2008 Acura Mdx

I HAVE A MDX WITH SPORT SUSPENSION. I RECENTLY VISITED MY MECHANIC TO DISCOVER THAT BOTH OF MY REAR SHOCKS ARE BLOWN. AFTER LOOKING INTO FIXING IT, I NOTICED THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE PREMATURELY. NOT ONLY IS IT A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE TRIM, THE PARTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE DUE TO THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS. WITH SO MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE, IT SEEMS THE CORE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM MAY BE A FAULTY DESIGN OF THE SHOCKS. MY CONCERN IS REPLACING A FAULTY PRODUCTS WITH ANOTHER FAULTY PRODUCTS, AND EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE ALL OVER AGAIN SHORTY.

THE ADS SENSOR HAS GONE BAD ON MY 2008 MDX. SOME HAVE BEEN RECALLED IN COLORADO BECAUSE SALT PUT ON THE ROADS FOR SNOW CONDITIONS HAS CARRIED THEM. I LIVE IN UTAH WHERE WE ALSO HAVE SALT PUT ON SLICK ROADS. BUT NONE IN UTAH WERE RECALLED. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX AND PARTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH ACURA. MY LOCAL MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE PRICE THEY ARE CHARGING WAS REDICULIUS AND HE HAS NEVER SEEN SUCH AN EXPENSIVE STRUT FIX.

SPORTS SUSPENSION IN VEHICLE DOES NOT WORK OVERTIME. I BELIEVE THEY ARE DEFECTIVE, EVERY BUMP I GO OVER, TINY OR BIG IT MAKES A SOUND FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION LIKE SOMETHING IS LOOSE. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME ITS 2300 TO REPLACE BOTH SIDES. REASON I BELIEVE THEY ARE DEFECTIVE OR NOT OF HIGH QUALITY, HEARD AND READ MANY PEOPLE WITH MDX SPORTS SUSPENSION GETTING THEM REPLACED ONCE TO SEVERAL TIMES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

IN JANUARY 2013 MY ADS LIGHT IN MY MDX WENT ON. WE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT ACURA HAD SENT A SERVICE REQUEST TO CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE DESIGN OF THE ADS SYSTEM FOR THE MDX'S WAS POOR AND IT ALLOWED SALT AND MOISTURE INTO THE SENSOR CONTROL FOR THE STRUT THUS CAUSING CORROSION IN THE SENSOR AND STRUT. EVENTUALLY THE STRUT FAILS. WHEN WE CALLED ACURA AND I SPOKE WITH FRANK SWARTWOT IN ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE IN CALIFORNIA, HE TOLD US THAT OUR VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SERVICE REQUEST. WE EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT WE LIVE IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH AND WE GET A LOT OF SNOW AND SALT IS USED ON THE ROADS WHEN THERE IS A SNOW STORM. (WE DID HOST THE 2002 OLYMPIC GAMES AFTER ALL.) WE ALSO TOLD HIM THAT THE ADS FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON IN JANUARY 2013 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORST SNOW STORM OF THE YEAR. THIS SOUNDED LIKE THE PERFECT COMBINATION TO CAUSE THESE PROBLEMS. ACURA TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT COVER US AND BASICALLY TOLD US THEY COULD COVER IT IF WE WERE VALUED CUSTOMERS. SINCE WE HAD PURCHASED THE MDX USED AND DID NOT GO TO JODY WILKINSON FOR OUR REPAIRS, THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT. WE ENDED UP REPLACING THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT AND THE SENSOR AND WHEN THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE SENSOR AND THE STRUT, IT WAS FULLY RUSTED AND CORRODED.. WE FULLY EXPECT THE OTHER SENSOR AND STRUT TO FAIL WITHIN THE YEAR AS THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS ACCORDING TO THE ACURA MECHANIC. THE COST TO REPLACE EACH STRUT THROUGH THE ACURA DEALERSHIP IS $1250. ACURA HAS SINCE REPLACED THE OLD SENSOR AND STRUTS USED ON THEIR CARS WITH A NEW DESIGN. WE FEEL THAT IF ACURA HAD AT LEAST WARNED US THAT THIS COULD BE AN ISSUE, WE COULD HAVE REPLACED THE SENSOR (A $200 FIX) AND SAVED THE STRUT. THE LETTER NUMBER ON YOUR SITE IS CSC-10038347-3254 AND THE URL LINK IS HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/ACMS/CS/JAXRS/DOWNLOAD/DOC/UCM429164/CSC-10038347-3254.PDF. *TR

AUTO DAMPER SYSTEM ON 2008 MDX STOPS WORKING DUE TO SENSOR PROBLEMS IN SHOCKS/ STRUTS. AUTO DAMPER SYSTEM ADJUSTS SHOCK SENSITIVITY TO ROAD CONDITIONS AND HAS TWO MODES, COMFORT AND SPORT. WHEN THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS THE SHOCKS/STRUTS DEFAULT TO A GIVEN SENSITIVITY. THE DANGER OCCURS IF THE DRIVER BELIEVES THAT HE/SHE IS IN SPORT MODE AND THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WHILE DRIVING IT COULD CAUSE A WRONG INTERPRETATION OF THE ROAD AND POTENTIALLY HAMPER THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER/PASSENGERS. MY MDX HAS HAD REGULAR FAILURES IN THE SENSORS, I HAVE CONVERSED WITH SEVERAL OTHER MDX OWNERS AND THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OCCURS ON A REGULAR BASIS. *TR