I have owned my TSX now for about 4 months with 14K miles on it. I have to say it has been a very dissapointing purchase. I noticed a lot of similar problems posted but may have a few new ones to post.
Every thing mentioned here has been since day 1!

1 - Speakers buzz on even low volume, dealer acknowledges problem, chnaged both door panels, no fix. Says other TSX cars do the same.
2 - High pitched whine from 6 speed tranny 75 - 85 mph, very annoying since I travel long distances, dealer ack problem no fix, 800 number at Acura tells me to turn up the radio, no kidding! Dealer heard noise in other TSX cars.
3 - Power drivers seat feels like its going to jump off the tracks, back to the dealer twice, second time for a week! still broke.
4 - Loud tapping at idle, dealer put foan under a solenoid, slightly better.
5 - Wipers were hitting something internally and jerking violently at 12:00 position, problem seems to have gone away, but still seems to be impact somewhere with internal mechanism. Dealer notices nothing!
6 - Trouble shifting into first gear, dealers says car must be stopped before shifts to first. Owner manual does not state this, My 91 Integra with 165K on still shifts fine into first. Dealer says TSX different, normal operation. I say bullshit!
7 - Unusual tranny noises, I think these trannys are weak, anybody who plans to auto cross this car should think twice, new trannies are about 2K and how much fun is it going to be if you can not use first, TSX's are low on torque and running most courses in second wont cut it!
8 - At 10k front rotors warped, never raced or hard brake situation. Dealer did change at no charge but I wonder about the quality of the rotors.

This is my third Acura, I have owned a Legend and an Integra, this car has not lived up to the quality I expected! 800 number to Acura recommended I trade the car ( great after purchase advise) since the problems noted are "characteristics of the car", I may take them up on it, but it will be the last Acura I buy!

 

Might be a grounding problem. The ground from the engine is very noisy. If you attach the radio to it, you'll get a "whine" coming through the speakers.

Quote:

6 - Trouble shifting into first gear, dealers says car must be stopped before shifts to first. Owner manual does not state this, My 91 Integra with 165K on still shifts fine into first. Dealer says TSX different, normal operation. I say bullshit!

I would say this is normal as well. My '99 Accord would have a very hard time shifting into first unless at very low speeds due to the action the syncros need to take. I wouldn't say you have to be completely stopped, but under 10mph for sure.

Quote:

8 - At 10k front rotors warped, never raced or hard brake situation. Dealer did change at no charge but I wonder about the quality of the rotors.

I had the same problem with my '99 Accord. It's mainly due to a supplier problem. The brakes do get hot, but because of a vendor supplied metal thermal constant mismatch, the rotors can warp.

Also, if the lug nuts were over-tightened when you rotated the tires, you can also end up with warped rotors.

Still better than a lot of other cars I've been in.

Quote:

This is my third Acura, I have owned a Legend and an Integra, this car has not lived up to the quality I expected! 800 number to Acura recommended I trade the car ( great after purchase advise) since the problems noted are "characteristics of the car", I may take them up on it, but it will be the last Acura I buy!

It sounds like you got a bad one out of the lot. Personally I have not experienced anything aside from:

1) Crappy FM reception.
2) Rattles in doors.

I've had mine since mid-May with 6500 miles on it.

 

Can you expand on this a little? What kinda noise are you hearing and when do you hear it? Why do you think the tranny is weak?

 

Try double clutching. The first gear lockout is a synchro issue. It's inconvenient, but you can get around it.

 

Most if not all of the complaints are familiar, but I don't think we've heard any one person express ALL of them. And I think this is the first time we've heard anybody be so disappointed overall.

Sorry to hear it -- it's GREATLY disappointing. I hope the problems are solvable. And I sure hope this is an aberration. (It seems to be.)

 

While it's good of everyone to try and help with a few of the minor points and irritations the fact is this brotha' has what I would categorize as a lemon. I mean the damn car only has 14k miles??? mlpnya what is the lemon law like in your state? In NH you would proabably be able to make a good case to have your car replaced but the lemon law varies in each state.

Anyway, for what it's worth...sorry to hear about yuor troubles.

