2008 Acura Tl

MY 2008 TL DASHBOARD STARTED TO CRACK IN AUGUST OVER THE PASSENGER AIRBAG AREA. NOW IN SEPTEMBER THERE ARE AT LEAST 3 LENGTHY CRACKS THROUGHOUT THE DASHBOARD. ALTHOUGH I LIVE IN FL. I PARK IN A COVERED GARAGE EVERY DAY FOR WORK FROM 10 AM TO 6:30 PM. I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2001 TL AND NEVER HAD THE DASH CRACK IN THE 7 YEARS OWNED. I FEEL THAT THE CRACKING DASHBOARD IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY ACURA. *TR

ON 08/24/2014, FEW MINUTES AFTER LEAVING MY HOUSE, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A LOCAL INTERSECTION W/ SPEED < 10 MPH, SUDDENLY I HEARD THIS LOUD METALLIC NOISE, N I FELT MY CAR HAD DROPPED A BIT. MY CAR STOPPED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF STREET, N COULD'T MOVE AT ALL. LOWER BALL JOINT HAD SEVERED. PASSENGER FRONT WHEEL IS TILTED OUTWARD AT A 60 DEGREE ANGLE. RIGHT FRONT AXAL GOT PULLED OUT OF TRANSMISSION. CAR BODY DAMAGED BECAUSE ALL THE UNSUPPORTED WEIGHT PLACED ON TILTED WHEEL. THERE'RE WITNESSES, AND MY MOM IS W/ ME AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. HAD AAA TOWED IT TO THE SHOP AND SINCE IT WAS CLOSED ON SUNDAY, I HAD TO WAIT TILL MONDAY TO CALL THEM FOR QUOTES. I WAS GONNA HAVE MY INSURANCE TAKING CARE OF IT, BUT FIGURED THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, N THE CAR NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR ACCIDENTS. I DID ALMOST ALL A1B1 SERVICES AT ACURA DEALER AND MOSTLY THOMAS ACURA LOCATED IN COVINA. I WAS THERE FOR SERVICE ON JULY 16TH, 2014, N THE REPORT THEY GAVE ME NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT BALL JOINT. I CALLED THOMAS ACURA ON MONDAY, 08/25/2014 REGARDING THE INCIDENT, THE GUY NAME [XXX] WANTED ME TO BRING IN THE CAR SO THEY CAN INSPECT IT SO THEY CAN DETERMINED WHO'S AT FAULT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME HINTING ME THERE'S MUST BE SOME SORTS OF IMPACT CAUSING THIS. I TOLD HIM THERE'S NOTHING ON THE STREET, AND NO OTHER PARTY/CAR HAS HIT MY VEHICLE. I HAD MY CAR TOWED FROM THE SHOP TO THE DEALER N LET THEM INSPECT IT. I ALSO SENT ACURA NORTH AMERICA AN EMAIL AND STATED THE INCIDENT. THE GUY NAME [XXX] FROM THOMAS ACURA CALLED ME BACK ON 08/26/14, N TOLD ME THAT THERE'S AN IMPACT, N I BETTER HAVE INSURANCE INFO READY. I AM PRETTY SURE ACURA N AMERICA IS GONNA TAKE THEIR SIDE. THERE MUST BE SOME SORTS OF DEFECTS BUT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO. MY FAMILY COULD BE DEAD IF THIS HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE, A 2008 ACURA TL, IN FEBRUARY OF 2012 IN SOUTH FLORIDA. BY APRIL OF 2013 THE DRIVER'S SEAT LEATHER WAS COMING APART AT THE SEAMS. I TAKE CARE OF MY VEHICLES AND HAD NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. ACURA "MADE A DEAL WITH ME AS THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY," AND I HAD TO PAY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THEM TO FIX THE SEAT. WITHIN FIVE (5) MONTHS OF THAT, THE PASSENGER'S SEAT BEGAN TO COME APART AS WELL. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IT WAS VERY RARE FOR ME TO HAVE ANY PASSENGERS WITH ME. WHEN I WAS CLEANING THE CAR, I NOTICED THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO ACURA AND THEY, AFTER TAKING PICTURES AND CONTACTING THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE ,ACURA TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE SEAT IN IT'S ENTIRETY AND HALF OF THE COST TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARD. THEY SAID DASHBOARDS CRACK IN SOUTH FLORIDA AND THEY WOULD ONLY PAY FOR PART OF THE REPLACEMENT AND THE SEAT WAS OLD AND WAS NORMAL WEAR. AGAIN, RARELY DID ANYONE RIDE WITH ME IN MY CAR. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO PEMBROKE PINES ACURA TO HAVE IT EXAMINED, THEY SAID THE CENTER CONSOLE COVER WAS ALSO BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED--TOTALLY AT MY COST. I HAVE LIVED IN SOUTH FLORIDA MY ENTIRE LIFE AND THE LAST CAR I OWNED THAT HAD A DASHBOARD CRACK WAS BACK IN THE 1970'S. WITH BOTH FRONT SEATS COMING APART AND THE DASHBOARD CRACKING, IT IS MY OPINION THAT THERE WAS DEFECTIVE MATERIAL USED ON THIS CAR. I DO HAVE E-MAILS DOCUMENTING ALL THIS TO AND FROM ACURA DATED NOVEMBER OF 2013 TO BACK UP WHAT IS STATED HEREIN. *JS

