btob7f

Would you buy a recalled TL right now? I'm considering a 2012 SH-AWD with Tech and would greatly appreciate any current owner input on whether you think it would be worth the hassle of dealing with the recall. It is from a non-Acura dealer, so I'd be on my own for the logistics of the fix.

I'm thinking that "for the right price", it may be worth the hassle, especially if Acura would pay for a rental after I actually purchase it from the other dealer. And am I correct in my understanding that Acura is providing rentals for all owners, provided that they ask for them?

Thanks for your time!!

thoiboi

btob7f

Just too much of a headache?

hadokenuh

For the right price. Yes.

The newer TL should be fine IMO. They are pretty new anyway.

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

I am in the market for SHAWD Advance thanks to this recall. Else would be out my price range. Especially if there is another daily you can use in the interim.

quattro90

I just did because we won't be driving it and i can wait for the airbag parts to come in. The price drop was considerable, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Fusius

I bought my 2014 TL with Tech Package from a non-Acura dealership and you can still get a loaner car from an Acura dealership when you take it in to service. Trust me...I'm on my 3rd loaner now. Any dealership service center is happy for the business, no matter WHERE the car was sold from. And they will give you a loaner while they're working on your car if you request one.

All that to say, if the price is right, GET THE CAR!!! Then take it to an Acura dealership service center to handle the recall.

btob7f

Thanks for everyone's input. It's always nice to be able to bounce ideas off of others.

The question now is will the dealer budge. 18k for a 2012 with 85,000 miles is more than I want to pay for the hassle of the recall.

ressling

That's a pretty good price tho. I have a 2012 TL SH-AWD with 75,000 miles on it. While I have the Takata airbag recall already taken care of, there's no way I would let go of it for less than $20k...

hadokenuh

I would just come in last week of the month (which is like today) and tell them your offer. Worst that can happen is they say no. But they will probably call you the next day.

I personally wouldn't pay $18K for a car with 85K miles. So I'd probably find something with 50K miles for $20K.

WNY PAT

It might be controversial for me to say this and it's my own opinion only, for what it's worth and all those disclaimers. But I studied up on the Direct Injection technology and the new Earth Dreams 3.5 motor. I also personally owned two Honda products with the cylinder deactivation system (Pilot and Odyssey) and absolutely hated it. I mean HATED it. I traded our 2013 Pilot Touring for the 2013 MDX first. Once I got that, and put some miles on it, I fell in love with it. Drove great, everything was tight, good interior quality and all that. I started thinking what a great set up the 3.7 would be in a lighter car and started looking for a nice pre-owned TL AWD with tech. I ended up finding the 2013 i have now, bought it the day it was traded in to the dealer. It is in perfect shape, all records and hardly any miles when i grabbed it. Both will be around for a long time I imagine. I absolutely love the way the Acuras drive, fell in love the first 10 miles. Personally, I think the 3.7 motor coupled with the SH-AWD, the 6 speed tranny and with both models being at the end of the design cycle, the second gen MDX and fourth gen TL will go down as some of the most durable vehicles made. I expect to hand the TL down to my kids in several years to use as their first car. Hopefully Acura will have something out there that replaces the current TL niche as I think they left people like me out with the new TLX (too small for me and growing boys) and RL (just doesn't do anything for me design wise and sport feel). Either way, I think so long as these 3.7s are well cared for and the timing belt change is figured in to the price, I wouldn't worry about the higher miles on a one owner really well cared for TL. Plus, highway miles are easier on cars too.

AJW24

I like the post cause I been intrigued by them as well but the thing is the recall time table for the passenger and side air bags needing to be done. They're only doing driver at the moment and nothing else which has me worried to leave my car for one which I'll be even waiting even longer to feel safe in the car.

WNY PAT

Honda and Acura aren't the only manufacturers that used them. No excuse, and nothing to be blown off without thinking about it, but it is what it is for me. I'm in a low risk state climate wise and both mine are only a couple years old. As more recalls come out, I'll have the inflators replaced and live with it for now.

LostProphet

I just did and no regrets. Like Wyn Pat said, Honda/Acura are not the only vehicles that carry defective parts, it is over 13 car makers. The recall campaign will replace the parts for free and if needed you will be provided with a loaner/rental car. If the price is right go for it, there is not such a machine as a 4Gen TL with SH-AWD. I had a TLX tech and RDX adv as loaner and I missed my TL so much, the RDX was very nice tho. Just play it safe and follow the manufacturer safety recommendations.

burnyd

Whats funny is that I came in the common propeller shaft issue while I was there they ordered the airbags this was on Monday so it should happen pretty soon.

SilverJ

I would not buy a recalled TL or any car that has the airbag issue UNTIL ALL of the inflators were fixed. That would mean driver, passenger and side air bags.
Acura isn't coming out and saying the side and passenger airbags aren't affected but can you see any logical reason why a car would be manufactured
with different airbag inflators in the driver, passenger and side airbags ? I can't. Why buy a car that has a known life threatening defect to you or your passengers ?
A "good deal" isnt worth potentially fatally injuring yourself or your passengers. I could see this seriously affecting resale value as well.

Anicra

Inflators bah, I would buy 4G TL 3.7 SH-AWD in a heartbeat. I am not even bothered by the recall or wait. I have all ready been knocked unconscious in car accident (pre airbags). I was hit by a driver going 55mph while sitting in a dead stop in traffic. Somehow I went from the fast lane to the slow lane ditch and walked away, well I walked up to the theater called work I was going to be late, next thing I was in a hospital with just a concussion. I have never had an accident since or ever have an airbag go off.

