BLUBYU

Not a problem until around 5k miles. First to go was the passenger pwr seat, started making a horrific noise followed by it coming off the track or something. The mechanic said he was going to replace a wire or something (sounds like a shot in the dark to me). At the same time I notice my CD changer is having trouble loading and ejecting CDs, The ERe1, error message or something that looks like that keeps blinking on the screen. So I call dealer and tell them of my two problems (CD and pwr seat broken). They tell me to bring it in and leave it, which I do. Then they call me and say "yup the CDs broke were going to have to order another and were going to order a cable for the seat. They then tell me I can come get my car (which is still broken, of course). This was early last week, I was originally told the parts would be there in a day or two, Thur. or Fri. O.K. a little inconvenient but atleast it will be ready for the weekend, right, wrong. No parts arrived by Fri. So IM told beginning of next week. Finally yesterday they call and leave a message," your part is in". I call today and only the seat cable has arrived. Im told the CD players are on backorder with NO ETA. The last one they ordered took a couple of weeks! To top it all off Im washing my car yesterday and notice the shiny black film around my drivers side door is bubbling up. I inquired about fixing this problem on the phone with the dealer, and they say they've had that problem but not on any 2002s. They then tell me the WHOLE door must be disassembled for the repair. Its anyones guess as to how long it will take to get this repaired. But I have an appt. Thur for the seat, presumably followed by another appt. for the CD and yet another for the window lining. Dont get me wrong I love my TLS, But this is getting more and more frutrating by the day. I was just wondering if anyone else has had these problems, or if anyone had suggestions. Thanks for letting me vent.

RAdams

The problem with the seat and the CD player seem to be pretty uncommon, but the door trim on my 2000 TL was bubbling up slightly in a small area on the driver's side rear door. Basically, the dealer told me the same thing as you -- it's a known issue but it's a job for the body shop -- so the repair would take that much longer. My advice is to get the two nagging issues fixed now and schedule the bubbling trim repair for a time when you can most afford to leave the car for a day or two. If your dealer is at all concerned with your satisfaction, they will provide you with a loaner car during this period.

Good luck!

dougbert

Does the trim only bubble up when it's really hot out or a very sunny day? I've noticed that the trim on my 2002-S bubbles up around the windshield when it's in the upper 90's or when it's jus to one of those all day sunny-day days.

What's the fix? New trim?

BLUBYU

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dougbert
Does the trim only bubble up when it's really hot out or a very sunny day? I've noticed that the trim on my 2002-S bubbles up around the windshield when it's in the upper 90's or when it's jus to one of those all day sunny-day days.

What's the fix? New trim? [/QUOTE


The bubbling may have been caused by heat but its there all the time now. I believe the fix is new trim but the dealer made it sound kind of difficult, saying the entire door would have to be disassembled. BTW I hope I dont sound like Im whinning by listing these little nagging problems. The car still performs flawlessly i.e. engine, tranny etc. Just a few little issues that could be easily fixed if the dealer had the parts, or could atleast get them from acura in a reasonable amount of time.

tgif

My passenger pwr seat is broken, too. It took dealer 2 weeks t o have it fixed. The rail track is broken or something.

BLEXV6

When I was driving my new TL-P home from the dealer, I was trying to shove a cd into my cd player like I do with my Accord. I didnt realize I had to use that load button and I broke that little plastic door to the cd slot. The cd player did not work after this. I didnt tell the dealer how stupid I was. They ordered a new unit and it was installed within 4 days.

DJ Iceman

I'm certainly sorry to hear about your problems and the apparent lack on concern from the dealer. These are the kinds of things I'm keeping a close eye on as I evaluate my next new car decision.

If it's any consolation, what you described was a cakewalk compared to the problems I had with my BMW (which cost half again as much as a loaded TL). It was one problem after another, and every visit to the shop resulted in a "We'll have to order the part for that" from the tech. Another couple of weeks, sometimes after they ordered the wrong part and had to try it again, and I was literally in the shop 27 times in the first 12 months of ownership. And the only loaner I got was one time when they had to keep the car for four days--a Geo Metro from the local Thrifty Rent-A-Car!

It may be "The Ultimate Driving Machine" when everything works right, but BMW sure doesn't have build quality or customer service up to the same standards...

RedLined

I haven't had those problems but I did have a water leak coming in behind the dash and I had to have the transmission replaced at 9000 miles. Not to mention all the other common sqeaks and rattles everyone complains about.

typeSmaximum

Its hard for me to load CDs too, get that error alot! how long to you have to wait after pushing load?

rockinTLS

I just wait until the door opens and then slide in the CD. No wait.

Guest

About loading the CDs: I had the same problem when I first got my car a couple weeks ago. I thought it was broken until I realized I was trying too hard. All you need to do is push the load button, wait a sec, and then just basically hold the CD just a little inside the slot. Don't push! The loading mechanism should just grab it and pull it right in.

bb_00

As for my TL-S, these are the problems I had for the first 3-4 weeks of ownership:

1. dings (total 10) on driver side (fixed)
2. rattle in trunk lid (remove broken clip)
3. rear skirt has gap (realigned)
4. steering wheel airbag cover is misaligned (can't be fixed, cover is bolted down)
5. trunk lid misaligned (realigned)
6. driver side leather seatback has a gash (ordered and replaced seatback cover)
7. loose seatback cover (supposely like that initially, had to let it sit in the sun for few weeks for it to shrink)
8. seatback pocket not installed properly (reinstalled)

Fortunately, my saleman and the service department have been very good on getting the problems resolved. Now I'm having my fingers crossed that I don't have to go back to the dealer again. I'm really sick of the place and the 1.7 EL loaner car.

Guest

You guys are scaring the hell out of me. Mine is ordered and should be in early next month. I hope these are isolated problems. At 30K+ for the car, it should not have these problems.

Mr Hyde

10 dings in one month???????? I would have a heart attack.

bb_00

Actually the dings were from the 1st week. It really pissed me off. The salesman told me that it might have been people leaning on it. All I can say that the body dings very easily. Thank goodness that the dings were very minor and no scratches. The dealership was able to remove them all perfectly.

BarryH

I got my TL-S in April. So far I've experienced none of the problems I've read about on the board. I also have an MDX and it’s been trouble free also. I detailed my car recently and didn't find any paint or body problems at all. People on forums tend to post issues and complaints rather than praise so I wouldn't let it get to me if I were you. Most of the problems are what I consider minor and the majority appear to have been corrected by the dealer. If you go to the Lexus and BMW boards you'll see that they're having paint issues also. Newer cars are painted with water-based paint for environmental reasons and the paint apparently isn't as tough as it used to be.

1SICKLEX

The only "paint" issue I've seen on our board is the early diamond white pearl cars lower panels sometimes do not match the rest of the car.

But all this I'm reading, this is madness........

tlswantabee

I am getting ready to purchase a car within the next couple of months and have me heart set on a TL-S. However, with all of these problems (especially the paint and ding problems), maybe I will look at the new Lexus ES300. I know, I know, it doesn't have the power and handling of the TL-S, but it also probably won't have the quality issues of the TL-S!!

BB16

Ya. I thought the same thing until I drove both. My grandma wd get bored drivin an ES300. I'll gladly put up with a few inconvieniences to have the pleasure of drivin my Type-S thank-you. Never seen a ES300 lookin good with any mods either
Personnal opinions........Ta each his own...Be cinya in me rear mirror

02' WDP/Ebony

mmski1

I had the same problem with the seat on my 98 3.0 CL. It was a rail problem and it was fixed once to the dealer.
As far as the CD, as mentioned earlier in the thread it's not a matter of it working properly but easily placing it in the slot. The installer mechanism grabs the disk ratehr than others that you have to insert the disk half way.

1SICKLEX

I feel you too (buy what u want) but I have no extra time taking my car in to be fixed for silly crap that should last in my eyes FOREVER! Some of this is ridiculous.

Road Rage

I am trying to sympathize but this is blubbering IMHO. U have had some problems - ok. You seem to expect that they will have redundant parts for the entire car at the dealer - is that reasonable? Parts add to TCO. I have had the same issues with every car I have ever owned, including my Benz, 3 BMW's, and yes, a Lexus LS400. The same people that want to buy a car for $10 over dealer invoice somehow expect the dealer to maintain a vast inventory of parts for every model, every year. Jeessh.

Considering that in-car radios are stolen all the time, and broken by bumble hands who never read the owner's manual, it is not a shock that it might take all of 2 weeks to get a replacement. Frankly, I am surprised that a broken player that was caused by one of the other respondents' ham-handedness was replaced under warranty - that was a goodwill gesture on the dealer's part, but the next guy is going to have to pay for your mistake.

