MisterZDX

Let me start by saying that I am very loyal to the Honda/Acura brand (Over the years I've purchased a Civic, 4 Accords, a TL, and now a ZDX), but one thing I've noticed is the constant complaints about problems with the RL and now RLX. Why can't Acura seem to get its flagship sedan right? I am a frequent visitor to all of these forums and while the TL, MDX, RDX, ZDX, ILX, and TSX owners discuss a few problems, it still seems like the RL and RLX come with more issues. Back in 2009, I came close to buying a new RL, but opted for a new TL Shawd Tech instead. When I was in the market again for a new vehicle I considered a '14 RLX Advance (the interior is gorgeous and I love all the tech), but once again did not buy and opted for a new '13 ZDX. My Z now has 11,400 miles and has been problem free (not so much as even a rattle). Probably helps that the 2013 is the last model and Acura has had enough time to work out all the kinks. I'm saying all this just to say that I am such a fan of the RLX and the possibility of me buying one in the future is still there. I just hope Acura can get it together, especially when it comes to what is supposed to be their flagship sedan.

neuronbob

RL was only problematic the first year. I owned a 2006 (the second year of production) and it had a few minor problems, the worst of them being requiring the carbon fiber driveshaft replaced. It never left me stranded and I was very happy with it.

RLX just finished its first model year, so hopefully the kinks have been worked out for 2015.

Keep watching and in a few years the RLX as a later model will be as right as your last model year ZDX.

getakey

plus - people tend to go to a forum to post problems

holografique

I can't really speak for the older gen RL, but for the RLX, while it is true there have been some small (and not so small issues), overall it is still a great car.

If I could summarize all of my issues with my RLX Advanced, it comes down to this:

1) Lack of several key "luxury" features on the Advanced model when comparing it's final selling price to other cars in it's class/price - both from competitors and within the Acura line itself. (e.g. remote-start included, HUD, adjustable suspension/steering, panoramic moon-roof, better interior ambient lighting, automatic trunk door, rear Entertainment/HVAC controls)

2) Quality control issues with various key components and features of the product (e.g. poor NAV UI performance, engine/cabin noise issues, suspension issues)

From my perspective, I attribute most (if not all) these issues being a combination of:
1) prod management / QA issues
2) rush to get it to market
3) most (if not all) of the design, tech, features, etc are all new and have not had the opportunity to be refined and improved through customer feedback and long-term operational use in the field.

If the line survives and continues, I suspect we'll see a much better "refined" and "improved" RLX come MMC.

Ken1997TL

+1

And this isn't to accuse anyone of anything in particular, that's the 'nature of the beast'. We're here for information, though I suppose a few people are still here for Ramblings

CFoote

The higher-end cars are always more complicated -- all the technology in these cars is daunting. For the most part, it isn't the hardware that is messing up -- it's the software/coding in the car that is the majority of Acura (and BMWs, and MB's, and Audis, and everyone else's) problems.

As time marches on, the push to release the next new model becomes shorter and shorter, and I can tell you right now that at BMWs receiving port (in NJ) they are working 3 shifts around the clock to move cars, including Saturday and Sunday. Everyone is under the gun, at each manufacturer, to get product out the door as fast as freakin' possible...

That means some things fall through the cracks. Unless you have an exceptional dealer and really need a car, I would never buy a first model year car (ha - I say that but I do have an 2005!). My '05 has had its share of issues, nothing my dealer hasn't fixed mind you -- but I am fortunate in that my dealer is exceptional.

I will give Honda/Acura credit though, they release bulletins and recalls if they have to. A lot of companies just try to sweep it under the rug and say "oh, what? No issue here on your $60k automobile..."

Chris

holografique

^ great point. the constant releases of TSB's to address both small and large issues is encouraging.

victorber

Currently I have 31,199 miles on the Odometer and one point I have to make is that with all the current TSB's released TO DATE I have Not received one notice from Acura or the dealer from where I purchased the vehicle. (Aren't dealerships required to annotate the vehicle maintenance records to show TSB compliance)? That includes where I have the vehicle serviced...
I have relied on this forum and the members to keep me out of trouble...


THANKS GUYS...

hondamore

TSB's are insider fixes for problems that other Acura owners have reported but are NOT full blown recall problems which require the notification or all owners that you mentioned. That is, when an Acura owner presents to his dealer with a problem, it is passed on to "head office" and if the problem isn't unique, they will engineer the best possible technical solution to the problem including parts list and step by step instructions for the fix and issue a TSB. The TSB is then a short cut to diagnosing and repairing similar problems on other vehicles with similar problems. They are issued to help Acura service departments but not necessarily to notify Acura owners of potential problems.

