what it costs new, what it’s worth used, and who has one near you.
The 1996 Acura RL is a vehicle we track across the used market in Canada. It comes in gas (10.0 L/100 km) and hybrid (7.7 L/100 km) forms, so the main choice is fuel — the hybrid earns its premium back over enough kilometres. Below is what it costs new, what it's worth used, and who has one near you — figures we update from our daily market scan.
Gas — combined
10.0L/100 km
Hybrid — combined
7.7L/100 km
Fuel / year (20k km)
$3,560
Hybrid saves
$819/yr
Typical figures. See what it costs for your commute.
Median market price by vehicle age
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Fuel economy & range: Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence — Canada). Safety recalls & owner-reported complaints: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (public domain); complaint shares are a relative signal, not a failure rate. Prices, payments, depreciation, listing counts and dealer inventory: Conquest market data; payment estimates use market-average terms and are not an offer of credit. Independent service — not affiliated with or endorsed by Acura.
Owner-reported problems and open safety recalls
Most-reported problems
Across 24 owner complaints filed on the 1996 Acura RL
Share of complaints naming each system — a signal of what owners report most on this model, not a failure rate. The denominator is people who filed a complaint, not every owner. Complaints are filed with the US regulator; the same models are sold in Canada.
Safety recalls
3 campaigns issued by the manufacturer
Exterior Lighting
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Campaign 06E049000
Power Train · Automatic Transmission
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A TRANSMISSION CASE BOLT CAN LOOSEN AND FALL OUT ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO DISENGAGE FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL.
Campaign 99V227000
Suspension · Front · Control Arm · Lower Ball Joint
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Campaign 99V069000
Recall campaigns are manufacturer-issued and fixed free of charge. This is the US campaign set matched by year, make and model — it is not a check against a specific VIN, and Canadian campaigns may differ.