Laurelcrest

I need some of your help, fast! This morning I gave my TL-S in, it has 11,900 miles and I've had it for less than a year (11 months).

The problem with my baby is that when I'm going over 65 mph and I brake (not hard) the steering wheel shakes. Overall, as well, the car doesn't drive as smoothly as it did when I first got it, which wasn't all that long ago.

The dealership (Acura on Nostrand Ave in Brooklyn) told me that if the problem is just worn brakes or a warped rotor, that's just ordinary wear and tear and isn't covered by warranty.

I read through the warranty and it didn't mention brakes specifically but there seemed to be a catch-all warranty for anything that was installed by Acura other than mods within 1 year or 12,000 miles.

Is the dealer ripping me off?

samkws

none of the cars has such warrenty...it's normal...

Laurelcrest

It's normal for the brakes to be warped after using them for less than a year?!

RAdams

There is a Technical Service Bulletin that shows premature brake rotor warpage to be a known problem. I'm not sure of the exact protocol as to whether or not this is a 100% warranty fix, but myself and MANY others on the board have had the rotors machined (or replaced) because of this very problem. Some had even had the brake pads replaced as well.

It's time to ***** ***** *****!

Laurelcrest

And you had it done out of pocket?











...it's time for what?!

TUFF GONG

Hey Jon, long time no see. I would give Park Ave a call. I have heard many of folks having it covered by warranty. I'm not speak from experience but like I said, I have heard it.

Acura of Brooklyn right, Automall? i bought my car there because I got the cheapest price but I will never go back there for service or anything else. I knew that since I bought it.

Good luck!

Laurelcrest

Hey Tuff,
Thanks for the heads up! Whatcha been up to? I'm waiting to hear back from Automall. I figure they're playing some game with me, but if the price isn't too crazy I'll just let them do it, I can't keep running from one dealership to the next to find someone who will do it for free.

I know I should have gone to Park Ave to begin with but I had to be in Brooklyn this morning anyway, and they guaranteed me a loaner car on virtually no notice.

RAdams

Rick Case Acura machined the rotors on my 2000 (14,xxx miles) under warranty and I have an appointment next Monday for them to do the same on my 2002 TL-S (also 14,xxx miles).

Oh.. and it's time to b1tch b1tch b1tch.

Laurelcrest

Thanks for the info. I don't wanna be taken advantage of and it seems that on a LEASE car if the car is falling apart, that aint my fault.

Does it matter if the car is under lease or its owned?

Hypothetically, if I drove the car into the ground, never took care of it, left the brakes to fend for themselves, never changed the oil, etc., what could the dealer do when I brought back the car at the end of the lease?

RAdams

Leased or financed -- the warranty is the same.

You could take your chances letting the car fall apart, but you're running the risk that they will charge you for "abnormal wear & tear" when you turn the car back in.

tdoh

Make you pay for whatever problems or damage that may arise or be found due to the lack of normal/standard maintenance and care, which is your responsibility to make sure that it gets done regardless of whether the vehicle is a purchase or lease? Sort of like saying what could the dealer do if you returned a damaged car at the end of a lease...

Laurelcrest

Exactly, though I don't mean structurally damaged, just not taking care of it properly. I would think that a car that doesn't belong to me (lease) shouldn't have to be repaired by me... to draw an analogy, I own houses and apartments, and when the faucets leak or the toilet won't flush, I can't tell the tenants that its due to ordinary wear and tear and have them fix it out of their pockets!

pianoman41

This is kind of a "gray area" with the warranty. Our warranty specifically does *not* cover wear items, such as brake pads. Rotors should not normally warp under regular driving. I had this same problem on my '02. I had it for 9 months/16,000 miles and the rotors were warped. And I'm extremely careful to avoid those things that cause warpage (improperly torqued lugs, cold water on a hot rotor, uneven cooling after a hard stop, etc). I also heard about the TSB for warped rotors. So I went to my dealer (Acura of Avon, Canton CT) and told them I wanted it taken care of under warranty. They told me that the TSB applied only to the '00-'01s and the problem was corrected for '02.

*HOWEVER* without me even having to say another word, the service manager said no problem, they would turn the rotors and replace the pads under warranty. Which they did, no questions asked.

I know several others on here have had their rotors turned and pads replaced under warranty (someone had like 22K miles too). The key is go to a dealer with a good service department (like PAA) and don't be a jerk about how you approach the issue. If you come off like, "My rotors are warped, fix it under warranty now!" you'll probably be shown the door. I explained my situation and what I had done to avoid the problem in the first place (even though it didn't seem to stop the warping) and they treated me right.