For that reason, this site is invaluable to give you a heads-up on things you should look out for and, IF you discover that you are having one of the noted problems, have them looked after by the dealer following the TSB's BEFORE the warranty period runs out. Once off warranty, all problems are the car owners responsibility to fix regardless of whether a TSB has been issued or not. It is not a bad idea to go through the TSB list carefully before your warranty expires and check that you are not having an issues that are listed. (That said, I have had a lot of success with Acura covering most if not all of the cost of such problems after the warranty period expires - within reason).

That is my understanding of the issue - I am certainly open to other opinions.

Edward'TLS

MisterZDX, I have been on this AcuraZine forum since year 2000, and I can assure you that the RL/RLX had/has one of the highest quality and reliability from Honda Motor Co.

The so-called problems are mostly 1st year production vehicle issues. They are nothing when compared to those for the 2014 MDX or the 2G TL/CL, with which the latter has a dedicated sub-forum to address all those crappy transmission issues.

Mike_TX

I had a 2006 RL, and the only problem I ever encountered was the guy who broadsided me at about the 20,000 mile mark. Thatw as one of the best cars I've ever had.

My 2014 RLX has been problem-free until this past weekend when the nav display suddenly refused to display the nav. The dealer did some kind of "update" and now all is fine again.

I guess I don't really know what the OP is referring to when he speaks of the problems with the RLX (?)

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SimpsonTide985

It's interesting what the perceived level of expectations that have been thrown at certain cars of certain price ranges. A higher price range of a car has never really correlated with a decrease in potential errors.

FredS

I disagree about the RL having problems. Consumer Reports and J D Power has always rated it high in dependability. I agree with you about the RLX and will add the TLX. My wife and I have owned 15 Acura's and Honda's. The last ten have been all Acura's. While working I was traveling 40,000 miles a year so I estimated that I have driven close to a million miles in Honda vehicles. They have been great, enjoyable and trouble free miles. I have also said it is the only car I would purchase. I currently own a 2010 RL with 80,000 miles. I have been looking for several months and had decided again on a RLX or TLX. Reading these forums however I can not do it. I truly believe Acura has changed in the last year or so. I am reading about stop sales, transmissions slipping out of park in the six cylinder TLX and the car rolling, transmissions problems with the four cylinder TLX, the recent trademark for Acura the jewel headlights now having to be repaired, the never ending suspension rattle from the RLX etc... These are major problems and I feel Acura has slipped in quality. I am also concerned these initial quality issues although under warranty will become dependability issues down the road. Some have post "Well these are new cars and this is expected". I have bought 12 new Acura's and never ever had one brought back for an initial problem of any kind. These are $30-60,000 purchases and Acura is using us as guinea pigs to see if they got it right??? Other have also commented that well there forums are setup for problems. In the past they were by far tips and tricks, things I like etc. This can all be confirmed by the latest J D Power survey on initial quality. Acura in the past had been third, third and sixth in 2011-2013. In 2014, Acura has dropped to 25th of 32. The sad thing is they are below Volkswagen and Land Rover. This is based on 2014 models. I will be willing to bet next year based on 2015 we will drop lower. It is very depressing to see the manufacturer that I have loved over many years and many miles IMO drop the ball on quality control.

NWRL

I couldn't agree with you more. I've had 10 Acuras many of those since 2005 (including 2 RLs with no issues) and after my experiences with the RLX I think I'm done with the brand. From my perspective build quality has declined (more squeaks & rattles), styling is bland and they are now behind the curve as far as cabin technology compared to the other manufactures. Quality, value, cutting edge cabin technology that worked flawlessly is what drew me to Acura and kept me coming back but based on my recent experiences with the RLX I will be looking elsewhere.

kuhi

I'm with you.
I brought my car to the dealer 12 days ago for seat belt recall. Since then they found 4 other TSB that should be completed. They don’t even have ETA on some parts needed to finish work.
All that is before they will diagnose one of my initial complains (rattling noise from transmission on 4th gear).
I’m at 16000 miles by the way.
Its my 4th Acura and most likely the last one.

diamond01146

i have the same issues 4 acuras later 3 previous TL and now the 14 rlx this is definately my last one i tried to work with the dealer on getting out of it early but they cant work me without me taking a huge loss so basically i have no choice but to ride it out ive seen 3 used rlx at the dealer with the tech 19s and bubbles on both front tires same as mine dealer says to blame my driving in the bad nyc streets when in reality they selling some of the worst tires michelin offers horrible service got me headed to a better brand

dzionny_dzionassi

^^^^ what happened to , . in your post?

neuronbob

As I said in your other thread on this topic, this is not Acura's fault, it is your city's fault for not maintaining the streets in a timely fashion. There are many criticisms of the OEM tires, but sidewall bubbles is not one of them.

