2002 ACURA TL Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 IN MARYLAND, ON A SMOOTH STRETCH OF ROAD, THE SCREW HOLDING THE MASTER CYLINDER BRACKET ONTO THE ROTOR CAME OFF OF THE BRACKET AND THE ENTIRE BRAKE UNIT CAME WEDGED INSIDE OF THE RIM PREVENTING THE CAR FROM STOPPING PROPERLY. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A SLIDING STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE IT WAS INOPERABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. WHEN THE TIRE WAS REMOVED TO INVESTIGATE THE DAMAGE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THREADS ON THE INSIDE OF THE BRACKET THAT HOLD THE SCREW WERE GONE. THE ONE SCREW THAT DID STAY ATTACHED TO THE PIECE HAS THE INSIDE OF THE THREADS ATTACHED TO IT. *TR

REAR VIEW MIRROR FAILURE - THE MIRROR FAILED TO HOLD A TOXIC FLUID AND IT LEAKED ON THE CONSOLE OF THE CAR. THE CONSOLE WAS DAMAGED BY THE LEAKING FLUID (MIGHT BE ACIDIC OR SIMILAR). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, TURNING THE CORNER THE AXLE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE DEALER CONFIRMED IF THE CONTACT DROVE OVER ANYTHING IN THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE IS FIVE YEARS OLD. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD. THE COST OF REPAIRS WERE $2400. THE FAILURE MILEAGE IS 91,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 ACURA 3.2TL. A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE DATE, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP. ON APRIL 11, 2008, THE CONTACT'S WIFE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO BUCK VIOLENTLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE FAILURE WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 132,000.

ON NOVEMBER 19, 2007 THERE WAS A SUDDEN, COMPLETE, AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE FRONT RIGHT LOWER BALL JOINT ON MY 2002 ACURA. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING AT FIVE TO TEN MILES PER HOUR ON A SIDE STREET IN SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED THE CAR CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP AS A RESULT OF THE LOWER BALL JOINT DIGGING INTO THE PAVEMENT AND THE RIGHT FRONT STEERING TIRE TURNED SIDEWAYS. IF THE FAILURE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR ON THE INTERSTATE, THE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SUDDEN AND TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR, RESULTING IN DEATH, OR SERIOUS INJURY. ACURA'S RESPONSE WAS TO IGNORE THE COMPLAINT. THE ACURA WEB SITE NOTED THAT THERE WERE RECALLS FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN 1996, 1997 AND 1998, AND THAT THE DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED UNDER THOSE RECALLS. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED ACURA BY FAX THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 20TH AND BY A FOLLOW UP LETTER OF JANUARY 23, 2008. THE ONLY RESPONSE THAT I RECEIVED WAS A TELEPHONE MESSAGE THE AFTERNOON OF NOVEMBER 20TH FROM A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AND A LATER PHONE CALL BASICALLY DISCLAIMING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM OR RESULTING DAMAGES. I HAVE COPIES OF THE REPAIR INVOICE TOTALING $1,912.52. ALL OF THE REPAIRS WERE NECESSITATED BY THE FAILURE. THE LEFT STEERING KNUCKLE WAS REPLACED AS WELL BECAUSE IT WAS A SEALED UNIT, AND THE MECHANIC COULD NOT INSPECT IT AND COULD NOT ASSURE ME THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT SUFFER THE SAME CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. I PROVIDED ACURA WITH PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY MY SONS CAMERA PHONE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE AND BEFORE THE CAR WAS TOWED WHICH SHOW THE DAMAGE, WHICH I COULD EMAIL TO YOU. I RETAINED THE FAILED PARTS AT MY HOME. THE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED AT LESS THAN 105,000 MILES WITH NO WARNING FROM A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT. ACURA REFUSED TO LOOK INSPECT MY VEHICLE OR THE PARTS OR TO TAKE ANY ACTION IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINTS. BECAUSE NO ONE WAS INJURED OR KILLED THIS TIME, IT WASN'T IMPORTANT TO ACURA. *TR

ONE OF THE TIRES HAS A SIDEWALL BUBBLE. I LOOKED AROUND ON THE INTERNET AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH KUMHO TIRES. I WENT TO THE DEALER WE PURCHASED THE TIRES FROM AND THEY SAID THAT I WAS THE 4TH PERSON THERE THAT DAY WITH KUHMO TIRES THAT HAD SIDEWALL BUBBLES. ALSO, THE TIRES ARE WEARING OUT MUCH FASTER THEN THEY SHOULD BE. LUCKILY I CHECK OUR FAMILY TIRES ONCE A MONTH. IF SOMEONE DOES NOT CHECK THEM THESE SIDEWALL BUBBLES COULD LEAD TO A BLOWOUT AND SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION AND RECALL OF THESE KUHMO ECSTA ASX TIRES. *TR

LACK OF A/C AND HEAT. BLOWER MOTOR, RESISTOR CONTROL, AND CONNECTOR BURNED OUT. CONNECTOR SHOWED SIGN OF MELTING. *TR

MY 2002 ACURA 3.2TL WITH 77,440 MILES WAS IN FOR AN ALIGNMENT AT A GOODYEAR GEMINI STORE, WHEN THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT ALIGN IT BECAUSE MY LOWER BALL JOINTS WHERE LOOSE BY ABOUT 1/8 OF AN INCH. SO I CALLED THE LOCAL ACURA STORE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID THAT IT IS COMMON. SO I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR IF I SHOULD CHECK WITH PARTS TO SEE IF THEY HAVE THE LOWER BALL JOINTS IN STOCK? HE SAID NO I KNOW THEY HAVE THEM BECAUSE WE DO A LOT OF REPLACEMENTS OF THE BALL JOINTS. HE DIDN'T SAY IT SHOULD BE A TSB, BUT IF THEY REPLACE THAT MANY FAILED BALL JOINTS MAYBE IT SHOULD BE A TSB. I TAKE REALLY GOOD CARE OF MY CAR, AND I AM IN THE AUTOMOBILE LEASING BUSINESS, SO I KNOW SOME THINGS ABOUT CARS. I FEEL IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO GO OUT. VERY HARD SHIFTS INTO 2ND GEAR, THE CAR WILL JERK WHILE DOWN SHIFTING AROUND 40MPH. NOW THE D5 LIGHT IS BLINKING. FLATIRONS ACURA TOOK MY CAR FOR A 6MILE DRIVE AND THEN HANDED ME THE KEYS BACK AND SAID TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT FAILS. EVERY TIME MY FAMILY IS RIDING IN THAT CAR OUR LIVES ARE AT STAKE. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON CODE READING PO470 WHICH ACURA SAYS ITS MEANS TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER. THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE AND ONLY 12K MILES FROM A RECHECK UP BY ACURA ON THE TRANSMISSION SAYING THE METAL FLAKES IN THE CASE ARE NORMAL. I THINK THERE IS A COVER UP TO THESE BAD TRANSMISSIONS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS POSTS FROM CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. ACURA CAPPED THE TRANSMISSION WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE REPLACEMENT FAILS THE SAME WAY AND THE SAME GEAR. *TR