1997 Acura RL Engine cooling Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 11%of 19 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 148,385miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the engine cooling of the 1997 Acura RL, 11% of the 19 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 148,385 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Car will not crank every time. We thought it was the battery and put a new battery in and it worked fine for about a week and then started all over again. I talked with Acura of memphis and they said it could not be fixed. They said that the 97 3.5 RL does that sometime and that it has not happened to any other Acura vehicle. They said not to worry about it. It may not crank at first, but it will always crank eventually. That is one hell of a way to depend on your car. I put up with it for several months after this until one day my wife got stranded for a long time and was very upset. …”
NHTSA complaint #10247205, filed 2008-10, 148,385 miles“Consumer states that while vehicle was stopped at an intersection, it was hit from the rear.the vehicle suddenly accelerated with driver feet on the brakes. Vehicle was stopped when it impacted a house, and the engine was still revving. Ts”
NHTSA complaint #8021521, filed 2002-10Related service bulletins
- 10016260May 16, 2005Cranks won't start, immobilizer light flashes.
Engine cooling: other model years
Other parts of the 1997 Acura RL
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsTires
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Acura RL
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology