I called Acura today to tell them about their wonderful wheel design. The first person i spoke to told me it was a dealership problem (of course) and the dealership told me it was an Acura problem (of course). So, I called Acura again and the guy i spoke to was a real peice of work. i told him that i could not wash my car at a carwash due to the wheels sticking out more than the tire. He told me that he was not aware of any problem and that i should discuss it with the carwash people. I pointed out to him that most carwashes are the same but if he told me a carwash that i could go to i would gladly go to that one. HEhehe. Anyways, He started getting a a little hot with me. That is not good. I told him that. He told me that Acura is not aware of any problems and that as a matter of fact people liked the wheels. i told him that he was missing the point. The point is that i cant wash my car, unless i do it by hand and that it is 20 f in Chicago and i did not think that was practical. He gave me the Chairmans address because he started getting all angry and stuff.

So...... what i was thinking is that we made of list of people at least from Acura-cl.com of people rims getting scratched in carwashes or where there should ordinarily be no problem we can get some new rims that dont have this problem.

Take that. Plus the guy was way uncool. did not appreciate that one at all.

 

 

Dude, they dont give a crap. Look at all the people with f'd up trannies, and how they are handling that....

 

No, Acura does care. The people that you can get ahold of on the telephone don't care.

What makes anyone think they can call and talk to Acura on the telephone?

 

What makes you think that you know Acura cares? If Acura wanted to promptly end everyones car problems they wouldn't put boobs on the phone, and dick's in the dealerships.

 

Now there's someone who doesn't understand how this thing is all structured. Jim Bob's Acura of Cheyenne might have dick's[sic] working on the showroom floor, but those dicks have nothing to do with Acura; they were not hired by Acura and Acura is not responsible for their conduct (although they could be liable for their conduct). Boobs on the phone? In America, that's all anyone could get to answer the phones: boobs. So if you know this already, you would know that these boobs don't represent the caring nature of the Company. Come one, be smart.

I know Acura cares, it shows in their cars. I could give you 2 dozen examples. They might not care about the same things you care about, but they care...

 

Jeff S the service manager at Ball Aura of San Diego cares about every dick and jane that buys an Acura at Ball.....if you are in the so cal area give him a call....but its true the car bizz can be cold as a witches clit.

 

 

Won't they wash it for you whenever you want? I know at my dealership I can swing by any time I want and they'll wash it for me..

 

this is a stupid post, i didn't know acura needed input from car wash companys when they were designing the rims - and the automated car wash were i work, does not scratch CLS wheels
however, my car is always handwashed, always has, always will

 

 

No, it's not a stupid post. I was told by Acura of Milford NOT to use automatic car washes that pull your car thru because it could possibly scratch the rims (so at least SOME dealers are aware of a problem). What the original poster was trying to communicate was that it's really kinda focked up that we can't use an automatic carwash. It kinda sucks that after being so excited about bringing home your baby, the reality of not being able to have it clean for 3 months outta the year sinks in.

 

you mean you didn't get your hand signed letter from acura explaining that they are aware of the problems with the wheels, the transmission, the tires, the seatbelts,etc.. and explaining what they were doing to fix them along with a coupon good for 30k mile service?

yeah neither did I..

 

I lived in Minnesota for 10 years and it was snowier and icier and colder than in CT. Here's what I did:

1.Drive into the car wash bay.
2.Close the garage doors.
3.Get out of the car.
4.Use the wand to soap the car and then rinse. Less than $3 in most areas.
5.Dry off the car.
6.Get your cold a** back into the car and drive away.

You have a clean car (as best as can be expected). What's the problem? Unless you are disabled or these type of facilities are unavailable in your area, I don't see where there's a problem.

Because you can't drive thru Pete's QuickClean, Acura has a problem? If they had told you this bit of news before you bought the car, would you have forgone the purchase?

 

Hey guy,

Not everyone has the time to wash their cars by hand all the time. If you do good for you. If i am on a road trip somwhere what am i supposed to do then. Oh wait, i know....carry a bucket and soap and everything else in my trunk. Get real.

 

I’m sure it is unpleasant to have to take “additional measures” to maintain your car properly. I don’t endorse the use of “automatic” car washes, but there are times when it just isn’t very easy to do that perfect hand car wash.

There should be a good “automated” car wash in the area that could wash your car without damaging your wheels. I have only had my car washed once in a very upscale hand-car-wash, and they did NOT damage the wheels. Could you image the chaos if anyone who trim damaged, wheels scratched, or knobs broken called Acura, BMW, Mercedes, et al. complaining that there was a design defect and that it wouldn’t stand up to the wash-it-anywhere-anytime standard?

1. You should be able to find a hand car wash or other facility that will get your car clean in cold weather without mashing your nice wheels.

2. Car washes manage to break seatbacks, inside and outside trim, and other parts without any factory involvement (design department help). I had one joint manage to rip off the muffler on my very low Bimmer (many years ago) even after I pointed out just how low the car was.

Suggestion: Find a “good” hand car wash for those times that you can’t do it. You can also call detailers in the general area and ask them to suggest a carwash that wont destroy your wheels and car’s finish.

 

While I was on the road, I used my Navi to find carwashes that were exactly as I described above. They are all over this country; literally everywhere, and inexpensive, too.

Sorry that washing your car has become such a hassle for you.

 

i think that an automated car wash can scratch other mfg wheels besides ours, like i said we have an automated car wash on the dealerships property that we use on all the customers vehicles, and it does not scratch Type-S wheels, so "find another car wash"

and when i don't have time to hand wash my car, i spray it off or just wait untill i do have the time, blaming a car company for your personal problems (not all of us have this problem) is a waste of breath

 

buy a Hyundai, then if you scratch your wheels, who cares!

 

Thanks.

 

in case you haven't figured it out by now, complaining about anything on the CL, about acura or honda, does nothing but make you flame bait.. the mostly delusional owners on this board will go out of their ways to flame you and suggest you buy some sort of korean car.

but back on topic.. i find that chevron washers do a decent job with screwing up anything.. what does screw it up is if i let my dealer wash it, bastards never dry it right and i have to wash it again myself.. oops let me rephrase, its my fault that my dealer didnt dry my car right..

 

Hahahahahahah!!!! Yeah, i noticed a while ago. But you get some decent input anyway. What's even funnier is that people who get flamed the most arent afraid to flame someone else (acura boy). Ha! AND i noticed the dyring thing at the dealerhip thing too!! Thats hilarious.

 

Loseit,

Acura has numerous faults, many of which are exemplified in handling of service complaints in order to resolve defects in the CL-S. My latest problem is the failure of the rear defroster, which is a defect. I can hardly wait to see how this problem is handled given the fact that the Houston dealership I've interacted with found resolving the rear brake light rattle a challenge.

In contrast, I don't think that a rim scratched at a car wash qualifies as a defect. The fact is there are plenty of automatic car washes out there that will NOT scratch the rims on the CL-S. I go to the same one once or twice a month. If the car wash scratches your rims, and the car wash does not have a huge sign with a disclaimer, I'd take your complaint up with the car wash instead of pursuing Acura in this particular case. If you're really concerned, find a good detailer in your area. I find it hard to believe there aren't any reputable detailers in Chicago...

Alloy wheels get scratched as part of normal wear and tear. Scratched one of my rims on a curb in a restaurant parking lot a few months ago.

Get used to it.


QuickSilver
'01 CL-S (No Mods)

 

Thanks, that is all i needed to know

 

hey, it was a joke, but seriously, a scratched rim is not an acura problem, you can argue its a poor design, but its not a defect in workmanship or materials, if you look around you can find a carwash that won't scratch the wheels

 

you gotta admit, calling acura becuase your rims get scratched by a car wash is a little extreme, maybe you should have posted if anyone knows a good car wash that will not scratch the rims in your area - and yes most of us have been flamed.

 

Thanks man. Wow, that' s a lot on thanking in one night. I can definatley find a good carwash. I just wanted to know if it was possible. I like washing my car by hand too, but i am not a big fan of being cold. Call me lazy. hahah. I see what you are saying about the workmaship thing.....maybe you should switch over to corporate

 

i made a reply to another thread that may be of help to you

maybe helpfull to some

 

Yeah, i heard abou that. I have no complaints with my dealership ... sales or service. They have been great in getting things done. They got the best ratings from me.

 

On 06/14/00, two members of this board attended an Auto Clinic at the Torrance R&D lab. It was held to give Acura input from customers on how to improve the CL-S. We expressed concerns that the board had at that time, including the lack of a manual transmission and the scratch-prone rims. Acura's priorities will determine if and when suggestions from the clinic will be implemented, but this was brought to their attention.

 

I use touchless car wash, the one that doesn't touch your car at all. Seems to work perfect to me. Know scratches, knicks or anything of the sort. Just so some morons know, someone of us don't have the time to was our cars by hand. I know where I live. It's called the armpit of NY. Syracuse, NY. We get the most snow every year and it's not unusual to see temperatures below 5 degrees. With a windchill of -54, this is not unusual. If you think I'm gonna stand out there and watch the water freeze as it comes out of the hose, your just plain crazy. Period. Try touchless, no problems so far.

 

Interesting.... as self proclaimed President of the no-scratched rims club, I still maintain my status. I have also done some checking because like most of you, I don't relish the thought of getting out there in 20 degree weather and washing my car. I do two things.....1. Put the TL rims and snows on - no problem. 2. Leave the CL rims and risk a scratch... now here's the rub, I have looked at the car wash metal guide for clues. The ones that don't scratch are coated with a white substance that looks like Teflon or hard rubber. I know when I had mine repaired after a wreck, the body shop took it through a car wash to get the dust off. No scracthes. I must admit I had heart failure when I heard that's where the car went but no scratches.

So check out your local car wash and see if the wheel guides are coated. Just a suggestion... now resume arguing!

 

Wow, a negative comment from you. What a shock. How's your Yugo.

 

i was not a member at the time, but those concerns are not voiced by me, i do not mind the automatic, nor the rims on my car. and i can say it again, a scratched wheel is damage, and not a defect in materials or workmanship - but those cag group meetings do get things changed, the mfg's do listen, if not people would simply not buy the cars, its just hard to listen to everyone, and not everyone will be pleased

 

BitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitch BitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitch BitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitchBitch

I have an Idea for ya, Trade wheels w/ an accord owner. Then you'll both be happy. BTW/ our stocks are tight. People w/ scratches should learn to park and hand wash.

 

 

I do not mind the automatic either, other than the higher gearing. However, I wanted folks to know that Acura has been made aware that the rims were an issue (some would say "design flaw") along with other concerns of the group at that time, but Acura will implement changes as they see fit.

For example, their concern was that offering a manual option might detract from the image of the automobile (they did not want to alienate their target demographic), but consumer input may have changed their minds. After all, there have been lost sales due to the lack of a manual transmission option, but not over scratch-prone rims. Unlike the transmission, new tires and wheels are an easy fix for the consumer (which I intend to purchace when the time comes), so I doubt that Acura will change them anytime soon.

 

 

I have written two letters to Mr. Kurt Antonius, Senior Manager Corpotate Public Relations, American Honda, 1919 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90501-2746, regarding problems with our cars, but have not reveiced a response. It seems to me that American Honda does not care about people who buy their products.

I was planning to drive my 2001 CLS to Florida, but I am affraid of the transmission failing somewhere in Georgia. So after spending $ 31000 for a car I have to fly and rent a car in Florida. I think it's time we notify: NHTSA, consumer TV programs car and consumer magazines about the problems with our cars. Maybe this will wake up Acura.

 

Umm are you on the right topic CLS899?
You can address your concerns to the Tranny forum we have..

I just want to say suppose some corporation gets a ton of mail from their customers, how likely is it that they will respond to each and every one?

And if they don't respond, does that mean that you can *assume* that they don't care?
Think about that...