AI Damage1996 Acura RL: common problems
Owners of the 1996 Acura RL filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 22
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 23% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 23% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 18% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 5 complaints (23% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (18% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (14% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 22 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
While pulling out of a parking space brakes failed, causing the consumer to strike a post. Dealer stated that this was a common problem with the brakes on this vehicle. Manufacturer did not agree.
Vehicle was invoved in a frontal collision of 40 mph in which both air bags failed to depoy. Dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 1996 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
The instrument panel lights dimmed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.
When driving normally, the engine will completely die, as if the ignition had been turned off. The code set indicates misfire on all cylinders. Starts again immediately, but does not always continue to run. This will happen numerous times then not again for days. Electrical system tests ok, fuel pressure test ok, too.
On october 22, 2007, the contact entered the vehicle and smelled smoke. She then heard a popping sound and noticed smoke coming from the dashboard. The odometer and speedometer lights were not illuminated.
The noise sounded for a 20 to 30 seconds, the abs light came on and the abs systems went out. When the noise was short the abs system went out after a mile or two drive. During the mile or two drive. I heard the same noise off and on until the abs system eventually went out. This first occurred on september 24, 2006.
The window regulators on my 1996 acura 3.5 rl are broken on the left and right rear windows. Before the regulators broke, the window would come up slowly and stop almost to the top. After a little while, I had to pull the window up the rest of the way.
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 7,904 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RL has 21 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 22, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Acura RL?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, visibility, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 22. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (27%), warning lights, check engine (14%), smoke, burning smell, fire (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 Acura RL?
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 1996 Acura RL 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 1996 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.