AcuraRL2004Overview/acura/rl/2004/base/

2004 Acura RL

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 RL.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2004 Acura RL is a passenger car requiring 4.9 quarts of 5W-20 API oil for standard service intervals. Within the model’s 1996–2015 complaint history, this year stands out for its scarcity of reported issues—just 11 total owner complaints against zero recalls, with the electrical system representing the top reported concern. Compared to the 2005 high-water mark of 125 complaints, the 2004 data suggests a temporary lull in defect reports that researchers should note as a baseline for RL reliability before the spike in documented grievances.

Model year201220112010200920082007200620052004

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 length196.9 in
Overall width71.7 in
Overall height54.7 in
Wheelbase114.6 in
Curb weight3898 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
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
20023.5 w/Nav Sedan 3.5L V67.90 sec16.10 sec225 hpFWD
19963.5 Premium Package Sedan 3.5L V67.50 sec16.00 sec210 hpFWD
19963.5 Premium Package Sedan 3.5L V67.80 sec16.00 sec210 hpFWD

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

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity3.3
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilHONDA VTM-4 DIFFERENTIAL FLUID OR EQUIVALENT
Differential Gear Oil Capacity5.5 Pints
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.9 qt

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs8mm Bolts: 16 ft-lbs, 6mm Bolts: 9 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts181 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts54 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts8mm bolts, 16: 6mm bolts, 9 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts22 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts16.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts80 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub181 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub181 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6
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 Resistance0.9-1.1 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerNGK
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.0.043 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.50-1.60 lbs
Oil TypePAG 46
Oil Capacity4.66 oz
Standard BCI Group Number24
Standard BCI Cranking Performance550 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test14-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature169-176 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)43.0-50.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)35.0-42.0 psi
Engine Compression145 minimum PSI. 28 maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure10 psi @ Idle, 50 psi @ 3000 rpm psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket80 ft-lbs / 17 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle80 ft-lbs / 26 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness0.060 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.004 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.102 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.102 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.024 in / 0.394 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
114 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9014 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 7,500 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant at 120,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 120,000 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 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miBrake Line (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering System (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 60,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
At 105,000 miBalance Shaft Drive Belt (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Timing Belt (replace) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect idle speed)
At 120,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 180,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & 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 2004 Acura RL sits at the tail end of a generation that began in 1996, and it represents the most settled point in the entire arc. Complaints declined steadily from a peak of 70 in 2000 down to just 11 in 2004, while recalls dropped to zero — the only year in the entire record with no recalls at all — and TSBs fell to a generation-low 34, suggesting the platform had been thoroughly debugged by its final model year. The contrast with 2005 is dramatic: complaints surged to 125, recalls jumped to 11, and three federal investigations opened, indicating the redesign introduced substantial new problems. Within the 2004 data, the top complaint areas are Electrical System (3 complaints) and Air Bags (2), with one crash complaint and zero fire complaints, but the data does not specify root causes for any of these issues. Taken together, the 2004 model benefits from nearly a decade of incremental refinement and carries the lowest federal-activity burden of any year in its generation. For a used buyer, this makes 2004 a strong choice — it is the most mature, least problematic year of this RL generation and avoids the first-year redesign troubles that hit in 2005.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
34
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
11
Owner complaints
1 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

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 11 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System3
Air Bags2
Steering,Power Train,Electronic Stability Control (Esc)1
Steering1
Electrical System,Engine1
Latches/Locks/Linkages1
Electrical System,Equipment1
Exterior Lighting1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 34 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
DORE5C4S092019-07-11SuspensionThis SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of…
BJA461672017-01-01EquipmentSending vehicle data to tech line.
B05-0182016-11-23EquipmentSERVICE BULLETIN - NAVIGATION SYSTEM INFORMATION.
B980152016-03-18EquipmentSpecial Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated.
B99-0402015-12-08Fuel System, Gasoline"SERVICE BULLETIN - THIS BULLETIN UPDATES THE TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES FOR DTC P1456…

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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2004 RL take?

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

Does the 2004 RL have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.