2004 Acura Tl

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA 3.2TL. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE WITH PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL HE HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A HARD SPOT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH WOULD WEAR DOWN OVER TIME AND THE GRINDING NOISE WOULD NO LONGER PERSIST. OVER TIME THE GRINDING NOISE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE PAD HAD WORN THROUGH AND DESTROYED THE ROTOR. ALL OF THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. A FEW YEARS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT ALL OF THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND UNDERSIZED ACCORDING TO REGULATION. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTORS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ACURA OEM SERVICE MANUAL FOR MY 2004 TL HAS AN ERROR THAT COULD RESULT IN THE FRONT DISC BRAKE PADS BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY ON CARS WITH THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION OPTION. THIS COULD CAUSE THE BRAKES TO WORK INCORRECTLY. ADVICE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE IN TORRANCE, CA AND MY LOCAL ACURA DEALER ABOUT THE CORRECT INSTALLATION DIRECTION ARE IN DIRECT OPPOSITION. *TR

2004 ACURA TL AT HAS SOFT AND SPONGY BRAKES. BRAKING SEEMS USELESS UNDER HARD-BRAKING CONDITIONS. IT ALL STARTED WHEN I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ROAD DEBRIS, ABS WENT INTO ACTION AND THE CAR STOPPED IN A DIME, HOWEVER, A FEW DAYS AFTER THE EVENT, I NOTICED THE BRAKES GETTING SPONGY AND SOFT. I WENT TO GET MY BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR CHANGED ALONG WITH A BRAKE FLUID CHANGE. IT WORKED FINE FOR A WEEK BUT THEN IT WENT BACK TO SOFT AND SPONGY. I HAD A SITUATION WHERE I HAD TO BRAKE HARD FOR A BEAUTIFUL L.A COMMUTER WHO CUT ME OFF AND THERE WAS ALMOST TO PRESSURE WHATSOEVER ON THE BRAKES, NO ABS, NO TIRE SCREECHING, IT JUST GLIDED TO A STOP. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND OUT IT WAS THE VSA MODULATOR, WHICH WAS INJECTING AIR INTO THE BRAKE LINES EVER SO OFTEN. APPARENTLY IT HAPPENED WHEN THE ABS KICKED IN, THEY SAID IT WOULD HAVE FAULTED THE VSA SYSTEM. THE PART WAS REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED ONE FROM ACURA. I AFRAID THERE ARE OTHER TLS WITH THE SAME ISSUES HAVING TO PAY CLOSE TO 2000 DOLLARS FOR PARTS THAT ARE SO CRITICAL AND YET DEFECTIVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE BEFORE THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS INCREASED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE VIN WAS UNABLE TO BE ENTERED INTO THE SYSTEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 73,000.

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

THE VSA (STABILITY CONTROL) SYSTEM ON MY 2004 ACURA TL MALFUNCTIONED. THE SYSTEM WOULD CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE TO ACTIVATE BY ITSELF, CAUSING THE CAR TO SEVERLY SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. AFTER A HALF-SECOND OR SO, THE VSA WOULD DISENGAGE AND THE FAULT INDICATOR WOULD LITE UP ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ACURA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE VSA FAULT CODES ARE NOT STORED IN THE VEHICLE'S MEMORY AFTER THE CAR IS RESTARTED AND THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY RESETS. THIS RESULTED IN HAVING TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THE FAULT RE-OCCURED. EVENTUALLY, WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO DEALER AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAR (BECAUSE WE LEFT IT RUNNING SO AS NOT TO CLEAR THE CODE). THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO A YAW RATE SENSOR IN THE VSA SYSTEM. ACURA SHOULD MAKE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO DEALERS. THIS POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THERE IS NOTHING A DRIVER CAN DO TO PREDICT OR PREVENT WHEN THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR. SINCE MY SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN.*AK