AI Damage2006 Acura RL: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Acura RL filed 32 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 32
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 28% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 16% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 13% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 3% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- 8 Forward collision avoidance 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 9 complaints (28% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 5 complaints (16% of all).
- Tires: 4 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (9% 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, 5-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 32 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
2006 acura rl was eastbound, when its right rear tire blew out. The consumer slid off the left side of the roadway striking a guardrail. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0676-91)
After the failure, the check air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel, but the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed the dealer. A technician stated that the air bags will only deploy if the driver was in great danger. A police report was available.
On 4 occasions since buying car in 2006 reported that intermittently car lurched forward when lifting foot off brake. Dealership found no defects on 4 separate checks. Aug 13had this sudden acceleration' occur in heavy traffic. Totalled car,damaged 4 others.
Projector headlights are often pointed far too low and make it extremely difficult to see in normal city conditions, highway conditions however especially on backroads. According to an online forum for other acura owner's, this is a common problem that factory standards do not correct.
Headlights randomly quit working creating hazard driving at night and inclement weather. Sometimes one side and then randomly both lights discontinue working. According to owners on acura owner website/forum, this is a common issue.
Front passenger door lock actuator was replaced less than two years ago. The exact same problem with the same door lock has reoccurred. The locked door will not open when the door handle is touched nor will the driver side door lock control lock or unlock the front passenger door.
Torque converter failure with 61000 miles. Slippage and rumble noted at 45mph and 1550 rpms. Lurches at turns from stopped position.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 acura rl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 10v504000 (service brakes, hydraulic), 16v061000 (air bags), and 16v344000(air bags). The parts to do the repairs were unavailable.
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 6,635 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RL has 21 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 32, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Acura RL?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 32. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (16%), A/C or heater (6%), jerking, harsh shifts (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.