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2003 Acura RL

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2003 RL.

Body PASSENGER CAR

Defined as a passenger car requiring 4.9 quarts of 5W-20 API oil, the 2003 Acura RL establishes its mechanical identity through specific maintenance specifications and body classification. This model year generated 14 total owner complaints with one recall, primarily centered on air bags, which stands in sharp contrast to the model history high of 125 complaints recorded in 2005. Within the full 1996 to 2015 coverage span, the 2003 RL occupies a stable position far removed from peak reliability concerns, though it does not reach the absolute minimum of one complaint seen in the 2012 model year.

Model year2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2003

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.9 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque80 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 24 · 550 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 24 · 550 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP225-55VR16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim7-JJ inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	196.9 in
Overall width	71.7 in
Overall height	54.7 in
Wheelbase	114.6 in
Curb weight	3898 lb
Track (front / rear)	61 / 60.6 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	59/41

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the RL of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.5–7.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.50 sec — 1996 3.5 Premium Package Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2002	3.5 w/Nav Sedan 3.5L V6	7.90 sec	16.10 sec	225 hp	FWD
1996	3.5 Premium Package Sedan 3.5L V6	7.50 sec	16.00 sec	210 hp	FWD
1996	3.5 Premium Package Sedan 3.5L V6	7.80 sec	16.00 sec	210 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.9 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, HONDA VTM-4 DIFFERENTIAL FLUID OR EQUIVALENT in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil	HONDA VTM-4 DIFFERENTIAL FLUID OR EQUIVALENT
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	5.5 Pints
Engine Oil	5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.9 qt

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	8mm Bolts: 16 ft-lbs, 6mm Bolts: 9 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	181 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	54 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	8mm bolts, 16: 6mm bolts, 9 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	22 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts	16.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	29.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	29.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	80 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	181 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	181 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-4-2-5-3-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (Secondary Under Load)	650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (Secondary Under Load)	50 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance	0.9-1.1 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	NGK
Spark Plug Gap	0.039-0.0.043 in

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.50-1.60 lbs
Oil Type	PAG 46
Oil Capacity	4.66 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	24
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	550 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	14-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	169-176 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	43.0-50.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	35.0-42.0 psi
Engine Compression	145 minimum PSI. 28 maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure	10 psi @ idle, 50 psi @ 3000 rpm psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	80 ft-lbs / 17 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	80 ft-lbs / 26 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	0.060 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.004 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.102 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.102 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	1.024 in / 0.394 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

14 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

14 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 3,750 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 3,750 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 105,000 mi	Balance Shaft Drive Belt (replace) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Timing Belt (replace)
At 120,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2003 Acura RL represents a notable inflection point in the second-generation model’s federal record. Complaints dropped sharply from 59 in 2002 to just 14 in 2003, the lowest since 1998, while recalls fell to a single campaign and Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) declined to 46—nearly half the volume of the preceding three years. This lull contrasts with the subsequent 2005 spike, where complaints surged to 125 and recalls ballooned to 11 amid multiple investigations, suggesting the 2003 model year avoided the systemic issues that later triggered corrective actions. The top complaint areas—primarily air bags and tires—reflect isolated concerns rather than widespread defects, and the absence of fire or crash-related trends further underscores its relative stability. Positioned between a period of rising complaints and a later wave of recalls, the 2003 RL appears to be one of the most trouble-free years in the generation. **This makes it a strong candidate for purchase, provided a pre-buy inspection confirms the absence of the noted air bag or tire issues.**

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

2 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02’03’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’15

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 14 complaints on record, top 7 components.

Air Bags7

Tires2

Electrical System1

Power Train,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System1

Steering,Air Bags1

Service Brakes, Hydraulic1

Exterior Lighting1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20V027000Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator ModuleReported 17/01/2020

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… Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 46 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
DORE5C4S09	2019-07-11	Suspension	This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of…
B18010I	2018-01-10	Electrical System	Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this…
B18010I	2018-01-10	Equipment	Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this…
BTS170801	2017-09-26	Equipment	Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of…
BTS170801	2017-08-31	Electrical System	Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific RL. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 24 battery Vehicles taking 4.9 qt

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2003 RL take?

4.9 qt of 5W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2003 RL have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.