 

2 no noise from mine
3 also no problem here
4 is it the injectors that your hearing or something else?
6 Your not supposed to be able to get into 1st unless your almost stopped or bring the rpms up. The tranny is doing its job
7 someone here has autox'd his car already and had no problems
8 fluke?

 

I too, am dissappointed. Reliability is not an issue, but there are certain quality issues that need to be addressed. While I will still continue to look at future Acuras, I will probably avoid buying 1st year production cars.

My main problem is also the rattles - driver door and from the moonroof. And the buzzing sound I get from the speakers. I have to say that my 98 Integra did not have these problems.

My BIGGEST problem is the paint on the rear passenger door not matching with the car. I noticed this on other people's SSM as well. I have brought this issue up with 800-Acura and they still haven't responded.

As for fitment, I noticed my rear armrest is not centered, but rather slanted. Not a big problem, but it looks cheap. The leather could be better too (like on my dad's RL)

I only have 4k miles on the car but so far, I have yet to experience any abnormal engine noises or any of the problems you mentioned.

 

No the dealer is right about this. Dont put the car into first unless you are stopped or very nearly stopped. I have put it into first FORCEFULLY doing about 24mph. Its not good for the tranny and should not be done.

I have 11K miles and my rotors are warped as well. I do not drive hard. This is a honda problem and i really think they need a recall for this. unacceptable.

the other problems you mentioned i do not have.

 

I have a MT-6, no Nav. with 2,000 miles. So far, my biggest disappointment is the so called "Premium Sound System." Specifically, the FM reception is horrible with persistent static and fading in & out of stations when the car is in motion. Even 5-15 miles from the transmission source of a radio station, the reception is poor.
The 360 watt power, at moderate volume, seems to accentuate the static. (The ambient acoustics seem dull, flat and bass heavy). AM reception is surprisingly adequate.

This is my 3rd Honda auto and I've never experienced such inferior reception before.
After the first week I brought the car back to the dealer and their tech claimed that the radio functioned properly. The salesman, who went along for a ride with me and acknowledged the static, said that my hearing was "too sensitive." I've called Acura's Customer Service twice to lodge complaints about this issue and the agent responded that it was an inherent characteristic of the car's audio and all I could do was to return to the dealer for a re-evaluation. I suppose that as far as Acura is concerned I have no option but to accept the inferior product I bought.

As for the car's CD player, it does not play audio CD-Roms(not MP3) which play fine on 3 other players I've tried.

I won't go into detail about other deficiencies of this vehicle among which are: distortion of the visual field with the low beam head lights; excessive heat of the temperature/climate control indicator lights and CD storage compartment light with headlights on for an hour or more; 'partial' leather upholstering; flimsy floor mats with the TSX logo embroidered in blue on a 'white' base to make sure that it gets filthy quickly; a horn that honks if I inadvertantly bump the steering wheel with my elbow; a trunk with tacky lining and no storage slots in the recessed sides, which were standard in the '86 Accord LX. Don't ask about the bent, thick obtrusive windshield wipers.

I suppose that when I test drove the TSX I was captivated by its elegant styling, good feel when shuting the door, smooth manual shifting, sufficient power, good handling and interior comfort. I didn't pay attention to the radio, didn't experience the headlights, or try the wipers on a sunny day.

After 210K miles from a 1986 Accord, I was looking forward to at least comparable quality and features from Acura.(The new Accord didn't do it for me). The Japanese economy has not maintained the standards and quality it set 2 decades ago and neither has Honda/Acura.

I wonder if the brake rotors will be warped at 10-12K miles as others have reported.
Buyer Beware!

PS: If air bags are essential, standard safety features, why are there 4 unsightly decals on the visors to warn of their potential to kill you?

 

well tzx it sounds like you fucked up.

Granted the radio reception can be a problem(although rarely for me) but the rest is your fault that you dont like it.

Maybe next time you should look into something more before you spend 30k on it.

 

Tony's really right: Little if any of what TZX is complaining about is defects, or "quality" in the usual sense; it's knowable aspects of the car that he just didn't know and doesn't like.

