STL A-SPEC

Someone please confirm for the 04 & 05...

ehdee21

04 built in OHIO, i dont see why it would be any different for the 05

mason1125

All TLs are built in USA, while TSX and RL are from Japan

MasterShake

iTrader: (1)

why is the TSX made in Japan and the TL in Ohio?

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Probably because their plants are at full capacity and couldn't handle another production line-up. And building new plants wouldn't make sense, since the TSX is a new model and they don't know how well it's going to do.

STL A-SPEC

Is the work quality any different?

mason1125

TSX is based on the Japanese and European versions of Accord, while TL is based from the American version of Accord (It's called Inspire In Japan)

1SICKLEX

All Tls are built in Ohio. Simple. the 1st gen TL was a dismal failure and it costed too much. A 2.5 TL was a 27k car and a 3.2 Tl was a 32k car. This was with no options though they came pretty loaded. Now these cars are built way better than any new TL but not as loaded as the new cars.
Honda decided to design and build the CL and TL off the ACCORD platform, which is built in Ohio. THey also decided to STYLE and DESIGN EVERYTHING for the American market since the car would be basically built and sold here.
So the CL and TL are designed by Americans in the California studio for the American consumer, and built in America.

The TL since it has been built here has been a tremendous sales success for Honda/Acura. The quality is lacking though and I am sure they took this into account. Yes, tremendous difference. TSX was built for the Japanese and European market and is their ACcord overseas, it was then decided to be badged here as an Acura. A great move by Honda/ACura.

t0ast

So where are the JDM Inspires built and designed?

1SICKLEX

Okay, correct me if I am wrong. but JPM Inspire used to the be 2nd gen TL and now its the Honda Accord.
There is no real JDM since they are not built there.

JetJock

I had a Japanese built Legend, and besides the Legend having better paint, I can say with confidence that the quality of my 04TL equals or exceeds the Legend build quality. People might disagree if their cars came with rattles or sagging headliners, but I have had 0 problems with my TL. I'm pretty fussy, and went over this car with a microscope looking for flaws, and so far have found absolutely none. This is one well built car.

Perziankabob

yeah but after 10-15 years people are still saying their legends drive like new. i don't know if people are gonna be saying that about their 2004 TL in 10-15 years.

vtecracer

It seems the later VIN '04 TL cars are having a significantly less amount of quality complaints than the eary VIN cars. Hopefully Acura will be improving on top of this for the '05 model when the factory gets shutdown and revised. After all, Dick Colliver did address the quality issues in public. I'm sure he's not going to be an idiot and just mention it and do nothing. Quality will only go up from here.

neuronbob

You are correct, sicklex, except that there were some cosmetic changes for the JDM market, for example, the Honda of America badge on the side of the Inspire.

As far as quality issues in the new TL.....that is definitely true, with the tire screwup, the vibrations, the headliner, and the frequent rattles. I don't think it's just because the car is built in America, though. However, the later the VIN, the less likely the quality screwup. Even so, my early-VIN seems to be holding up OK as the only issues I've had were tires (started hydroplaning at 10k miles), glovebox squeak, and windshield wiper dead at 16k miles. All except the wiper motor issue were addressed as part of routing maintenance.

I just read an article in the Plain Dealer on Sunday about how Toyota was dealing with quality issues. The gist was that production was spread out to too many places, so it was harder to address quality. They probably could have substituted "Honda" for "Toyota" and the story would have read the same. In fact, when I read the title, I thought it WAS about Honda. I'll find the link and post.

¿GotJazz?

Gee, 1SICKLEX - got any numbers to prove that, or is that your humble opinion? Or, maybe that's a metric "tremendous difference" instead of an imperial "tremendous difference"?

Just because people seem to be complaining quite a bit about quality issues on this site doesn't prove that the 04TL actually has more quality issues.

Here's some food for thought: On this site (24-AUG-04, 03:25), the 1st Gen TL postings are at 3,325 for 3 years of model run. The 3rd Gen TL is at 13,702 for almost 1 year. Given these figures, I would expect to see roughly 12 times as many compliments, complaints, pictures, and questions about the 04TL than the 1st Gen TL.

A lot more people are using the internet now than they were in 1995 through 1998.

It's something to keep in mind when it seems like there's a lot more complaints about the 04TL than other earlier model vehicles.

PS: My 04TL has been the most reliable vehicle I have owned yet for first year quality, hands down. I hope that it's a good indication of the long-term quality I'll be seeing.

srhewes

All TL's are made at Honda's manufacturing facility in Marysville, OH -- just outside of Columbus. They also assemble Accord's and the motorcycle line there, as well. It's a great facility, with world-class production processes and technology. Being made in the USA also sealed my decision when I compared the TL with the G35 and the 325/330 (those lines are made outside the US).

chas083

Those that feel that the Japanese cars are better built might look at the problematic automatic transmission which I believe is built in Japan.

