After all that I’ve read about the headliner falling off and paint coming off I decided to cancel my order with the dealer. It seems like everyone is having the headliner problem and those that are not, well…. are starting to. The worst part about it - the dealers can't even fix it right!

Last thing I want is to spend $35,000 on car and have the headliner fall off while my friends are watching from the back seat.

Acura – get your sh*t together ‘cause here’s another customer turning away.

 

I sorta agree.
I heard the accords were having the same headliner problems too.
I'm thinking of getting a G35.

 

um... it just sags a little, barely noticible, it doesn't fall off... when the G35 came out, it had 5 recalls and 32 TSBs... even Ferraris have problems

 

if u think that these minor problems are big, then buy yourself a mercedes, theyre even worse!!

 

You are welcome to do as you please
You sometimes have to put stuff in perspective
There will always be somethign wrong, nt workign perfect or that you don't like
Paint issues seem to be wide spread on all bvehicles due to new EPA standards
teh rest is petty crap that we bicker about becasue there isn't any real problems
headliner, ooooooh, so it sags on a FEW cars. One trip in and it i fixrd by the dealer, no biggy
If that is a major car problem that keeps you away then you are going to be very unhappy with every car. A clip will break here, a rattle there.... happens.
If that one time thign was the only thing to go wrong with my car I would love the fact that I had a problem free car- all the better, it means nothing, not even mechanical
to each his own though

 

While I understand your concern, and I agree that the TL has caused some owners a few headaches, I strongly disagree that "everyone" on this forum is having this problem, or beginning to. I know that it is *far* less than a majority, even a narrow one. I've only seen about three or four members post in these forums about it, and the ratio of this forum's membership to total TL owners is an insignificant percentage. I cannot guess the actual number of TL owners having issues with the headliner, but if the ratio in this forum alone is this small, then I'm guessing that the total number headliner problems to total TLs sold is an absolutely miniscule ratio. I have had exactly *zero* problems with my TL, of any form, which no doubt also places me in a statistically small (and very fortunate) group.

I'm not trying to get you to buy a TL, the market is full of exciting alternatives. Know in advance though, that each one of their forums will have its share of happy, satisfied owners, as well as some annoyed and frustrated ones. Be sure to surf those forums also.

All I'm saying is that you may be over-reacting to this one issue. To those who are dealing with the headliner, sure, it's a very real, major pain in the butt. But not very many owners are dealing with it, certainly not as many as you are implying. If this is the one and only thing that steers you away from this car, you may want to take a breath and reevaluate the big picture.

Whatever you choose, I hope you will enjoy your new car as much as I enjoy my TL.

 

You sure are right there. Consider yourself lucky you don't own this one.

Thomas of Towson MD
I have had a myriad of problems with my 2003 CLK 320A. The rain-sensing wipers have a mind of their own and continue constantly even after it has stopped raining. It drives me bonkers. They say there is no adjustment and the "PICKET FENCE EFFECT" causes this problem. Ever heard that one before?

The car also has a hesitation after it is warm and you let it rest for a while. Upon restarting and entering traffic, it hesitates and nearly stalls and after a few seconds begins to accelerate, nearely causing an accident because I am now in the road with no power. It's been in the shop three times and they tell me there are no codes and they find nothing wrong with the car. It occurs sporadically and I never know when this will happen.

I have no trust in this car now and wait until no one is in sight before I enter the roadway. Also, as anyone who owns a CLK can attest, they have the flimiest, most ill designed cupholder I've ever seen. It won't hold the cup securely and it often just slips out. Yesterday, it did slip out and some of my Pepsi apparently dripped down into the electronic transmission shifter. This made the transmission lock up in low gear and I couldn't get it out. I pulled over and it came out of Drive and went into Park. The entire car malfunctioned when I tried to restart it. It would not restart and all kinds of lights started flashing. I couldn't put up the windows or the convertible top. I could not get into my trunk to fetch my laptop or other work materials. The entire electrical system was haywire because of a poorly designed cupholder and transmission shifting unit. Shouldn't it be waterproof if they put the cupholder directly above the transmission shifter opening? Particulary a cupholder that won't hold a cup!

I tried to start it again and it finally did. It would not come out of Park and tons of lights and codes were flashing. Then the convertible top starting coming open and closed all by itself. Up and down it went. Time after time. Not too safe! The whole incident has left me more soured toward this car then ever. The SOS button was the only thing that worked correctly in the car! I was informed that I would have to pay the towing (this on a car that comes with life-time Roadside Assistance) because I put the Pepsi down in the elcectric shifter. They are the ones that designed and built this thing and I believe that they should stand behind it.