If your dealer says forget it, time to get another dealer. This fix is more about customer service and satisfaction than warranty claims. Total cost for resurfacing front rotors and new pads (probably only need the fronts done) is less than $100. It's all about keeping luxury scale buyers happy with luxury scale service. If I bought a Honda, I would expect that I would be denied it because it's normal wear and tear. I bought an Acura, and it's that kind of service that makes me want to buy another Acura.

axleback

I just had my rotors turned and front pads replaced on my "02 TL-S. The dealer I brought it into didn't even say a word about it. I told them that I started experiencing pulsating brakes and suspect that the rotors are warped. I dropped the car off and got it back the same day with the work done. Everything was classified as warranty work.

axleback

tdoh

I understand where you're coming from but at the same time, you're comparing two entirely different scenarios--namely, resolving a problem due to a possible defect (leaky faucet), and one involving user neglect (engine problems due to failure to change the oil, or accelerated tire wear due to failure to rotate the tires). You're basically implying that, since the car doesn't belong to you, you shouldn't have to be responsible for maintaining it. Going back to your apartment analogy--what if hypothetically speaking a tenant clogged a toilet by tossing diapers or similar stuff into it, thereby clogging it to the point that it overflowed and damaged the surrounding area (e.g., carpet, etc.)--are you gonna fix the toilet and the resulting damage out of your own pockets, or are you gonna tell the tenant that he's SOL since he caused the problem by doing something stupid in the first place? Like I said, there's a difference between defective and negligence...

Tony

Alexxx

The Acura dealer at Plaza Automall just sucks. They don't know anything about anything. I will never go for service at their dealership. Try Park Avenue or Brunswick.

lilboykorea

my streering also shook once.. got worried, pumped some air into the tires since they looked a lil thin ... problem solved...

2000 TL

I just got my TL serviced for 30,000. I asked them to check the brakes because I knew of the warped rotor problem. They machined the rotors and replaced the front brake pads, all under warranty, no hassles.

As everyone else has said, find another dealer who is more customer focused! Good luck.

Laurelcrest

Now that you mention it, that may be the problem.

Plaza Automall told me that there was nothing wrong with my brakes or my rotors, and that the car drives just fine. They took the wheels off, looked at everything underneath and took the car out for a ride, and decided there was nothing wrong with it.

I didn't have time to stick around and find out if they pumped up the tires because I had a meeting later in the afternoon, but the car definitely drove funny before I got there, and was alot smoother afterwards. I'll call them up and let you all know tomorrow what they did.

Thanks for the help

sssick

PLAZA AUTOMALL SUX!!!!! Don't believe anything they say!

Quick story. I'm looking for a Aegean Blue Pearl type S with navi.
Called them up after going to every other dealer 50 miles from Staten Island they told me they had one in stock. I made an appointment for the next day but I wasnt going to go. I knew they were lying cuz I saw the locator at another dealer the day before and they didnt have the car. The salesman who I had an appointment with whose name was MAX(remember that name), called me at work to confirm my appointment. I told him that I wasnt going because I know they dont have the car. He says,"I'm standing in front of the car, I'm looking at it." I respond with, "I will not buy any other car except for the ABP w/navi and I will not waste my time coming out there if you dont have it." He responds with, "I wouldn't make a customer travel out here for no reason." So, stupid me leaves work at 5:00 to get there at 6:30(belt parkway on Friday night, not a good thing if you dont live in the area). I get there at 7:00. Two hours of traffic. Get there MAX is gone and they havent had that car in 2 months. I can't explain how pissed of I was. I am very glad he wasnt there cuz I'm afraid of what I would have done...........Alright I lied it was a long story but it was a good lesson for anyone buying a car from those sc*mbags. Lata.

Laurelcrest

Heh, I guess that's Brooklyn for you. Looks like Ima gonna make the trek out to good ole Wayne G and the boys at PAA!

RedLined

I had warped rotors at about 20000 miles. They were resurfaced at no charge. The service rep was not surprised and mentioned the bulletin.

TopGum

If it is $$ out of pocket, why machine the rotors? They get thinner and will stand up less to stress the next time. I would check into a new drilled and/or slotted rotor. The labor for r/r would be close don't you think? Just my 2cents.

go-types

same problem here. had the rotor re-surfaced & also put on a new brake pad without a penny out of my pocket. the paperwork after they had done with my tls states that it's under warranty.

systek

me too...!

steering wheel shook whenever braking, so i knew the rotors were warped. took into dealership and my service advisor stated the pads are the culprit. he said in humid hotter states, like here in texas, the pads vent gases and overheat the rotor!?!?!? who knows how true that is, but the rotors were resurfaced. he didnt change the pads cause he said it wouldnt help the situation. he said that w/summer coming(this was back in february) he was sure i would come back w/the same problem.

i have started to notice a hint of shake in the steering wheel lately...

Ajay_RENAMED

Just to let you know, my dealer just replaced the rotors and pads on my TL-S at 16k miles free of charge - no questions asked!

numbaonexstunna

umm..........i was at like 24k miles and my brakes were bad.......took it in & they replaced rotors and pads for free......=P

mike_snyder

systek - I don't understand why the dealer, who told you the pads were the culprit did not replace them? Is it b/c the replacement pads were made of the same material? This is starting to sound like the tranny threads. Why doesn't Acura fix the cause rather than continuing to replace rotors/pads?

I have an '02 NBP TLS with 14K mi. and notice a slight vibration when braking at higher speeds (over 75mph or so.) I know....I shouldn't be driving over 75 in the first palace right...

Ajay_RENAMED

Dealer told me that the pads were causing the rotors to warp as well. As stated above, pads and rotors were replaced.

EmuMessenger

I had the same problem on my 1999 TL-Navi.

Although, I had to escalate up to Acura corporate, perhaps because I had 37,000 miles, I eventually got my rotors and front pads replaced under warranty.

It is amaxing how many of us have the same problems, yet there are no service bulletins.