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I bought an MDX 2016 last week with AWD and Tech package. On a trip over the weekend while picking up items in the second row, I noticed rusty nuts connecting the seats to the seat tracks under both driver and passenger seats. There are two nuts for each seat at the end of the seat rail. They are all rusty.
My local Acura dealer said that the rust is cosmetic. It might be caused by AC condensation and they cannot put paint or lubrication on the moving parts. They also claim that the ones in their warehouse since 2014 are all rusty. So, they are not going to fix it. I called Acura to report the issue, but they seem to side with the dealer. I checked the model in the show room at the dealer I purchased the vehicle, it does not have any rust at all.
Does anyone of you have the same issue? You can check it out by open the back door, move the driver and passenger seat forward as far as you can, the look below the seat.
The MDX costs up to 70k here, if my 70k vehicle had rust like that, I would lose it. Go back to the dealer and demand they fix it, I have NEVER had this on any of my vehicles ever. Even my 10+ year old vehicles weren't like this.
I bought an MDX 2016 last week with AWD and Tech package. On a trip over the weekend while picking up items in the second row, I noticed rusty nuts connecting the seats to the seat tracks under both driver and passenger seats. There are two nuts for each seat at the end of the seat rail. They are all rusty.
My local Acura dealer said that the rust is cosmetic. It might be caused by AC condensation and they cannot put paint or lubrication on the moving parts. They also claim that the ones in their warehouse since 2014 are all rusty. So, they are not going to fix it. I called Acura to report the issue, but they seem to side with the dealer. I checked the model in the show room at the dealer I purchased the vehicle, it does not have any rust at all.
Does anyone of you have the same issue? You can check it out by open the back door, move the driver and passenger seat forward as far as you can, the look below the seat.
Does it wipe off? You should see if it wipes off and then comes back.
My 16 with 200 miles looks the same. It almost doesn't feel like rust, more like paint. I'm sure it has to be rust though.
If that is paint, that is both a brilliant way to hide rust and an awful idea if it isn't rusted. But seriously though, what the heck is going on? This is a serious design defect, a 2016 vehicle with 200 miles should NEVER have rust like that
Sadly, you will notice this on a lot of new cars (especially American ones, with American Honda/Acura being one of them). I believe it's a cost cutting measure where they figure the rust won't destroy the knuckle in the time frame that the majority of owners will own this vehicle. Second owners and post warranty be damned. Was talking about this the other day with my buds and manufacturing has really moved from probabilities without accurate means of predicting exact failure (so we over engineer) to computer assisted failure modeling with substantially better accuracy that the manufacturers are producing products with JUST enough lifetime to cover their liabilities to an acceptable level of risk.
Sadly, you will notice this on a lot of new cars (especially American ones, with American Honda/Acura being one of them). I believe it's a cost cutting measure where they figure the rust won't destroy the knuckle in the time frame that the majority of owners will own this vehicle. Second owners and post warranty be damned. Was talking about this the other day with my buds and manufacturing has really moved from probabilities without accurate means of predicting exact failure (so we over engineer) to computer assisted failure modeling with substantially better accuracy that the manufacturers are producing products with JUST enough lifetime to cover their liabilities to an acceptable level of risk.
I find that extremely disappointing for Honda and Acura. I expect that from the American brands (though I haven't seen this much rust on an american vehicle that new). Honda is known to build vehicles that will happily run longer than their owners want them to. The worst of all is the German brands, it feels like they only build vehicles to last the length of the warranty or lease period, then crap hits the fan and all hell is set loose.
I still wouldn't worry too much though. For the most part, it's surface oxidation that should NOT eat into the substrata of the material (unless you find holes). The parts that do bother me though, are where you have bolt holes and such. If thin enough material with sufficient amount of rusting, you could very well see those parts snap. The bolt ends are also annoying because now I have to use WD40 every time I want to get a nut off. Bah humbug.
I still wouldn't worry too much though. For the most part, it's surface oxidation that should NOT eat into the substrata of the material (unless you find holes). The parts that do bother me though, are where you have bolt holes and such. If thin enough material with sufficient amount of rusting, you could very well see those parts snap. The bolt ends are also annoying because now I have to use WD40 every time I want to get a nut off. Bah humbug.
My issue with rust is that it tends to "crawl" once it begins. So you may only have it on that part, then you start getting it on the undercarriage and springs and then it gets to the body, if it is this bad in 200 miles, I don't even want to see it in 50-100 thousand miles. Between this and the new 9-speed, I am losing faith in Acura.
Sadly, the dealer said theres nothing they can do about it. He said it does not impact the drivability of the vehicle. Im going to see if i can brush it off and spray rustoleum on it
Wonder if you want to try brake caliper paint instead? The knuckles are relatively close to the brake components (heat) and are susceptible to lots of vibrations (and fodder), so thinking those brake caliper paints might be more resilient. Then again, Rustoleum is used on BBQs, so they will at least stand up to heat.
Remember to use brake cleaner before you start! Let us know how it turns out.
Sadly, the dealer said theres nothing they can do about it. He said it does not impact the drivability of the vehicle. Im going to see if i can brush it off and spray rustoleum on it
Well that is both shocking and disappointing. Very very surprised that they wouldn't do anything about it. However from a cost stand point I understand why they told you no, because the new part will most likely do the same thing again.
Had a call with my Service Manager. He said it was something that he has seen for the last 2 years on 7 out of 10 vehicles on the lot. He said it was a coating that Honda uses that develops surface rust when mixed with humidity - moisture. I tend to agree with him as mine has a slick, wet like feel. Not dry granules like rust normally has. The real kicker is he said it is almost entirely gone by the first or second oil change. That I will have to see for myself!
