Why not to buy an acura

[stebmarc]

Summary of the defects at bottom.

Acura TL: the worst car we have ever owned in our combined 80+ years of driving.

We bought this vehicle (VIN 19YYA56601A000813, might as well give it, because we would never dream of selling this dud to anyone but acura) from an Albuquerque dealer, Montana Acura, in the fall of 2000, not realizing we were embarking on our worst ever experience as consumers and car owners, four years of misery and frustration and inconvenience.

We had had an Acura before and our experience did not contradict their reputation for reliability and service and lead us to expect more. We had no idea what we were in for in our hopeless quest for peace of mind and a warning free dashboard display.

It began small, as these things do. First it was just the “check engine” light. The problem was remedied by replacing the oxygen sensor each of the three times. First time was in Dallas (the thing has a nasty habit of failing far from home in the middle of vacation, and if you think they offer you a loaner, think again, plan for a pleasant day at the dealers, the time in Syracuse with two dogs in route to a Thanksgiving weekend was the best). The third time we only had to drive the 125 miles each way to Albuquerque to get it replaced. Three times and holding.

Then most recently there was the traction control/antilocking brake warning light which indicates you may or may not have antilock brakes, or brakes at all. This one has been coming on since day one, and we have noted the problem every time we had it in. Sometimes it would stay off until we were thirty miles north of Albuquerque.

After they finally replaced the control module, bled the system and guaranteed me it was fixed, I was able to make it about two miles, to the expressway entrance, before I had to turn around and go back. They kept it over 30 days. We heard, when we called (they never called us with status) that they were replacing the wiring harness, my suggestion, not theirs. They did provide a rental car this time, instead of just leaving us with one car, a Mitsubishi Galant (if we wanted to drive a Galant, we would have bought one). They pretty much had to; I was returning from a trip alone and had left the car with them for repair (actually non-repair). I would have had no way to get home.

Before that it was the defective transmission. It too was replaced under warranty; aren’t we lucky. And they rented us a Ford Escape ! ! ! The transmission was defective from assembly, symptoms being the unpleasant sensation that the car had dropped out of gear, re-engaging when you tried to accelerate.

We thought “they were just all like that” (unlike our 1988 Legend) until we saw the service bulletin. They thought it was serious and dangerous enough, that they didn’t let me drive it home, got me the rental and kept it until they could get the parts. I’ve forgotten how many weeks. We just received another notice that the 4th gear of our transmission may be defective, but we haven’t had the heart to call about it yet. It will surely require another trip to Albuquerque to get it checked out.

And then there was the Safety Restraint System light, also on almost from the day we got it. We brought it in, I think, only three times for that, before they “replaced the computer” (sometimes they referred to it as a module). I am pretty sure that was the third time because I remember the service manager explaining they couldn’t do it until the car had come back the third time for the same problem.

We have to take two cars (thank goodness we have two) on these pleasure trips, unless we want to spend the day at the dealers, or in case they want to keep it, 750 miles total driving, wear and tear, on us and our vehicles: two trips on the Suburu and one on the Acura. See how we got up to 39,000 miles. Our other car has over a hundred thousand (including the "Acura miles"), never in the shop except for scheduled maintenance; it's a Suburu outback.

I guess Acura just hopes people will give up in frustration forget about it and ignore their instruments. And that they won’t be in a serious accident, or that, if they are, they will be killed and their heirs won’t know about the faulty safety restraint system, or the defective brakes and transmission, and won’t think to sue.

It’s hardly worth mentioning the defective seat heater (It worked for awhile. What do you expect? They did fix it the first time). It didn’t put us at risk. It was just another example of not getting what you pay for when you buy from Acura.

And now the leather upholstery has stared to crack even though we have used an expensive conditioning cleaner to maintain it. And I don’t mean a tear or puncture: The seat has just split open, a ragged crack about four inches long on the door side of the drivers seat. The first thing you see when you open the door of this “luxury” sedan is two strips of duct tape.

If we hadn’t been so patient about driving back and forth and working with the dealer on this lemon, I understand we would be in a better position legally. As it is, we are at the mercy of a company and dealer who are basically blowing us off and leaving us in a vehicle patched together from spare parts.

But they are new spare parts, and guess what, under warranty.

My advice: If you don’t have an Acura, don’t buy one. If you do, take it in for service early and often if you have any problems and establish a history. In my experience, they do honor the warranty even as they flaunt their indifference to the lemon laws. They don’t stand behind their product, but they do fulfill the letter of the warranty.

Engine systems defective: oxygen sensors replaced under warranty.

