Acura Cl Recalls

The Acura CL has 6 recalls covering the 1998–2003 production run, with the most serious being a driver's frontal airbag inflator defect on 2003 models where the inflator can rupture during deployment and send metal fragments into the cabin, causing serious injury or death.

The airbag inflator issue spans the entire production run of the CL in overlapping waves. On 2003 models, multiple recall campaigns address the same underlying Takata inflator rupture risk, where the driver's airbag can explode with enough force to scatter metal shards toward the driver and other occupants. On 2001–2002 models, a similar rupture risk exists specifically in vehicles that previously received a replacement driver's airbag module as part of an earlier repair, meaning the replacement part itself carries the same defect. On 1998–2001 models, the original driver's airbag inflator carries the same rupture risk, covering the 1998 2.2CL, 1998–1999 2.3CL, 1998–1999 3.0CL, and 2001 3.2CL variants.

The one non-airbag recall affects only 1998 models, where the ignition switch can wear and allow the key to be removed without the transmission being in Park. If the driver walks away without setting the parking brake, the vehicle can roll and strike something or someone.