Nodoze2004

Well I am not very happy with Acura's service department. I had to drop my car off today for an alignment as it has been pulling hard to the right since day one (car is 6 days old). I am of the opinion that they skipped the alignment during the A-Spec installation to save time!! So I drop it off this afternoon at 12pm and get a loaner TSX (glad I got the TL that thing is underpowered). I was told it would be 4 hours until they would get to the car and get it done (note to service manager the 5 techs outside smoking and talking does not look good especially when a 15 minute job takes 4 hours to get done). So I drive off and leave my baby in the hands of the service department.....

..So I call to make sure the car is done, and am told it is ready to go. I get in and drive off and GUESS WHAT it STILL pulls hard to the right!? Dumbfounded I check the receipt to see what was done and get this it says they put air in one of the tires and mentioned it did not need an alignment!!!!?? I was floored by the following comment on the service ticket and I am quoting "Pulling to the right is normal for a car with the A-Spec package" UM NO :sqntfawk: it is not. So I u-turn and go back to the dealership to speak to the service manager. He advises that he wants to take it for a ride. I start out driving and take the hands off the wheel and watch as the car instantly changes lanes to the right. I then am told that this section of road is bad and that this is probably caused by the road again NO :sqntfawk: it is not. So I pull over and have the service manager drive so that he can feel the issue. Low and behold I am told there is an issue um no shit that is why I brought it in!!!! He asks me to leave the car overnight HAHAHA yeah right!!! I advised him that I would be back the following day to have the service properly done.

All in all I would give the service a 0 out of 10. 4 hours at the dealership, 26 additional miles on the odometer and all I get is air in one tire!?!?! I COULD DO THAT!!!

I have to say that so far Acura service SUCKS!!!!!

Havok423

Not necessarily. That dealer's service sucks. I'd call and speak (very calmly) to the GM of the dealership and see if you can get a couple of free oil changes or something out of it. If he declines simply tell him you'll be honest with Acura Customer Service about the quality of service at his dealership.

04tlnbppar

I am feeling you... My A/C was broken at 16xx and took me around 2 weeks to be fixed at dealership. While I took the car back, guess what, I have to send it back because the tech put dents on my center alumni console, it took me another 2 visits to get the damn thing fixed. What's next?

Legend75

WOW! This is not good, I just ordered my TL and am hoping that I can find a reptuable dealership to work on this vehicle that is a $35,000 car when I need service! I expect to be treated well and expect outstanding service, especially paying $35,000 for a car! I mean it's foreign made and the foreign perception is that their cars are gold and that they are above everyone else's so in turn should be their service!

04tlnbppar

just be careful while you will bring your car in for service. Stay away from those stupid techs.

Bobzmcishl

I have had the opposit experience so far at the dealership. They have been falling over themselves to provide good service. But then, I haven't had any serious problems with the TL yet. I did have to laugh at the dealer comments about "that is the way the car normally operates........" bs. I used to run into that all the time with my vette. There must be some universal training school for all car mechanics and that is the first thing they learn. It's never the cars fault. I drove a Ford LTD for four years with bad fuel injection system because FORD would not admit they had a problem until there was a class action law suit. They still didn't admit the cover up but settled. And this was a serious safety issue. I purchased an Acura so I would not have to endure this kind of BS, so I hope your problem was an aberration.

BarryH

It could be a tire defect. I had my summer tires put back on in April and as soon as I left the lot the car was pulling to the right like crazy. A tire that had been on the rear was now on the front and it had a radial defect. They put that tire on the back (while awaiting the arrival of a replacement) and everything was fine again. You might ask the dealer to try swapping the tires to see if it helps (assuming you can get them to respond at all )

bfogarty

It would be helpful to mention the dealerships that are good and those that are bad for everyones benefit. My first new Honda was a 1983 Accord. It ran great. The only problems I ever had, was when I took it in for service at the dealership. That dealership is no longer in business----pretty bad when a Honda dealership goes out of business.

rescueswimmer

How did they explain the 26 miles on the odometer? Or was that just you guys driving to and from the dealer.

ComptechType-S

Your problem is with your local dealership.. Not with Acura. When you go in to pick up your car ask to speak with the General Manager and voice your dis-pleasure. People reading this forum should not be scaired into thinking all Acura service departments suck as bad as the one you went to. My service dept (Sterling Acura of Austin) is great! I have yet to have a problem with them not fixing anything on the first try.

rynpamn21

I think each dealer is different...I just had my A1 service last week and it was really great....I dropped the car of...they shuttled me home..when it was ready for pick up, they called me and picked ME up...If i just had a little more patience i would've gotten a loaner but i really didn't have to do anything that day and i didn't want to wait at the dealer so i opted take the shuttle....overall the experience was pretty good. heck, i even got a courtesy call after a few days... cerritos acura :THUMBSUP

Grit

I've had what a mechanic termed "radial pull" with other tires on other cars after a proper alignment. You may need new tires. Don't settle for them just moving the tires to the back.