Wonder if you want to try brake caliper paint instead? The knuckles are relatively close to the brake components (heat) and are susceptible to lots of vibrations (and fodder), so thinking those brake caliper paints might be more resilient. Then again, Rustoleum is used on BBQs, so they will at least stand up to heat.
Remember to use brake cleaner before you start! Let us know how it turns out.
Be very careful spraying anything close to the rubber parts as it could cause unwanted issues such as cracking or tears. If you do attempt to spray over it, cover the the parts around where you are spraying.
Be very careful spraying anything close to the rubber parts as it could cause unwanted issues such as cracking or tears. If you do attempt to spray over it, cover the the parts around where you are spraying.
Yup, I would actually recommend BRUSHING on the caliper paint instead of spraying, but not everyone likes to be on their back that long
I am thankful that the Acura client representative and Acura dealer decide to fix the seat track rust for me. I am hoping to move over the issue once it is fixed.
Honestly I like the nimble ride of the MDX with the "Sport" IDS option. It is a nice vehicle, but Acura needs to get their act together. It is a shock to me having rust in a brand new 50 grand vehicle.
That's great news! I have yet to check my tracks. I'll probably have a look in a few hours. That is a thin enough piece that rust would eat right through it and you would be probably sitting in a rocking chair after a while.
Well i checked my car and i can tell you the rust is pervasive throughout all the seats. My rusting isn't as bad as yours yet but I'm sure it will get there. You may want to ask them to check all seats.
Having tinkered with cars for years, it is disappointing to see this stuff in the interior. With the thin pieces we're dealing with here, we may have a long term issue.
Funny how my 10 year old Subaru only rusts on the outside where I've hit the subframe on rocks during offroading..
Yes, it is normal to a degree, though in my experience, I haven't seen rust as prominent as what I've seen in cars made after around 07/08 time frame. We're starting to see more and more mild steel use without any sort of coating which then leads to whole pieces being fully surface rusted by the time you buy your car.
You have to watch it, depending on the thickness of the pieces rusting, for any signs of degradation to the structure. Also keep track of the welds. On cars like the Hyundai Genesis, I've seen rusting around the spot welds, which eventually gave way and had to be re-welded. Also, you need to consider how long you're planning to keep the car and where you live. If five years or less (like most BMWs), just forget about the rusting. If more, and if you live by the ocean like me, then you may want to consider some rust inhibitors (alternatively, extended warranty).
This kind of stuff were more issues I had to worry about with cheap cars in my younger years. Not so much $50k+ cars being sold as premium/semi-lux.
In reference to my complaint about my suspension spindles being completely coated in a rust like substance as well as the seat track bolts (2016 SH-AWD Tech, 200 miles when noticed), I finally have some feedback from Acura Client Relations. (They initially blew me off and said to go see my dealer.) After letting them know that wasn't acceptable and that my Service Manager didn't really know why it was occurring either. I finally heard back.
Suspension - Response was that yes, it is rust on untreated parts. It is not a defect. It's just the way it is.
Seat Track Bolts - Response was yes, it is rust on untreated parts and it is not a defect. It's just the way it is.
Not sure what I was expecting, but honestly it feels like they couldn't give a shit less. Makes me regret purchasing this car I actually really like. I would have at least expected to hear, "Hey, I totally get it. I wouldn't want rust on my 3 week old, $50,000+ car either. We will look into our manufacturing processes and see what is causing this rust. While we stand by that it doesn't effect the integrity of the parts, we know customers will be horrified the first time we see it." How hard was that?
Not sure how I feel now. Just disappointed as I was hoping I had found a brand I could believe in and be loyal too.
Not sure what I was expecting, but honestly it feels like they couldn't give a shit less. Makes me regret purchasing this car I actually really like. I would have at least expected to hear, "Hey, I totally get it. I wouldn't want rust on my 3 week old, $50,000+ car either. We will look into our manufacturing processes and see what is causing this rust. While we stand by that it doesn't effect the integrity of the parts, we know customers will be horrified the first time we see it." How hard was that?
Not sure how I feel now. Just disappointed as I was hoping I had found a brand I could believe in and be loyal too.
After dealing with Acura Client Relations for 2 years on the shock issues, I came to the conclusion that I could have a more intelligent conversation with a fence post.
In reference to my complaint about my suspension spindles being completely coated in a rust like substance as well as the seat track bolts (2016 SH-AWD Tech, 200 miles when noticed), I finally have some feedback from Acura Client Relations. (They initially blew me off and said to go see my dealer.) After letting them know that wasn't acceptable and that my Service Manager didn't really know why it was occurring either. I finally heard back.
Suspension - Response was that yes, it is rust on untreated parts. It is not a defect. It's just the way it is.
Seat Track Bolts - Response was yes, it is rust on untreated parts and it is not a defect. It's just the way it is.
Not sure what I was expecting, but honestly it feels like they couldn't give a shit less. Makes me regret purchasing this car I actually really like. I would have at least expected to hear, "Hey, I totally get it. I wouldn't want rust on my 3 week old, $50,000+ car either. We will look into our manufacturing processes and see what is causing this rust. While we stand by that it doesn't effect the integrity of the parts, we know customers will be horrified the first time we see it." How hard was that?
Not sure how I feel now. Just disappointed as I was hoping I had found a brand I could believe in and be loyal too.
Yeah at this point, I just plan to make a ruckus by filing case after case.
A part of me thinks that perhaps the issue has to do with the fact that the car is pretty much the same from the base model all the way up to the Advance model. The differences are mainly in tech, so everything else stays at the quality level of the base. Told myself with my last car, where the base was a $22k vehicle and the top was a $34k vehicle that had pretty much the $22k interior with more leather seating, that I would look out for this kind of practice again. Lo and behold, I forgot.
06-30-2015, 02:43 PM
