JetJock

I just called my dealer today to inquire about the ever increasing "butt print" in my driver seat cushion. Several people on this forum have mentioned the problem, and someone said that Acura is aware of the problem, and that a TSB has been issued to remedy the problem, although not replacing the cushion with the '05 design. My local dealer said I was the first one to complain and that they were not even aware of the problem. Does anyone know for a FACT that Acura issued a TSB, and has a solution for the problem. I don't want to go thru the trouble of having the leather replaced, only to have the problem return. There is always the chance of them doing more damage replacing the leather, than the butt-print problem was in the first place. I've been conditioning my seat, but it doesn't seem to matter. I'm not too concerned with the wrinkles in the seat bolster, they just have the natural leather wrinkles that always develop in most soft leather, but the stretching and "bubble" that the buttprint leaves is not acceptable. Thanks!

pinito

I know my dealer in Allentown has offered to replace, but only once in 50K

Hawhyen51

I don't believe they'll issue a TSB for the seats, only for safety items (ya'all correct me if I'm wrong), however the dealer should change them because of abnormalities/defects under the warranty. I know several members have mentioned replacement once in 50k. List 2004 TL TSB's

Lore

I'm having the dealer check out my seats right now. Will report back once I hear more.

JetJock

Just got back from the dealer, and they said my car was the first complaint they've gotten. Manager said they would check with the district Acura rep. and see if it could be replaced under warranty. I don't know if I'm getting the run-around, or people around here just don't complain or care enough about buttprints to take the car back to the dealer. Most of their TL sales are on lease and had I leased my car, I probably wouldn't care either.

Novice

I think it is only worth replacing your leather cover if yours looks like this.

pinito

JetJock-

Who is your dealer?

Road Rage

TSB's can certainly be for non-mechanical subsystems, such as seating.

Safety RECALLS are never done for problems which do not represent a hazard to people and/or prorerty.

There is also a "twilight zone" of what are known in the industry as "secret warranties" , "extended warranties", or accomodations". The biggest example I recall was the "morning sickness" problem with GM's power steering racks - quality Teflon seals were used to maintain pressure, but the seals were embedded in the soft aluminum housing of the rack. Over time, the seals ate the aluminum, causing pressure loss when cold (the morning) until the fluid heated and parts expanded.

GM did not issue a recall, and many people paid $500 for a new rack. The new racks had stainless steel inserts where the seals were, so they did not get worn. However, anyone who pressed GM hard got the work done as an extended warranty. I saved a friend $500 bu putting them in touch with Buick Cusotmer Service, and we had a fun 4-way call. The dealer claimed complete ignorance of the "extended warranty coverage", until the Buick CS rep saidf "you have been paid for 2 in the last month". That was that - I got a gift certoificate for a nice steak dinner.

JetJock

Jones Acura Lancaster, PA

Casper42

Dealer Ownage. Gotta Love it.

Lore

Dealer is replacing my seat under warranty. District Manager declined 05 seats - said that they would not be putting in any 05 components in the 04.

Novice

Lore: Do you have any pictures of your seats? Were they damaged?

Lore

Not damaged, per se, but the bolster (ebony) is worn to hell and the butt prints keep getting worse. They said the dealer gets the skin, gives it to the upholsterer, they put it over the foam, and give it back...

rs808

I'm experiencing the same problem with Ebony interior (BUTT Print). I was going to have my local dealer look at when I go in for my fist oil change. I sure hope the dealer takes care of it.

HondaOnly

If the dealer won't replace with 05 seats, then why are there are several people on here who say their dealers have done just that?

Dr.Murdock

I got a NBP/Ebony. So far i have 2k miles on it, and the seats seem just fine. I'm 6'2 and weigh 190. When i first get out the car, there is a buttprint, but by the time i go back in my car its gone. The new designed leather fixes the problem since having 3 divisions, it keeps hte leather tighter, not allowing it to crumble up together because it is loose.

JetJock

Update 10/29: Srvice manager called today and said that approval was given to replace the seat leather on both my seats, although the passenger seat really isn't too bad yet. When I questioned him about the "05" vs. the "04" design, he said he would request the "05" style since they were doing both seats anyway...but said it was up to Acura because they have to submit the claim for my car which obviously is a "04, and whatever Acura decided to send would be the only thing they could do. Anyone who has had luck getting the "05" style....how did your dealer submit the claim? Also, anyone who has had this done....how did they replace the leather?....did they have to send it to an upholstery shop...and how did it look afterwards? I would sure hate to have them do the work and end up having something that looked worse than what I've got now. Upholstery work is something that takes skilled labor, and the mechanics at the local Acura dealer certainly don't have skill doing work with leather. It might be better to wait for a few years, and get it done just before the warranty expires, that way, they might not have any of the old design leather available and would be forced to use the new style. Is there any time limit having "upholstery" warranty work done? I am getting real paranoid about this whole mess.

