2006 Acura Tl

ABOUT 3-6 MONTHS AGO, I NOTICED A CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY ACURA 2006 TL. GRADUALLY THE CRACK GREW, THEN OVER TIME, I SAW TWO MORE CRACKS IN THE AREAS WHERE THE AIRBAGS ARE LOCATED. NOW THESE CRACKS ARE WIDENING AND I CAN SEE WHITE IN THE CRACKS. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT WILL COMPROMISE PROPER DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. IF SO, THIS CAN HAVE TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. I CALLED THE ACURA MANUFACTURER CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WILL COST ME $1500-2000 AND THAT THE ADJUSTMENT FROM THEM WILL BE MINIMAL BECAUSE THE WARRANTY FOR SUCH A THING HAS EXPIRED. I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR ACURAS. PLEASE, PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND HELP OTHERS LIKE ME WHO ARE HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED, DISCOURAGED AND ANGRY ABOUT THE POOR QUALITY OF MATERIALS USED IN THE AREA THAT ENCASES THE AIRBAGS THAT SHOULD PROTECT US FROM INJURY OR DEATH. FOR YOUR INFORMATION: MY CAR HAS 92,000 MILES AND I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN GOOD PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT THE DASHBOARD WITH A WINDSHIELD COVER, USED SPECIAL CONDITIONER AND CRACKED MY WINDOWS TO KEEP THE HEAT OUT. I ALSO DO PROPER AND TIMELY MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER AND WAS HOPING THIS WOULD BE MY LAST CAR. NOW, IF I MUST SELL MY CAR, MY CAR HAS DEPRECIATED SUBSTANTIALLY DUE TO POOR WORKMANSHIP AND I WILL HAVE A CAR PAYMENT I DON'T NEED OR CAN'T AFFORD. DO RU *TR

ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING IN MY 2006 TL WITH MY SON AND HE ASKED ME ABOUT THE CRACK IN MY DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY HIS QUESTION. I DID NOT EXPECT THIS FROM ACURA AT ALL! I WAS COMPLETELY SURPRISED, I KEEP MY WINDOWS COVERED WITH A SUN GUARD. IT STARTS AT THE WINDSHIELD AND FOLLOWS THE AIRBAG DIRECTLY. I FEEL THIS IS UNSAFE SINCE IT IS AT THE AIRBAG. IT DOES CONTRACT AND EXPAND AS THE WEATHER. *TR

IN APRIL OF 2013 I NOTICED A SMALL CRACK ABOVE THE STEERING COLUMN IN THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR, THIS CRACK SLOWLY GREW ALL THE WAY TO THE WINDSHIELD AND HAS NOW SPIDERED OFF TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE. JUST THIS MONTH (SEPT 2013) I ALSO NOTICED IT STARTING TO CRACK AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. NOT ONLY IS THE CRACK VERY UNATTRACTIVE, BUT IT ALSO HAS ME WORRIED ABOUT THE AIRBAG AND THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND THAT THE CRACKING DASHBOARD IS A COMMON ISSUE ON THE THIRD GENERATION ACURA TL. IN FACT MOST THIRD GENERATION TL OWNERS HAVE HAD THEIR DASHBOARDS CRACK, AND WHEN THEY CONTACT ACURA (DEALERSHIPS, AND ACURA CORPORATE) TO TRY AND GET ASSISTANCE, ACURA ACTS AS THOUGH THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE ISSUE BEFORE. SOME CONSUMERS ARE ALSO GETTING AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT, AND TO REMEDY THE WARNING LIGHT THEY HAVE TO DROP $2,200 TO HAVE THE WHOLE DASHBOARD REPLACED. I HAVE ALSO TRIED GETTING ASSISTANCE FROM ACURA (BOTH JODY WILKINSON ACURA SALT LAKE CITY, AND ACURA CLIENT RELATIONS). AFTER LEAVING MY CAR WITH THEM FOR 4 DAYS, THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. THE REASON THEY WONT HELP ME IS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN GETTING MY CAR SERVICED AT THEIR DEALERSHIP. SINCE I KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY OWN CAR AND PERFORM MY OWN OIL CHANGES, I WILL HAVE TO PAY $2,200 TO HAVE THE DASHBOARD REPLACED. THIS WAS THE EXCUSE THEY USED TO DENY ME, THERE ARE MANY OTHER EXCUSES THEY HAVE USED ON OTHER CONSUMERS. ACURA NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR CARS AND FIX THIS OBVIOUS PRODUCT FLAW. THEY SHOULDN'T BE TREATING THEIR CONSUMERS LIKE CRIMINALS FOR NOT GETTING THEIR VEHICLE SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND PEOPLE NEED TO START REPORTING IT TO EVERY VENUE THEY CAN.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SUMMER MY DASHBOARD RANDOMLY STARTED CRACKING ABOVE MY STEERING COLUMN. THE CRACK HAS EXTENDED ALL THE WAY TO THE WINDSHIELD AND SPLIT OFF IN ONE DIRECTION. ALSO THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS STARTED TO CRACK AROUND THE AIRBAG. AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY CAR LIKE SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE TYPES OF ISSUES. I LOVE THIS CAR, BUT NOW EVERY TIME I GET IN I CANT HELP BUT FEEL THAT I AM DRIVING A PIECE OF JUNK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A CRACK ON THE DASHBOARD WHERE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE DASHBOARD WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR

ON FRIDAY JULY 19TH 2013 I NOTICED TWO SMALL CRACKS (ONE ABOUT 3 INCHES AND THE OTHER ABOUT 2 INCHES') ON DASHBOARD ON BOTH SIDES OF WHERE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS LOCATED. ON MONDAY JULY 22ND THE CRACK HAD GROWN CONSIDERABLY LARGER 12 INCHES. I SPOKE WITH ACURA CLIENT RELATIONS ON MONDAY JULY 22ND TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS. THEY OPENED UP A CASE AND TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE DEALER INSPECT IT. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE CARLSBAD DEALER ON TUESDAY JULY 23RD AND HAD IT INSPECTED BY ONE OF THE SERVICE MANAGERS. HE GLANCED AT IT AND ABRUPTLY STATED I WILL NEED A NEW DASH AND THAT MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO I WILL HAVE TO PAY $1500. LATER THAT DAY I SPOKE WITH CLIENT RELATIONS AND WAS TOLD 'WE ARE SORRY FOR YOUR ISSUE AND ACURA WILL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH THE COST. THE WORK CAN BE DONE FOR $800' BELIEVING THAT THE PART MAY BE FAULTY MAKES ME QUESTION WHY I HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT I WAS DISMISSED SO QUICKLY BECAUSE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I UNDERSTAND THAT WEAR AND TEAR HAPPENS BUT IF THERE IS A DEFECT THAT THE CONSUMER HAS NO CONTROL OVER WHY SHOULD THEY BE HELD TO A WARRANTY PERIOD? A LITTLE SEARCHING OF THE WEB WILL PROVIDE QUITE A BIT OF EVIDENCE OF THE SAME ISSUE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. BELOW ARE A FEW LINKS: CNN REPORT HTTP://IREPORT.CNN.COM/DOCS/DOC-708135 ATLANTA NEWS STATION HTTP://WWW.WSBTV.COM/NEWS/NEWS/ACURA-OWNERS-COMPLAIN-OF-CRACKING-DASHBOARDS/NFB38/ ACURAZINE FORUM HTTP://TL.ACURAZINE.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=730775 FACEBOOK PAGE STARTED FOR THE ISSUE HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ACURATLDEFECTIVEDASH. *TR

SINCE I BOUGHT MY TL BRAND NEW IF IT SITS 2 DAYS OR MORE THE BATTERY DIES. ONCE THE CAR IS TURNED OFF YOU CAN HEAR CLICKING IN THE DASH. I HAVE PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY FOR THIS VEHICLE EVERY YEAR AND A HALF. THE BLUETOOTH QUIT WITHIN 3 YEARS. THEN THE DASHBOARD STARTED SHOWING A RECTANGLE IMAGE ABOUT 3 YEARS IN. MY ACURA IS GARAGE KEPT AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF. GOT IN MY CAR ONE MORNING AND THERE IS A CRACK ON EACH SIDE OF THE AIRBAG GOING FROM WINDSHIELD TO PASSENGER SEAT. THIS SEEMS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. NOT TO MENTION VERY CONCERNING. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY CAR. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. *TR