2004 ACURA TSX Complaints

I HAVE RESEARCHED MY PROBLEM TO FIND THAT THIS IS COMMON WITH THE ACURA. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE AUDIO SYSTEM THAT CAUSES THE LIGHTS ON THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL PANEL LOCATED IN THE CENTER DASH TO GO OUT. THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE PUBLIC WAS UNAWARE AND THEN WHEN THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY OCCURS IT IS "TOO LATE" TO HAVE IT COVERED FREE OF CHARGE AND WAY TO EXPENSIVE FOR MOST TO AFFORD. NO LIGHTS WORK AND THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHILE TRYING TO ADJUST TEMPERATURE OR RADIO WHILE DRIVING. THE ONLY THING THAT LIGHTS UP IS THE WINDOW ON THE RADIO, NO BUTTONS. YOU HEAR THE HORROR STORIES OF TEXTING WHILE DRIVING WELL THIS ACURA MALFUNCTION IS JUST AS DANGEROUS. I LOVE MY CAR AND WITH ACURA'S REPUTATION YOU WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A HUGE NUMBER OF THESE CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM OUT THERE, THE PUBLIC JUST IS NOT AWARE OF YOUR WEBSITE TO ADDRESS SAFETY ISSUES. AN INVESTIGATION TO ACURA OWNERS WOULD BE A WISE DECISION. UPON RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET THE PROBLEM THAT SEEMS TO FOLLOW THE DASH LIGHTS NOT WORKING IS THE CD PLAYER QUITS. THAT HAS NOW HAPPENED WITH MY VEHICLE AND THE DISCS ARE STUCK IN THE PLAYER. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HIGH END CAR AND IT IS NOT FAIR TO THE CONSUMER THAT ACURA DOESN'T FIX THIS ISSUE UNDER A SAFETY RECALL. AFTERALL, WHAT IS MORE COSTLY A NEW AUDIO SYSTEM THAT SUPPOSEDLY WILL FIX ALL PROBLEMS OR MY DEATH BECAUSE OF A SAFETY ISSUE THAT ACURA FAILED TO FIX WHEN THE KNEW THAT FAR MORE THAN A FEW CARS HAD EXACT SAME ISSUE. I HAVE SAVED ALL MY RESEARCH AND ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE SAFETY ISSUE FIXED. OPERATING THIS VEHICLE AT NIGHT IS A HUGE DANGER WHEN YOU CAN'T SAFELY OPERATE THE COMPONENTS THAT CAME ON YOUR CAR BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I HOPE THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SOLVE MANY ACURA OWNERS WORST WORRY...LOSS OF LIFE WHILE TRYING TO ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE SO YOU FAMILY IS COMFORTABLE WHILE TRAVELING. *TR

THERE IS A DEFECT WITH A/C COMPRESSORS ON 2004 ACURA TSXS. A PIECE OF THE COMPRESSOR, WHICH HOLDS THE COMPRESSOR CLUTCH, IS BREAKING OFF, RESULTING IN DEBRIS BEING SHOT THROUGH THE A/C SYSTEM, OR FALLING OFF COMPLETELY. THE RESULT IS THAT THE A/C DOESN'T WORK, AND MOST OF THE ENTIRE A/C SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED, COSTING DRIVERS ANYWHERE FROM $1800 TO $4000, DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THERE ARE MANY HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT IS RELEGATED TO 04 MODEL YEAR ACURA TSXS. ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE CLAIMS THAT THERE ARE NO DOCUMENTED CASES. HOWEVER, MY LOCAL ACURA DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THIS HAS DEFINITELY OCCURRED BEFORE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. I CAN PROVIDE IMAGES AND COPIES OF WORK ORDERS TO PROVE THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *TR

WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY AIR CONDITIONER JUST STOPPED BLOWING OUT COLD AIR. TOOK IT TO THE ACURA DEALER WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

AT 5:00 PM, MAY 2, 2010, WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE 5 FREEWAY (NORTH BOUND) IN LOS ANGLES AREA, THE DRIVER-SIDE SIDE-AIRBAG, CURTAIN-AIRBAG, AND SEATBELT PRE-TENSIONER WAS DEPLOYED WITH NO REASON. LIGHT TRAFFIC AND CLEAR WEATHER. THERE WAS NO INJURY OR ACCIDENT INVOLVED. THE CAR IS 2004 ACURA TSX MODEL AND MILEAGE IS ABOUT 108,000 MILES. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO GLENDALE ACURA AND CONTACTED ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP SENT PICTURES TO ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE. ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CLAIMS THAT THEIR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT DETERMINED (BASED ON THE PICTURE THE DEALERSHIP PROVIDED) THAT IS ROAD DAMAGE (SCRATCHES AND DENTS) UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR AND THE SENSOR MAY REACTED DUE TO THE DAMAGE. THEREFORE ACURA WILL NOT FIX THE DAMAGE (REPLACE AIRBAG...) AND WILL NOT RELEASE THE PICTURE. *TR

BACKLIGHTING OF RADIO AND HVAC BUTTONS NO LONGER WORKS. THIS ACTUALLY BECAME AN ISSUE AND WAS CHECKED/DIAGNOSED BY THE ACURA DEALER ON MARCH 4, 2006. AT THAT TIME THEY INDICATED IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (MILEAGE=65,693) AND THE OWNER CHOSE NOT TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE SINCE IT WAS NOT COVERED. ACURA SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THE FAULTY PCB TO 100,000 MILES. HOWEVER, THEY STILL CLAIM MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT IS NOW BEYOND THAT 100,000 MILE LIMIT. THIS, EVEN AFTER THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM INITIALLY AT WELL UNDER THE 100,000 MILE LIMIT OF THAT EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY CLAIM THIS IS BECAUSE I AM THE SECOND OWNER, BUT THAT WARRANTY STAYS WITH THE CAR, NOT THE OWNER AND THIS HAS BECOME A REAL SAFETY ISSUE FOR OUR TEENAGE SON WHO TAKES HIS EYES OFF THE ROAD FAR TOO LONG TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT BUTTON ON THAT UNLIT CONSOLE.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON, A LOUD NOISE CAME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE AIR FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NO LONGER COOLED. A MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER EXPLODED. *TR

REAR CAMBER PROBLEM. EVEN LESS THAN 40,000 MILES, TOE ANGLE IS OUT OF SPECIFICATION. IT CAUSES UNEVEN WEAR OF REAR TIRES, AND SHORTENS TIRE LIFE-CYCLE. HOWEVER, CAMBERS IS NOT ADJUSTABLE, IT REQUIRES REPLACEMENT AND ALIGNMENT. THIS PROBLEM IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUES FOR TSX OWNERS, AND DEALERS KNOW THE ISSUE (SERVICE BULLETIN #06-007), BUT ACURA DENIES WARRANTY SERVICE. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 28, 2009 I NOTICED THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE MOTOR OF MY 2004 ACURA TSX. WHEN I RAISED THE HOOD, I FOUND LIQUID LEAKING ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER OF MY MOTOR. I HAVE A 4 CYLINDER TSX. I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED MY OIL AND FOUND I WAS LOW SO I THOUGHT THE HOSE WAS PART OF MY OIL DELIVERY SYSTEM (BECAUSE I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE MOTOR AREA OF MY VEHICLE). I IMMEDIATELY MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY SERVICE GARAGE (NOT AN ACURA DEALER BUT WORKED FOR ACURA FOR MANY YEARS) AND HE TOLD ME MY OIL WAS NOT A PROBLEM, THAT IT WAS THE POWER STEERING HOSE THAT WAS LEAKING FLUID ON MY MOTOR. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE TLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM UPON HIS RECOMMENDATION, I CALLED MY LOCAL ACURA DEALER AND TALKED TO THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE JIMMY THOMAS ON DECEMBER 1 AND HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO FOR ME OTHER THAN ORDER THE PART AND REPLACE IT CHARGING FULL PRICE OF LABOR AND PARTS. MY ACURA IS ONE OF HIGHER MILEAGE THAN USUAL (126,000) BECAUSE IT WAS USED BY A PHARMACEUTICAL REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE I OWNED IT BUT ANYHOW I STILL BELIEVE MY HOSE WAS PROBABLY MADE FROM THE SAME DEFECTIVE MATERIAL THAT THE TLS WERE. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FOR ACURA AND TALKED WITH ANDREA (WHO ALSO TOLD ME SHE WAS THE MANAGER ON DUTY) AND SHE KEPT REPEATING TO ME THAT SINCE MY MODEL WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, I WAS FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL COSTS RELATED TO THIS REPAIR ESPECIALLY SINCE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND IT WAS A "HIGH MILEAGE" CAR. I OWNED A 1997 ACURA 2.5TL BEFORE THIS ONE AND TRADED IT IN ON THIS ONE WHEN IT HAD 230,000 MILES ON IT AND I NEVER HAD ONE DAY TROUBLE OUT OF IT SO I DIDN'T NOT TAKE THAT AS A CORRECT RESPONSE. I ASKED HER WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER FOR ACURA TO PAY A SMALL FEE NOW INSTEAD OF LARGER FEE IF SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT AND SHE KEPT REPEATING TO ME THAT MY MODEL HAD NOT BEEN RECALLED AND IT WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. SO I AM REGISTERING THIS COMPLAINT. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LIGHT MALFUNCTION. HEAD LIGHT WORKS ON AND OFF; DOES NOT TURN ON SOMETIMES. SOME DAYS IT WORKS, SOME DAYS IT NEVER DOES. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO RAINY/DUMP WEATHER. DEALER DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS WIRING ISSUE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE HOLE SYSTEM BE CHANGED AND IT COST ME $909. 00. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME THE OLD PART. *TR

THE POWER STEERING HOSE HAS A LEAK. THE POWER STEERING FLUID IS DRIPPING ALL OVER THE PLACE. I CAN SMELL BURNING OIL EVERYTIME I STOP. LAST TIME I SAW SMOKE. THE SMOKE WAS FROM THE POWER STEERING FLUID DRIPPING ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *TR