As to the whine that the entire door must be disassembled to fix the bubbling trim - that is how the car is designed - so be it. To blubber about it is silly. Heck, my old Porsche 911 Turbo had to have the engine half removed to change the plugs - inconvenient, yes. Costly, yes. Did I gripe about it publicly - nope.

Mr Hyde

Geez maybe we should all go out and buy a Lexus huh????????????? I am sure they are all 100% defect and flaw free. After all they produce the best car in the world, and anyone who spends their money on any other car must be a complete imbecile right SickLex?? Your putdowns are getting old, tedious and very annoying. Maybe I should go pick on some Camry owners; that should help huh?? May I ask what exactly it is that continually brings you over here to Acura-TL.com to continually try and put us and our cars down?? Is there anything you feel you need to prove??? Are there there any feelings of inadequacy you need to deal with? If so there are much better places you can go to to deal with those feelings other than this online forum. Give me a simple reason Lex because I cant find any other ones. Just goes to show that Trolls come in all shapes, sizes, from all socioeconomic levels, and some even drive some elegant high performing works of art like the GS400. Oh well.

These are a few snipets from the GS forum at Club Lex just from the last few days. Didnt take long to find at all. Would you believe it??? Lexus has cars that have creaks, rattles, wind noise, and malfunctioning electronic toys?...........................................Ha s hell frozen over already


http://www.clublexus.com/vb/showthre...threadid=20218

http://www.clublexus.com/vb/showthre...threadid=20169

http://www.clublexus.com/vb/showthre...threadid=19793

http://www.clublexus.com/vb/showthre...threadid=13146

Guest

Mr. Hyde, in defense of 1SICKLEX, we are all entitled to voice our opinions whether they are for or against a particular vehicle. You rarely if ever hear 1SICKLEX make blatantly foolish remarks like "Acura sux, TL/TLS is a POS, etc" even on the Lexus forum. I will admit he does get caught up in the heat of things, but his passion and knowledge for all cars far outweighs any narrowminded opinions. That's what makes forums great, the objectiveness and difference of opinions, it forces everyone to think outside the circle. Forums should never be about exclusivity and one track thinking, so it shouldn't be fair for say, a TL owner to comment about a flaw with the vehicle, and then have a non-TL owner either agree, or bring it up elsewhere and get assaulted or even banished for it. I understand the thinking behind it, but is it fair ? I just feel as a moderator, your role is to calm things down when they become too heated, delete offensive posts at your discretion, and keep the topic centered. I'm not saying you can't have an opinion, I just feel that as a moderator, your role and experience (time you've been here) could have a lemming effect on others to sway opinion one way or another. Again, I could be totally wrong, and I respect that you might think otherwise, just my .02.

Mr Hyde

How long have you been here Ted or at ClubLex?? Are you serious? You shoudl really know someone a little better before you stick yourself out for them. SickLex rethinking his position later on, apologizing later on for remarks made and editing his posts does absolutely nothing for me.

so it shouldn't be fair for say, a TL owner to comment about a flaw with the vehicle, and then have a non-TL owner either agree, or bring it up elsewhere and get assaulted or even banished for it. I understand the thinking behind it, but is it fair ? I just feel as a moderator, your role is to calm things down when they become too heated, delete offensive posts at your discretion, and keep the topic centered. I'm not saying you can't have an opinion, I just feel that as a moderator, your role and experience (time you've been here) could have a lemming effect on others to sway opinion one way or another. Again, I could be totally wrong, and I respect that you might think otherwise, just my .02. [/QUOTE]


As far as assaulting and banishing goes, where are you pulling that from?????????? SickLex has done anything but what you stated. He seems to come here only posting in threads about defects and "kills" and his answers are always how great his car is and why our choices suck to put it bluntly; he implies Lexus never has any issues with quality control and that any owner that states that he even beat an IS300 he doubts and then starts a whole how inferior Acura is to Lexus debate is.

Thanx for your insight on my Mod responsibilities, but one job is to also keep trolls in check, and by flat out statements and inferences he has made, he certainly qualifies.

Guest

True, believe me I'm not second-guessing your role here, heck, I've only got like 30 posts ! The whole banishment thing wasn't aimed at you i.e. you are throwing people off, I'm just speaking from another post, when I simply disagreed with someone's point and 2 or 3 people were calling me a troll and telling me to get off the board !! Those are the people that bring a forum down a few notches with their narrow way of thinking. I take everything most people say with a grain of salt, because, really, they're only cars.

