Acura Legend VIN Check

NHTSA holds 288 owner complaints on the Acura Legend from 197 production runs; the worst run has 6, the typical one 1.5.

NHTSA complaint records · 288 complaints · 197 runs · 1986–1995 · Updated Nov 4, 2026
Quick answer

The most-reported Legend run is JH4KA7674NC (1992 builds) with 6 complaints, 4× the typical run. Equipment problems make up 30% of reports; 1991 is the worst model year at 1.7 complaints per run; NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for Legend model years 1986–1995.

Which build runs owners report most

A production run is the first 11 characters of the VIN: plant, model year, body and engine. The Acura Legend has 197 of them on record. The five runs at the top of this table hold 10% of every Legend complaint on file.

FIG.01·Acura Legend — complaints by production run
Production run (VIN 1–11)YearComplaintsInvolved a crashFire
JH4KA7674NC••••••19926——
JH4KA7673MC••••••19916——
JH4KA767XMC••••••19916—1
JH4KA7671NC••••••19925—1
JH4KA7677MC••••••19915——
JH4KA7670MC••••••19915——
JH4KA7674MC••••••1991511
JH4KA2646GC••••••19864——
JH4KA2648GC••••••19863——
JH4KA4674KC••••••19893——
JH4KA4660LC••••••19903——
JH4KA4669LC••••••199031—
ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records, grouped by VIN prefix

Each of the other 185 Legend runs has 3 complaints or fewer.

Which model years to check twice

Complaints per production run, so a year that simply sold more does not top the list. On the Acura Legend the gap between build years is 1.7×: a 1991 car draws 1.7 complaints per run, a 1987 one 1.

FIG.02·Acura Legend — complaint rate by model year
YearPer runComplaintsRunsCrashes
19951.114131
19941.116143
19931.415113
19921.656358
19911.7905210
19901.329226
19891.324194
19881.220176
19871993
19861.515101
ROWS 10·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Heaviest year here is 1991 at 1.7 complaints per run; lightest is 1987 at 1.

What to inspect on this car

One system accounts for 30% of everything Acura Legend owners report: Equipment, 85 of 288 complaints. Start the pre-purchase inspection there.

FIG.03·Acura Legend — most-reported systems
SystemComplaintsInvolved a crashFire
Equipment8514
Air Bags4123—
Service Brakes4091
Hydraulic3891
Vehicle Speed Control2412—
Power Train212—
Engine And Engine Cooling17——
Seat Belts163—
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Recalls to check against your VIN

NHTSA has 11 recall campaigns on the Acura Legend; the 6 below cover build years 1986 to 1995. These are for the model and year; whether one is still open on a given car, only that VIN can tell.

FIG.04·Acura Legend — recall campaigns
CampaignComponentModel years
09E012000Exterior Lighting1991–1995
06E049000Exterior Lighting1991–1995
09E025000Exterior Lighting:headlights1991–1995
06E065000Exterior Lighting1991–1995
95V103001Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly1986–1990
90E043003Air Bags:frontal1989–1991
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

How serious were they

Of the 288 reports on the Acura Legend, 15.6% involved a crash against 5.8% across all vehicles, above the norm.

FIG.06·Acura Legend — complaint severity
OutcomeAcura LegendAll vehicles
Complaints filed2881,116,631
Involved a crash45 (15.6%)64,221 (5.8%)
Involved a fire11 (3.8%)26,977 (2.4%)
Injuries reported3458,047
Deaths reported02,728
ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Crash-related reports run 169% above the all-vehicle rate.

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How this check works

The file behind this page holds 1,116,631 complaints filed with NHTSA between 1981 and 2026, across 299,142 production runs. The Acura Legend share of that is 288 complaints over 197 runs, 0.03% of everything on record.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a Acura Legend VIN for free?

Enter the 17 characters above. ForCar matches the first eleven, the production run, against 288 NHTSA complaints from 197 Legend runs and 11 recall campaigns. No account, no card.

Which Legend production run has the most complaints?

JH4KA7674NC, a 1992 build, with 6 complaints. The typical Legend run has 1.5.

Which Legend years have the most complaints?

Per production run, 1991 is heaviest at 1.7 complaints per run and 1987 lightest at 1.

How many Legend complaints involve a crash?

15.6% of 288 reports, against 5.8% across all vehicles; 11 involved a fire.

Complaint and recall records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Per-run rates computed by ForCar. Federal data covers safety only — title, odometer and insurance history are not included. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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