2005 Acura Tl

I WAS BACKING OUT OF A SPOT, AS I USUALLY DO, THE CAR TOOK LONGER THAN USUAL TO SHIFT FROM PARK INTO DRIVE (ABOUT 3-4 SEC). DROVE NORMALLY FOR ABOUT A HALF-MILE, STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, WENT TO ACCELERATE, AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T COME OUT OF 1ST GEAR AND REVVED SUPER HIGH. PULLED OVER, THEN DROVE TO MY MECHANIC ABOUT A HALF-MILE BACK AT ABOUT 8-10 MPH WITH MY CAUTION LIGHTS ON. HE TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND SAID IT SEEMED FINE (I.E. THE TRANSMISSION DIDN'T SLIP), BUT WHAT I EXPLAINED TO HIM SOUNDED LIKE THE ONSET OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE). HE SUGGESTED SOMETHING COULD HAVE GOTTEN LODGED IN THERE AND BLOCKED FLUID FLOW, AND WHEN I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND HE STARTED IT, THAT IT COULD HAVE FALLEN OUT BEFORE HIS TEST DRIVE. EVER SINCE "THE INCIDENT" THE TRANSMISSION IS VERY SLOW UP-SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND MAKES A NOISE WHEN DOING SO, AND ALSO IS VERY SLOW SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE, OR REVERSE TO DRIVE. MY CAR HAS ABOUT 162,000 MILES ON IT. AS OF NOW, NOTHING HAS BEEN REPAIRED ON IT, AND WAS ADVISED NOT TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AS THIS OFTEN CAUSES TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN THESE VEHICLES AROUND THIS MILEAGE.

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2005 ACURA TL WITH 49,650 MILES ON IT. WHAT STARTED AS A HAIR LINE CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DASHBOARD IS NOW A SERIES OF SPIDER WEB WALL OF CRACKS ALL THROUGHOUT THE DASHBOARD, IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS. AS OF LATE, THE CRACKS HAVE EXTENDED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AREA. AND NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT INTERMENTINLY BLINKS ON /OFF BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT A PASSENGER OCCUPYING THE SEAT. THIS IS NOT AN OF WEAR AND TEAR PARTS ISSUE BUT A DEFECTIVE MATERIAL ISSUE BY ACURA. FURTHERMORE, IT IS NOW A SAFETY ISSUE WHETHER THE CRACKED DASHBOARD WILL PLAY IN THE MALFUNCTIONING IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I AM IN FEAR OF GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL OF MY ACURA TL NOW THAT AIRBAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY SWITCHES ON/OFF AT RANDOM SINCE THE APPEARANCE OF THE CRACKS ON THE DASHBOARD.

SRS LIGHT CAME ON IN DASHBOARD. DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE (NO CONTINUITY). ACCURA WARRANTY STATES, "WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE ANY ACURA SEAT BELT COMPONENT THAT FAILS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY DURING NORMAL USE. THIS INCLUDES ALL PARTS AND LABOR CHARGES. COVERAGE CONTINUES FOR 15 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. CAR IS LESS THAN 15 YEARS OLD AND HAS 139K MILES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY COSTING $429 AND SAID I HAD TO GET WARRANTY CLAIM FROM ACURA HQ. I CONTACTED ACURA CLIENT RELATIONS (CASE # 100009213) AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT DEFECTIVE. HOW A CALL CENTER REP OVER THE PHONE COULD TELL ME WHAT WAS OR WAS NOT WRONG WITH THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY IS A MYSTERY. FURTHER, HE SELECTED THE SENSOR AS A COMPONENT THAT HE SAID WAS NOT WORKING AND HE DID NOT CONSIDER THAT A COMPONENT OF THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. THE ISSUE IS THAT ACURA CAN'T SELECTIVELY DEFINE WHAT IS AND IS NOT A COMPONENT AFTER STATING IN THE WARRANTY, "REPAIR OR REPLACE ANY ACURA SEAT BELT COMPONENT THAT FAILS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY...." THE WORD, "ANY" BY DEFINITION MEANS NOT SPECIFIC OR PARTICULAR. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT ACURA HAS NOT MET ITS OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT THE SEAT BELT COMPONENTS ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY WITHIN THE STATED TIME PERIOD.

2005 ACURA TL, VERY WELL MAINTAINED. JUN 2019, A CRACK APPEARED IN DASHBOARD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. AIRBAG DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON 3 MONTHS LATER AND STAYS ON. DEALER SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE, BUT NOW I KNOW THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. LOVE THE CAR, BUT FEEL ACURA NEEDS TO RESOLVE THIS DEFECT. THE RISK OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IS SERIOUS.