Novice

One word: "Horror"

JetJock

Thanks for the heads up! Think I'll wait! Buttprints suddently don't seem all that bad!!

Lore

Don't forget to request replacement of the rear seats too, otherwise you won't match. The dealership where I took my car in this time said the District Manager wouldn't authorize a use of an 05 seat since they're not putting any of the 05 parts into the 04.

JetJock

Lore, what do you mean about the rear seats not matching? My rear seats don't have any buttprints so I wasn't planning to ask them to replace something that isn't broken. The leather should match since I don't believe I'll be getting the '05 style seat. Are you talking about the color matching? I'm starting to get real nervous about this whole thing, and am considering just living with the buttprints instead of taking the chance I might end up with damage like Novice has. The buttprints look more acceptable than having the seat possibly damaged or the leather looking like it's been replaced and not have the factory look.

Novice

JetJock:

I forgot to mention. Re: the factory look, my replaced seat is not perfectly positioned and the texture of the leather is slightly different. If the butt print is the only problem, i.e., no visible damages to the leather, I would say just live with it.

Mindcrime

I have to say that the leather in the TL is probably the worst leather I have seen in a car. It is very cheap quality and is an area that they must have tried to save a few bucks on in order to sell a car with the features the TL has for the price they are asking. I would have rather had them rasie the price a few hundred and put better leather in the car. I've had a lot of cars with leather and there is no question the leather in this car is sub par compared to other cars.

rs808

Really? My wife has a 2004 Altima SE and leather seats feel like plastic. I also had leather seats in my Toyota 4-Runner (Traded in for TL) and the quality is nowhere near that of the TL.

New2004AcuraTLman

correct, why should they take care of a problem that exists for us customers for purchading their shoddy product? I know why, because acura SUCKS and they will deny and wrongdoing and take it to the grave because they are as dumb as a box of rocks

Jerky

I dont like the term butt prints..

I affectionally refer to them now as memory seats...


thank you

MisterLawyer

Road Rage

A man of peace! With Arafat in Hell, there is a job opening BTW.

What in tarnation gor you so riled up that you would use such language and offer a blanket indictment of Acura? I happen to like their products, and have been treated pretty well by their service departments at dealerships in NC (where I bought the NSX) and Virginbia (3 2G TL's, 1 3G). Were you hpg-tied and beaten or something?

New2004AcuraTLman

RR, if you were in my situation 2 nights ago, you would be fuming and would precisely understand where I am coming from. I personally have no beef with the car itself or the dealership that i use to get service. I personally LOVE every aspect of the car itself and the engineers did a fine job of building such a piece of machinery.It is the AFTER sale experience that is of disgust when dealing with acura themselves because they don't give a hoot about you or your problems. They want to dismiss matters easily and take no liability or responsibility for their product. They are rude, coldhearted and downright nasty. I am not just talking from my experience 2 nights ago, but my friends horror story and several other people I know who have acura cars. They do not stand behind their products. Sure, you may get someting fixed under warranty from the dealer if something should break, but if the dealer claims that it was your fault when you KNOW it has nothing to do with you, they wil levae you out to dry with a huge repair bill. That does not inspire confidence in me EVER purchasing another poduct from them again. What does i say about a company like that? RUN AWAY. You should check out planetfeedback.com and do a search fo acura and read some of the other stories on there of how they give the shaft to people. I G-D forbid you have a problem with the car after warranty...even if it 3 minutes after the warranty expires, they will say fark off. I am sick and tired of big companies trying to get away with things that hurt the little guy that made them who they are in the first place. They need to be made accountable for their actions in a court of law to show them that they can't do whatever they feel like because the think they think they are almighty.

The fact that i used language in my post was to express my feelings that were completely justified that night and I gurantee that if you, your wife or your children were in that situation, you would be mad as a red bull. People cannot empathize the situation until they are in it. Only sympathize. There you have it and BTW very funny antics about afafat lol.

Road Rage

That was what I was trying to get to - I cannot read every post, and I still do not know your context - i had hoped you might link me to it - I might very well empathize, sympathize, or even help plan civil protest - oh well, I will search on your handle and see what got you in a rage.

I am not an apologist for AHM, or any small or large company - they stand or fall on their own. But I also know life is short, and those "rant" websites were a 1-visit no thanks visit for me.

Road Rage is a good handle for me, as when i get very angry, I get lower in tone, and slower in word delivery. My staff knows when i am stewing because I get "the look". I have found in my time on Earth that this demeanor works. RR is an amusing contradiction.

I am off to search for your post(s). Too bad your handle is not N2ATL.

OK, I found it, and recall my response to it - I thought then, and still do, that you had some issues, and went ballistic over them to the point where it clouded your rationality, making any sort of reasoned conclusion impossible.

Although you may think otherwise, I would have acted quite differently, although I would have been as angry with myself as with AHM. I may get sarcastic now and then, and I will not suffer an idiot, but I defy anyone to produce a post where I went off and started spouting - even in the great $1 clip hassle that is bugging me right now.

If you are going to vent your rage in every post that has something negative to say about the TL, I for one will just pass over your comments - which i hate to do, because I like to hear different views. But I do not see you "getting over it" to the point where I can read your posts and not think "huge chip on shoulder". You may not care a whit, and that is of course your perogative. But in my writing for several magazines, in my "real job", and in my "rep" on several Iternet Forums like this, how I show up means a lot to me. I hope the coming Holiday season chips away at your well of vitriole - fro your sake, not mine or any other member's - think about it, will ya?

RR.

New2004AcuraTLman

Thanks for your input RR. I am a very nice person and a rational one at that as well but there are just certain instances that drive people above the breaking point in life and that nobody or company should get away. That is when i stand up for the rights of the little people because we live in world and sociebt tha is driven by money and not compassion and understanding. The simple fact that acura RS assistance was willing to pay for a tow to only their dealer as opposed to my home is absolutely perpostuous. The simple fact that they could have acted differently towards me in an understanding manner instead of giving me the brush off and maybe taking into account what i was going through that night and the weather conditions outside that made it impossible for anyone, let alone the tow company to even get out and change a tire in freezing rain conditions is where they should be lined up on a wall with a firing squad taking their best shot. They could have JUST as easily towed me home and made MY life easier and happy that I purchased the car instead of outraged and irate that all they want to do is make money of me after the sale. That is DISGUSTING and shows a lack of reliability and care for their so called " clients" i understand if they have certain rules but I think I was entitled to some compassion ESPECIALLY since the dealer was closed to begin with and they had the nerve and audacity to want to make me leave my car there with keys in a drop box overnight? They are out of their minds. I don't let ANYONE touch my car especially dealerships as i'm sure you keep that mind set as well. The just didn't care and listen to their " client" who asked for help in a nice manner to start with, but after hearing the same excuses, lies and answers no matter how nice you are or what you say, it gets old quick and that's when ANYONES temper and frustration would come out.

You want an example of how people do not care about other people int his world? Here ya go. I was STUCK wit the same car a week ago, ironically at fedex with a dead battery. I never left anything on to cause it in the first place either. I drove there , shut my car off to go out and drop off a package and 5 minutes later I go to start the car and..click..clcik ..click. Dead battery. I opened up my hood and drivrs door and took out my cell phoen and preceeded to call someone for help. I was right outsie the main door of fedexd ( 5 steps) where there were TONS of people coming in and out dropping off packages. Do you know that not one person who passed me by offered any assistance with a jump or botheres to even ask me what was wrong with my car for an entire HOUR that i was stuck there. Not one person. That is really sad my friend. Instead, they all pretended like I wasn;t even there and walked right past me. I kindly asked 5 differenct people reluctantly if they can assist me in a jump but 4 out of 5 people declind wit various excuses . You think you have fellow compassionate people out there who will help you in such an instance? Not a chance. It's everyone for themselves in his cold world we live in and you have to do what you have to do to look out for yourself. I

I thorougly enjoy reading your posts and taking the valuable information you provide on this forum to heart and respect your opinion in my situation, but that doesn't excuse the way i was treated 2 nights ago from our so called client services department. We all paid for that roadside assistance as part of our warranty and whoever thinks it is free and that you should take what they give you is aboslutely smoking the hash pipe again. It is not free and I expect the backing up om my purchase by a responsible company who actually cares about them. Ehy shoukld they care, they already hav yo money. The should care because it i the right thing to do and because it will lead to future puchases and sales. I am in a very prifitable business myself and treat customers # 1. Those are the people that come back to me and make me who I am. Word of mouth and the internet go a LONG way in any business that can make them or break them based on your experience with them.

The dealership never explained the RS assistance to me and that ois their fault as well as nevr providin me the wheel lock key. I have a bone to pick with them as well. I will admit that it was partly my responsibility to make sure I had everything but that is a moot point already.

In any case, you and anyone else on this forum can take what they like from my posts and would wager that more than half of them would agree with me 100% by just reading my story and more than 80% if they had it happen to them.

Thank or the comments. They are noted and have a good night

BTW sorry to the OP for hijacking hs thread!