2004 Acura Tl

PREVIOUS RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING HOSE LEAKING, MINE IS LEAKING WHEN IN MOTION AND STATIONARY, PREVIOUS RECALL ON INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAULT, PREVIOUS RECALL ON WIPER MOTOR HOUSING, CURRENT RECALL ON BALL JOINTS, WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC I HAVE A BALL JOINT PROBLEM, CURRENT PROBLEM WITH PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOING OUT. REPLACED BALLAST WITH NEW ONE AND HEAD LIGHT WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WENT OUT AGAIN, NOTICE WHILE IN MOTION AND STATIONARY.

THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS OF THIS ACURA TL WERE FAILING TO TURN ON WHEN PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL OR WERE EXTREMELY DIM. ANOTHER DRIVER NOTIFIED ME WHEN HE NEARLY REAR ENDED THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FAULTY BRAKE SWITCH, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE ON MANY (2004+) TLS BASED ON THE TL FORUMS. HONDA/ACURA HAS ISSUED A NEW REPLACEMENT PART WITH UPDATED PART NUMBER AS WELL. THIS PART SHOULD BE SWAPPED OUT ON ALL AFFECTED MODELS TO PREVENT REAR END COLLISIONS! *JS

SINCE ALL HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED TO HAVE PLASTIC COVERS RATHER THAN GLASS, THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT AVAILABLE FOR LIGHTING THE ROAD HAS DIMINISHED WITH TIME AS THE PLASTIC AGES. I HAVE SEEN SOME VEHICLES WHERE THE HEADLIGHT COVERS ARE TOTALLY OPAQUE. IF ANY VEHICLE HAS DIMINISHED LUMINOUS FROM ITS LIGHTS, IT IS A HAZARD TO ALL OTHER VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS. RECALLS SHOULD BE SENT TO ALL MANUFACTURERS. *JS

ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 TL BEGAN FLICKERING ON AND OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR TO ACURA BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $1000 TO DO AN "APPROPRIATE DIAGNOSTIC TEST". THE PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLAMPS STOPPED AFTER A FEW MONTHS, BUT THEN OTHER LIGHTS BEGAN GOING OUT (INTERIOR CENTER CONSOLE WHERE THE AC AND RADIO ARE, AND THE INTERIOR CONSOLE TO THE LEFT OF THE STEERING WHEEL, AND THE INTERIOR DOOR CONSOLE) AND FLICKERING (EXTERIOR SIDE PANEL LIGHTS WHEN I ALARM OR DIS-ALARM THE CAR). I TOOK THE CAR TO ACURA AGAIN IN NOV 2011, AND THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS WAS FIXED AFTER THEY REPLACED MY BATTERY, BUT THEY MISTAKENLY ONLY LOOKED AT THE DRIVER'S DASHBOARD LIGHTS WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER ARE LOCATED (AND WHERE THERE IS NO PROBLEM) AND THE TECHS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. THIS LIGHTING PROBLEM IS GETTING UNSAFE, AS I CAN NO LONGER SEE THE BUTTONS FOR THE AC/DEFROST, ETC. AT NIGHT AND I HAVE TO FUMBLE AROUND TO PRESS THE CORRECT BUTTONS. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. THE BATTERY WAS SO DRAINED THAT I HAD TO REPLACE IT, I BELIEVE BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT WAS PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE AND INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE HEADLIGHTS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS RECENTLY BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS OFFER A DANGEROUSLY LOW AMOUNT OF LIGHT ON ROADS WITH DIPS AND HILLS AND CURVES ESPECIALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS. LACK OF AMBIENT LIGHT ELIMINATES ANY CHANCE AT THE SPLIT-SECOND DECISION NEEDED TO AVOID A POSSIBLE DEER OR CAT CROSSING OR PEDESTRIAN IN YOUR PATH. NORMALLY AT LOW NEIGHBORHOOD SPEEDS YOUR BRIGHT LIGHT BEAMS ARE NOT NEEDED OR USED SO THE BLACKED OUT AREAS CAN POP UP AT ANYTIME WITH NO WARNING. THESE LIGHTS ARE GOING TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS IF THEY ARE NOT REPLACED WITH ONES THAT ARE PRACTICAL FOR EVERYDAY DRIVING. WHAT WORKS ON A TEST TRACK ISN'T ALWAYS BEST FOR THE AVERAGE DRIVER. *AK