1999 Acura Rl

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 ACURA RL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V026000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED RADLEY ACURA (5823 COLUMBIA PIKE, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22041, (703) 824-5700) AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 ACURA RL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V026000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. COURTESY ACURA (3701 NICHOLASVILLE RD, LEXINGTON, KY 40503) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

HONDA / ACURA IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE BELOW EXTENDED WARRANTY (S/B 06-008) ON MY VEHICLE (WHICH IS WITHIN STATED MILEAGE LIMITS BUT OUTSIDE THE ARBITRARY TIME LIMITS) WHICH HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATING THE INDICATED PROBLEM WITH THE OPDS FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. THEIR FILE NUMBER IS B012015-05-2601760.THEIR STATED SOLUTION IS FOR ME TO PAY FOR REPAIRS! THEY (MELISA) STATES I NEED TO PAY FOR DIAGNOSIS AT AN ACURA DEALER WITH ABSOLUTELY NO ASSURANCE OF A REIMBURSEMENT OR A FACTORY PAID REPAIR. AS THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAULT IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS FAULT PUBLISHED ON LINE IT SHOULD BE UP TO THE MANUFACTURER TO MAKE REPAIRS. IT APPEARS TO ME THEY COVERED UP WHAT SHOULD BE AN OFFICIAL RECALL WITH THE EXPIRED EXTENDED WARRANTY. HTTP://ACURAZINE.COM/FORUMS/PROBLEMS-FIXES-70/SRS-INDICATOR-LIGHT-WARRANTY-EXTENSION-478199/ HTTPS://REPAIRPAL.COM/SENSOR-PROBLEMS-IN-ABS-MAY-CAUSE-SRS-LIGHT-TO-TURN-ON-519 DATE: APRIL 5, 2006 TO: ALL ACURA SALES, SERVICE & PARTS MANAGERS FROM: AMERICAN HONDA SERVICE DIVISION RE: WARRANTY EXTENSION ANNOUNCEMENT ON MARCH 2, 2006, WE ANNOUNCED AN OPDS (OCCUPANT POSITION DETECTION SYSTEM) WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR CERTAIN 200103 3.2CLS, 200102 MDXS, 199903 3.5RLS, SELECTED 2004 RLS, 200204 RSXS, AND 200003 3.2TLS. SOME AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE OPDS THAT CAUSES THE SRS INDICATOR TO STAY ON WITH ONE OR MORE SRS DTCS. TO ENSURE CONTINUED RELIABILITY WITH THE OPDS, AFFECTED VEHICLES HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE OPDS UNIT AND THE OPDS SENSOR. THESE PARTS ARE NOW COVERED FOR 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION ... FOR DETAILED REPAIR, VIN, AND WARRANTY INFORMATION, SEE S/B 06-008, WARRANTY EXTENSION: OPDS UNIT OR OPDS SENSOR TRIGGERS SRS DTC(S) 15-1, 15-2, 15-3.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 ACURA 3.5RL. APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SRS WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUSES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY FOUR WEEKS LATER. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS. IN APRIL OF 2008, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE INFORMING HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE OCCUPANT POSITION DETECTION SYSTEM (OPDS) REPLACED. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY ONLY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE SENSOR, BUT NOT THE CONTROL UNIT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE SRS INDICATOR BEGAN ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS LATER. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

OPDS SENSORTRIGGERS SRS: SRS LIGHT RESET 5 TIMES SINCE 02/04 ONE TIME BY DEALERSHIP RIGHT BEFORE PURCHASE OF PRE CERTIFIED VEH IN 2004. THE LAST TIME WAS JULY OF 2007 WHEN I WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED A NEW CABLE REEL AND DRIVERS AIR BAG PRICED AT 1468.00 AT THAT TIME I RESEARCHED SRS PROBLEMS AND CALLED A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS A WARRANTY EXTENSION IN MARCH 2006. THE PASSENGER SIDE OPDS SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND REPLACED 05/05. LABOR WAS CHARGED 130.50. I HAD TO FIND OUT THROUGH A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THIS HAS BEEN A ISSUE WITH ACURAS. I THEN WENT BACK TO THE LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND BROUGHT IT TO THEIR ATTENTION THEY OWED ME MONIES BACK FOR THE LABOR CHARGED DUE TO THE WARRANTY EXTENTION. THERE WAS NO NOTICE THAT WENT OUT TO THE CUSTOMERS EVEN IF THEY HAD PAID FOR THE SERVICES NOW COVERED NO ONE WAS NOTIFIED EXCEPT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS.I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO FILE THROUGH THE COOPERATE OFFICE IN ORDER TO GET MY REFUND. I CALLED CORPORATE AND FILED A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE MONIES OWED AND A CHARGE OF 1468.00 TO REPLACE AN AIRBAG THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED. THEY INITIALLY AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PARTS ONLY. WHEN I ADVISED CORPORATE AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT I WANTED THE AIRBAG UNDEPLOY RELEASED TO A BODYSHOP FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION THAT A DEPLOYED AIRBAG WOULD NOT BE OF ANY HELP IN DETERMINING A MALFUNCTION OF AIRBAG SYSTEM, THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG AND THE CABLE REEL AT NO CHARGE. THIS IS A REAL CONCERN WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE CAR BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION AND THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS FAULTY? *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED UPON PLACING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ON. THE CONTACT REFERRED TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL WHICH INDICATED IF THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, IT WAS INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE SUPPLEMENTAL FRONT AIRBAGS FAILED, AND THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY FOR THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

THE SRS INDICATOR COMES ON AND STAYS ON WHEN A CELL PHONE OR LAPTOP IS USED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS HINDERS THE PROPER OPERATION OF THE AIR BAGS WHICH COULD RESULT IN A NEEDLESS DEATH TO THE PASSENGER. THE LIGHT CAN ONLY BE RESET BY THE DEALER WHICH COST $84.00 PER HOUR. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION ON THE WEB, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS NOT ONLY A PROBLEM IN THE ACURA RLS BUT ALSO A PROBLEM WITH ALL ACURA VEHICLES (RL, TL, TL-S, RSX AND THE MDX). THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS WHICH WOULD HAVE SHIELDED THE OPDS SENSORS FROM EVERYDAY INTERFERENCES FROM LAPTOPS AND CELL PHONES RADIO FREQUENCIES. PLEASE GIVE THIS MATTER SOME ATTENTION BY CONTACTING THE ACURA CORPORATION AND ASKING FOR AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT ACTION THEY INTEND TO TAKE TO CORRECT THIS ENGINEERING DEFECT. AS WITH MOST MAJOR CORPORATIONS, THE AVERAGE CONSUMER HAS NO WAY OF CONTACTING THEM DIRECTLY. THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. *AK