I know this may be blasphemous but while my 2000 TL kicks butt and looks incredible over my old '97 ... There are slight quality control elements that I'm not happy with when it comes to the new TL.

1) Sqeaky ass seats that sound like a two dollar hooker in a four dollar flophouse

2) Armrest is kinda wobbly

3) I hate hate hate this BOSE stereo. The old one in th '97 PLAYED ALL CD-rs and was way louder with its 8 speakers.

4) The 97 just felt more solid overall.

5) The 97 AC kicked major butt. I've had this new one checked and there's nothing wrong.

6) And what's with that DUMB freaky ghost on the rear view mirror??

But don't think I'm dissin', I still love the car. It's just the little things that piss me off.

Anyone know what I mean? Am I missing anything?

 

OH STOP!!!!!!! Please Dont join The TL Hater Club

 

No man ...

You got me all wrong. I love the car like I said, it's just these little things drive me crazy. Especially the squeaky seat. And I'm not fat!! I weigh only 155 at the most

 

u see dead ppl maybe?

 

The first Gen was made in Japan, hence the high quality and fit and finish and reliability. The 2nd Gen were all built in Ohio, so quality somehow diminished a bit (You can tell by the big gaps between doors and the alignments of taillights, trunk, etc..). The third gen, I heard has even worse quality than the 2nd gen. Does Honda inherit bad manufacturing habits from GM, Ford and Chrysler?

I do love my 03 TL-S, but I had to say something about the quality issue. If you looked at a TSX and a TL-S side by side in the showroom (which I did) , you WILL notice a difference. You have to admit to these small things that bother you and speak about it or you are just fooling yourself. All these small griped we all have about the car all amounts to cost cutting from where the car was developed and made. I don't think I qualify as a TL Hater either.

Also, First year models of north american cars are known to have tons of problems to be ironed out. Fortunately for us, Honda does quite a fine job in doing so.


Vicman

________________

03 TL Type-S SSM
K&N

 

<< If you looked at a TSX and a TL-S side by side in the showroom (which I did) , you WILL notice a difference. >>

Meaning what?? The TSX has a better fit and finish?

If so ... I'll just take one of them next. I love the new TL and all but there's nothing like a snug, tight feeling car

 

u know i guess i am lucky cause the onl problem i see is the noise the sunroof makes

 

my celling light doesn't work since day 1, I start to hear some rattle at 2000 mile... the car-2003TLS is built in Maxico, maybe that's why we got these kind of problems....

 

we have these problems cause there made in america! all the americans think about is there paycheck and getting a raise. atleast in japan they care about the quality of the product

 

<<Meaning what?? The TSX has a better fit and finish?

If so ... I'll just take one of them next. I love the new TL and all but there's nothing like a snug, tight feeling car>>

Sorry I forgot to add to that statement. The TSX indeed had noticeably BETTER fit and finish than the TL / TL-S. Way better. From the way the doors close to the close tolerances of the door and fender gaps and it obviously had more attention to detail on other small things.

If I pointed out the stuff I noticed after I picked up my TL-S, I would sound like a serious whiner. Would I go back to the dealer to say my door handle plastic surrounds are not flush with the door metal or the rear driver side door looks misaligned?? To some these are merely cosmetic stuff, but to others? "Attention to detail" . I can live with those, 'coz I have seen the G35s and the Maximas and they are even worse.

Vicman

________________

03 TL Type-S SSM
K&N

 

I agree with you 1,000% It's all about rasies.... Getting great benefits, They don't give a Fu(K if the car drives when it leaves the assembly line as long as they get their Great workers benefits. And that really sucks. Hence why so many manufacturers are taking their work out of the country. Cause US workers are expensive (thanks to union and such) and the quality of work is far below acceptable.

Note to the wise stop worring about how FAT your check is and start worring about getting the job done RIGHT.

Just my .02

 

I agree. The TSX is made in Japan, just like the RL. Fit and finish is more refined than the second generation TL. Quality has definitely been affected adversely by having it built in Ohio. My 86 Honda Accord had much better fit and finish than my present 03 S-type. Go to the dealership and look at the RL and TSX and compare to second generation TL and you will see.It would not be fair to say that all American factory plant workers are lazy. Some are very hardworking. Maybe the issue lies within American Honda/Acura management ....

 

With the characteristics of the TL and Type-S and if Honda combined the same exacting standards as they do with the Japan made cars, then maybe the cars would be phenomenal. They may even cost twice as much. So in a sense we are getting Japanese engineering coupled with American parts and manufacturing methods+ slightly above average near luxury automobile that dosn't cost an arm and a leg.

 

Well the VW Beetle is and a few other cars.

It lies in management. The Accord/Camry are built here and have great quality. Though it lies in the carmaker and upper management.

 

Open the first half the armrest and look under the top part of it. You may find that the screws are backing out. Tighten them up and its all fixed. That happened to my car.