Now I really have no trust or feeling of safety with this car. With only 11,000 miles, it has already been in the shop more times them I can count on one hand! They did tell me that they would goodwill this problem once, but this towing and future problems are on me. Isn't this a design FLAW? I've never heard of this type of problem before. Why wouldn't they fix it in such a way that this would never happen again? When I first told Frank Basso what was happening, he immediately asked me if I had spilled something from the cupholder, which is directly above the opening of the shifter. This must be a significant problem with these cars, because he knew exactly what had happened. How do I get MB to take this beautiful but poorly designed car BACK? I just don't feel safe in this car anymore. This thing could put your eye out!

I missed the entire day of an insurance enrollment. All my materials were in the trunk and I tried everything to get it open. I waited a few hours for the tow truck and it had to be dragged onto the flatbed because it would not come out of Park. This can't be good for the tires, transmission and drivetrain. I paid $97 for the tow. Not to mention the emotional damage I feel when I think about how much I invested in this car which I now can't trust or feel safe driving. I am very disgusted with this car. I understand why Consumers Report rates it as the car line with the least initial QUALITY! What do I do to have Mercedes take this car BACK?

 

^ omg wow :lol1:

 

Good luck with whatever you buy. The G35 is way to plasticy for me. I don't like the looks either.

 

Guys,
As an old 2nd gen member, I would like to share some advice. A lot of people will come here and just post about their problems all day. Some will even make up problems if they start hating their car for some reason. It happened 3 years ago when I bought the brand new 260hp TLS and it's happening now I see. What I'm saying is don't believe the hype, take care of your car, and accept the fact that no matter what vehicle you buy it won't be 100% perfect. In the last three years, I've serviced my car every time it needed it and the only thing wrong with it was a wheel bearing going bad. And even that was fixed under warranty and I got a brand new MDX loaner too. Accept the fact that any car may have minor problems and just move on with it as long as it's not a recurring or large problem. It's all a part of life.

 

I'm in a 2003 FX45 right now and considering either the TL or the G (miss the 6-speed stick from my Talon TSI). If Infiniti had Acura's NAV and BlueTooth, there would be no contest. If Acura had Infiniti's RWD, there would be no contest.

I recently got out of a 2002 Q45, and given the price / value ratio, it was a great vehicle. Given its NAV (the same one in the FX and the G) - which just sucks, makes me want an Acura. I love the TL NAV.

I truly hope that the RL will come back with a 6-speed stick, as it were present in the Legend. AWD and a clutch would win me over immediately. Plus, the concept drawings are gorgeous.

 

Very well put, however, I had the chance to test drive EVERY TL on the lot the first time I brought mine into the dealer (they offered to replace mine since the paperwork hadn't been sent out yet). Every one of them rattled and vibrated, that's 100% of the allotment for the month of Jan '04 for the Dealer I purchased from. From what I see from my frequent visits to the dealer many of those cars have been sold and are also frequent visitors to the dealer. There were three lined up behind me when I brought mine in yesterday.

Rattles can happen and I may be the most anal person in this regard but it's been years since I had a car with rattles and none that were so loud and persistant as this $33k car has. My wifes Chevy Cavalier didn't rattle 1 tenth as bad as my TL does. I owned a Sport Trac, another first year vehicle, not a single rattle in that beast, not one duyring my year of ownership. There are days when mine rattles from every direction, the warmer it gets, the more rattles present themselves, some even rattle at idle!

Doublesided stick tape to hold up a head-liner, what drugs were they on when they decided on this? Who decided to use the cheapest felt on the third brake light? If they must cut corners to keep this car in the target price range then don't include DVD-A or some other item that forces them to cut corners. I'd much rather have less toys and a more solidly built car than a car with a lot of toys and issues stemming from cost savings.

Tires, good God if Ford learned their lesson, who handed the Acura tire purchaser the crack pipe so Acura could buy crap tires for a not so cheap car? They cannot say that this didn't come up somewhere during testing, no way. Pass it on to the consumer and see if he/she complains because it's too late to send them all back, typical. If the TSX could be switched, so can the TL, force Bridgstone to suck it up since they have so many issues these days making good tires.