Mr Hyde

For SickLex to come to our forum and tell us that they drive "Knock off Luxury cars" and stating that he is about to buy rims to replace the knocks offs on his ride that cost more than our a TL's resale value is insulting. Those are his words not mine.

His posts telling Accord owners to slap on Acura badges on their cars and save the money they woudl have spent on a TL are also insulting and also quite comical considering he drives an older es300 which shares more with the Camry of the time than the TL ever did with an Accord. You should really know someone a little better before sticking yourself out for them. That could be why people would assume you are a troll as well when in fact you seem like a nice guy who is not here for the same reasons that he appears to be here for.

BB16

Sh*t, U can go get a Complete Custom paint job and still pay less for your TL than u would for an IS comparatively equipped. What the he** is all this whinnin bout??? IS is a nice car, but it sure the he** ain't that nice. Looks like a damn VW Jetta on some after market steroids. Give me my TL-S. I'll paint the dam* thing......




02' WDP/Ebony

BarryH

I troll the IS300.net site and let me tell you the grass is not much greener over there. Some samples of common problems:

1) TRAC/ECU update - apparently there was a programming defect with earlier production cars. The dealers are playing dumb and some IS300 owners have had to wait months for a fix and have had to get Lexus corporate involved to get the repair approved.

2) Rattles - they have as many rattle issues as we do.

3) Paint - they have identical paint issues (nicks on the hood, easy to chip, etc.)

4) Headlight Condensation - the headlights apparently aren't airtight which allows moisture in requiring the headlights be replaced.

5) Under Body Panel Falling Off - a piece of plastic that protects underbody components apparently falls off. Lexus issued a TSB on it.

I'm not putting Lexus down. The reality is that newer cars produced with more efficient (read: cost effective) production processes aren't as bullet proof as the models they have replaced. Keep in mind the IS300 is built in Japan which shoots the theory that the TL being built in Ohio is the cause of all of it’s faults.

BLUBYU

My post was never meant as whining. It was informing other TLS owners of my problems. Maybe some of them have or will experience the same issue. I dont expect a dealer to stock every part for every car, However it seems all they usually do is tell you "yea we can fix that but its going to be awhile". Having a CD player in stock isnt going to put them out of business. Im not the only one whos had problems or broke theres. BTW this CD player was in last years TLs and CLS, its not absurd that one may have to be replaced. As for the door trim its called a design flaw. My dealer said they have seen this in previous year TLs so why continue to build it this way. Talk about costing the dealer or Acura money! BTW was this a legitimate response or are you just trying to impress us with your list of PREVIOUSLY owned cars? " A Beemer, 3 Benzs and a Lexus LS 400"......OH and dont forget the Porsche 911 Turbo! OHHH WOW!! And to the Lexus faithful even with my "problems" I wouldn't trade my TLS for an IS300 with a trunk full of cash.

tea elle

That all really sucks, but I know Acura will make it all go away. I've got 2,000 miles on mine and not a squeak rattle or misalignment to speak of. The car is totally wonderful.

coffeefingers

Dude,

I'd be glad to trade in my TL-S for an IS300 with a TRUNKFUL of CASH!

Not that I hate my TL-S, I really dig it...but I'd be stupid to turn down an offer like that.

Road Rage

Blub, my friend, you missed the point - others made it after me.

1) I called a Lexus dealer today and asked if he had a CD unit for an ES300 in stock - he did not.
2) I was not trying to impress anyone with my previous cars - the point was those prestige makes had problems of varying degrees, just as ours do.
3) If you weren't whining, then you were hyperbolic to be sure - "Is my TL falling apart!!"? is a bit Chicken Little hysteria.
4) The bubble is a design flaw - agreed - but you went on about dismantling the door to repair it - that should not be relevant to the owner - that is the dealer's problem. Hence the Porsche Turbo reference.

"Seek first to listen, then understand". Words mean things - I try to be very careful with those words - re-read what I wrote in that context.

1SICKLEX

Why do I open my mouth........

All I am saying IN MY LITTLE SHORTSIDED IGNORANT OPINION (well that's what people think) is that WHO has time to go back to the dealer as much as some folks here? I think all these nagging problems are crazy.

BTW when a GS 430 guy got his car (not sure what) but something was wrong, we told him TAKE IT BACK!!!!

I did not say (you said) Lexus never had problems, that is your opinion (is it the continuous JD Power awards) and what u said.

BTW I do post suggestions and help on other posts but of course the "negative" ones are pointed out, it is expected and I am not tripping.

Thank u TedC for the support but beware.

Mr Hyde