TO WHOM CONCERN : DASHBOARD PASSENGER SIDE SUDDENLY CRACKED OVER THE AIR BAG, DURING THE DAY , TEMPERATURE AT 98 AT THIS DAY. ACURA NOTIFIED ;HOWEVER THEY DO NOT REPLACE IT EVEN THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY STILL. THE CAR HAS 82000 MILES ,WARRANTY COVERS UNTIL 100000 OR FIVE YEARS. AS I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT C/O ABOUT IT , WE NEED ACURA STEPS ON IT AND GIVE TO US ANSWERS AND REPLACE IT. I HOPE NHTSA ADVOCATE FOR US . *TR

I OWN A 2008 ACURA TL TYPE-S AND THE DASHBOARD ON THE PASSENGER CAR IT COMPLETELY CRACKED. IT HAS ONLY BEEN SERVICED AT ACURA DEALERSHIPS AND I TAKE EXTREMELY CARE OF THE CAR. I ALWAYS USE A SUNSHADE AND THE OFFICIAL ACURA TL'S CAR COVER TO PROTECT IT FROM THE SUN. I NOTICE THE INITIAL CRACKING ON APRIL 25TH, AND IT WAS ABOUT 6-INCHES LONG RIGHT ON THE PASSENGER'S AIRBAG. AT THE TIME THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 79,000 MILES. I MADE A COMPLAINT TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE EVIDENT DEFECTIVE PART. IT TOOK THEM A MONTH TO GET BACK TO ME WITH A NEGATIVE ANSWER. ACCORDING TO THEM, IT WILL NOT AFFECT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AND THE ONLY SOLUTION IS FOR ME TO PAY $1,600.00 FOR THE REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER, NO CHECKS OR STUDIES WERE DONE TO THE CAR TO DETERMINE THIS. I DID MY RESEARCH ONLINE, AND THIS HAPPENS TO HUNDREDS OF ACURA TLS. THEREFORE, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS ARE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I DO NOT THINK THAT ANYONE PAYING FOR A PRODUCT SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A FEW YEARS LATER, DUE TO LACK OF QUALITY OF THAT "PREMIUM" PRODUCT. I WOULD THINK THAT AFTER GM'S RECENT LAWSUIT REGARDING A SMALL IGNITION SWITCH, WHICH HAS CAUSED DEATH TO SEVERAL PEOPLE, ACURA WOULD TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY ABOUT THEIR CRACKED DASHBOARDS ALONG THE AIRBAGS. *TR

WE HAVE AN ONGOING COMPLAINT WITH THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR CLOSING ON ITS OWN EVEN ON A VERY SLIGHT INCLINE. WE HAVE TO PUT OUR FOOT ON THE DOOR TO KEEP IT OPEN WHILE EXITING THE VEHICLE. WE REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER, BUT AS PER USUAL THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT HAS NOT GOTTEN ANY BETTER. THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. *TR

AS A PASSENGER, I OFTEN FIND THE BIG HEAVY DOOR WILL NOT STAY IN THE OPEN POSITION WHILE I AM TRYING TO EXIT FROM THE CAR. THERE ARE SEVERAL "LOCKING" POSITIONS, BUT NONE OF THEM HOLD FIRMLY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IF THE CAR IS ON EVEN A SLIGHT INCLINE. I FIND MYSELF KICKING THE DOOR OUT OF THE WAY SO I CAN SAFELY EXIT. THE CAR IS LEASED, AND I WOULD CONSIDER NOT BUYING IT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. NO CRASH, NO INJURY, NO DAMAGE TO OUR CAR OR OTHER CARS. THIS IS AN ANNOYING DESIGN FLAW. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE WE GOT THE CAR. *TR