AI Damage1987 Acura Legend: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Acura Legend filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (33% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 2.7 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Before this incident, the vehicle failed to start and a computer card was changed to fit the temperature conditon.
When putting vehicle into drive while foot was on brake car accelerated and hit a concrete pillar. Vehicle was totaled. The vehicle was totalled and the cause of the vehicle's acceleration was unkown.
Clutch slave cyl failed causing lost of control of transmission
Dt*: the contact stated while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle did not accelerate to the speed the rpm's indicated. The dealership determined the clutch needed to be rebuilt. This occurred every 50,000 miles and the clutch has been rebuilt a total of three times. The manufacturer was contacted.
I took my car in for repair because the window regulator failed. It cost me $248 for repairs. In three months the regulator failed again. Of course the regulator was under warranty, but they decided to research the problem and they told me they found a repair bulletin explaining that the constant use of the window can…
I consider the strut failure to be a serious safety/disign failure.
When applying the brakes in stop and go traffic the right front brake hose broke in half, cause unknown. Please give any further details.
Car leaks gasoline through rusted area. Fuel filler tube is exposed in the left rear wheel well and subject to moisture, salt, flying debris, etc.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Legend has 35 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.
What to check before buying
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Acura Legend?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, powertrain, fuel system. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: won't start (11%), rust, corrosion (11%), windows, sunroof (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Acura Legend?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1987 Acura Legend from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1987 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.