2005 Acura Rl: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2005 Acura Rl: 11 recalls, 125 owner complaints and up to 19 mpg combined.
Recalls
11 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Fuel system Vehicle recall #07V097000 · 2007 · 166,561 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain vehicles, a coil wire inside the fuel pump relay May break, causing the fuel pump to lose power. If the fuel pump becomes inoperative, the engine May not start.
Why it matters: If the fuel pump loses power while driving, the engine could stall without warning, and a crash could occur.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pump relay free of charge. The recall began on April 2, 2007.
Steering Vehicle recall #07V551000 · 2007 · 43,200 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain passenger vehicles, prolonged high under-hood temperatures May cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid.
Why it matters: Power steering fluid leaking onto a hot catalytic converter will generate smoke and possibly lead to an under-hood fire.
The fix: Dealers will install a new heat resistant power steering hose free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2007.
Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #10V504000 · 2010 · 471,820 vehicles
What's wrong: Brake fluid containing polymers is used that acts as a lubricant for certain brake system components. If replacement brake fluid is used that does not contain such polymers, or that contains only small amounts, a part of the rubber seal located at the rear of the brake master cylinder May become dry, and the seal May curl during movement of the piston. If this occurs, a small amount of brake fluid could slowly leak…
Why it matters: A leak of brake fluid could lead to a change in brake pedal feel and overtime a degradation in braking performance increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder seal free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during December 2010.
Traction Control System, Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #13V092000 · 2013 · 183,576 vehicles
What's wrong: An electrical capacitor May have been damaged during the manufacturing of the vehicle stability assist (vsa) control module causing intermittent, automatic, minor brake application. However, if the driver applies the brakes while the vsa is malfunctioning, the vehicle May come to an abrupt stop. Additionally, due to a loose ground connection, certain model year 2005 pilots have a vsa system that May apply partial…
Why it matters: Sudden inadvertent braking, especially without illumination of the brake lights, May increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
The fix: Owners will be notified and instructed to take their vehicles to a dealer of their respective brand. The dealer will install a partial wiring harness containing a capacitor for the vsa modulator, free of charge. The affected model year 2005 pilots will have their ground connection tightened. The…
Airbags Vehicle recall #14V353000 · 2014 · 133,207 vehicles
What's wrong: American Honda motor company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 accord, civic, cr-v, pilot and Acura mdx, model year 2003-2004 odyssey and element, and model year 2005 Acura rl, and 2006 Honda ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in california, and equipped with takata-brand air bag inflators. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air…
Why it matters: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerâs frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014.
Airbags Vehicle recall #14V700000 · 2014 · 0 vehicles
What's wrong: American Honda motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda civic, 2003-2004 civic cng and element, 2002-2005 cr-v, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2005 accord, pilot, civic hybrid, and Acura mdx, 2005 Acura rl and 2006 Honda ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in alabama,…
Why it matters: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerâs frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015.
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V061000 · 2016 · 2,232,187 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda cr-v, 2011-2015 cr-z, 2010-2014 fcx, and insight, 2009-2013 fit, 2013-2014 fit ev, 2007-2014 ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ilx, 2013-2014 Acura ilx hybrid, 2007-2016 rdx, 2005-2012 Acura rl, 2009-2014 Acura tl, and 2010-2013 Acura zdx vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that May be…
Why it matters: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017.
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V344000 · 2016 · 1,790,894 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura mdx, 2005-2011 Acura rl, 2005-2006 Honda cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2007-2008 fit, 2003-2008 pilot, 2002-2004 odyssey, and 2006-2011 ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016.
Airbags Vehicle recall #17V029000 · 2017 · 308,884 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura mdx and Honda cr-v vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura rl vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017.
Airbags Vehicle recall #19V500000 · 2019 · 1,558 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ilx, 2015 rdx, 2005-2010 and 2012 rl, 2009-2014 tl, 2010 and 2012 zdx, 2007-2011 cr-v, 2011-2013 and 2015 cr-z, 2009-2013 fit, 2013 fit ev, 2010-2011 and 2013 insight and 2007-2014 ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that May explode due to…
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019.
Airbags Vehicle recall #19V501000 · 2019 · 1,657,752 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura mdx, 2005-2012 rl, 2003-2007 Honda accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2003-2005 civic hybrid, 2001-2005 civic gx ngv, 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2007-2008 fit, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot, and 2006-2014 ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement…
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 1 mention a fire, 2 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Exterior lights (49): the most common themes are warning light on (4), stalls / loses power (3).
- Airbags (36): the most common themes are warning light on (5), deploys unexpectedly / inflator (2).
- Electrical (18): the most common themes are door / lock issues (5), electrical failure (4), stalls / loses power (4).
- Brakes (hydraulic) (7): the most common themes are noise or vibration (4), brake failure / soft pedal (2).
The 2005 Acura Rl has 125 owner complaints, ranking #1 of 18 Rl model years for complaints (5.3× the average Rl year). Complaints peaked in 2016 (31 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 8 years old, at a median of 73,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2004 (11 complaints, 0 recalls), 2006 (32 complaints, 8 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 L 6-cyl | Automatic (S5) | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 16 | 24 | 19 | Premium |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2005 Acura Rl.
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FAQ
Does the 2005 Acura Rl have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 11 vehicle recalls for the 2005 Acura Rl. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2005 Acura Rl problems?
Owners have filed 125 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are exterior lights (49), airbags (36), electrical (18).
What gas mileage does the 2005 Acura Rl get?
EPA ratings run up to 19 mpg combined (3.5 L, Automatic (S5)), across 1 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2005 Acura Rl repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.