Braking System defective: Traction control system/antilock brake warning light has been on as much as off since we bought it, after multiple return for various attempts at correcting the problem, computer module and wiring harnessed replaced under warranty

Safety Restraint system defective: warning light on almost constantly since we have owned it, computer module finally replaced under warranty after many returns to the dealer

Transmission defective: replaced under warranty.

Wiring Harness defective: replaced under warranty after multiple symptoms and returns.

Other defective systems: seat heater, switch replaced under warranty.

Upholstery defective.

[superbluecivicsi]

1st off, acuras and hondas are both awesome cars. your experience is rare.

2nd. as with service, it sucks..................why, because they cant think outside the box with their training. i would prefer to take my car to be fixed at a local mechanic than honda/acura, but, if it is warrantied, might as well take it to them.

also, a personal story from honda of pasedena. when i first bought my used si from them, i told them to put in an oem honda alarm. i couldnt take the car home that day because they had to install the oem alarm. i finally got my car with an oem honda alarm for which i had to pay extra for. anyways, just a few weeks ago my alarm died and i go out to rip out the alarm unit. what i found was an es 650 python alarm unit. i figured what they did was charge me for the oem alarm and hooked the old alarm to an oem remote. basically, i paid for something i never recieved. been about 4 or 5 years already, and im not sure if i want to take it back to them and bitch at them about never providing me with the oem alarm unit that i paid for.

in the end, my experience with hinda is:

parts are good.

service sucks ass.

[RSX-S777]

I have to agree with stebmarc on a couple of points. As much as I love my RSX-S. I have always had Acuras in the family (Legend, TL, Integra) and they have, without fail, been extremely reliable and for the most part problem free. I don't know why, but it seems with many of the newer models, things that never would have been overlooked by the company, have been. Not only that, but when these things occur, they are ignored or flat out denied as defects.


Case in point: The leather in the RSX also tends to crack despite best efforts to get in and out of the Recaros properly and condition regularly. Not major, but not acceptable.

My 03 RSX Type S had gear grind due to the synchros used. This problem was denied, denied, denied, blamed on the driver and denied some more. The synchros have since been changed in the new model RSXs...although it was "officialyl" never a problem.

Brake squeal, windshield wiper motors etc, etc. Little things add up. And for a company that has always taken pride in it's history of reliability and more importantly ACCOUNTABILITY, it is extremely disheartening. I understand that progressive technology and styling means quirks and flaws will occur. But when they do, admit it. When they do, fix them right the first time and don't wait until the model redesign to do so. If it warrants a recall- suck it up and recall. I'm sure customers would rather respond to a recall notice once, than spend half their lives at the dealer like stebmarc. I hope this is going to be a period of "the exception" for Honda, rather than "the rule".

[sohcfreak97]

well what most of u guys dont know is that if one car has the same problem across the board...its not the dealer that decides if they start a recall for it or not, or just redesigns it, i agree the Rsx's and even civics have bad syncros....we got our rsx syncro's replaced under honda "goodwill" repair..no charge, as for the wrinkled leather seats....ITS LEATHER! my 05 TL is starting to crease on the sides....big deal...look at any slightly driven leather seats....anyways..dealers have guidelines to follow...and a certain amount of claims has to be called in before u can make something a recall, or if the problem is puttin the driver at risk, you think your 01 TL had problems? Go look at a Ford Super Duty Diesel 6.0L...those come broke from the factory.....honda's and acura's aren't perfect...but they have the least amount of recalls....anyways...its your opionion , and your experience......just take my word for it....never buy domestic

[hollyannev]

Good to hear you have the same problems with your TL and that I'm not alone... transmission failed...me, and 4 of my friends, who all "had" a 1999, 2000, 2 x 2002's, and my 2002 TL, cheap Navi (kept freeze'n up), brakes replaced several times, bad rotors, CD player got my CD's stuck twice, cheap leather cracked all over, and yes, I used an expensive conditioner every 6 months, had tinted windows, used the sun visor, parked in the garaged, everything done to prevent, but cheap-o Acura cut corners... I had two Honda Accords before this, needless to say, my final and last Honda product.. not only because of the problems, but that I always felt like I was a burden to Acura when my car broke down and I needed a rental.. they once stated they were doing us a "favor" by giving us a rental, so I got a PT Crusier while my tranmission and axle were being replaced (transmission locked up and according to the dealer, caused the axle to break) I pay for an Acura, but spend a month in a PT Cruiser.. bad customer service, bad vehicle equals no more Acura for me!!