Problems · by component
2005 Acura RL exterior lighting problems
49 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Acura RL cite exterior lighting, 39% of all 125 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
49
39% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the exterior lighting
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“CHECK AIRBAG SYSTEM LIGHT ON. CONNECTION TO HEADLIGHT DEFECTIVE, HEADLIGHT TURNS ON AND OFF RANDOMLY LIKE WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP, BUT TURNS BACK ON IF YOU TURN LIGHT OFF THEN ON AGAIN.”
“HID HEADLIGHTS. MY PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH MY HEADLIGHTS EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED IN JULY OF 2015. EVERY NOW AND THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WOULD FLICKER AND GO OUT. I CAN GET THE HEADLLIGHT TO COME BACK ON BY TURNING OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND TURNING THEM BACK ON. THE PROBLEM CAN BE SO BAD AT TIMES THAT I HAVE TO DO IT REPEATEDLY WHILE I'M DRIVING. I DO MOST OF MY DRIVING AT NIGHT SO THIS HAS BECOME A VERY REAL ISSUE FOR ME. I'VE READ HOW OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BUT ACURA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT. IT'S A COSTLY REPAIR ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN'T FIND EXACTLY WHAT THE ISSUE IS. I'VE ALREADY GOTTEN STOPPED BY A POLICEMAN ABOUT THE HEADLIGHT BEING OUT. AND WHEN I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT THE ISSUE WAS HE LET ME GO ONCE I SHOWED HIM THAT IT CAME BACK ON. THE CAR ITSELF HAS BEEN AMAZING TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY HOW HARD I'VE DRIVEN IT OVER THE YEARS AND IT NOW HAS ABOUT 238,000 MILES ON IT OF WHICH I PUT ABOUT 95,000 MILES. OTHER MAJOR REPAIRS LIKE THE AIR CONDITIONING I HAD REPLACED WITHIN A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS NOT SO LUCKY WITH THE RADIATOR THAT WENT UP. THE WHOLE ORDEAL ENDED UP COSTING OVER $1000 AT A AAA AUTO…”
“THE HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES ITS ONE AND SOMETIMES BOTH. YOU HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON AND THEY TURN BACK ON. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.”
“PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM FLICKERS AND WILL COMPLETELY GO OFF. HAVE TAKEN INTO DEALER WITH NO RESULTS (CLAIM THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM). THIS I BELIEVE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED OF THIS SINCE 2005 WITH NO SOLUTION. IF WHEN DRIVING YOU TURN YOUR LIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON THEY COME BACK ON TILL THE FLICKERING STARTS AGAIN. *TR”
“MY HEADLIGHTS FLICKER A LOT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THEY GO OUT SOMETIMES ONE AT A TIME, DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT OR PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT. SOMETIMES THEY BOTH GO OFF AND I AM REQUIRED TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON USING THE SWITCH. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THE AFS LIGHT COMES ON EVERY SO OFTEN. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY. I READ FROM SEVERAL FORUMS THAT A LOT OF ACURA OWNERS FOR YEARS 2005 AND 2006 EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE THAT I AM GOING THROUGH. I NEED ACURA TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. IS THERE A RECALL FOR THIS? PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE CONTACT ME ASAP!”
“2005 ACURA RL, HEADLIGHTS HAVE FLICKERED SINCE PURCHASE IN 2005, HAVE REPORTED THIS OVER THE PAST 9-10 YEARS CORPORATELY AND TO THE LOCAL ACURA DEALERS, ACURA OF PLEASANTON AND ACURA OF THE DESERT. THIS HAS NOW BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE, FLICKERING LIGHTS NOW TURN OFF AT NIGHT IN THE DARK WHILE IN MOTION CREATING A DRIVING HAZARD FOR BOTH THE OCCUPANTS OF THE ACURA AND ANY SURROUNDING VEHICLES. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 ACURA RL ACCORDING TO NUMEROUS ONLINE BLOGS AND SITES. ACURA CONTINUES TO IGNORE AND REFUSES TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY. PLEASE INTERVENE ON BEHALF OF CURRENT 2005 ACURA RL OWNERS, A FIX OR RECALL IS NECESSARY BEFORE SOME IS KILLED OR INJURED.”
Showing 6 of 49 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.