BTW -- This is probably irrelevant, but somebody oughta mention it:
FWIW, we've seen the letters "TZX" on this site before, and it was by the infamous "hillbilly" who was either a stupid troll or one of our members in disguise:

http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/show...&threadid=1342

It would be unfair and kinda borderline paranoid to say this is the same guy, but I thought this might be of interest.

 

I agree, none of those are "Quality" issues, and you really need to learn how to research cars before you buy. Its your fault that you bought the TSX, NOT Honda's.

 

Yeah, 'mea culpa'.
I naively assumed that Acura provided the utmost in quality & standards.
Maybe next time I'll consider a KIA with comparable features, no status & lousy reputation at 1/3 the price.
Then I'll have nothing to complain about.

 

Hmmmm.... Maybe he is "Dixie Boy"????

Anyway: I wonder how you came up with "TZX"? Not to be too analytical, but, it would seem to be kind of a term of endearment, yet you HATE the car.

 

Larch, I think you are right on the money.

 

I think it's inappropriate to probe the inner source of my TSX forum identity.
Actually, my girlfriend loves the car!
I loved the TSX when I first saw & drove it but have become ambivalent and sceptical as I've settled into it.
I think the TSX skimps on interior apportionment and quality ie, audio/radio/antenna, "leather", carpeting/floor mats, trunk space design, etc..
No complaints about mechanics or performance for now.
BTW, when should the oil/filter be changed?
Owner's Manual says @10k/20k miles for normal driving conditions; my dealer advises @ 3,750 miles.

 

Good luck with that. You know you'll still complain.

 

Inappropriate??? Hmmmmmm.

(But nobody says you have to answer the "probe"!)

BTW -- Maybe you want to find out why it is that your girlfriend loves the car? Maybe she has a good idea!

You gotta admit it's a nice little coincidence that someone before you also said "TZX." It's just your bad fortune that it was a jerk!

 

Yeah but i think the idea is, there is a unanimous feeling from everyone on this forum that owns a TSX that the quality of interior materials is very good. Of all the great aspects of the TSX, the interior is the best, IMO. Seems odd that you think otherwise. Are you coming from a BMW or something? What is the basis for your comparison, if you dont mind?

 

I'm lost,

I can give you the radio reception part. My g/f has her antenna in the back windowof her car without any problems so we should be able to have that too.

However. Whats the problem with the "carpeting/floor mats and the trunk space/design"

No clue what your talking about in either case. You complain because the floormats can get dirty quick?! thats what they are supposed to do they're floormats for chirst sake. They are designed to get dirty instead of the actual carpet that way you can take them out and clean them which is a crap load easier then sitting and scrubbing the actual carpet thats part of the car.

As far as trunk space goes the trunk is pretty damn big. If you still need more room put the seats down.

 

I have the same problem with CD players. But I've found a fix that sometimes works. Number one is to not fill the CD to the max with music (you're talking about audio CD, right?). Instead of putting 80 minutes of music on your cd (the max), put 70 minutes. Also, try a few different brands of CDs. The burnable CDs are the NOT the same. For an example, my DVD player will not play certain types of burnt CDs; imation, memorex, but will play RadioShack brand CDs.

 

We have had a lot of trolls on our boards lately (for us). And mind our wary members

Welcome to the club.

-jack

 

OK..well maybe its just me...but I still think this its the same guy who made the dixie boy posts. Unless he can tell us what tzx stands for?

I mean...tzx ?? it just seems like too big a coincidence. Anyways, I dont really care either way.

 

So is this guy a troll or what? Trolls on this forum, trolls slashing my tires...grrr they're everywhere!

What personality type must a person have to be a troll? Do they really hate something so much that they feel better about making idiotic and false claims that make no sense? Or are they 15 year old punks?

 

So is this guy a troll or what? Trolls on this forum, trolls slashing my tires...grrr they're everywhere!

What personality type must a person have to be a troll? Do they really hate something so much that they feel better about making idiotic and false claims that makw no sense?

 

Speaking of trolls in general....


I dont think its so much that they hate something...although often times their own insecurity has alot to do with it. But mostly they love to instigate..cause problems and arguments. Its like when you tease someone..the fun is in their reaction. SO they like to come here..and "tease" us...and then watch our reaction.

 

Speaking of trolls in general....


I dont think its so much that they hate something...although often times their own insecurity has alot to do with it. But mostly they love to instigate..cause problems and arguments. Its like when you tease someone..the fun is in their reaction. SO they like to come here..and "tease" us...and then watch our reaction.

 

Must be an all-time, one-of-a-kind achievement: Two consecutive double-posts!

 

LOL I was thinking the same thing.

 

maybe not.

 

maybe not.

 

I agree 110 percent. This is how some people get off (to say it blatantly). His concerns could be legit.

But I would like to know what TZX is. mk?

 

Just for reference, not to mention maybe a little fun, here's that other post that said "TZX":


Import cars stink

Howdy. I dunno why you guys keep worshiping them german and chinese cars.
I've a neighbor that jsut bought one of those TZX and boy let me tell ya, they aint that good. I curentely own a 1998 chevy malibu v6 and that's a hell of a car. It makes any import feel like a plymouth or sumfin. About 10 years ago America used to make sume of the worst cars around. But things have changed and it now makes one of the best cars in the wolrld. I dont like dodge that much but any chevy is betta than a mercedes. GM owns BMW and ford owns jaguar. Thats why we now built some of the best cars in America. have you seen the new F-150? Boy that thing looks good. what about the 2004 chevy malibu? but my favorite is teh pontiac grandprix. Hell I'd take a buick over a BMW.


Which raises another question about trolls -- Are they really bad for the site? The "Dixie Boy" thing seemed extremely terrible at the time. But, even if it was someone trying to pull our chains and put one over on us, which I'm pretty sure it was, didn't we have fun with it? Several people said they couldn't stop laughing. I know that I couldn't. And I showed that thread to a couple of other people, and they laughed their asses off too. How bad can that be? Actually the only thing that really bothered me about it was that a lot of people thought "Dixie Boy" was me.

So, I say "trolls" aren't necessarily bad. It all depends.

 

Holy double posts!

Yeah, as I think about it, trolls can be kinda fun if I just learn not to take them seriously. Just mess around and patronize them back and I actaully will be using reverse troll psychology.

 

Ya, I agree. Dixieboy never bothered me. It really depends.

 

Why? I think you're kidding but if you're not, what's the big freaking deal?

You're entitled to your opinion…no matter how wrong it may be.

 

Hey this troll, i mean guy, never came back lol...cant even mess with him anyway

 

Oh and one more observation. People that make posts like this clutter up our forum with misleading and useless info. If someone were to do a search on "Quality" they would see this thread, and might not realize this guy is BS. Just a thought. I wish we could delete some of this stuff...

 

First off I would like to say that I am glad to see a group of people together like this to break down the real experience of owning a specific car such as the TSX. I am a huge Honda fan, making this purchase my 4th. I must say outside of it’s striking lines, and in my opinion, fantastic exterior I am a bit disappointed with Acura’s quality overall. I would characterize myself as a “hard driver.” I enjoy full acceleration off the line, hard cornering, and short braking, that’s why I drive Honda’s. I came out of a 2001 Accord EX-VL with the V6. This was absolutely the best car I have ever owned, and parlaying that with a previous ownership of a 1989 Acura Legend LS I thought the TSX would be the right choice. I am first of all disappointed with the power output of the 2.4L. Maybe it’s just me coming out of a very torquey, lower reving V6, but in order to come close to the output of the same 200hp that the Accord carried I need to nearly red-line the TSX at every shift interval. Second of all, the interior materials are obviously cheaper. I have the Milano Red with the Parchment interior. All be it, that it looks amazing, the leather surfaces mark with just simple occupation. I want my investment to look great for a long time and the short into the game I wasn’t expecting this type of “wear.” Overall, I just can’t help but feel like Honda cut some serious corners and rushed this model into production with the attitude that they would address issue later in future model years. I am seriously considering a trade for the 04 Accord V6, for the above stated reasons plus the addition of stock XM radio is awesome in my book.