2004 Acura Tl

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN HITTING A BUMP THE REAR END THE VEHICLE SKIDDED OUT. CAUSING ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR. HE REPLACED THE REAR TIRES TWICE, EVERY 7,000-8,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *AK UPDATED 12/7/2005. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE IS NOW ON IT'S THIRD SET OF TIRES. THE DEALER STATED THAT SINCE THE REAR TIRE WERE WORN EVENLY THAT ALIGNMENT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE HAD A BLOW OUT. THE THREE REMAINING TIRES WERE BALD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THE BLOW OUT OCCURRED ON THE RIGHT REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS VIBRATION BEFORE THE BLOW OUT. THE SPARE TIRE WAS IN PLACE AT THIS TIME. THE TIRE WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED REGULARLY. THE COMPLETE TIRE SIZE IS P235/45/17.

THE MAJORITY OF THE OWNERS OF 2004 AND NEWER ACURA TLS KNOW THAT THERE IS AN EXISTING PROBLEM WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES THAT THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH. THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH VIBRATION WITH THESE TIRES. IN 2005, ACURA STARTED SELLING THE TL WITH MICHELIN TIRES BECAUSE OF THE COMPLAINTS. THOSE OF US WHO STILL HAVE THE BRIDGESTONES ARE STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. CURRENTLY, MY VEHICLE (2004 TL) HAS CRACKING ON THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES NOW. I AM REQUIRED TO FILL IT WITH AIR APPROXIMATELY EVERY 2 OR 3 DAYS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY INSPECTED THE TIRES AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE CRACKS, AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY WANTED ME TO HANDLE THE WARRANTY CLAIM WITH BRIDGESTONE AND SENT ME OFF ON MY WAY, WITH A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE VEHICLE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT A BLOWOUT OF THE TIRE IS UNPREVENTABLE AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT HAPPENS, BUT THEY DO NOT CARE. I AM SUGGESTING THAT A RECALL BE PLACED ON THE BRIDGESTONE EL42 TIRES AND THAT ALL ACURA TLS WITH THESE TIRES BE REPLACED WITH THE MICHELIN TIRES, WHICH THE CURRENT YEAR TLS COME EQUIPPED WITH. *JB

MY 2004 ACURA 3.2 TL USES BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES (235/45R17), W SPEED-RATED. THE EL 42 TIRES HAD A SO CALLED "FLAT SPOT" PROBLEM AND THEY WERE WORN OUT ONLY AT 15,500 MILE. THERE HAS BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF TIRES ON THE INTERNET. MANY OF THEM MENTIONED THAT "FLAT SPOT" PROBLEM COULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE.

I HAVE CALLED THE ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER AND DID NOT GET THROUGH WITH ANYONE. MY 2004 ACURA TL HAS A CONSISTENT VIBRATION PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH. THE VIBRATION SEEMS TO COME FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE ACURA DEALER AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TIRES. I ALSO HAD A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHOM ALSO ASSURED ME THE PROBLEM ARE THE TIRES. I FIND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES, AND I FEEL THAT THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND ACURA/BRIDEGSTONE SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THESE TIRES. THE CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THESE TIRES. MY CAR HAS ABOUT 10,000 MILES AND THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM FOR CONSUMERS WHO JUST PURCHASED A BRAND NEW VEHICLE TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TIRES, WHICH I FEEL MAY HAVE A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT CAUSING A VIBRATION IN THE CAR. THIS MAY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER 2004 ACURA OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I HOPE THIS PROBLEM GETS RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *NM

THIS COMPLAINT REFERS TO THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES (BRIDGESTONE EL-42, 235/45-17 93W ) SUPPLIED ON THE 2004 ACURA TL WITH 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AFTER JUST A SHORT TIME I HAVE FOUND THIS TIRE TO BE ENTIRELY UNSAFE AND UNSUITABLE TO THIS VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT BOTH ACURA AND BRIDGESTONE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THIS TIRE ON ALL EXISTING VEHICLES. THIS TIRE EXHIBITS UNSAFE CHARACTERISTICS IN WET WEATHER AND ON SNOW. AT ABOUT 14,000 MILES WE JUST HAD A FLAT TIRE ON A HIGHWAY AND WHEN WE TOOK IT FOR FIXING WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SIDEWALL HAS COLLAPSED (AND LOOKS LIKE A BUBBLE) AND THAT WE CAN NO LONGER USE IT AS IT WILL EXPLODE. WE MUST REPLACE IT AFTER RIDING OVER A NAIL. WE BELIEVE THE SIDEWALL SHOULD BE REINFORCED MORE TO WITHHOLD DRIVING ON A FLAT TO SAFETY WITHOUT HAVING TO REPLACE IT. FROM A RIDE QUALITY POINT OF VIEW THE TIRE IS ALSO UNSATISFACTORY IN THAT IT FLAT SPOTS EVERY MORNING, LEADING TO VIBRATIONS DURING OUR DRIVE. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE REGARDING THE RATING AS AN "ALL SEASON TIRE" WITH MANY OWNERS REPORTING THAT THIS TIRE IS VIRTUALLY USELESS IN ANY KIND OF SNOW CONDITIONS.*JB

DT: THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK. THIS STARTED IN NOVEMBER 2004. IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING IN JULY 2005 THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CONTACTED AN ENGINEER TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINEER FOUND THAT A SCREW CAME OUT OF THE PART THAT PERTAINED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE ACCELERATOR CONNECTION. *AK

IN MY OPINION THE MANUFACTURER IS KNOWINGLY WAS SELLING THE 2004 ACURA TL WITH THE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE EL-42 TIRES KNOWING THAT THESE TIRES HAD A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT CAUSING THEM TO FLAT SPOT WITHOUT WARNING THE BUYER FIRST ABOUT THE PROBLEM. NOT ONLY THIS IS DECEPTIVE AND IN MY OPINION VIOLATES IMPLIED WARRANTLY BUT IT WAS DANGEROUS AS IT FORCED US TO DRIVE THE CAR AT SLOW SPEEDS BECAUSE OF THE VIBRATION IN HIGH SPEED ROADS.

DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON OUR 2004 ACURA TL AT 12,000 MILES, EXCESSIVE TREAD WEAR WAS NOTED BY ACURA MECHANIC ON FRONT OEM BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 TIRES. TIRE SIZE IS P235/45R17 (THIS COMPLAINT FORM DID NOT HAVE THE CORRECT SIZE OPTION TO SELECT). SAID TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED. FINDING IT HARD TO BELIEVE THESE TIRES WOULD LAST ONLY 12,000 MILES, WE GOT A 2ND OPINION BY A NON-ACURA GARAGE AND THEY AGREED TIRES WERE WORN AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. ACURA SAID PREMATURE WEAR WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO "FRONT END BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT" OR POSSIBLY "WRONG TIRE PRESSURE" (LATER FOUND NOT TO BE THE CASE WHEN ACURA REPLACED THE TIRES). NO MENTION OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH TIRES THEMSELVES. TRUSTING ACURA'S EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE, WE PURCHASED AND HAD THEM INSTALL TWO NEW EL42S. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT WE ARE JUST ONE OF MANY TO HAVE QUALITY AND SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. READ THE MANY BAD CUSTOMER REVIEWS/RATINGS REPORTED ON WWW.TIRERACK.COM (ENTER "2004 ACURA TL" IN THE "SHOP FOR TIRES" SECTION, AND READ "TIRE REVIEWS FOR THIS VEHICLE"). LUCKILY, WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE POOR TRACTION, HYDROPLANING, NOISE, FLAT-SPOTTING, ETC THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED.