2004 Acura Tl

2004 ACURA TL DASHBOARD CRACKED IN THREE (3) DIFFERENT AREAS ABOVE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT ACURA HAS IDENTIFIED THIS AS A DEFECTIVE PART, BUT IS NOT WILLING TO REPLACE IT WITHOUT THE OWNER PAYING FOR A GOOD PORTION ($800 TO A $1000). YES, THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND IT HAS OCCURRED ON COUNTLESS 2004 ACURA TL'S, MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS THAT THIS A SAFETY HAZARD. I'M CONCERNED WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT NOW THAT THE DASHBOARD IS DEFECTIVE. I NO LONGER LET ANYONE RIDE IN THE FRONT SEAT OF MY PERFECTLY GOOD VEHICLE BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED FOR THERE SAFETY. I THINK A LITTLE OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE APPLIED TO THIS SITUATION AND ACURA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THIS DEFECTIVE PART VIA RECALL. I SHOULD NOT IN ANYWAY BE REQUIRED TO PAY ($800 TO $1000) SO I CAN FEEL SAFE TO LET SOMEONE RIDE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AGAIN. ANOTHER CONCERN IS IF AND WHEN REPLACED ARE THESE DASHBOARDS EXACTLY THE SAME? VERY RESPECTFULLY. *TR

2004 ACURA TL WITH CRACKED DASHBOARD AROUND PASSENGER AIRBAG. OUTLINE OF THE AIRBAG WAS VISIBLE SINCE THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 50000 MILES. NOW THE CRACKS ARE VERY VISIBLE AND GETTING WORSE. SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE OF PASSENGER AIRBAG. CALLED ACURA CORPORATE, THEY OFFERED A 25% DISCOUNT TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARD WHICH I BELIEVE IS AN ADMISSION THAT IT IS A DEFECT. I COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY $1500 TO HAVE IT REPLACED AND FEEL THAT ACURA SHOULD REPLACE THE DASH. MANY PEOPLE HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM. ACURA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. I AM HOPING THAT NHTSA CAN INFLUENCE ACURA TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND PROTECT THE CONSUMER. MY CAR NOW HAS 100,000 MILES AND THE CRACKS ARE VERY NOTICEABLE. I AM CONCERNED FOR SAFETY OF PASSENGERS BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAG. IN ADDITION, THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO BE A LUXURY CAR AND THIS DEFECTS DETRACTS FROM THE APPEARANCE AND DRAMATICALLY IMPACTS THE RESALE VALUE. PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO FORCE ACURA TO STEP UP AND FIX THE KNOWN DEFECT. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REGARDS TO 2004 ACURA TL DASH BOARDS CRACKING IN THE AREA OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. MY CAR WITH 94K MILE DASH CRACKED YESTERDAY PERFECTLY ALONG THE PASSENGER DASH. WHILE RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE I SEE THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED AND HAVE PICTURES OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WHICH CAN POSSIBLY BE HAZARDOUS IF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD THAT SURROUNDS THE AIR BAG WAS CRACKED AND HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER TIME. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYED A SMALL CRACK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE FINE, BUT THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED SINCE THE CRACK WAS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88000.

THIS INVOLVES MY 2004 ACURA TL, WHICH I HAVE OWNED SINCE OCTOBER 2007. IN THE TWO AND A HALF YEARS SINCE THE PURCHASE, SIGNIFICANT CRACKS HAVE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD OF THIS CAR. THERE ARE SEVERAL CRACKS ON THE DASH IN FRONT OF THE DRIVING PANEL. THERE ARE ALSO TWO MAJOR CRACKS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, EACH ONE RUNNING FROM THE WINDSHIELD ALL THE WAY TO THE GLOVE BOX. WHAT MAKES THIS WORRISOME IS THAT EACH CRACK RUNS ALONG THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG, WHICH IS WEAKENING THE INTEGRITY OF THAT AIRBAG. I AM CONCERNED THAT THESE CRACKS COULD CAUSE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TO DEPLOY UNEXPECTEDLY, INJURING ANY PASSENGER IN THAT SEAT AND POSSIBLY EVEN CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. IT COULD ALSO CAUSE THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY IMPROPERLY DURING AN ACCIDENT, AND EITHER FAIL TO PREVENT INJURY OR MAKE THE PASSENGER'S INJURIES WORSE. THIS DEFECT IS OCCURRING IN THE 2004 AND 2005 MODELS, BUT ACURA IS TREATING IT AS A COSMETIC ISSUE RATHER THAN A SAFETY ONE, AND REFUSING TO COVER THE EXPENSE OF REPLACING THE DASH, WHICH COSTS ALMOST $2000 INCLUDING LABOR AND PARTS. OTHER 2004/2005 TL OWNERS WHO HAD THE DASH REPLACED WERE TOLD THAT THE NEW DASH WAS MADE WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND WOULD NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A DE FACTO ADMISSION THAT THESE DASHBOARDS WERE MADE WITH INADEQUATE MATERIALS. THIS IS INDEED A SAFETY ISSUE, AS IT INVOLVES THE AIRBAG. THESE CRACKS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISING THE SAFETY OF THIS CAR, AND ACURA NEEDS TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL RATHER THAN TREAT IT LIKE A COSMETIC ISSUE. *TR