2004 ACURA TL Complaints

2004 ACURA TL RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE IN HALF. *TS THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE INCIDENT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE DEALER BLAMED THE FAILURE ON AFTER MARKET RIMS THAT THE CONSUMER PURCHASED, THE BUSINESS WHERE THE RIMS WERE PURCHASED STATED THEY WERE A PROPER FIT FOR THE VEHICLE. *JB

DRIVING ALONG ON I-10 IN MOBILE, AL ON SATURDAY EVENING. STARTED RAINING, TURNED ON THE WIPERS AND THEY WORKED FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES, THEN RETURNED TO THE OFF POSITION AND STOPPED WORKING IN MIDDLE OF A RAIN STORM. I ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT TRYING TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE SHOULDER. WASHER STILL WORKS. CHANGED THE FUSE, STILL NOT WORKING. GOING TO DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. *JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 ACURA TL ON A RECENTLY REPAVED HIGHWAY WHEN THE WHEEL FELL OFF THE AXLE WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO PRECEDING NOISES OR CHANGES IN HANDLING. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD QUICKLY AND AVOID INJURY. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, SO I CONTACTED ACURA TLC SERVICE AND WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER'S REFERRING AUTO BODY SHOP. ACURA EVALUATED THE CAR, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND TO FILE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE. THE AUTO BODY MECHANICS AND MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER BOTH FELT THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. ACURA DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED BY THE AUTO BODY SHOP AND ASKED TO TAKE A SECOND LOOK; THEY DECLINED. I CONTACTED ACURA CLIENT SERVICES AND REQUESTED A REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER TO EVALUATE THE CAR. THEY DECLINED. ONE WEEK AFTER THE INCIDENT, ACURA CLIENT SERVICES MADE THEIR FINAL DETERMINATION NOT TO COVER THIS INCIDENT. ULTIMATELY, THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SNAPPED WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF IMPACT OR WEAR AND TEAR. IT WAS REPAIRED WITH A NEW LOWER BALL JOINT, CONTROL ARM, AXLE, TIRE, WHEEL, AND FRONT QUARTER PANEL AT THE EXPENSE OF MY AUTO INSURANCE PROVIDER. *NM

FOUR NEW P235/45ZR17 PIRELLI PZERO NERO M&S TIRES PURCHASED DECEMBER 6, 2005 FROM TIRE RACK. HAVE HAD 3 [SO FAR] OF THOSE TIRES BLOW OUT: MARCH 9, 2006 AFTER 3,295 MILES; MAY 30, 2006 AFTER 5,536 MILES; JUNE 30, 2006 AFTER 6,184 MILES. (1) WERE TOLD BY TIRE RACK AND THEIR INSTALLER THAT IT WAS JUST BAD LUCK. (2) TIRE RACK SAID IT COULD BE AN INSTALLATION PROBLEM. AUTHORIZED PIRELLI DEALER INSTALLERS (NOT THE ONES WHO ORIGINALLY INSTALLED THE TIRES) SAY IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO INSTALL INCORRECTLY AND CONCLUDE IT IS BAD LUCK. (3) AUTHORIZED PIRELLI DEALER SAYS IT COULD BE THAT THE VALVE STEM HAS A TEAR AT ITS BASE BUT DENIES ANY MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. WE ARE CONVINCED WE BOUGHT A BAD RUN OF THESE TIRES OUT OF THE ITALY PLANT BEFORE THEY STOPPED MAKING THEM THERE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON HIGHWAY, RIGHT FRONT BALL-JOINT BROKE IN HALF WITH NO WARNING OR REASON. RIGHT FRONT TIRE BECAME PERPENDICULAR TO THE VEHICLE. WIFE AND CHILD WERE IN VEHICLE WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE BALL JOINT WAS ABSOLUTELY DEFECTIVE AND ACURA REFUSED TO ASSIST IN REPAIR, CLAIMING NO RESPONSIBILITY. I OWN 2 ACURA AND WILL NEVER BUY HONDA AGAIN. *NM

THIS IS A NEAR MISS PROBLEM. WE OWN AN ACURA TL 2004. IT HAS TERRIBLE BLIND SPOTS. I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM ARISES BECAUSE THE BARS WITH THE AIR BAGS IN THEM ARE SO WIDE THAT THEY CAN HIDE AN ENTIRE CAR. WE HAVE HAD TO ADD DEVELOP EXTRA MECHANISMS TO ANTICIPATE POSSIBLE VEHICLES, AND I FEEL MUCH LESS SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR THAN ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. ALSO, THE HVAC SYSTEM IS SO COMPLEX THAT IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MANAGE IT WHILE DRIVING. I HOPE YOU WILL START TO LOOK TO SEE IF YOU SEE A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE ACURA'S OR OTHER VEHICLES WITH BROAD AIR BAG HOLDERS AND COMPLICATED HEATING AND AC SYSTEMS. *JB

I HAD TO BREAK FOR A CAT RUNNING IN THE ROAD TO A HEAVY AND COMPLETE STOP. IT CAUSED THE ONE OF THE FRONT BRAKE PADS TO MELT AND NOW ARE HARDEN AND DON'T STOP AS WELL AND MAKES A HEAVY GRINDING NOISE. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID ITS OK JUST TO BRAKE HARD A FEW TIMES AND WILL CLEAR THE PAD. I HAVE TRIED THIS AND THE NOSE IS GETTING WORST. I FEEL THAT THE CAR IN EMERGENCY STOP WILL CAUSE THE BRAKE TO FAIL OR MELT DO TO THE HIGHER FRICTION. PAD DOSE NOT SEEM TO BE SOFT BUT HARD NOW. THE CAR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STOP IN EMERGENCY STOP ONCE PADS HEAT UP. THE ACURA WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE IT AS AN ISSUE. *NM

VIBRATION AT 50-55 MPH. SOMETIMES WORSE THAN OTHERS. CAN MAKE CAR FEEL UNSTABLE. CHANGING TIRES DID NOT HELP. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ORIGINAL REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED AT 15,000 MILES DUE TO BALDNESS TWO-THIRDS FROM THE OUTSIDE TO THE INSIDE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA P23545R17.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE CHANGING LANES AT 30 MPH THE VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS WAS A FRONTAL IMPACT AND THE DRIVER WAS WEARING A SEATBELT BUT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE AND PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED FRONTAL DAMAGE AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL TOW YARD AWAITING INSPECTION. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED.