2007 Acura Mdx

MY 2007 ACURA MDX IS EXPERIENCING A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP. ACURA ISSUED AN EXTENSION ON THE WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT THAT EXTENSION ONLY LASTED SEVEN YEARS. AS SOMEONE WHO ACQUIRED THE CAR AFTER 2014 I WAS AUTOMATICALLY NOT QUALIFIED IN THIS COMMON PROBLEM. ACURA HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR OTHER MODEL CARS BUILT IN THIS SAME YEAR USING THE SAME POWER STEERING PUMP. YET THE RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 12V222000 DOES NOT INCLUDE MODEL MDX. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW "WHY" MDX WAS NOT ALSO PART OF THE RECALL SEEING AS THOUGH IT IS THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS, AND PARTS USED FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP, HOSES, AND SEALS.

I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL FULLY CLOCKWISE WITH THE CAR OFF WHILE IT WAS IN MY GARAGE. AS I WAS STRAIGHTENING THE WHEEL, IT BECAME COMPLETELY LOOSE AS IF SOMETHING IN THE STEERING SHAFT OR A CONNECTION HAD BROKEN. THE STEERING WHEEL SPUN FREELY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WITHOUT TURNING THE WHEELS. THE LOWER U-JOINT THAT COUPLES THE SHAFT TO THE GEAR BOX BROKE. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS GREATER FORCE ON THAT PART WHILE THE CAR IS OFF (NO POWER STEERING), BUT THE STRENGTH OF THAT JOINT SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT SAFETY MARGIN TO WITHSTAND THIS. WHAT IF IT WAS JUST DAMAGED ENOUGH AT THAT POINT THAT IT STILL WORKED, BUT WENT ON TO FAIL IN THE HIGHWAY? 70 MPH AND NO WAY TO STEER THE CAR. SCARY. THE CAR IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD AND HAS JUST UNDER 200000 MILES, BUT I WOULD EXPECT A COMPONENT THIS CRITICAL TO BE ONE OF THE LAST THINGS TO FAIL ON A CAR.

I OWN A 2007 ACURA MDX WHICH HAS HAD A NUMBER OF INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS OVER THE YEARS. I HAD TO REPLACE THE HANDSFREE LINK MODULE A FEW YEARS AGO AT THE DEALER. THE YELLOW CHECK OIL LEVEL LIGHT HAS COME ON FOR NO REASON FOR YEARS. IT GOES ON FOR A SECOND THEN OFF. A FEW MONTHS AGO THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 'FRIED' AND I HAD TO BUY A NEW BATTERY AND NEW ALTERNATOR. RECENTLY I HEAR A BUZZING SOUND WHEN I USE THE TURN SIGNALS AND THE HAZARDS DO NOT WORK AT ALL. LAST NIGHT THE CAR DIED ON THE INTERSTATE- THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT DARK, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO GET ONTO THE SHOULDER. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND THEN STARTED IT AGAIN. WHEN IT WORKS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE OPERATION BUT THIS CAR IS NOW UNRELIABLE AND DANGEROUS. I SEE THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 40 COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME THING NOTED ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM REFERRING TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE, ABOUT THE CAR DYING FOR NO REASON WHILE IN MOTION AND THAT NO ACURA DEALER SEEMS ABLE TO FIX IT AND ACURA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM OR DO A RECALL THE CAR IS NOW AT MY MECHANIC TO SEE IF HE CAN FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG BUT ALL THE COMMENTS I SAW ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM INDICATE THERE HAS NOT YET BEEN A DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS MADE BY ACURA OR ANYONE ELSE, AND THERE IS NO ACTIVE RECALL EITHER THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ALSO INDICATE THAT THE DOORS AND WINDOWS DO NOT OPERATE WHEN THE CAR STALLS OUT AND OCCUPANTS CAN BE TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR

A WHINING SOUND IS BEING DISCOVERED FROM THE POWER STEERING PUMP/RACK AREA AFTER 30 MINUTES OF DRIVE ON HIGHWAY THEN SLOWDOWNS TO THE STREETS. THE WHINING NOISE GETS LOUDER WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT (NOT NECESSARILY ALL THE WAY). THE NOISE GO AWAY AFTER STOPPING THE ENGINE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. DIAGNOSED AT THE DEALER, FOUND TO BE A DEFECTIVE PART - POWER STEERING RACK (53601-STX-A01). *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 2007 ACURA MDX 34,000 PREDOMINANTLY HIGHWAY MILES FRIDAY EVENING, AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF A CAR WASH, I HEARD A CLUNK, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP WITH A "CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM ALARM" AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND FOUND A BELT PULLEY (LATER IDENTIFIED BY ACURA AS A "CRANK PULLEY) LAYING IN THE ROAD JUST BEHIND THE CAR. I OPENED THE HOOD AND THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS NOT TURNING, EXPLAINING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THAT THE OUTER RIM OF THE PULLEY IS COMPRESSION FIT ONTO THE HUB AND THAT THE PULLEY CAME APART AT THIS COMPRESSION FIT. THE HUB REMAINED CONNECTED TO THE CRANK, BUT WITHOUT THE HUB THERE IS NO TENSION PROVIDED TO THE SERPENTINE BELT AND, HENCE NO POWER STEERING (OR ALTERNATOR OR A/C FOR THAT MATTER). THE LOCAL ACURA DEALERSHIP PROVIDED A SIMPLE REPAIR REPLACING THE PULLEY, BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT FAILED. I CONTACTED ACURA'S REGIONAL CASE MANAGER [XXX] AND ASKED FOR A CASE NUMBER [XXX] )TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM AN ANALYSIS OF THE FAILED PART. WHY DID IT FAIL (ROOT CAUSE) AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES? [XXX] REPLIED "THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN", "I'M CLOSING OUT THIS CASE". I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. HAD MY WIFE OR DAUGHTER OR OTHER WEAKER PERSON BEEN DRIVING IN A MORE CRITICAL SITUATION, LOSING THE POWER STEERING WHILE MOVING COULD HAVE BEEN A TRAGIC EVENT. THE CAR CARRIER DRIVER TOLD ME THAT HE PICKED UP AN MDX WITH A MISSING BELT PULLEY JUST LAST WEEK. I UNDERSTAND THAT HE IS NOT THE AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE, BUT ITS IS ENOUGH TO INCREASE MY LEVEL OF CONCERN. *TR