Selling a junk Acura RL
Any RL sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Acura RL
NHTSA has 525 owner complaints on file for the Acura RL, model years 1996 to 2015, the 385th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are air bags (141, 27%), lights (63, 12%), electrical system (60, 11%). 26 complaints involved a crash, 8 a fire, and 1 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 84,000 miles. The 2005 model year has the most complaints (153). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is air bags, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car after an accident: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Acura RL by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 26 | Visibility and wipers | 2 | 2 | 3 | — |
| 1997 | 24 | Transmission and drivetrain | 2 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1998 | 16 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1999 | 26 | Air bags | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 2000 | 79 | Air bags | 6 | 0 | 4 | 77,000 |
| 2001 | 12 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 2002 | 54 | Air bags | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2003 | 11 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2004 | 16 | Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 153 | Lights | 4 | 1 | 11 | 75,000 |
| 2006 | 39 | Air bags | 3 | 1 | 8 | — |
| 2007 | 24 | Air bags | 1 | 1 | 7 | — |
| 2008 | 14 | Air bags | 1 | 0 | 6 | — |
| 2009 | 14 | Air bags | 4 | 1 | 6 | — |
| 2010 | 10 | Air bags | 1 | 0 | 7 | — |
| 2011 | 3 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 6 | — |
| 2012 | 1 | Lights | 0 | 0 | 6 | — |
| 2015 | 3 | Engine | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Acura RL recalls
NHTSA lists 21 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (11), brakes (3), lights (2). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 1998 model year, air bags (campaign 20V026000, Jan 2020): Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and A…
- 2000 model year, air bags (campaign 20V027000, Jan 2020): Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coup…
- 2005 model year, air bags (campaign 19V500000, Jun 2019): 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…
- 2005 model year, air bags (campaign 19V501000, Jun 2019): 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…
- 2010 model year, air bags (campaign 18V662000, Sep 2018): Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles nationwide. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2012 Acura RL, 2011 Honda Element and 2011-2013 Ridgeline vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas…
What a Acura RL is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk RL on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car after an accident 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Acura models
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Acura RL worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same RL gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Acura RL that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Acura RL?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Acura RL numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.