As for different dealerships providing different service: we have 2 "Cush Acura" dealers in San Diego. One of them was never able to fix my problems (on a 1998 Integra) until AFTER the warranty exipred. My friend said he had the same type of problem with getting his 2001 CL serviced. So, he went to the other "Cush Acura" service department, and had a completely different experience. Two Acura dealers in the same county, operated by the same company, and two completely different results w/service.

Sherlock

So far all of the service shops I have been to in Atlanta are pretty much incompetent. 4 times in for tire balance and never the first test drive. The instant I leave the lot I can still feel the vibration, did they not even check ??

Then one service shop (Acura of Athens) dinged up my wheels on my A1 service tire rotation.

Got into one shop (Baranco) and the rep in the check-in counter was holding up a playboy calendar for one of the other tech's to see as he pulled in with a customer's car. Real professional. I have since quit going to Baranco due to outstanding incompetence.

I had the same issues with Honda South when they were Willett honda. Went in for tire rotation, sat in the window and watched the idiot take them off and put them on in the same order. Mentioned it to the GM and he harped on me.. "why do you think he would do that".. ummm cuz he's an idiot ?? Luckily I could prove it as I had told the rep that there was a nail in the front left tire, and lo and behold it was still in the front left tire when I got the car back, that one they just kinda went.. umm.. oh.. oops.

Numerous shops have left oily/greasy hand prints on the steering wheel or on the light colored dash panels around the ignition when they get in and start it and rub their knuckles on the dash.

I don't understand why it's so hard to get service w/o blaming everything on the customer.

VQ35DE

On a different note, why didnt Honda just make factory A-Spec TLs instead of having dealers add the package?? Having dealers do it is just asking for trouble.

Aegir

Wow! They dropped the ball so many times here it's hard not to think it is a dealer problem. Alignment is spelled out twice in the A-Spec install - for the suspension and for the steering wheel. A road test should have been performed after install. A road test should have been performed when you brought the car back, and another after they 'fixed' the problem.

This doesn't necessarily mean the mechanics are bad - they may just be doing what they are told. Hopefully they get it right next time. I would bring it up with the service manager.

gpman

nodoze2004 whats the dealers name in orlando?

Lore

Profit. The concept that drives capitalism!

TBone2004

Same feelings about Bridgewater Acura in NJ. Brought the car in to realign the door as it was sticking out (like it was not closed all the way) - problem since day one. They told me it was fixed and they tried to get it as close as they could - it wasn't 100% but it was the best they could be fixed , but still 10X better than when I brought it in (that is a quote!) I go to pick up car and I first go and look at door - it looked no different. Dealer just shrugged and said, it is the best it can be fixed - sorry.

After talking with people on this forum I went at the fix myself. Well, what do you know - it must be a miracle from the Great Acura God in the sky!! Within 10 minutes I fixed it - perfectly flush now - AND I did not strip the heads on the striker bolts like the dumb tech must have done trying to use too small of a phillips head to remove.

Silly me, I always thought these guys were all certified and experts in the car make they were working for. Silly me.
Stay away from Bill Vince's Bridgewater Acura!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

campIIIMAF

jeesh, that does suck. Did they fix the problem? What was the actual cause?

04tlnbppar

Yesterday, I just found out that my A/C is having a problem again after dealer replaced the entire A/C system around 2 months ago at 16xx miles. It took almost 2 weeks to fix, not sure how long this time would take. currently 26xx miles :sqntfawk:

arkk

You guys are scaring me. As we speak, my TL is being made and I expect to have in within the next 10 days. However reading about all of the problems you are having with moron mechanics and "I don't give a sh*t attitudes" , I may opt to walk out on my $200 deposit and buy an Infiniti G35.

Also it would be helpful to know if anybody in NJ has had a problem with Acura of Denville.

And yes I agree, the offending dealers names should without a doubt be made public.

Road Rage

All the good techs go to Infiniti?

That is too bad - that is Chrysler service.

My dealer (Crown Acura) has consistently treated me and my car well - now, an NSX owner gets some attention, but all 4 of the TL's I have bought from them were well-serviced (only warranty work - I do the rest).

