2003 ACURA TL Complaints

'RECALL CAMPAIGN' ISSUED FOR 2003 ACURA TL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *BF THE CONSUMER IS UPSET THAT THE DEALER KNOWINGLY SOLD HIM A VEHICLE THAT HAD A RECALL AND DID NOT DISCLOSE THE INFORMATION, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THEY DID NOT FIND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL UNTIL NOV 2004. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED ACURA CLIENT SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THE DEALER KNEW ABOUT THE RECALL 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CONSUMER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. (RECALL 04V176000). *JB THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES FOR IMPROVEMENTS, INTEREST AND PAYMENTS. *SC *JB

I STARTED THE ACURA 3.2TL TYPE S AT 6:45AM, THE ACURA HAD NOT BEEN STARTED OR DRIVEN THE PREVIOUS 14 HOURS. ENGAGED TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE, THE GEAR LOCKED UP AND RAPIDLY ACCELERATED BACKWARD AND AT THE SAME TIME A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I MANAGED TO STOP THE ACURA AFTER 30 FEET WHERE I WAS ON AND OFF MY PARKING AREA AT MY HOUSE. BY THE TIME I HAD STOPPED THE CAR FLAMES, SMOKE & FUMES WERE FILLING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, I COULD NOT GET THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR OPENED, MY NEIGHBOR NOTICING THE LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD RUSHED TO MY AID FOR HE COULD SEE THAT I WAS IN THE CAR AND I WAS PUSHING ON THE DOOR WITH MY FEET IN AN EFFIORT TO ESCAPE THE BURNING ACURA. I WAS OVERCOME FROM THE FUMES AND SMOKE WHEN HE PULLED ME OUT OF THE NOW THE RAPIDLY BURNING ACURA, THE FLAMES HAVING ADVANCED TO THE FRONT SEAT. HE PULLED ME OUT WITH MY HEAVY JACKET ON FIRE AND THE BOTTOM OF MY PANTS AFLAME. HE MANAGED TO GET MY JACKET OFF AND THE FLAMES OUT ON MY PANTS AND WE MANAGED TO GET AWAY FROM THE BURNING ACURA THEN IN THIRTY TO FOURTY SECONDS THE FIRE HAD PROGRESSED TO THE REAR OF THE ACURA AND THE GAS TANK EXPLODED AND THE WHOLE CAR WAS A FIREBALL. I SUFFERED 2ND & 3RD DEGREE BURNS ON MY LEGS. APPLETREE ACURA, FLETCHER, NC HAD PERFORMED RECALL (CAMPAIGN ID #: 04V176000) ON DECEMBER 8TH, 2004 AT 42,000 MILES IN WHICH THEY DID NOT REPLACE TRANSMISSION BUT PERFORMED A REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE. THE ACURA WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED REAR ENDED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, PUSHING IT INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND CAUSING DRIVER'S SEAT TO COLLAPSE INTO THE BACK SEAT. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES, AND TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR PAIN IN HIS ARM AND LEGS. CONSUMER WAS X-RAYED, AND THEN INFORMED HE HAD NERVE DAMAGE, AND WAS REFERRED TO AN ORTHOPEDIC S. IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

I OWN A 2003 ACURA TL TYPE-S. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE MERGING INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, I'VE EXPERIENCED MOMENTS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T RESPOND TO ACCELERATION (I.E. WOULDN'T DOWN SHIFT). THE CAR JUST SEEM TO COAST SLOWLY INTO TRAFFIC, CAUSING ME TO ALMOST GET INTO VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION I HAD WAS REPLACED DUE TO BURNT TRANSMISSION FLUID, I'M JUST UPSET THAT I WAS ALLOWED TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT HAD A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. I HAD MENTIONED ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS TO THE DEALER WHERE I ORIGINALLY LEASED THE VEHICLE (ACURA OF TROY), ABOUT TIMES WHEN THE CAR JUST SEEMED TO GET STUCK IN SECOND GEAR. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. HOWEVER, I FEEL I NO LONGER CAN DEPEND ON THE DEALER TO GIVE ME ACCURATE INFORMATION. THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL PROBLEM AND DANGEROUS. I'M AFRAID FOR MY LOVED ONES AND MYSELF WHEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK CAR INTO ANOTHER DEALER (SUBURBAN ACURA) WHERE THEY REPLACED MY FIRST TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE, NOW I'M HAVING EVEN MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE SECOND ONE. I'M STARTING TO GET A BURNING ODOR FROM THE VEHICLE NOW. I'VE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK IN FOR SERVICE BUT WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. HOW CAN SOMEONE CHECK A TRANSMISSION IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR LESS? I WANT OUT OF THIS VEHICLE FOR SAFETY REASONS. THIS IS NOT WHAT I PAID FOR, AND NOW I'M DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT HAS REDUCED PERFORMANCE AND A BURNING ODOR. AGAIN, I'M AFRAID FOR MY WELL-BEING AND THOSE OF MY FAMILY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ACCELERATOR STUCK. CONSUMER HIT THE BRAKES IN ORDEER TO STOP. TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WAS REPLACED.*AK THE COSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY. *TC

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH TRANSMISSION LOCKED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A WALL. THE CAUSE OF WHY THIS HAPPENED WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK

I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE STEERING FAILED. I WRESTLED THE CAR -- BRUISING MY HAND -- INTO THE TURN AND ENDED UP ON THE CURB. THE ENGINE APPARENTLY HAD STALLED, CAUSING THE STEERING FAILURE. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND GO ON MY WAY, AFTER BACKING OFF THE CURB.

VEHICLE IS A 2003 ACURA3.2 TL. THE ENGINE ACCELERATES AT RANDOM AND WHILE IN PARK OR IN GEAR.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 ACURA TL TYPE S FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 38000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION WAS RECENTLY SERVICED PURSUANT TO A NOTICE BY ACURA. THIS IS THE THIRD ACURA THAT I HAVE OWNED THAT HAS HAD TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE FIRST VEHICLE (2002) WAS REPLACED WITHIN TWO WEEKS. THE SECOND VEHICLE HAD TWO FAILURES AND WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED WITH A 2003 MODEL AFTER NEGOTIATION WITH THEIR MEDIATION GROUP. IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE IN FACT DEFECTIVE, GIVEN THE FACT THAT HONDA MOTOR CO. LTD DID FINALLY ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE. BASED ON MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I AM VERY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE, EVEN WITH ANOTHER TRANSMISSION. I ALSO FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AS WELL AS MY FAMILY?S SAFETY WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THIS IS AMENDED INFORMATION PROVIDED OVER THE PHONE.*AK

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE TO WARM IT UP BEFORE TAKING OFF THE DEFROSTER TAKES ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO CLEAR THE BACK WINDOW. WINDOWS STEAM UP VERY BADLY. *AK