2006 Acura Tsx

BOUGHT A USED 2006 ACURA TSX AT AN AUTO AUCTION IN DECEMBER, 2008. I NOTICED THE TIRES WERE WORN UNEVENLY SO I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC FOR AN ALIGNMENT. HE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE REAR WHEELS HAD A FAIRLY NOTICEABLE NEGATIVE CAMBER, MORE SO ON THE RIGHT REAR THAN THE LEFT REAR, OF ABOUT 2 DEGREES, THEN WHEN HE PUT THE CAR ON THE RACK, HE FOUND THE FRONT TIRES HAD A SMALL TOE IN PROBLEM THAT COULD BE ADJUSTED BUT THE REAR SUSPENSION HAD NO PROVISION FOR ADJUSTMENT OF THE CAMBER. I DID SOME INVESTIGATIONS ON THE INTERNET TO SEE HOW OTHERS WERE DEALING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND FOUND THAT A LOT OF OTHER TSX OWNERS WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL AFTERMARKET MANUFACTURERS MAKING REAR SUSPENSION ADJUSTMENT KITS. I THEN STOPPED IN TO MY REGULAR ACURA DEALER REPAIR DEPARTMENT AND TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER TO SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. HE SAID THAT IF I HAD BROUGHT THE CAR IN DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD, I WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED, BUT SINCE THE CAR WAS OVER THE 50,000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD, I WAS OUT OF LUCK. I ASKED HIM WHAT THE FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS WERE FOR THE REAR CAMBER, AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A MINUS 1 DEGREE, PLUS OR MINUS 30 MINUTES. I PRESSED HIM FURTHER, POINTING OUT THAT THIS DEFECT WAS BUILT INTO THE CAR AND THAT THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR HAD NO BEARING ON THE AMOUNT OF CAMBER, AND THAT IF I HAD BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO THEIR SHOP TO GET THE REAR CAMBER BROUGHT INTO FACTORY SPECS, THE SHOP WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT WITHOUT A NEW REAR LINKAGE KIT. I HAVE NOTICED THE REAR CAMBER PROBLEM ON MOST TSX'S IN THIS GENERATION OF THE CAR WHEN I'M OUT AND ABOUT. THE SERVICE MANAGER DID TELL ME THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT YOU ONLY GET 25-30K MILES OUT OF A SET OF TIRES ON A TSX, AND I AGREED BUT POINTED OUT THAT WAS ONLY BECAUSE THE REAR CAMBER DESIGN DEFECT CAUSES GREATLY INCREASED WEAR ON THE INNER PART OF THE TIRE. MY MECHANIC USUALLY SETS THE REAR CAMBER AT A -1/4 TO 1/2 DEGREE, AND WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE ACURA DESIGN TEAM DID THIS. *TR

MY VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL MAKES A MOANING NOISE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS LEFT OR RIGHT A LOW SPEEDS. THE ACURA DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE REEL INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL HUB BUT THE NOISE CONTINUES. I AM AFRAID THIS NOISE IS AN INDICATION THAT SOMETHING INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL WILL WEAR OUT EVENTUALLY AND CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *TR

ON APPROXIMATELY 03.01.06 THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS AROSE: RATTLING FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT, NEAR THE ARMREST CRACKING/POPPING/BUZZING FROM THE FRONT DRIVERS DOOR SPEAKER/WINDOW SWITCH AREA (ACURA SERVICE BULLETIN 04-024) AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, RATTLING FROM BOTH DOOR MOUNTED SEAT BELT ADJUSTERS SQUEAKY BRAKES MILDEW SMELL FROM CLIMATE CONTROL WITH A/C OFF FELT TAPE BECAME EXPOSED ON DASH AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE FOR 05.15.06 AT RON TONKIN ACURA. UPON PICKING UP THE VEHICLE ON 05.19.06, ALL THE ISSUES HAD NOT BEEN FIXED, AS WELL AS THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS: 3 INCH SCRATCH ON DRIVERS SEAT LARGE GREASE STAINS ON HEADLINER NEW SQUEAK COMING FROM DRIVERS SEAT WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT A SECOND APPOINTMENT IS SETUP FOR 05.25.06. UPON PICKING UP THE CAR THE DEALER HAS FIXED THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SQUEAKS AS WELL AS REMOVED THE GREASE STAINS AND EXPOSED FELT TAPE AND SILENCED THE RATTLES FROM THE SEAT BELT ADJUSTERS BY REPLACING THEM. ALL OTHER PROBLEMS REMAIN. A THIRD APPOINTMENT IS SETUP FOR 06.12.06. BETWEEN APPOINTMENTS (06.05.06) THE SEAT BELT ADJUSTERS BEGIN RATTLING AGAIN. AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR FOR THE THIRD TIME, THE DEALER FINALLY FIXES THE SCRATCH ON THE SEAT AND RE-REPLACES THE SEAT BELT ADJUSTERS. AGAIN, ALL OTHER PROBLEMS REMAIN. ON APPROXIMATELY 07.15.06, THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SEATS BEGAN SQUEAKING AGAIN, AND NOW I MUST TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER A FOURTH TIME. *JB

NEWLY PURCHASED (APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES ON ODOMETER) 2006 ACURA TSX 6 SPEED MANUAL SHIFT WAS PARKED ON SLIGHT HILL IN NEUTRAL WITH PARKING BRAKE ON. AFTER BEING PARKED THERE FOR SOME TIME PARKING BRAKE FAILED TO HOLD VEHICLE AND VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN DRIVEWAY STRIKING TREE. DAMAGE TO TRUNK OCCURRED. DEALER CHECKED PARKING BRAKE AND ADVISED BRAKE ADJUSTMENT WITHIN SPECIFIED PARAMETERS NOTHING WRONG. CHECKED SAME AFTER RETURN FROM DEALER, PARKING BRAKE HELD ON HILL UNTIL BRAKES COOLED AND VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE MOVED WITH MINIMUM EFFORT. NOW PARKING WITH VEHICLE IN GEAR AND PARKING BRAKE ON. *JB

DRIVERS SEAT SQUEAKS AND CREAKS WHEN WEIGHT SHIFTS. THIS IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. THERE ARE 7 PAGES OF OWNERS ON AN ACURA TSX OWNERS WEBSITE THAT ALSO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. MANY HAVE TAKEN IT TO THEIR DEALER AND EITHER THE SEAT BASE OR RAILS ARE REPLACED OR TIGHTENED. SOME DEALERS MENTIONED THAT THESE WERE EITHER ALIGNED IMPROPERLY OR ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT AND THEY EITHER BEND OR SHIFT. IN MANY CASES, THE FIXES THE DEALERS PERFORMED DID WORK AND THE NOISE RETURNS SOON AFTERWARDS. WHILE THIS IS QUITE POSSIBLY NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, IT IS A BUILD PROBLEM WITH THE REDESIGNED 2006 TSX. THE SEAT SYSTEM IN THIS MODEL YEAR IS NEW DUE TO THE ADDITION OF THE POWER-ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM. A $28K CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE SQUEAKS AND CREAKS. *JB