George Knighton

When Virginia localities and the government of the Commonwealth realized that they were the subject of civil action at common law regardless of their perceptions of sovereign immunity and even statutes to the contrary, they had to break down and establish a grievance resolution process for pothole related damages.

I am sure it does not happen as often as it does in colder climates.

But what we've had to do down here is to get people to go to their insurance companies for an immediate repair, and then the insurance companies deal with the municipal or county government, or the Commonwealth, for restitution. It takes a while to get through all the paper work, so they want you to get the money from your insurance company first.

If your insurance does not cover this kind of road hazard/pothole kind of damage, then the individual owner can elect to go through the process. But it's going to take a while. You won't be able to pick up your check tomorrow...it's going to be more like three months.

George Knighton

If you are in Virginia, it is the VDHT who regulate this.

They have the power of a crown monopoly; however, since an individual owner continues to have recourse to the people in the black robes, they behave responsibly.

I have never had to do this. The only criticism that I hear is that it takes them a while to give you your money back. In addition to all the red tape you'd normally expect, they have to decide who didn't do his job with regard to the pothole repair, which town, city, or county was responsible, or is it the Old Dominion's responsibility.

fsmith

We of course have it way worse in New England. But I would also mention that I once blew a tire and bent a rim pulling into a shopping mall parking lot. As private property, that was way easier to deal with. I got it fixed and the mall owner reimbursed me.

hondamore

In response to those complaining of issues with their Acura vehicles and vowing to leave the Acura brand...today Ford and Nissan both announced large recalls related to safety issues. Toyota, GM, Mazda, Chrysler have had many issues and recalls the past couple of years as well. The point I am making is that ALL manufacturers must rely on their suppliers to provide top quality parts and if those suppliers have problems, regardless of the fact that they've had a 100% reliability record in the past, the manufacturer's reputation is damaged. The issues being discussed regarding the RLX are no different than those being discussed on Toyota boards, Nissan boards and don't get me started on the German brands and the problems they are having constantly.
Those vowing to leave the Acura brand have to realize that the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. Other manufacturers have also begun adopting more and more technologically advanced features on their vehicles which are more prone to problems ESPECIALLY in the first year of a new model.
The only 2015 RLX owner on this board reports none of the issues are present in his car which suggests that only the Beta Testers, the early adopters are having problems. The lesson learned is that, if you want to drive the latest, newest models, you are going to have to learn to accept that small issues will arise in new cars from EVERY MANUFACTURER and leaving Acura for a new manufacturer isn't going to bring you trouble free driving in any new model.
To those who compare the issues they are having with their RLX to their bullet-proof Acura RL, remember that the 2005 RL had several minor issues that owners complained about. The keyless ignition garnered plenty of complaints with some drivers even running their batteries dead because they hadn't turned off the car when they parked. The keyless entry got nothing but complaints with people changing the door handles time after time because they had waxed their car and door wouldn't unlock. Acura worked out the issues and the later model years had very, very few issues. The point is that you have to compare apples to apples and not a new model to a model later in it's production cycle.

Rant over.
As always, just my two cents.

TampaRLX-SH

ranting yes, and mostly reasonable.

But there are counterpoints.

I have owned Acura vehicles because they did NOT offer me the same mediocrity that other brands offered (relative to price points). Excusing the quality issues is makes Acura synonymous with Ford / Nissan / Chrysler / etc?

Yes technology components will have fallout when introduced and early adopters must anticipate this. Should they roll over and ask (pay for it?), not IMHO. However misaligned body panels, brittle clunking suspensions, crooked steering columns, ill fitting interior panels, drooping headliners, chaffing trim pieces are things ALL car companies have been perfecting for decades. Acura's precision gets a pass when it doesn't even exceed mainstream brands? At the auto show attended the ONLY Acura model I could not easily spot such defects was the RLX, coincidently built in Japan. Yet assembly quality allowed a wheel to collapse and a recall to result.

Now comes Acura's intended luxury perception. Should we want to pay more (yes some models are still value leaders comparably equipped as I feel the SH RLX Advance is superior to luxury brand options), but should an PAWS RLX be $20K more than a Avalon, Impala LTZ or Buick because of PAWS? A few hundred people seem to think so.

Acura is obviously trying to rethink, update and re-launch the RLX. Swing and a miss. Do we really need to keep making excuses for them? Acura, it's OK, we give you a trophy for trying, and not showing up in your adverts.

Or are we making excuses for ourselves. I have tried to keep my posting at bay as I find myself more and more disagreeing with this forum. The rose colored glasses and kool aid flow after EVERY post where a member dares to speak distaste or disapproval. It must be counteracted....immediately. It reminds me of a member who once opened a thread with instructions that ONLY props could be posted. All else were just HATERS. Sophistication at its best. Sarcasm intended.

No criticism, no dialog, no balance of ideas does the brand a disservice and those who buy the brand with a perception they are achieving quality, content and value BETTER than the others.

I expect more from Acura of late. I hold the bar higher and I believe they can do so. I will pass on the kool aid and remain color blind. I hope that my patience and enthusiasm has not completely abandoned me.

But I welcome the input from those who have fair critiques as we all benefit, even those who enjoy everything about the car and the brand.

woropallo

I read this posting a couple of times and I am not sure what the message??? I been posting on this forum about my 2015 RLX PAWS Advance to provide readers with the knowledge that my car does not have the issues that are being presented on this forum. So the issue may be early adopters with the new design. I am familiar with the early adopter pain, I brought a new 2013 Avalon Limited which was the first year of the redesign. The first month my car was in the shop for 12 days with 5 difference problems, one being the headliner which was falling down. After I finally got the car back the new headliner started falling down and my SAT Radio did not work. I have to give Toyota credit they knew they had a problem and took my 2013 and gave me a new 2014 Avalon. I will say I mention the lemon law a few times which may have help and my dealership also helped. Nine months after having the 2014 in the summer month in Florida the headliner in this car started falling down, I believe it was the Florida heat because around the moon roof you could see it was just being held by velcro. They offer me a free extended warranty and I knew I could get it fix under warranty but I had enough and decided to go back to Acura. I traded in the 2014 Avalon with 9k miles and ate 10k. The service director at my dealership helped me with my decisionn to get rid of the Avalon, he made the mistake of telling me they were getting one car a week for the headliner fix. Also, the difference between a fully loaded Avalon Limited with the Technology package versus what I paid for the RLX Avance was 11k. IMHO that was a bargain since there is no comparison with the Avalon Limited, the Acura is definitely better quality, more technology, a much better ride. etc. In summary, you never know for sure if you are going to get a lemon or not, the best you can hope for is that the manufacturer will stand behind his product and fix the issues. The one lesson I did learn from Toyota, I will never buy a first year re-design car again. Sorry for the long post.

neuronbob

Lots of sturm und drang over first year issues that afflict every brand.

Criticisms should be raised as that is what leads to change. In fact, that is indeed what has happened already because of this forum. So keep posting them.

Part of the issue is that people had been waiting for SO long for an RL-class replacement, only to be greeted with the typical first year issues, which given the extremely long gestation period, and 250 current hybrids dumped on the market essentially as a beta test has naturally led to some resentment and upset. People have a right to be disappointed, and to sample other wares.

Here's hoping that Acura gets their ass in gear regarding the RLX. They are not acting like they want a flagship and because of their secrecy, are not giving loyal potential flagship owners much in the way of hope. Case in point, TampaRL and others.

George Knighton

I think the sacking of the rear drive platform came at the wrong time. I believe they'd gone pretty far down that road when somebody at the top stepped forward to say that it was not who Honda was and not what Honda was supposed to be doing.

Then the already hastened front-bias platform was further upset by the economic disaster caused by the tsunami and Fukushima disasters.

timmins

i do support Acura keeping the front wheel drive platform if only for the room we enjoy in the cabin. a similar cabin space in a rear wheel platform would be over 200" long car easy.
you are right in the sense that a rear wheel platform will give a better driving dynamic especially for hard driving. still the RLXh does give you the benefit of the front wheel platform and very similar dynamics to that of a rear wheel. it could be the best of both worlds with one drawback that i could find with all my winter driving - the split second sensation of the rear steering it self at slow speed on slippery surface

George Knighton

If technology like P-AWS, SH-AWD and the Sport Hybrid idea are affordable and can make cars feel even better that your typical FR design, then, hell, go for it.