Acura Integra Reliability

Owners filed 560 complaints about the Integra: 1.7 per production run against 3.73 for the market, fewer complaints than most cars. The year to avoid is 1994; the cleanest year old enough to judge is 1992.

NHTSA owner complaints · 560 complaints · 1986–2026 · Updated Nov 4, 2026
Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age, so 21.4% land after the 4-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Steering, with 258 complaints, typically at 0.4 years.

Acura Integra years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Acura Integra — complaint rate by model year
Model yearPer runComplaintsRunsEnough history?
20251.11109too new
20242.16330too new
20234.9520842too new
2001144yes
20001.22119yes
1999166yes
19981.061918yes
19971.061817yes
19961.113027yes
19951.123733yes
19941.334836yes
199311212yes
199211919yes
19911.21815yes
19901.082826yes
19891.081312yes
1988155yes
1987166yes
1986144yes
ROWS 19·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 8 Acura Integra years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 1994, 1991, 1995; the three worth hunting are 1992, 1998, 1997.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Acura Integra — age at failure
Age at failureComplaintsRunning totalWarranty
0 years19546.3%covered
1 year9368.4%covered
2 years2474.1%covered
3 years1978.6%covered
4 years1181.2%you pay
5 years1785.3%you pay
6 years987.4%you pay
7 years1591%you pay
8 years892.9%you pay
9 years894.8%you pay
10 years796.4%you pay
11 years597.6%you pay
12 years298.1%you pay
14 years699.5%you pay
15 years2100%you pay
ROWS 15·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 4 years / 50,000 miles. Only 78.6% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 21.4% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (6 years / 70,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 9% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Acura Integra, the early trouble is Steering and Service Brakes — reported at around 0.4 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Air Bags at 4.2 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Acura Integra — what fails and when
SystemComplaintsTypical ageCrashFire
Steering2580.4 yrs5—
Air Bags444.2 yrs31—
Service Brakes403.5 yrs8—
Seat Belts385.9 yrs5—
Hydraulic353.6 yrs7—
Electrical System356.3 yrs—4
Power Train283.3 yrs1—
Engine And Engine Cooling254.1 yrs——
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Integra's vehicle class. Per production run, the Honda Civic draws 2.82 and the Ford Mustang 3.88, against 1.7 for the Integra. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Acura Integra — rivals in the same class
Same class as the IntegraComplaints on recordRecall campaignsYears built
Honda Civic15,9624131981–2026
Ford Mustang10,6803151981–2026
Nissan GT-R3392009–2026
Chevrolet Camaro3,4572041981–2026
Toyota Supra109351981–2026
Nissan Sentra6,1851581982–2026
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Acura Integra reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.7 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 2 class rivals we compared.

Which Integra years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 1994, 1991, 1995. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 1992, 1998, 1997. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Integra problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age. The most reported system is Steering, typically at 0.4 years, followed by Air Bags.

Will the warranty cover Integra problems?

Mostly yes: basic cover is 4 years / 50,000 miles, and 78.6% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 9% of the complaints here.

Is the Integra more reliable than the Honda Civic?

Yes: 1.7 complaints per production run for the Integra against 2.82 for the Honda Civic.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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