Slow starting, while I understand this happening and why it still sucks because it usually happens when someone you hope is impressed with the purchase gets to see it take a few tries to get the car started. My car has thus far talked 3 people out of buying a TL without me telling them the issues I've had.

Personally I think buying the TL at this time is a bad idea, at least until the '05 comes out. I may be jaded so take my points as someone who owns one and has test drove many, it just isn't ready for prime time yet, maybe next year. Sorry for being so blunt, I know many have had no perceived problems, but then I think the average buyer doesn't pay attention to their car until something bad happens. Forum members excluded of course.

 

Guys,

Although I agree with you that every car will have issues and that not everybody is going to experience the headliner problem it does not changes the facts:

1. Headliner is held by double-sided tape. With weather changes sooner or later your headliner will give out. It's simple physics. To make matters worse, the dealer cannot do a da*n thing except add more glue (woopee). -- which brings me to my next point.

2. It seem that the paint job (especially on the bumpers) is somewhat cheap. EPA or non EPA.. I've never had a car where the pain started coming off in the first 6 months (does Ford count?). Again, since all paint jobs are created equal - if you haven't had this problem yet... get ready because you are about to in time.

3. Let's look at the big picture. I love the car, it's great, it's fast.. whatever. If Acura is cutting corners on small things like tape and paint the question becomes: WHERE ELSE ARE THEY CUTTING CORNES? ==> And the answer is: I really don't want to spend $35,000 to find out.

 

hmmm i dunno...no car is perfect...so far i haven't had any probems with my TL.(knock on wood!) i truly love this car. but if you think that these minor issues are too much for you then by all means go ahead and get a different car. or better yet, if you can wait for the 05 model do it...

 

I've only had my car for about 2 weeks and 500 miles. The headliner is my only problem. It droops down like 2 inches and i barely notice it... however, its not acceptable. I figured they would fix it by not taping or gluing it back but using some other method to hold it in place. If they dont and the rest of the roof lining is held up by tape, in about a year or two from now the whole thing is gonna be comin down on my head. All i want them to do is just make it stay, its not technical, its not electrical, its a piece of material that just needs to be securely stuck to the frame!

Although i am b*tchin about the headliner, the rest of the car is perfect. Yesterday i road in my friends 03 CL Type-S 6sp... that car has rattles EVERYWHERE, literally at every corner of the car there is a rattle... and the suspension is blown... the TL feels so much better suspension wise and i can understand now why it is so stiff and rough at times on certain types of pavement.

For all those who are going against buying this car... thats your own choice, but you gotta understand every car has its problems. Look at the benz in the previous post. As long as its not mechanical, we should feel blessed to only have a headliner issue, i think the car is worth it. :smokin:

 

I recently had problems with a 2003 350Z and after a few visits to the shop and NOT near as many or as severe problems as you, my attorny had Nissan purchase the car back at NO expense to me.

I would strongly suggest this to you with all of the serious issues you have listed.

Good luck!

Stu E.

04 Satin Silver/Ebony 6MT

 

Another silly post. :lol2: It is really minor stuff. G35 has much more severe issues like eatings brakes and pads once a year.

Just say it that you can't afford it. :diablotin

 

I can certainly understand your perspective. Who knows why you and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of our ownership experience with our cars. I also had a trouble free loaner for almost two weeks while awaiting delivery. You may have driven the loaner also, a WDP/Parchment 5AT non-navi, since we both bought from Continental in January. Maybe you can lemon law yourself a new one?Certainly your prerogative. Who could argue with you for shopping carefully and doing what you think is best with your hard earned dollars. Good luck with whatever you end up with.

 

Another silly retort, Sanitor. G35 has the best brakes on the market, in its price segment, hands down. 60-0 in 111 ft. As the TL does the same in 128 ft. I'd spend the money on replacing pads rather than on fixing my car, when I rear-end someone.

Of any car I've driven, short of the Porsche 911, G35 brakes own.

It's scary that the TL lost not only to the G35 but also to the Caddy CTS in the last issue of MT. Prior to that, it lost to the G35 and BMW 3.

 

Good point, my guess is which day the car was built. Based on the problems I've had except for the tires, almost all can completely be because of lazy line people or someone pissed off that day.

Up until yesterday all my loaners have been '03 3.2 TL's, all of which were rattle free I might add.

I had the chence to replace mine the Monday after I bought mine, I turned it down because none of the other ones I drove were any better and at the time tires were the biggest issue besides a rip in the seat. I doubt my issues can be brought to the Lemon Law court since they don't affect the car's ability to get from point A to point B and the tires can be replaced. I'm just guessing on this of course.

