ABLUETYPES78

I have many of the same problems on my 2007...clunking, front tires just replaced (really bald), creaky mirrors when they tilt in reverse, engine noise, and rattles...but since its a lease i have taken a who gives a f**k approach...lol, it really doesnt bother me. Car is fast, looks nice and gets me where i have to go.

BUT......If i owned this vehicle i would have been pissed off bigtime.... anyway lease goes back in Jan.

Krashdoc

08 TL-S is my first Acura. I have 20k miles on it and its a daily driver. I have been very impressed so far. It is a great daily driver. Unfortunately, your experience has been suboptimal. The items that can be fixed under warranty, get them fixed (ie: windows). If the OEM tires bother you, change them. Brake dusts on the TL-s is pretty much minimal compared to the 911 or the ///M3. And use premium unleaded gasoline as recommended.

napatype S

If you did research before leasing this vehicle you would of known these issues with the car before hand. I researched the tl s before purchasing it so i new what i was getting into.

VegasRPh

Wow. I seem to have "stirred the pot" here. My intention was to NOT upset anyone here.......or seem too "picky". I just basically wanted to state my own personal opinion on my current 08 TL-S after about 18 months of ownership. Nothing more. Again, I joined this forum to read, listen & share my thoughts on various subjects..........NOT to offend/upset anyone.

To clear a few things up:

1st: I ran ONE TANK of 87 octane gas thru my 08 TL-S just to see IF the "spark knock/pinging" would be worse. Yes, it was. Since then, I have ALWAYS used 91 octane.......this is the highest available here in Vegas. Maybe my comment on this issue earlier was just out of pure frustration, I am a car FANATIC..........I have been since before I could drive.

2nd: I am NOT cheap. If I was........would I lease a $39,000 Acura TL-S for $520.00/month AND THEN BUY the TL-S A-Spec body kit ($1,000) to put on the car for 36 months just to turn in the car when my lease is up? How about the BRAND NEW Falken FK-452 tires ($500) that I put on a LEASE car at 3,000 miles? Does that sound cheap to you?

3rd: My previous cars have been (last few years):
2007 Infiniti FX35 (also currently own/drive now)---zero problems
2006 BMW 325i with a 6-speed manual --- TONS of problems
2003 Nissan 350Z with automatic --- zero problems
2003 Honda Accord EX-L --- few minor (brakes) problems
1995 Ford Taurus SHO automatic (165,000 miles) --- few minor problems, maybe one of the best cars I owned and wish I would have kept it.

4th: Yes, I am going to take the car to the dealer. I have before regarding the "spark knock" issue, but there seems to be NO fix for this. (although there seems to be MANY, MANY other owners here who agree that this is a problem with the 3.5L V6) I will have the seats, mirrors, rear end clunk looked at, etc. during the next visit.

5th: NO. I do not "thrash" or "beat" on my cars. I am a 34 year old Pharmacist (aka VegasRph) here in Las Vegas. Honestly, I don't think I have even driven my TL-S 90mph the entire time I have had it. I drive about 3 miles to work at 9am.......then back 3 miles to home at 9pm.

Honestly, I really wish I could "love" this car........but it has not "loved" me back. My CBP TL-S is always clean (inside/out) and still looks GREAT. The overall quality of the car, for just being 18 months old, has just let me down & surprised me a little........that's all. My

My next car? Who knows. I will cross that bridge when I come to it. We will have to see how the next 18 months go with my TL-S before I can say if another Honda/Acura product is in the future.

GeezerB

iTrader: (1)

My 2004 G35 had a much worse brake dust problem
To take your side, I am kicking myself for not spending the extra cash & buying myself a G37 sedan when I had the chance. You can't beat RWD. I still feel a little uncomfortable in my TL when pushing it. Isn't that what it's all about? You have to have confidence & trust in your ride. I do love my car but loved my G a lot more. Hope I change my view before the 5 year payment is over....

VegasRPh

I did. I read Edmunds, Consumer Reports, Motor Trend, etc. For the most part, Honda/Acura products get very good & high ratings. That is why I am driving an 08 TL-S........it was a highly rated car for its performance, reliability and performance.

VegasRPh

I hear you. Unfortunately, I am 6'5" tall and the G35/G37 sedan did NOT fit me well........it was too small. The Acura TL & TL-S made me feel comfortable while I was driving it.......and it STILL is comfortable. My 07 FX35 SUV has been fantastic the whole time I have had it. It is 2 1/2 years old with 20,000 miles on it and it rides, drives, looks like new. No rattles, no squeaks, no issues what-so-ever. SOLID.

VegasRPh

That was a frustration quote.......bad wording on my part. I used ONE tank of 87 octane gas to see IF the "spark knock/pinging" would be worse. It was (no-brainer there, huh?). Besides, I was trying to convince my DEALER that I wasn't just "hearing things".

VegasRPh

I had a 2006 BMW 325i with a 6sp manual prior to this 08 TL-S. The Bimmer was a true POS. BAD......really BAD car. It was in the shop more than it was in my garage.

I traded that car in for my 08 TL-S.

VegasRPh

Well, looks like I am NOT alone here after all. I remeber reading TONS & TONS of your posts/threads on your TL-S!! You were in LOVE with that car! Sounds like you had MORE problems with yours. Sad. Very sad.

Did your spoiler ever come off your car? Mine did.......well half of it did. The rubber strip/tape was hanging off the trunk.......under half of the spoiler. That was another "complaint" I forgot to mention. The dealer had to REMOVE & REPLACE my spoiler.

But maybe I am too "picky".

Tl-sNbp07

iTrader: (1)

Holy shit 649 a month??? jesus.. Thats rape.. no offense..

Rick_TL-S

Must be your driving/care taking of the car.

I've got a CBP 5AT as well, & my front wheels will stay clean for quite a long time. No rattles or that here, either, nor does my rear end "clunk". Seats are a little worn, but my car is nearing 30,000 miles after nearly 3 years of ownership in the family. Paddle shifters are fine for me. Not lightning quick, but quicker than most cars that like to throw them in for "fun".

Tires were switched for S.Drives, so I agree there.

Other than that, I still enjoy mine a lot, even if I do get thoughts of getting something else.

And for whomever was getting 18mpg on the highway, dude, you must really drive the hell out of the car or run into the high RPMs consistently. I'll admit the Type S isn't a great MPG car, but I'm pretty sure most people here are averaging 20 city, and 25+ highway.

Johnny_b

FYI, I don't take offense to your claims. But...

You are still complaining about problems that happen on cars that are $20k more expensive. The decklid spoiler on my friends e46 m3 has fallen off 3 times. They are all affixed the same way... tape.
Brake dust? Come on. If you don't want dusty wheels, don't get a car with performance brakes.

I've never heard a single rattle in my car. But people complain of rattles and squeaks. Beats the hell out of me.

I get 23mpg consistently(6pd) with spirited driving. That is great for a big V6 putting out almost 300hp.

You blame horrible OEM tires on Acura. Like all car manufacturers put the best possible tire on their cars from the factory?

Are you too picky? No. But you are putting blame where it doesn't belong. Honestly, my only major complaints about this car are the rear bumper that doesn't fit correctly, climate control, and aweful door stops. None match up to yours. I don't get it. There aren't many people out there that are more anal retentive about their car than I am. So trust me when I say I don't overlook a thing. Maybe yours is a lemon.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Im confused here. The OP and others say that the OEM Michelin tires are "horrible" and "unacceptable" etc etc. Excuse my langauge but WTF are you guys talking about? I have 29,000 miles on my 07 TL-S with ORIGINAL Michelin tires that have been great. They have worn evenly, are very quiet, and havent once experienced traction issues that were anything to worry about. What is so unacceptable with these tires? On my drive to work this morning not once did it occur to me that the tires are horrible or unacceptable lol. Just a normal drive like any other car.

So fill me in

georgegiorgio

Agree with you, even though, I had Bridgestone RE030 (hpt) from stock, and the only complain I had versus my new Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 are the noise...

However, I've notice cornering on the RE030 are more responsive than PS2... I don't know why...

Oh, my RE030 lasted 30,450 miles...

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I've had good luck with my OEM tires too. I'm in the same camp with JTS and George.

And as far as the brake dust goes, that's just the nature of the beast! There are a lot of other pads available that one can switch to that will produce less break dust.

BradE

My OE tires are wearing fine, but they are HORRIBLE if you live in an area with snow. Even in 1 inch of snow they are nearly useless.

nyclio

Nice to see someone in the same boat as me. I went from a G to a TL-S and I miss the G. A lot. I DO like everything about the TL-S better (looks, interior, features) - but I miss the feeling the G gave when you pressed down on the gas and how it handled as well. (I also do have more rattles in the TL and the stock tires DO suck)

But, on the flip side, I only have $6400 left to pay on the TL-S before I can call it my own.
2007 with 25.5K miles.

VegasRPh

Wait until you replace those OEM Michelins with a decent tire. You won't believe how bad those Michelins were.........you will swear you are driving a totally different car. On my TL-S, the Michelins had NO GRIP, Slid around corners, were HORRIBLE in wet weather (borderline dangerous).

I suggest Falken FK-452's, Yokahama S-Drives, or General Tire UHP's.

I put a set of Falken FK-452's on my 08 TL-S and it was NIGHT & DAY difference in handling, ride comfort, noise reduction, wet driving is actually FUN now with these tires. Not to mention, the FK-452 is an aggressive "cool" looking tire that sets up nice on the TL-S.

VegasRPh

[QUOTE=Rick_TL-S;11284722]Must be your driving/care taking of the car.

I've got a CBP 5AT as well, & my front wheels will stay clean for quite a long time. No rattles or that here, either, nor does my rear end "clunk". Seats are a little worn, but my car is nearing 30,000 miles after nearly 3 years of ownership in the family. Paddle shifters are fine for me. Not lightning quick, but quicker than most cars that like to throw them in for "fun".


No, I take care of this car extremely well. Honestly, you could "eat" of the car's paint, engine or interior of my car. Lease or not, I take PRIDE in anything that I drive. (I have even hand washed a RENTAL CAR before, so it looked nice while I was driving it).

My 08 TL-S has 14,000 miles on it, has the A-Spec Body Kit & some Falken FK-452 high performance tires on it. It LOOKS brand new, maybe even better now than stock.

The bulid quality of the car has disappointed me, that's all. For $39,000 this car should be better built. IF it had a $19,000 MSRP, I probably would NOT have mentioned the list of issues or complained about them. At that price ($19,000) you might be faced with the "you get what you pay for" idea.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Like I said daily driven TL-S original Michy's no traction issues all year round here in Chicago. We must be totally different drivers.

AtlM5

Haha the REs are more responsive than your PS2s...you do realize PS2s are one of the best dry performance street tires in production...you must not take your car near the limit which makes me wander why you have PS2s, they are super expensive and will wear very fast, so why is it worth it if you don't drive like that...
BTW my dad just got some PS2s for his M5 and they are amazing!!!

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

not saying I am bonnie but not saying I am huge either... I used maguirs on that thing since the dealer replaced it... it helped, but in the long run... it still wouldn't look like quality leather

ps. mine were tan... I am sure black is not as sensitive

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

I did get my car a very long time ago... literally was one of the first things I did when saw it came out...

out the door the car was like $42500

now you know why w/ that payment I really did not feel as tho i was getting my moneys worth... so I went out and bought a rattle free hooptie for the price of 2 months car payment

now I enjoy $65 a gas a month... rather than $30 a week

georgegiorgio

Well, I did several 90 degree turn around 50 mph and felt the car rear sway... same driving before on the RE030 did not cause that feeling...

And same driving on same routes as before, which now I have to be more aware of the speed I have to apply when turning...

No doubt, the traction on the PS2 are better, has better grip, just not when I turn at high speed between 50 ~ 70 mph

Oh, the noise is less on the PS2...

georgegiorgio

when did you get your TL-S? $ 42.5K OTD? Was it in Nov ~ Dec 2006?

KN_TL

iTrader: (3)

There's a good reason for that sticker in our fuel door that say's run premium only.

WRXtranceformed

Paying $39-40k for a TL-S must be frustrating. I picked mine up for ~$25.5 out the door CPO. I learned my lesson a long time ago with buying new cars though, some people don't care about taking the value hit I guess.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

^ The OP didn't pay 39k for his TL-S. He negotiated it down to 35.5 and his lease payments are around $530.00 ( with I think 0 down)

WRXtranceformed

He was the one who mentioned it was $39k...

Sorry, I was off by $3500 :P

Johnny_b

Except most of your complaints have no merit. Rattles, ok. Pinging, maybe. You are in the minority with these problems on a type-s. How can your car, that came off the exact same assembly line as everyone else here, be so much different. I don't buy it. I have seen many complaints about rattles and cracked dashes for the tl, which is unnacceptable. But very few for the type-s.

JTS..
These michelins are subpar. The rear tires have slipped out on me while taking a turn at high speed. And my fronts chirp on a lot of my start ups. In michelins defense, most all seasons are pretty mediocre in all categories. Another reason not to blame tire choice on acura.

jeff442

[QUOTE=VegasRPh;11285694]Vegas -
I must compliment that fact that you have been very diplomatic in addressing member feedback here. Some of these comments have been borderline attacks. I love my TL, but I agree that the rattles and squeaks are unacceptable. How does it help when someone says, "well mine doesn't rattle?". Or you have someone suggesting that the problems are rooted in you not properly maintaining the car... that's BS. Anyways, I hope you get some of these issues fixed and good luck with the next car.

SlowRiderr

Do you know how to operate a manual transmission?

georgegiorgio

[QUOTE=jeff442;11288216]Well, I've love to see some members helping each other, like helping my TL-S rattling...

Of course, I'd love to see mine never does so... but, it's hard, right?

In my case, my rattle only happens around the driver side window...

jeowen

to bad man, I am 1/2 through my lease as well- 18 months, and WILL be purchasing the car in FEB of '11. I have not exp. any of the issues you have mentioned, I just went on an 800 mile road trip, and loved all of it. I enjoyed shifted with the paddles, from 80 down to third through the mountains of WV was FANTASTIC. The paddles work great, they are not DSG, so you can expect a lag, if you want an AUDI with DSG go agead and spend an extra 20G. Remember this is a 35K car, its tough that you have had a bad exp, but if you want more, then go ahead and plan on a 600+ car payment new, or a used German that wont be as near as reliable- good luck

BigJack75

Man sorry for all the problems you are having. I just bought an 07 TL-S with 47k miles and it runs great. I have only had it for a about 2 weeks now so I may not have noticed all the issues yet. I would deffinately take it back to the dealer and have them look at all your complaints. I looked at several different cars and I think the TL is the best car for the money. I have always like Acura/Honda and believe they make great cars. Sounds like you may have gotten a bad one.

Bearcat94

Rattles is the only thing I am unhappy with. No issues with leather, brakes, etc. No mechanical issues. I have had the spark knock, but it's either gone (with CAI, TB coolant bypass) or I just can't hear it anymore.

Thinking about enlisting some help this fall for a rattle elimination program though.

SG81

iTrader: (1)

one thing i'll agree with is the Michelin tires are horrible. probably the worst tires i've ever had

Majofo

VegasRPh

Read my earlier post............my last vehicle was a 2006 BMW 325i with a 6-speed manual. I leased that car for 2 years, then went to the Acura TL-S.