New Acura Owner

Yes, the problematic automatic transmission is made in Japan, while the engine that everyone raves about is made in the U.S.A. I also was swayed toward purchasing the TL because it was made in America. Its a great car with no problems to date.

Sherlock

I would have gladly paid another grand or two to have purchased a TL that was assembled in Japan from the plants of the NSX/S2000/RL. Do you think those rattle to pieces, pop apart, aren't aligned, break, tear, bubble, etc with the frequency per volume that the US TL does ?

And the Tranny is assembled in Ohio with Japanese parts, it has been posted elsewhere in this forum by a guy who has been in the plant.

New Acura Owner

According to MSRP sticker, the 5AT is built in Japan.

rets

No Way...

neuronbob

Yes, way. The tranny is built in Japan. This was also true of the 2G TL, which was the only problem area with that otherwise excellent car. I've made the same argument as above many times....Japanese built does not always mean "better".

I'm proud of my fellow Ohioans for bolting together such a nice car for me.

lstepnio

The 6MT transmission is built in Japan but I don't know off the top of my head on the 5AT.

We owned a first year Japan built RSX and I can so with no doubt that the build quaility in respect to being rattle free, uniform seams in the body panels and the quality of the paint application was much better on the RSX compared to the TL. I would actually go as far as saying the RSX was flawless.

EZZ

The quality issues unfortunately are very real with Honda right now. The Acura brand in the past has had tremendous quality ratings by every institution that measures this attribute. Lately, Acura has slipped a bit and this was acknowledged by the HOA auto exec at the NY auto show (or was it detroit?) that addressed this issue. It was actually posted here and he basically said that they have been having quality problems lately in the Ohio plant. Headliners falling off may not be so serious but transmission recalls are. Funny thing is, Honda at its worst is still miles ahead of the Germans and domestics

Monte TLS,MAX

Well we must not forget the car that was the TRUE 1st gen TL and that car was called the Vigor (dunno why the changed the name) and it to although built in Japan was based on the Accord Chasis of that time, the 1990 4th gen. Accord.

Brokedoc

Aside from the debate about work ethic between Japanese vs American workers affecting build quality, one real difference between American and foreign built cars is the US EPA requirements mandating a more pollution-friendly painting process. I read somewhere that 03 was a transition year with the new enviromentally friendly processes being required by the government in 04.

Many have complained about poor quality paint on many 04 car models. Hopefully the auto industry will perfect the new process by the time I get my 05 TL.

neuronbob

The name was changed to the current numeric system to emphasize the Acura brand name over any individual model. As you may recall back then, more people knew the Legend as a "Legend" than as the "Acura Legend".

They're still working on branding with the small, regular, grande TL styling (TSX/TL/RL)-- all have somewhat similar grilles and frontal appearance.

Monte TLS,MAX

Ahh ok kewl thanks for clarifying that, I still think alot of models have that issue where people know the model line but not the MFG.

rets

You got me confused now. I thought he was indicating the whole 5AT...

I should kill this thread at the first moment I saw it last night...

RM44341

I am thrilled to buy high quality car built by American workers. In the 70's and 80's when the Japanese quality was light years ahead of the US I just assumed that it was the factory workers who didn't know which end of screwdriver to use but US assembly of Japanese cars and trucks proves that it's management, not the worker, who drives quality. The consistently high quality marks of cars built by Honda/Acura and Toyota in the US backs that up. I don't believe Japanese workers are any better or any worse than US workers.

JetJock

My Legend was far from driving like new after 8 years. The leather was hard and uncomfortable, and the car wasn't "tight" like a new car. It was beginning to have minor squeaks and rattles just like any car with 90,000+ miles on the OD. It was a fine car, but the TL is just as good except for the paint quality.

Intox1221

But the transmission is still built in Japan right ??

mio

I think Japan got higher quality...

Road Rage

Honda's own internal quality surveys indicate fewer defects per car from the Marysville plant, in terms of mass-produced cars. The NSX and S2000 (when they were made at the Tpchigi plant) were the lowest, as the best techs were selected for that duty.

Novice

I've had two relatively new TSX during service. Both of them were terrible-popping noise around windshields, rattles, whining engines, etc. It is possible that the car were abused though (1000 miles).

mio

wow

Perziankabob

the 2002 transmission was built by an outside company in the US. atleast that's what the acura dealership told me when my tranny blew. i'm not sure if the 3rd gen tranny is made by the same company though.

03TL-S

My family still has a 94 GS legend and its still perfect. Runs great and never had a problem with it.

neuronbob

If you look on your window sticker (I keep them for every new car I've purchased), you will read: transmission: Japan. I owned a 2002 TL and the window sticker says that the tranny originated in Japan. My 2004 TL window sticker says the same. Do I have to scan these in to clear this up? I'm literally holding them in my hands right now.

blackjackman

I am getting new tranny for my TSX (TSB 04-12 Out-of-spec case)
Now I can call the car partially assembled in NYC....arrrgh !