2004 Acura Tl

THE STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY AND CONTROL ARMS THAT CONNECT TO THE TIE RODS, SWAY BARS AND LINKS TO CV AXLE AND I BELEIVE RACK AND PINION SUSPENSION CAME APART FROM THE TIRES AND CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE WITH MY CHILD AS A PASSENGER WHICH RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. WE ARE BOTH VERY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AS WE WERE IN ROUTE TO TRAVEL THE INTERSTATE BEFORE THIS CRASH OCCURED.

2004 ACURA TL. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BALL JOINT FAILURE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE BACKED OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY, STOPPED IN THE STREET AND TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL COUNTERCLOCKWISE TO DRIVE UP THE STREET, WHEN SUDDENLY HE HEARD A VERY LOUD METALLIC SNAP AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED TO THE GROUND. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT HAD SEVERED. THE UNSUPPORTED WHEEL THEN PULLED THE AXLE OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BALL JOINTS SNAPPED IN HALF. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE OVER NEAR THE GUARD RAILS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED THE FRONT BUMPER AND REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE BALL JOINTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000. UPDATED 06/24/09. *LJ UPDATED 06/26/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR EAGLE TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A TSB NUMBER 05-076 THAT WAS ISSUED BY ACURA. THE TSB PERTAINS TO TIRE WEAR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LOADED. THE CONTACT PURCHASED BRAND NEW TIRES IN DECEMBER OF 2007. HE TOOK A ROAD TRIP WITH 5,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. THE TRIP WAS 5,600 MILES. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, HE NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE BALD A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. HE CALLED THE ACURA DEALER AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE TIRES WITH THE TOWING ISSUE AND THE TSB, BUT WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRES. THE TIRES ARE BOTH ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. UPDATED 09/10/08 *BF THE CONSUMER DIDN'T BELIEVE THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TIRES. HE BELIEVED IT HAD TO DO WITH THE POOR DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS EXTRA WEIGHT IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, IN HIS CASE WAS ABOUT 300LBS COMPRISED OF SUITCASES AND HIS DAUGHTER IN THE BACK SEAT (THE SUITCASES WERE IN THE TRUNK). WHEN HE ARRIVED HOME, HE NOTICED THE TREAD ON THE TIRES HAD WORN DOWN TO NOTHING. UPDATED 09/10/08

ON JANUARY 4, 2008, WHILE TURNING LEFT FROM A STOPLIGHT IN CLIFTON PARK, NY, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL OF THE MY 2004 ACURA TL BROKE LOOSE AND WAS NO LONGER CONTROLLABLE. I WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE/COAST THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOOK THE CAR TO NORTHEAST ACURA. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE CAR HAD 61,634 MILES ON IT. I DIDN'T HEAR FROM NORTHEAST ACURA FOR OVER A WEEK. THE SERVICE ADVISOR (STEPHEN WITTEK) VERIFIED THAT THE BALL JOINT HAD SNAPPED AND IT HAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE DRIVESHAFT. AT THIS POINT I ASKED HIM IF IT WAS NORMAL TO ONLY REPLACE ONE BALL JOINT. HE SAID, NORMALLY, YOU'RE RIGHT. BUT THE LEFT SIDE BALL JOINT DIDN'T SHOW ANY WEAR AT ALL. IN FACT, THE RIGHT BALL JOINT DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGN OF WEAR EITHER. IT JUST BROKE - IT WASN'T ACTUALLY THE JOINT THAT FAILED BUT THE SUSPENSION ARM THAT HELD THE BALL PORTION OF THE JOINT. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF DAMAGE. IT JUST BROKE. WE'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. NOTE THE QUOTATION MARKS. I CALLED NORTHEAST ACURA AGAIN ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:00 P.M. TO CONFIRM THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE OPEN ON SATURDAY SO THAT I COULD PICK UP MY CAR. I ASKED THE PERSON TO ENSURE THEY PUT THE BROKEN PARTS FROM THE REPAIR IN MY TRUNK. SHE STATED THAT THEY HAD ALREADY DISPOSED OF THE BROKEN PARTS. I FIND IT HIGHLY DOUBTFUL THAT THOSE PARTS WERE NOT RETRIEVABLE ONE DAY AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. IN MY SUBSEQUENT DEALINGS WITH ACURA OF NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP (KEVIN MCCARTHY) STATED THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST THAT THE PART BE RETAINED FOR INSPECTION OF MATERIAL FAILURE. THEY OBVIOUSLY KNEW IT WAS MATERIAL FAILURE (SEE THE QUOTED PASSAGE ABOVE) AND FAILED TO RETAIN THE PART OR REPORT IT TO ACURA OF NORTH AMERICA. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED (I HAD JUST EXITED OFF I-87 NORTH IN A 65 MPH ZONE), THE RESULTS OF THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR GRAVER THAN THE NOMINAL DAMAGE TO MY CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EVERY TIME HE DRIVES HIS VEHICLE AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND THEN STOPS. ONCE THE SPEED REACHES 75 MPH, THE VIBRATION BECOMES WORSE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE, BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500. UPDATED 02-19-08 *BF

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE 2004 ACURA TL, WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP ON 01/18/07 FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE SHE WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE MECHANIC THAT THE 2 REAR TIRESPREMATURELY WEAR WORE OUT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN #05076. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MECHANIC INFORMED HER THAT IT WAS BEST TO PURCHASE 4 NEW TIRES INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE 2 BACK TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THESE TIRES CAME WITH THE VEHICLE WITH DOT# 0B6NTU22404 AND SIZE P235/45R17 RADIAL. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THIS WAS MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD RECALL THESE TIRES. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED HER THAT SHE HAS TO PAY 75% OF TIRE REPLACEMENT AS PER THE DEALERSHIP TIRE CHART, HONDA WILL PAY REMAINING 25%. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND THE TIRES COULD EXPLODE ANYTIME AND IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE OWNER. *AK UPDATED 03/30/07. *JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 ACURA TL ON A RECENTLY REPAVED HIGHWAY WHEN THE WHEEL FELL OFF THE AXLE WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO PRECEDING NOISES OR CHANGES IN HANDLING. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD QUICKLY AND AVOID INJURY. THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, SO I CONTACTED ACURA TLC SERVICE AND WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER'S REFERRING AUTO BODY SHOP. ACURA EVALUATED THE CAR, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND TO FILE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE. THE AUTO BODY MECHANICS AND MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER BOTH FELT THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. ACURA DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED BY THE AUTO BODY SHOP AND ASKED TO TAKE A SECOND LOOK; THEY DECLINED. I CONTACTED ACURA CLIENT SERVICES AND REQUESTED A REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER TO EVALUATE THE CAR. THEY DECLINED. ONE WEEK AFTER THE INCIDENT, ACURA CLIENT SERVICES MADE THEIR FINAL DETERMINATION NOT TO COVER THIS INCIDENT. ULTIMATELY, THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SNAPPED WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF IMPACT OR WEAR AND TEAR. IT WAS REPAIRED WITH A NEW LOWER BALL JOINT, CONTROL ARM, AXLE, TIRE, WHEEL, AND FRONT QUARTER PANEL AT THE EXPENSE OF MY AUTO INSURANCE PROVIDER. *NM