2012 ACURA TSX Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ACURA TSX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER ONE ATTEMPT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MODULE WIRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF A DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL NHTSA. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ACURA TSX. THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED (2175 S BRADLEY RD, SANTA MARIA, CA 93455) AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME YEAR. THE DEALER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT, DUE TO THE WARRANTY BEING EXPIRED, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIST. THE VEHICLE REMAINED PARKED AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

THE OTHER DAY I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREE WAY AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP ON ME WHILE I WAS DRIVING WHICH COULD'VE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING MORE WORSE. A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WERE ALREADY MADE ON ARFC SO I'M SURPRISED THIS HASN'T BECOME AN ISSUE FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO MAKE THIS A RECALL. IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD AND CAN CAUSE SOMEONE'S LIFE. I REALLY HOPE THIS GETS ESCALATED SO WE CAN SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE AND GET A REFUND FOR REPLACING THIS COMPUTER CHIP MODULE THAT'S COST 1500 DOLLARS. I SPOKE TO THE ACURA COMPLAINT CENTER AND THE REP SAID IF THEY GET MORE COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS IT WILL LEAD INTO A RECALL AND WE WOULD GET A REFUND. IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT THIS HASN'T ALREADY BECOME A RECALL DUE TO IT BEING A SAFETY HAZARD.

WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME OF THE DAY--ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER: SYMPTOM: NOISE DURING START FOR A SECOND OR TWO. INFO: SOUND COMES FROM THE (TIMING CHAIN?) COVER ON THE LEFT TOP SIDE OF THE ENGINE--LOOKING FROM THE BUMPER. CALLED ACURA DEALER AND MENTIONED ITEMS I HAD READ ABOUT---STRETCHED/LOOSE TENSIONER (PRESSURIZED WITH OIL?), STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN, VTC ACTUATOR---HE SAID YES,YES,---TENSIONER AND TIMING CHAIN WOULD BE CHANGED, I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE VTC ACTUATOR. ANOTHER ACURA DEALER INDICATED IT IS THE VTC ACTUATOR IS THE ISSUE. CALLED ACURA CONSUMER RELATIONS WHO NOTED THEY COULD NOT HELP. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WELL KNOWN AMONG ACURA OWNERS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES. I DO NOT THINK THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING AT 82K MILES. NOTE THE WARRANTY IS FOR 72K. NOTE IT HAS HAPPENED FOR ALMOST A YEAR; BELOW I HAVE NOTED ONE DAY IT HAPPENED.

VEHICLES ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING CONTROL UNIT FAILED. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BUT BECAME INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE ON THESE CARS WITH SIMILAR MILEAGE (73,000). ACURA WILL NOT HONOR THE PART AND OWNERS HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A COMMON SAFETY ISSUE.

MY TSX IS CLOSE TO 80K MILES. I HAVE HAD NO SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITH THIS CAR UNTIL NOW. I STARTED MY CAR ONE MORNING AND SAW A "CHECK POWER STEERING" NOTIFICATION AND THE POWER STEERING ICON ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. ONE SHOP ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE EPS (ELECTRIC POWER STEERING) SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THE VOLTAGES LOOKED OK. THIS WORKED FOR 3 DAYS BEFORE I HAD THE SAME "CHECK POWER STEERING" NOTIFICATION AND LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. THIS WILL RESULT IN A FIX IN THE REALM OF $2000 FOR A TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING RACK. I'M VERY UNPLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT ACURA HAS NOT ISSUED SOME SORT OF RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF ISSUES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO MINE. ACURA WAS VERY PROMPT WITH FIXING MY TAKATA AIRBAG, BUT AFTER THIS I HAVE TO SAY I AM NO LONGER IMPRESSED.

STARTED MY CAR AND GOT "CHECK POWER STEERING SYSTEM" ERROR ON MY DASH WHILE BACKING OUT INTO THE ROAD...CAR HAD NO POWER STEERING. I DID MANAGE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND THE NEXT DAY CALLED THE DEALER. WAS INFORMED IT WAS MOST LIKELY THE EPS (ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING) MODULE AND WOULD BE $980 FOR HE REPAIR. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I'VE LEARNED THAT THIS CAN LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING! THE DEALERSHIP NOR ACURA THOUGHT THIS WAS A BIG DEAL OR A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN I SPOKE TO THEM...DEALER DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME TO STOP DRIVING THE CAR WHEN I ASKED THEM IF IT WAS SAFE FOR ME TO COMMUTE AN HOUR EACH WAY VIA INTERSTATE. ACURA OPENED A TICKET AS I REQUESTED "GOODWILL FIX" AND WAS DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE AS I DRIVE MY CAR TO MUCH AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE MANY REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE AND AGAIN DIDN'T FIND IT TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND REQUESTED A LOANER CAR UNTIL THE STEERING WAS FIXED. I AM OUT $980 AND HAVE LEARNED THE MANUFACTURER WONT BACK THEIR PRODUCT UNLESS IT KILLS SOMEONE...GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS THIS HAPPENING TO MANY TSX OWNERS BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO MATTER TO ACURA. WE ARE A LONG TIME HONDA/ACURA FAMILY AND THIS SHOULDN'T BE FAILING ON A 5 YEAR OLD CAR, MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE HOME AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS ABOUT TO TURN LEFT ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY STEERING WHEEL DID NOT LOCK BUT HAD TO TURN IT WITH GREAT EFFORT TO GET ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. IF THERE HAD BEEN HEAVIER ONCOMING TRAFFIC I LIKELY WOULD'VE BEEN T-BONED. IT'S MY OPINION THAT THIS SYSTEM DID NOT FAIL SAFELY. LOOKING AT OTHER REPORTS WHERE THIS REPAIR COST MORE THAN $1000. ADDING MY STORY IN THE EVENT THIS LEADS TO A RECALL.

AN ANIMAL DESTROYED TWO WIRING HARNESSES UNDER THE HOOD, THAT I COULD SEE. CAR WILL NOT START. APPARENTLY THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES IS SOY BASED AND CRITTERS LIKE TO EAT IT. THE CAR WAS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND HADN'T BEEN DRIVEN FOR 1 DAY WHEN I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM.

LUCKILY I WAS MAKING A VERY SLOW LEFT TURN WHEN MY POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED IN MY ACURA TSX WAGON. I WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE SITTING HERE WRITING ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE IF I WAS DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED. MY HEART WAS POUNDING OUT OF MY CHEST AS A STRUGGLED TO PULL OVER. THIS IS SO UNACCEPTABLE AND THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED.