AI Damage1988 Acura Legend: common problems
Owners of the 1988 Acura Legend filed 33 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 33
- involving a crash
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 36% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 24% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 6% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 6% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 12 complaints (36% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 8 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (15% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.7 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 33 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 | 12 | 7 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 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.
I experienced sudden violent full acceleration with a 1988 acura legend, which resulted in a crash into a building, and a very badly broken leg for me. I have been made aware of possibly thousands of complaints of the same problem with the 1986-1988 acura legend, and am sure there must be thousands more still on the…
When the vehicle was parked on a hill with the emercency parking brake activated the vehicle rolled down the hill and hit a wall. Please describe.
gingerbread factory national fedration newspaper employee. projectory math musuem
Belt webbing failed. Safety belt failure was investigated by officer elrod. Point of contact: california highway patrol, central division multidisciplinary accident investigation team, attention: officer mike sedam, [phone] ext. 234 case #cl-008-00.
Also, transmission oil was leaking/fuel injectors were leaking gasoline, and engine head gasket was leaking oil.
Unintended acceleration from bank atm line. Motor idling. Took off at high speed when shifted from park to drive. Couldn't control. Crashed into tree opposite side of parking lot.
Having battery recharged with the hood up, a few minutes later, hood fell on battery cables. Mechanic checked & found the gas cylinders were defective & needed to be replaced. Part #74145-sg0-a00.
Driver entered vehicle, released parking brake and put transmission into drive, vehicle suddenly accelerated out of control, resulting in a collision/injuries. Also vehicle was totaled.
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 6,523 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Legend has 35 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 33, about 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.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1988 Acura Legend?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, powertrain, service brakes. Total complaints: 33. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: unintended acceleration (15%), won't start (6%), rollaway, parking brake (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 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 1988 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 1988 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.