2009 Acura RL: common problems and reliability

The 2009 Acura RL has 8 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 6 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are air bags and service brakes. Owners most often flag catastrophic parts availability, suspension components, body panels, interior trim pieces increasingly impossible to source, honda discontinued most parts, aftermarket support minimal, junkyard inventory depleted, specialist suppliers expensive and slow, typical repair requiring 2-4 weeks parts sourcing versus 2-3 days other hondas, very frequent.

Safety record for the 2009 model year

8
Owner complaints
6
Recalls
1
Crash reports
1
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2009 Acura RL vehicles (US, public record).

Where owners report problems

air bags
3
service brakes
2
hydraulic
2
vehicle speed control
2
fuel system
2

Recalls affecting the 2009 RL

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 19V501000

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, 2007-20…

air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

Campaign 19V500000

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 2…

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 17V029000

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 ve…

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 18V041000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Acura RL, 2010 Honda Element, and 2010-2013 Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisia…

What owners say across generations

Positive to nostalgic sentiment for first-generation model, regarded as underappreciated luxury sedan offering exceptional comfort, refinement, and Honda reliability at affordable used prices. Praised for smooth 3.5L V6 engine delivering responsive performance

  • Catastrophic parts availability, suspension components, body panels, interior trim pieces increasingly impossible to source, Honda discontinued most parts, aftermarket support minimal, junkyard inventory depleted, specialist suppliers expensive and slow, typical repair requiring 2-4 weeks parts sourcing versus 2-3 days other Hondas, very frequent
  • Premium fuel requirement, requires 91+ octane for optimal performance though accepts 87 with reduced power, fuel economy disappointing 18-21 MPG combined typical, annual fuel costs $2,500-$3,500 at premium pricing, very frequent
  • Interior material deterioration, door handles peel apart exposing plastic substrate, dashboard warps and cracks in sunlight, center console scratches easily, leather (except seats/steering wheel) low-quality and deteriorates, typical beyond 15-20 years age, recurrent
  • Suspension wear, struts, strut forks, control arm bushings, ball joints deteriorate 100,000-150,000 miles (161,000-241,000 km), replacement parts extremely difficult to source, coilovers from other Acuras fit with modification, complete refresh $1,500-$3,000 if parts available, recurrent
  • Air conditioning failures, compressor, condenser, evaporator failures typical beyond 150,000 miles (241,000 km), refrigerant leaks common, repair cost $1,200-$2,500, parts availability challenging, recurrent

Owner insights cover all generations of the RL.

Typical used price

Used RL listings typically run $4,995–$9,998 across 1997 to 2011 model years.

Other RL model years

2006 RL2004 RL2001 RL
Full Acura RL owner reportCompare against another car