BumperScan
Powered byNHTSA|EPA|Community Reports
Your report: 3 of 4 steps complete75%
Car identifiedData collectedBasic analysisFull AI analysis

Free Preview

#BS-2003-ACUCL-2333

2003 Acura Cl

Based on reports from 89 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
89
Crashes
5
Fires
0
Recalls
5
TSBs
177
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 89 complaints, 5 crashes, 0 fires, and 5 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

3 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

engine light is on

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

gears are slipping

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

17 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 74K miles.

!Inspect the DrivetrainMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

13
0–30K
8
30–60K
15
60–90K
11
90–120K
6
120–150K
6
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (15 reports) • Median: 74K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (17 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission17 (19%)
Drivetrain15 (17%)
Airbags9 (10%)
Power Train:manual Transmission4 (4%)
Electrical4 (4%)
Wheels & Tires4 (4%)
Engine4 (4%)
Suspension3 (3%)

2003 Acura Cl: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 19% of all reports filed for the 2003 Acura Cl, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 74,455 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 74K-mile mark.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 17% of all reports filed for the 2003 Acura Cl, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2003 Acura Cl, with 9 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:manual Transmission Issues

Power Train:manual Transmission complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2003 Acura Cl, with 4 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:manual transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

4
02
9
03
7
04
5
05
7
06
3
07
2
08
4
09
1
10
4
11
5
12
1
13
4
14
7
15
3
16
5
17
8
19
3
22
2
23
4
24
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2003 Acura Cl. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

Get Report — From $1.20

Recall History (5 recalls)

02V226000Aug 2002

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, SEDANS, COUPES, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V6 ENGINES, A TIMING BELT TENSIONER PULLEY ON THE WATER PUMP IS MISALIGNED AND COULD CAUSE THE TIMING BELT TO CONTACT A BOLT ON THE CYLINDER HEAD. EVENTUALLY THE BELT COULD BE DAMAGED AND FAIL.

04V176000Apr 2004

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

ON SOME MINI VANS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR BREAKAGE.

15V320000Jul 2015

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

19V182000Apr 2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

19V499000Aug 2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 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 propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

This is the worst model year for the Acura Cl according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2003 Acura Cl vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

89

Class avg

231

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical compact cars vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 89 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Acura Cl Model Years

200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990
View all Acura Cl years →

2003 Acura Cl: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Acura Cl?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2003 Acura Cl is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 17 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2003 Acura Cl reliable?
The 2003 Acura Cl has 89 complaints, 5 crash reports, and 0 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2003 Acura Cl problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2003 Acura Cl have any recalls?
Yes, the 2003 Acura Cl has 5 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Acura Cl problems start?
Based on 59 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 74,455 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
RaccoonEagleRoverCat

Get the Full 2003 Acura Cl Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 89 owner reports. Know before you buy.

Get Full Report — From $1.20Money-back guarantee
Instant delivery|One-time purchase|No hidden fees