Don't get me wrong, everytime I look at the car I think man what a car! Then I drive it and well, there it ends. Until today I hope!!

 

Headliners falling, rattles rattling, tires vibrating - all these problems DO suck, shouldn't happen, and should be fixed.

But, they are hardly the kinds of major malfunctions that ruin people's weeks. How many '04 TL's have stranded their owners at the side of the road so far? How many have had failing brakes, failing transmissions, faulty air conditioners, electrical failures, moonroofs that wouldn't close when it started to rain, weird hesitations that could cause an accident, etc.?

Despite all the bitching we TL owners do, because we're hypersensitive on this forum, I've yet to read of one TL having a really serious issue. The kind that requires a tow. Or causes thousands of dollars in damage. It's all been ticky-tack stuff. Stuff that shouldn't happen, I agree, but also stuff that doesn't impair the car's ability to get you from A to B safely.

You say new cars in general don't have big problems? Read the guy's CLK post again. Read the G35 FIRST YEAR forum posts - people were freaking out about the brakes.

I'll be as annoyed as the next guy if/when my headliner starts drooping, but I still have a lot of confidence in Acura/Honda quality overall. I expect to drive my TL for years without getting stranded or having the brakes fail and kill someone.

Having said that, Infiniti is a great choice, too. And it may indeed be true that a second-year G35 will have fewer initial quality issues than a first-year TL. If you don't mind the interior, the G35 is a great choice right now. I might have chosen it myself - except I found the interior much too fugly and a little tight on space. I value those things highly enough that the TL was the car for me.

With or without a drooping headliner and a couple of rattles.

 

This is such a stupid statement that I don't know where to start! You find it scary that this car has been consistently rated among the top 3 near-luxury sport sedans??? :banghead:

And ratings are very much subjective! There are several reviews, including Consumer Reports', that place TL at the top of the ratings. You seem to be some sort of drama queen, being "scared" by great reviews and imagining that everyone in this forum has a headliner problem. I'm sure that 99.99% of people don't! I've only seen couple of people complaining about this problem. TL is not perfect, and neither is any car car on the market...

 

if those problems are a big concern to you then i would hold off getting one, or just get another car you feel comfortable with. people that have problems here are a small percentage of all TL owners. the headliner problem is a more recent thread that has been popping up. if everyone who didn't have a headliner posted a thread there will be way more threads about headliner free issues than problem threads. the G35 is a great car but certainly not perfect, it might have little problems as well. this forum is going to be a little bias towards the TL because we are owners, but the fact is most of us(i can't say all) love the car for what its worth. its fun to drive, offers great value as a whole and is reliable for the most part. good luck in your pursuit of a new car.

 

I would suggest you keep things in perspective. This forum while growing, is not indicative of the vast majority of TL owners. I suspect the overwhelming majority of TL owners are not experiencing the headliner problem, including myself. All in all, I have not experienced the vast majority of problems others here have :bowdown: thank goodness, but they are all pretty minor compared with many other cars. I've owned or leased Acura's for over a decade now, and find them to be well made and highly reliable with very few problems.

 

True, but they piss me off for the morning each day it happens. I guess if I bought a Cavalier or Focus or something like that I wouldn't care since you get what you pay for. BUT, I've had the Focus as a loaner and my wife had a Cavalier and neither were plagued with these issues.

So, when I get to work in the morning I drink a huge cup of Java and relax and let my 16 hour day soak me up so I don't even think about the car, ummmmm until I come here and relive it of course, everyday.... like a moron....

 

Agreed, my big mouth aside there are alot of happy TL owners out there.

 

This was the whole point of my poll today! Clearly, 75% of the people who own have had no interior issues.....so how can you possible say the headliner issue is impactive everyone. Hey, BMW, Mercedes, etc...they all have recalls. Wouldn't you rather it be a tire or headliner than the engine block or something mechanical???

 

Heh, go easy on that concrete wall. You might just need a G35 to stop before you hit it too hard.

I find it scary that someone like you would take my statement and make a soap opera out of it. Take it easy Modeler.

 

 

HEY EVERYONE.....Remember what you are all talking about. A glorified NISSAN vs. glorified HONDA. There IS NO comparison!!

 

There isn't? To what? 33k is 33k and should live up to a 33k standard. Just my humble opinion.

 

I have to say I agree.
Keep in mind that owners gravitate to this forum because they want to solve problems (and bitch and moan and get sympathy for their problems.) :lol2:

What you see in the forums is a 'concentration' of those who are having problems (minor and major) and are seeking advice and help.

As a counterpoint to all the problems you're hearing about, I got my TL in March '04 (vin is 35xxx) and I have really not had any problems at all. No squeaks, no rattles, I'm completely happy with the car.

I did change the tires but only because I wanted better performance. I could easily have lived with the EL-42's and for the short time I had them, I experienced no flat spotting even though temps here in AA have gotten as low as mid 20's the last few weeks.

I know 3 other owners as well that have had 0 problems with their TL's (one is a 34XXX vin, the other 2 are 38XXX vin's).

Acura is aware of many of the problems being discuessed in these forums and IMHO, is doing a pretty good job of taking care of them. Many of the TL's now (I believe vin's are int he 40's now) are probably almost trouble free as mine is.

Just my $0.02, as usual. YMMV.

 

As long as vehicles are designed and assembled by humans, there are going to be issues in every vehicle. I traded in my 2003 Infiniti FX35 for a 2004 NBP TL. After delivery of my FX, I found 2 cuts in each door panel, the sunroof rattled, a recall was issued for a warping hatch (bad glue), the hood was misaligned, the center console rattled as did the doors. Did I trade it in because of this? No. My TL has the occassional squeek and rattle, the sluggish start, and the creaky headliner. It is frustrating, but with time, these areas will be addressed. Until then, I just crank up the CD and enjoy the best car audio system around.

 

Aggie,

Just some advice... Do not solely base your opinion on what you find on internet auto forums. If you check, every auto forum is jammed with complaints and gripes about some imperfection or design flaws.

Acura is a great brand that has really stuck behind their product. Like with any car, there are some that are defective (a small percentage) and others that aren't. I am completely satisfied with my TL, and I am sure that if you ask each member of this board, the majority will tell you the same thing.

Good luck in your search for automotive perfection... you will be looking for a long time.

 

I could tell you one thing for sure...not the engine.

If you buy yourself a nice used car for $1500....you don't have to worry about anything, because it didn't cost you 35k. :lol1:

 

Then I guess the humans at Ford are at least making sure the interior's are tight, I've yet to have one rattle. The humans screwing the TL's together, or glueing as is the case for the TL sleep through the process.

Yes I know, why didn't you buy another Ford then? Good question, the TL has a great reputation so I thought I was safe, also the Ford I want (New Mustang) won't be available (the way I want it anyway) for two years so this will have to do until then.
Who knows though, should Acura come through I may keep it for longer.

 

Every time I convince myself to finally get a TL I come here and read the threads on this forum and I get cold feet.
Should I wait for 2005 and hope these issues get designed out?
Will there be AWD? Or an iPod interface?
Should I just get something else instead?

Unfortunately forums like these are anything but scientific and the new TL could actually be very trouble-free. Or this could be the worst car Honda ever built. You'll never know from spending time here. I think if you go to any car's forum you'll probably be scared away from buying any new car and end up buying a $1,500 fifteen year old Accord or something.

Despite all the bitching here I still would take my chances with it over anything from Nissan. I don't know anybody who's bough a Nissan product in the last 5 years who hasn't had noteworthy problems with it.

 

Damm you just got some bad luck!! BIG TIME!! THE 2004 TL IS THE BEST 4 DOOR SEDAN MADE IN YEARS. Ive had mine for 1 month and have had absolutely no problems what so ever.....perfect from every inch...guess it reallly is just a small percentage of people that have these problems...so everyone looking into buying it, GO AHEAD! chances are with you that you will get a TL with no major problems......

 

If I came onto a site like this and read about problems with a first year model, I'd think twice too. So I can't blame aggie. OTOH, every first year model has issues, and it's a gamble to buy one, even from such an esteemed automaker like Acura (Honda). I gambled six months ago and am a very happy owner of an early build model right now. Others don't wish to make such a gamble, and I respect their decisions to purchase another car or wait until the 2005 MY. I, personally, feel that I got $35k worth of car.

That Mercedes story was awful, I'd sell that f**cker back.

Cheers!

 

You have obviously no G35 owning experience. Rotors & pads have to be changed once a year. Nissan Canada has recognized the problem by extending the warrany on brakes until 3yrs/60000km. This is mostly a patch to calm customers because after, they are on their own.

You have an obvious anti-TL attitude; get your trolling ass elsewhere.