Heck I would bet that only 2 of the poster on the 4G board truely has one that bad. It is life and it is more likely you are going to do something with your cellphone driving and kill your passenger than the airbag doing it.

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

Anicra my 2010 TL was totaled from a Uhaul truck last year. I posted it somewhere on here, anyways my airbags didn't even go off and at least the side curtain should have as my car was pinned under the Uhaul that cut me off, so like you said what's going to happen is going to happen.

AJW24

yeah but I'm sure these inflators will increase % of a cause to you or the passenger just saying.

heisnuts

If I liked the car and the price, I would certainly not let the recall hold me back for a minute. Why? Consider the following:

1) There has not been even one reported case involving the air bag inflator used in the 4th Gen TL.
2) The reports of failure have all occurred in cars that are over 10 years old. None of the 4th gen TLs are at this age yet
2) Even the older model inflators that did have some reports of failure had a very small failure rate (under 200 vs the millions of inflators out there).
3) If there is an accident severe enough to deploy air bags, I would be a lot more worried of the injuries that might result from the collision rather than injuries from an air bag.
4) Parts will be available within the next year for all the cars
5) Who's to say even the new air bags will not have a similar problem 10 years from now, and for that matter every air bag out there right now.

SilverJ

Your forgetting (or maybe not aware) of the 100's of accidents in addition to the fatalities. You don't know the years or models
of those cars because Honda doesn't want to release the info to the public. Buyer beware.

AJW24

Also to add to my last comment, after looking before the recall and then now it seems there were some better prices before the recall, deal wise

03-6/6

i would for sure. my cl had the recall. granted it came out after i bought mine, but its the same story. if you like the car, buy it.

Reorge

Yes

JT4

Putting the recall aside for a minute, the 4G's are very reliable vehicles. Sure they have had some issues as most vehicles do but overall if properly maintained a 4G TL will go a very long time. Our TL has been in the family for 5 years and it has been great, the biggest problem we have had in those five years was a noisy window regulator that was replaced under warranty.

With that being said, since it seems like there is new information coming out all the time, and knowing what I know now in regards to how the drivers side inflator can break apart, and then still having to deal with the passenger side inflator being recalled some time over the next year or more. Also there is still the unknown in regards to what they're going to do about the side inflators.

Considering all this, I don't think I would buy one.

SilverJ

The 4G TL is a great car. The best I have ever owned. And I have driven nothing but Acura's for well over a decade.
But the reality is these inflators are a time bomb waiting to explode. Who REALLY know's what temperature/time mix will make it go off ?
Do you expect to get that info from your local Acura service department who WORK for Acura ? Or Honda themselves who tried (along with Takata) to cover this up for years ?
I would be certain it's not an exact science.
Do you REALLY want to buy a car knowing that the older it get the more likely the inflator could blow up in your passengers or yours (via side airbags) face ?
It's pretty dense to think this won't have an effect on resale value down the road or danger to you right now.

hadokenuh

^^ I am smelling class action suits coming.

Please don't do it. It'll only benefit the lawyers. Consumers will not gain much, and Honda will even more hurt. You'll never see the NSX in the next 10, 20 years. Just saying

SilverJ

Nah, not my style. I'm just keeping it real.

SexyStyle

I bought mine and it has the recall on it. Just take it in to the dealer and they will inspect it and change out the airbag if its faulty.

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

I put a deposit on a '12 Sh-AWD, Black/Umber Advance TL. Dealer will officially sell it to me when the Airbag Inflator has been replaced. I've been looking for 3 months so this gives me time to put even more down.

AJW24

thought you needed to be on a list for the recall?

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

i would say the list is on going as cars are fixed and new owners come forward, but yeah you have to officially report to dealer to be put on the "list"

LostProphet

Part affected is the inflator, not the airbag itself, please read through the thread.
First you need to contact an Acura dealer to put VIN on the system. If you are lucky, they may have parts in stock and replace it the same day. Procedure takes about 45 minutes, some dealers are throwing in free services or parts (oil change, battery) for the inconvenience. ALL 4 gen TL 2009-2014 are affected by this recall.

Otherbmw

I'm in the market for a TL and I notice a lot more coming on line with replaced inflators as late. On another note, I recently got an airbag recall notice for my BMW 335 convertible (also Takata). In this case, they explicitly stated the car was ok to drive and that I would be contacted when they have parts.

Elitemduane12

I bought my 2010 tl about 3 weeks ago. I feel like an idiot but I was unaware of the recall. I typed my vin number in and it didn't say my car was part of the recall. Is this correct or does every 4th gen need a replacement?

LostProphet

Chances are you typed in your VIN incorrectly or the inflator was already replaced. After the inflator is replaced the recall notification still shows in the system for some days, after that no more recall showing.

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

no reason to feel like an idiot, just go get it taken care of. No cost to you as it's a recall.

Elitemduane12

I called the acura dealership I purchased it from and apparently it has already been fixed. So I'm good there, he said that there may be a recall for side bags on the future. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

roman_k90

I just bought a 2012 TL Tech 53,000miles. Single owner and he claims he had the airbag fixed in a day. No waiting for parts just drove in and the replaced the parts.
I got the car for what I think is a good deal $18.5 but how do can I be sure that it was fixed ??

GhostTL09

iTrader: (1)

call Acura support or visit a dealer near you and have them run the VIN