2008 Acura Tl

I AM THE ONLY OWNER WITH 39,000 MILES ON IT. I MOVED TO SOUTH FLORIDA 5 YEARS AGO. THE DASHBOARD HAS MAJOR CRACKS OVER THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. I SAW THIS "LETTER SENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES DEPARTMENT TO REMIND FLORIDA OWNERS OF THE TAKATA RECALL AND TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AT THEIR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE." I SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.

THE AREA AROUND MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ON THE DASH IS COMPLETELY CRACKED AND DAMAGED. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAG IS DAMAGED UNDER NEATH AND WILL NOT DEPLOY DURING A ACCIDENT. THESE CRACKS JUST APPEARED ONE DAY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND A FEW DAYS LATER MORE CRACKS. ACURA SHOULD TRULY CONSIDER RECALLING THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE DIES DUE TO THERE NEGLIGENCE. THIS IS MY 2ND REQUEST. I AM AWARE OF OTHER ACURA OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE.

DASHBOARD CRACKS: POTENTIAL DANGER OF AIRBAG FAILURE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, MY CAR HAS DEVELOPED SEVERAL CRACKS IN THE DASHBOARD. OF PARTICULAR CONCERN IS A LARGE CRACK WHICH JUST RECENTLY APPEARED ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG UNIT. (SEE PHOTOS) I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE CRACKS CAN ALLOW MOISTURE OR CONDENSATION TO ENTER THE AIRBAG UNIT, POSSIBLY CAUSING IT FAIL, DEPLOY PREMATURELY, OR NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY IN A CRASH SITUATION. ALTHOUGH THE DASHBOARD CRACKS ARE SEEMINGLY COSMETIC, ITS POTENTIAL TO CREATE A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE IS OF GREAT CONCERN. ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE TAKATA RECALL FOR AIRBAGS, I HOPE THAT THE MANUFACTURER CAN HELP REPAIR OR REPLACE THESE FAULTY DASHBOARDS WITH A QUALITY MATERIAL THAT WILL NOT DEGRADE IN SUCH A MANNER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 ACURA TL. WHILE THE CONTACT'S GRANDDAUGHTER WAS DRIVING, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT. THE DRIVER AND FRONT AND REAR PASSENGERS HAD RINGING IN THEIR EARS AND SAW FLASHING LIGHTS DUE TO THE AIR BAG EXPLOSION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT CALLED THE ACURA HOTLINE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT NUMBER AT 800-382-2238 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE ACURA DEALER AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO TOW THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 09727380. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS TWO DEEP CRACKS AROUND THE PERIMETER. MY CONCERN IS THE AIRBAG WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. MY CAR WAS PARKED WHEN THE FIRST CRACK APPEARED. THE SECOND CRACK HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AND I SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE STEERING HAS A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED LEFT AND RIGHT.

I HAVE ALREADY PAID ACURA TO REPLACE MY DASHBOARD ONCE DUE TO THE AIRBAG PUSHING UP ON DASH AND CRACKING IT. I NOW HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN, THE DASH HAS CRACKED ON PASSENGER SIDE IN PERFECT RECTANGLE WHERE AIRBAG IS LOCATED. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT DEPLOYMENT IS LIKLEY/IMMINENET AND I AM URGING NHTSA TO REQUIRE ACURA TO REPLACE AIRBAGE AND DASH.

I WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I ACCELERATED, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WITH MODERATE THROTTLE. I HAD TO FLOOR THE THROTTLE TO MOVE, AND THE ENGINE RPM JUMPED TO ABOUT 6000. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT, EITHER AUTOMATICALLY OR THROUGH THE "MANUAL" FUNCTION ON THE GEAR SELECTOR. OVER THE NEXT 1.5 MILES, I NOTICED SMOKE IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND A BURNING SMELL. I PULLED THE CAR OVER AND NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE HOOD AND A TRAIL OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID FROM THE CAR. CAR WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE RUNNING TO THE RADIATOR HAD RUPTURED DUE TO CORROSION. TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED.