2005 Acura Tl

INCIDENTS STARTED OCCURRING IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE OF CAR. TRUNK LID SPRINGS DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT TENSION, SUCH THAT WHEN WE OPEN THE TRUNK ON EVEN A SLIGHT HILL THE TRUNK LID MAY STAY UP FOR A FEW SECONDS, BUT SLAMS SHUT EITHER IMMEDIATELY, AFTER SOMETHING OF WEIGHT IS PUT IN THE TRUNK, OR IF A BREEZE COMES UP. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES TO MY WIFE AND ME, RESULTING IN THE TRUNK LID HITTING OUR HEAD OR SPINE WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PAIN AND A WOUND. IF THIS HAPPENED TO A YOUNG CHILD, IT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY. ACURA REPLACED ONE SPRING WITH A STRONGER ONE, BUT THAT HAS DONE ALMOST NOTHING TO HELP. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER ALSO CHECKED OTHER '05 ACURA TL MODELS AND THEY DID THE SAME THING. HE ACKNOWLEDGED IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SAID HE WOULD REPORT IT TO ACURA. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO MAKE ANY FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SPRINGS. I COMPLAINED TO ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THEY HAVE HAD SIMILAR REPORTS. HOWEVER, THEY SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER TO JUSTIFY A RECALL OR TO EVEN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. THUS I AM CONTACTING YOU. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD AND APPEARS TO APPLY TO ALL 2005 ACURA TL'S (AT LEAST A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE AT THE DEALER). WE NOW HAVE TO HOLD UP THE TRUNK LID WITH ONE HAND WHILE PUTTING ANYTHING IN THE TRUNK WHILE ON EVEN A SLIGHT INCLINE. *JB

DT: THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WENT FLAT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT IT WAS FLAT. CONSUMER COULD NOT FEEL THAT THE TIRE WAS FLAT. IF HE HAD DRIVEN ANOTHER 20 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY THE TIRE WOULD HAVE COME OFF OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE SENSED FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WENT FLAT DUE TO A NAIL PUNCTURE.*AK THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE WAS WORN. THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRES ARE LOW PROFILE TIRES. *JB

DT: THERE WERE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS SMOKING AND WENT COMPLETELY FLAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60-65 MPH. IT DAMAGED THE RIM. THE DEALERSHIP GAVE THE CONSUMER THE NUMBER FOR THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY TOLD HER THAT THE TIRE WAS TESTED AND IT WAS NOT DEFECTIVE. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A NAIL PUNCTURE. *AK *SC

THE REAR TIRES ON A 2005 ACURA TL LOST ALL THIR TREAD WITH ONLY 8000 MILE ON THE ODOMETER. THE TIRES SUPPLIED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER WERE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL42 P235 45 R17 WITH A TREAD WEAR RATING OF 260. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED BY THE ACURA DEALER AT 4000 MILES AND NO UNUSUAL WARE WAS REPORTED. THIS TOTALLY UNEXPECTED RAPID WEAR RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE BECOMING UNSTABLE ON WET PAVEMENT. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL. THE EXTREME TIRE WEAR PROBLEM WAS FOUND WHEN INVESTIGATING THE VEHICLE STABILITY PROBLEM. THESE TIRES ARE EITHER TOTALLY UNSUITABLE FOR THIS VEHICLE AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER OR THE REAR SUSPENSION OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED FOR THE VEHICLE. ALL ACURA TL CARS WITH THESE TIRES SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE TIRES REPLACED. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT RECENT VEHICLES ARE BEING SHIPPED WITH MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 TIRES SO THE MANUFACTURER APPEARS TO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

ONLY AFTER 4 WEEKS OF PURCHASING A NEW ACURA TL 2005, THE ENGINE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE BATTERY AND LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR LAMPS BOTH CAME ON. THE CAR HAD TO BE SHUT OFF AND RE-STARTED FOUR TIMES BEFORE THE ENGINE RE-STARTED. THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR 9 DAYS GETTING TESTS RUN, BUT THEY FOUND NOTHING AND WANTED TO RETURN THE CAR IN THE SAME CONDITION!

OEM TIRES ON 05 ACURA TL'S AT 5000 WET WEATHER DRIVING IS DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. DRIVING IN SNOW EVEN WHEN NEW WAS IMPOSSIBLE.. YET THESE TIRES ARE MARKED M/S ALL SEASON. DEALERS ARE AWARE BUT HAVE NO INCENTIVE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT...EXCEPT SELL YOU A NEW SET OF TIRE FOR $800 WE HAVE HAD TWO VERY CLOSE CALLS IN THE RAIN ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING TIRES AT OUR EXPENSE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. RF TIRE HAS DEVELOPED A MAJOR SIDEWALL BLISTER AND WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE BEFORE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND USING THE NAVIGATOR SYSTEM, THE SYSTEM DIRECTED THE DRIVER TO MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO AVOID FROM DRIVING INTO THE GUARD RAIL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NM THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO PLACES ON THE TURNPIKE WHERE THE NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM WOULD DIRECT PEOPLE TO TURN INTO THE GUARDRAIL PER CONSUMER. *SC *JB

DRIVER SWERVED TO AVOID CAR TRYIN G TO MERGE INTO SAME LANE. FRONT AND REAR LEFT TIRES HIT THE MEDIAN CURB ( APRROX 6" MAX HIEGHT). THE RIMS ARE THE STANDARD FIVE SPOKE MAGS THAT COME ON 2005 ACURA TL. IMMEDIATLEY AFTER HITTING THE CURB - AT A VERY OBLIQUE ANGLE - THE RIM BROKE. THE SPOKES OF THE FRONT RIM BROKE LOOSE FORM THE PART OF THE RIM THAT FORMS THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. ALL 5 SPOKES BROKE IN THE SAME PLACE. THE SPPKES AND CENTER OF THE RIM STAYED BOLTED TO THE LUGS. THE TIRE AND THE REST OF THE RIM CAME LOSSE FROM THE CAR AND PASSED AHEAD OF THE CAR. WHEN THE FRONT TIRE BROKE FREE FROM THE CAR SEVERAL THINGS HAPPENED. THE CAR SETTLED DOWN ON THE SPOKES OF THE MAG RIM, THIS IMPACT SET OFF THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS AND CRACKED THE BRAKE CALIPER ON THE FRONT LEFT. BRAKING WAS NOT EFFECTIVE AT THIS POINT. THE CAR EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE OF ROAD. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE ACURA DEALERSHIP ( ON A FLATBED TRUCK). THE WOMAN AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US THAT THEY WANTED THE CAR TAKEN TO THEIR COLLSION CENTER SO THAT DIGITAL PICTURES COULD BE TAKEN AND FORWARDED TO ACURA. SEVERAL DAYS LATER ACURA REPLIED THAT A RIM FAILURE LIKE THAT WAS NORMAL FOR HITTING THE CURB AND THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE.*AK