2005 Acura Tl

MY 2005 ACURA TL AS WELL AS MY FIANCE'S 2004 ACURA TL HAVE DEVELOPED DASHBOARD CRACKS IN EXACTLY THE SAME PLACES AROUND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. I'M VERY CONCERNED FOR THE AIRBAGS EXPLODING UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO THIS AS IT SEEMS PRESSURE IN THE AIRBAG IS PUSHING UP THE DASH. WE'VE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER TL OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. ACURA IS RELUCTANT TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM AND QUOTES WELL IN EXCESS OF $1000 JUST FOR THE LABOR TO FIX A CLEARLY DEFECTIVE PART THAT MAY HAVE SERIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. *TR

I BOUGHT A SET OF DUNLOP 235/45R17 SP SPORT SIGNATURE TIRES IN FEBRAURY, 2008 -- AND REPLACED ONE OF THEM IN SEPTEMBER 2008 DUE TO UNRELATED ISSUE. IN EARLY JULY, 2009, ONLY ABOUT 17 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT AFTER I MADE MY INTIAL PURCHASE, AND LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER I BOUGHT THE REPLACEMENT 4TH TIRE, THE SIDEWALL BEGAN TO DETERIORATE (ON THE NEWER 4TH TIRE) AND THE TREAD BEGAN SEPERATING FROM ONE OF THE OTHER 3 TIRES. HAD MY MECHANIC (DOING A BRAKE JOB) NOT NOTICED THE DEFECT, I COULD'VE EASILY HAD A BLOW-OUT AND SERIOUS INJURY. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE TIRE STORE WHEN I BOUGHT ALL 5 TIRES. THEY INSPECTED THE TIRES AND FOUND THAT ALL 4 WERE DEFECTIVE. THEY CALLED GOODYEAR/DUNLOP (I SPOKE WITH MARY IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT.) GOODYEAR/DUNLOP ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ALL 4 REMAINING TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND INITIALLY DEMANDED $200 TO REPLACE ALL 4 OF THE DEFECTIVE DUNLOP TIRES (WHICH I ORIGINALY PAID $1,000 FOR). EVENTIALLY I AGREED TO PAY $120.51, BUT I STILL THINK I GOT SCREWED. MEANWHILE, THERE'S NO RECALL NOTICE, BUT CLEARLY THESE ARE DEFECTIVE TIRES. *TR

WE'VE SERVICED OUR VEHICLE REGULARLY AND AS RECENTLY AS 2 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR AT THE DEALERSHIP (ONCE FOR SERVICE AND THE OTHER FOR A RECALL) AND 1 TIME AT AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP. THE SERVICE PEOPLE AT HONDA FOUND THE FLUID TO BE GOOD AND SAID "THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT NEED SERVICE... HAVE IT CHECKED AT APPROXIMATELY 62,000MILES, WHICH WE DID. WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FLUSHED AND THE FLUID REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 62,000 MILES. THE CAR IS A 2005 ACURA TL. IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY WITH APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN A NEARBY MOTORIST DIRECTED US TO PULL OVER. APPARENTLY THERE WAS SMOKE FUMING FROM THE VEHICLE. AT THAT POINT THERE WERE SEVERE POWER FLUCTUATIONS AND THE CAR REV'D OVER 5000 RPMS. THE TRANSMISSION HAD DISCHARGED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FLUID AND NEARLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. WE HAD THE VEHICLE ASSESSED INDEPENDENTLY AND THEN AT THE ACURA DEALERSHIP IN MONTCLAIR. BOTH FOUND THE TRANSMISSION TO BE COMPLETELY BURNT AND INOPERABLE. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE ACURA TL TRANSMISSION THAT CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND/OR CAR FIRES. *TR

THE CAR EXPERIENCES FLUCTUATIONS IN VEHICLE RPM AT ALL SPEEDS WHILE KEEPING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CONSTANT. THIS IS NOTICED WITH AND WITHOUT THE AIR CONDITIONER ON AND AT VARIOUS SPEEDS BUT MORE NOTICEABLE AT AROUND 40MPH. I BROUGHT IT TO MY DEALERS ATTENTION AT THE SECOND YEAR STATE INSPECTION SERVICE (15,793 MILES) BUT NOTHING WAS DONE AS I THOUGHT I WOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING AND GRINDING NOISE. HE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WAS BENT OUTWARDS FROM THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED AND CAUSED THE WHEEL TO COME OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DEALER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 21,000. UPDATED 04/24/09.*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE UPON DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE, IT PULLED STRONGLY TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER DIGNAOSED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT IT, BY SAYING IT WAS THE TORQUE STEER. ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE CONSUMER STILL CONTINED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. AT TIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD POP OUT OF OR GRIND INTO THIRD GEAR. THE LOWER BALL JOINT HAD FAILED. IT RIPPED OUT THE DRIVE SHAFT, BENT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, DAMAGED THE BODY AND LEAKED TRANSMISSION FLUID ALL OVER THE ROAD. UPDATED 04/29/09.*JB

NO ACCIDENT - NOTICED ON OR ABOUT 12-26-2008 THAT PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT, WHEN ON, DISPLAYING A PURPLE LIKE TINT- LOW-BEAM. 12-29-2008, BULB/LIGHT SYSTEM FAILED. DEALER - 12/31/2008 STATES IGNITER, INVERTER AND POSSIBLE BULB FAILED. REPAIR 1000.00 PLUS. INVERTER AND IGNITER 700.00 + WITHOUT BULB. BULB 200.00 +. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A 3-4 YEAR OLD DEALER ONLY VEHICLE PARTS SERVICE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY (684SOUTH), AND MY CAR'S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY 2005 ACURA TL. AS I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR HAD NO MOTION. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY, AND I CALLED AAA TO TOW MY CAR. THE COMPANY THAT TOWED MY CAR HAD INSPECTED MY CAR THE FOLLOWING DAY AND INFORMED ME THAT I WAS IN NEED OF A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAD THEN CALLED AAMCO IN MAHOPAC, NY, THAT SPECIALIZES IN TRANSMISSIONS, TO GET A SECOND OPINION. AFTER MAKING A TRANSCAN, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED, WHERE IT CAUSED A GREAT AMOUNT OF HEAT AFFECTING THE TURBINE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE GEARS AND CONVERTER CLUTCH TO BREAK DOWN. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN MANY CARS MADE BY HONDA AND ACURA. THEREFORE, I AM RESPECTFULLY ASKING YOUR ORGANIZATION TO INVESTIGATE IF THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE CAR, WHICH I PURCHASED AT 25,000 MILES, AND WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED, IT HAPPENED AT 75,000, WHERE I WAS DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR