gear.eventully I got it to reset and it drove fine for 35 minutes until once again it locked up doing 65mph.”

NHTSA complaint #11193565, filed 2019-04, 148,000 miles

Air bags: “Dt: while driving 60 MPH was cut off on interstate. To keep from hitting another vehicle ran off the road. When consumer's vehicle went off road struck some trees with front impact with extensive damage. The vehicle was totaled and damaged was sustained on the right side as well as the front. The vehicle is equipped with 4 air bags. However only one on the passenger side deployed. The consumer who was in driver's seat did sustained a fractured sternum. Consumer was awaiting police report, but insurance did state it was totaled.”

NHTSA complaint #10128748, filed 2005-07, 29,000 miles

Brakes: “I purchased a new Acura 3.2cl type s with a 6 speed manual transmission on 5/24/03. In 6/16/04 with 14,396 miles I had to have the front rotors resurfaced and my brake pads replaced with updated pads per tsb01-017 because of extreme vibration while braking (out of round rotors due to over heating). This was done at no charge under warranty. On 4/26/05 (less than one year later) with 26,097 miles, Acura resurfaced the rotor as a good will gesture at no charge because of extreme vibration while braking again. I was advised that the next time I would have to pay for the repairs. …”

NHTSA complaint #10140892, filed 2005-10, 14,396 miles

Exterior lighting: “I have a 2003 Acura cls that required replacement of a headlight at 66000 miles. This headlight cost $928.85. This is a traffic safety item. It should not cost so much to make a young auto safe to drive. I believe this a manufactoring defect. It should be listed as a saftey recall.”

NHTSA complaint #10148875, filed 2006-01, 66,216 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

27% of the 52 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 48,000 and 117,200 miles.

10%0–106%10–2512%25–5023%50–7513%75–10025%100–15012%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (52 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 74,728 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

8’04’07’10’13’16’22’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2003 Acura CL → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 93 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 93 bulletins →

Other model years of the Acura CL

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20037374,7285——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20024445,0002——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200127163,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20001121,0350———Not enough data
199949102,5873——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19985596,6125——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199782107,6772——Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Acura CL model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Acura CL?

Owners of this model year report the automatic transmission far more than anything else: slipping, missed or sudden downshifts, warning lights, and in some cases loss of power or a replacement unit, often in the 60,000-120,000 mile range. The issues reported most often: Automatic transmission slips, misses gears, or fails; Airbag inflator recall and repairs; Manual gearbox hard to shift, especially when cold.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2003 Acura CL have?

NHTSA recorded 73 consumer complaints for the 2003 Acura CL as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 Acura CL is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 36 complaints (49% of the total), followed by air bags with 9.

Has the 2003 Acura CL been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2003 Acura CL reported?

Among the 52 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 74,728 miles and the middle half falls between 48,000 and 117,200 miles; 27% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.