Now, I have a technique for getting me and my car props - I make it a point that for the 1st service, I leave a carton of Marlboros in the car with a "Help Yourselves", and 2 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, with a note saying something like "Tech work is hard - have one on me".

Now you can say "Why should I have to do that?", or "sounds corny", or whatever - but I am telling you, when i come in, and I see the tech get the work order and then they see my car, they look around for me, and give me the thumbs up - the car is never returned with grease on the wheel, and is always spot on for whatever I brought it in for.

On my wife's Integra, they once did a free clutch replacement. I had brought it in because it had some "grabby spots", likely the result of my wife slipping it once too often. Nearly 44k on the odometer, well out of warranty. I just wanted a confrimation and an estimate. The invoice said - "no problem found". As a firmer pro wrench myself, I was a bit miffed, but reigned it in. And the car drove perfectly - as I was leaving, one of the techs motioned to me, and said "Go easy - it's new, and winked". Later, I found out that he and another tech had agreed with my diagnosis, felt that I was a stand-up guy and the SM had told them that a freebie was out of the question, even though it was only 8K out of warranty, so the two of them knocked out the clutch replacement while the SM was on his lunch hour. The parts guy knew me from way back (helped design his home theater for free) and was in on the whole thing.

So, I tend not to get all "big and bad" when service does not go well - I find out who the best tech at the shop is, request getting on "his team", and give him the attention and respect he deserves. It works for me.

Bobzmcishl

In spite of the "horror" stories on this thread, I really believe most Acura Dealers are a cut above most dealers but probably not yet at Lexus level. They should be on a par with Infiniti, and Nissan has the worst track record of the big three Japanese manufacturers. JD Power ranking of Nissan is pretty bad. Toyota is first and Honda second in quality ratings.

tizo

i had a bad first experience as well... two days after purchasing my tl, i had to bring it in to the dealership to align my trunk, as it wasn`t closing properly... they were nice enough to detail the car after the service... when i got the car back, it looked like it was wiped off with a shammy full of ROCKS... deep scratchs everywhere... all i got in return was a deeper detail to cover the scratchs and a recoat of the protective sealant... the scratchs are still there, just black now... i expected more...

Nodoze2004

Courtesy Acura! Had it not been for the deal I would have driven acorss town to Fountain Acura!! Live and learn I guess!

Nodoze2004

I guess so that they can gouge people on parts and labor! The funny part is that they originally quoted me 6000.00 PLUS install for the A-Spec kit. I laughed and handed them the print out from Ebay outlining they were selling it for 3800.00. They first tried to say that they were not selling actual Acura parts, a phone call to the DEALERSHIP that was selling the kit settled that one. Walked out with A-spec installed for 4k. I do still wish this would be installed by Acura at the factory as it would eliminate the idiot factor (not all mechanics can read, which is probably why they are mechanics)

Mr Bigglesworth

Just remember that service can vary quite a bit between dealers. That's what sets some dealers apart. It's true no matter the car manufacturer.

Fleetwood

I go to Fountain in Orlando and they've been great. FIxed everything, very nice, and even tossed in an oil change once. Worth the drive south.

Nodoze2004

Thanks Fleetwood, I will check them out next!

mastertl

It is silly to not choose an Acura simply because of what a few Acura owners here say. It is even more wrong to choose another car simply because of the things you hear about another from the few members talking about it. The G35 hands down is a nice car and by all means you can choose it, but I can guarentee you that it will have same/similar problems as the Acura TL beacause no car is perfect. This forum has discussed 80k+ cars with rattles and crappy dealers (My family has a S500 and it isnt all that you would expect from an 85k car). Furthermore, this forum has also discussed people who choose the G35 simply because of all the problems said here, and usually that choice is made without much study of the G35 itself. The reason that the two cars are "comparable" is because of the price, what you get (though the TL interior is so much better), and the similarities in what you dont get.

Anyways, the TL has sold about 60k cars. Im not sure how many members here total, but I can assure you that even the people here, there are happy ones. Dont believe all that you read.

Xerxes480

Service level definitely varies from dealership to dealership. I'm on my second car from Acura of Bellevue, and service is always great. They even helped me lose the crappy EL42s and get into some good Michelins (when Acura wouldn't do a thing). IMO, the service I get there is even better than the service we get down the road at Lexus of Bellevue (wife's car).


-X-

nick04tl

my tl was made in america. im pretty sure ours was too. i think the tl is a pretty decently built car for being built in america.