larrp

I have a 2000 TL that has been nothing but problems. This is by far the worst car I have owned. It is my 8th out of 9 Honda’s. I am on my third transmission, 2nd set of brakes, second and third set of leather interior (depending on which seat), and the car has vibrated since it was purchased. The dealer said the tires were bad, when it was brand new, and I had to take it to a Michelin dealer. I took it to where they told me and the Michelin dealer said in writing that the tires are fine except one, which they did replace and that I had 3 bad wheels…this is on a brand new car. They refused to do anything about it. As of now I have had the transmission changed 2 times and it is acting up again…#4 is around the corner. The last transmission was changed in December of 2003. The brakes were all replaced around 25 to 35000 miles. Has anyone else seen this kind of non-stop issues from this car?
I’ve owned a 76 Civic, 80 Civic, 84 Civic CRX 1.5, 88 Accord 4dr, 89 Accord 2dr (wife), 91 Accord 4dr, 2000 3.2 TL (Junk), 2001 Odyssey. I am very dissatisfied with Honda/Acura. ARE WE ALONE??????????? Do we have any recourse or legal action that we can take?

dtpjigzer

yeah tell me about the problems! i've been through it all. and mine is a freakin 2003 tl-s. I've had squeaky seats... that one recall (everyone should of gotten that one) 2 tranny's replaced, warped rotors. and the car drives like shit!!!!!!!!!!! i hate acura right now!

fsttyms1

i have 137,000 miles on mine and other than the tranny mine has been PERFECT

MikeElmendorf

I am with you, Larrp. My 2003 TL-S has been the worst car I have ever owned. I'm on my second transmission and it still is not right. It bucks/shudders/surgers erratically. The dealer cannot readily duplicate, so, of course, there is no problem. It did this before my first transmission was replaced, and even then, there was no problem until it started making a noise.

I've also had my brakes done twice. No leather problems, thankfully. But the car squeaks and rattles worse than any other I have owned. The dealership did actually fix the worst one last week--after 2 years. My issue is not with them; it is with Acura.

And as far as Acura goes, don't bother trying to get relief from them. They do not care. They are total stonewallers. "Client Services" is a joke. They keep telling me that they will not do anything until the tranmission fails completely--even though it is obviously on the way to that. In fact, they told me on Friday that they instructed the dealership make no further attempts to repair the problem until the transmission fails.

I have never seen such a horrible approach to customer service and dealing with an obviously widespread problem.

This is my first Acura, and based on the way they have handled this situation, it will most certainly be my last. What a terrible mistake.

ME

larrp

Hi Mike,

I need to find the Honda/Acura arbitration numbers and address. I can only hope that me past purchase record of Honda’s will give me some help. If not, then sadly, this is my last Honda. They have gotten far too comfortable in the number one spot and are producing cars of less quality. I can not fathom Honda/Acura being so complacent on this issue…it goes against their past track record.
That is what they are saying to me about this tranny, can’t do anything right now…so I guess I just need to wait until I get stranded. Do you know what the percent of defected cars is up to?..

Larry

`ill*tl

Yeah...very little...

MikeElmendorf

Not true, ill tl. There are an article in the LA Times a while back that indicated they had replaced 16,000 transmissions THEN. I know 4 people with TL/CLs, and two of us have had transmissions replaced.

I will PM you the number for client services. Good luck. You will need it; they don't care.

ME

garylee55

I guess I would put it this way...if you were looking to buy a car...ANY car, and you found an online forum where there were a reported 16,000 tranny failures, would you buy the car? If you do, then you deserve exactly what you get!

larrp

I am not counting on getting anywhere, but it is worth trying. Has anyone gotten an attorney at this time or seeked legal counseling?

larrp

Garylee55,

None of us...at least not me, new about these issues until after the fact. I purchased my TL new in 2000, I heard nothing of these problems until the FIRST time my trans. went out.
Either way...it is Honda, we should not have to go through this, and they have totally lost the whole "We build a better car" mentality.

LS14ME2

I am the proud owner of a 1999 TL that my wife and I actually waited for when the 99's first came out....
Waiting list/up front down payment etc....
We had no idea at that time these cars were going to be such a piece of shit....
If it was not paid off.....It would be long gone....
I will never, repeat never purchase another Honda product (are you listening Honda) and have told anyone that has asked us how we like our fine upscale Acura to go elsewhere....
My lowly domestic Pontiac T/A on the other hand after 36K miles has never had to pay a visit to the dealer for any reason and it is my daily driver....

`ill*tl

PM PeterUbers, who filed a complaint w/BBB. Here's the thread http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...threadid=68286


.. to make a long story short, he was on his 3rd tranny on his early model '03..and got the car bought back by Acura. Now, he's in a '04 TL...which their trannies are completely re-designed..so don't go jumping to the conclusion that Acura has lost its mentality "to build a better car."