2000 ACURA TL Complaints

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A RAPID STOP. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND PERFORMED MAINTENANCE. THE CONSUMER IS NOW EXPERIENCING SEVERE "SLIPPAGE" OF TRANSMISSION WHEN ACCELERATING. MR THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. SCC

TTHINK TWICE AND LONG BEFORE BUYING A 2000 ACURA 3.2 TL.WE ARE THE SECOND OWNERS OF THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. WE AND THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2001, AT 20129 MILES, THE FIRST OWNER TOOK THE AUTOMOBILE TO AN ACURA SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THE SRS (SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM) INDICATOR LIGHT HAD COME ON.THE SHOP REPLACED THE 'OPDS UNIT' BUT PROVIDED NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE WARNING INDICATOR HAD COME ON. AT 26467 MILES, THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT HAD COME ON.BRAKE FLUID WAS ADDED, BUT NO REASON FOR THE LIGHT'S ILLUMINATING WAS GIVEN.WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 25807 MILES.SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON.AT 26467 MILES WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO AN ACURA DEALER.SHOP PERSONNEL CHECKED THE SRS INDICATOR AND CONSEQUENTLY ORDERED YET ANOTHER 'OPDS' UNIT.WHILE IN THE SHOP, THE SEAL AROUND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD,WHICH HAD PUCKERED UP,ALSO WAS REPAIRED.SOME THREE WEEKS LATER WE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE OPDS UNIT REPLACED.NO EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN FOR THE PROBLEM.IN THE INTERIM,THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON,AND THE BRAKE RESERVIOR CAP WAS CHANGED AS WELL.LESS THAN TWO MONTHS HAVE PASSED:THE SRS LIGHT IS AGAIN CONSTANTLY ON.WE ARE ABOUT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT, AND ALSO HAVE THE TRUNK LIGHT INSPECTED, SINCE IT DOESN'T WORK.THE TRUNK LIGHT PROBLEM IS NOT DUE TO A BLOWN FUSE OR BURNED-OUT BULB; I CHECKED THAT MYSELF.HAVING THE SRS WARNING LIGHT COME ON,TOGETHER WITH THE DEALER'S INABILITY TO EXPLAIN OR RECTIFY THE SITUATION,PUTS ONE IN SOMETHING OF A QUANDRY:IS IT A FALSE WARNING,WILL THE AIRBAG(S) DEPLOY IN A CRASH? OR IS IT AN INDICATION OF A PROBLEM AND WILL THE AIRBAG(S) NOT DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED? THE ACURA 3.2 TL IS NOT AN INEXPENSIVE CAR, AND ONE WOULD EXPECT IT TO REQUIRE MINIMUM ATTENTION WHILE PROVIDING A HIGH DEGREE OF RELIABILITY AND SAFETY. IT DOESN'T.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER CUSTOMERS WHO HAD SIMILAR FAILURES ON THIS VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL! DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ON THE DRIVER SIDE WOULD LEAVE A BLACK FILM ON THE WINDSHEILD WHEN USED. VEHICLE TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *MR

TRAVELING AT 60 MPH WHEN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION "SLIPPED" OUT OF GEAR AND AUTOMOBILE DECELERATED RAPIDLY TO APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH CAUSING VEHICLE'S RPM TO GO OVER REDLINE. MR

SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED 5 TIMES SINCE JANUARY 2000.*AK ALSO THE DRIVER SEAT BELT LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT WAS REPLACEDSTEERING COLUM WAS REPLACED, THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED DUE TO HEAVY CORROSION.*JB

WHILE IN MOTION, CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. *JG

BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MILES PER HOUR THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON CALL. THEY TOLD ME TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THIS SEEMED TO MAKE THE PROBLEM BETTER FOR A WHILE. FINALLY IT GOT WORSE AND WORSE. AT 69,000 MILES I TOOK THE CAR INTO A DIFFERENT DEALER. THEY WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A RE-MANUFACTURED ONE FROM ACURA.*AK

BRAKES FELT SPONGY, PEDAL WOULD SINK TO FLOOR. MASTER CYLINDER FOUND DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED UNDER WARRENTY.

THE AIR BAG (SRS) LIGHT ILLUMMINATES WHILE DRIVING, THE DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS YET THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. NLM