While I was initially very excited about buying the 04 TL, based upon all the problems and complaints posted at this site, I am looking elsewhere. I understand how negative feedback can be a very helpful tool for prospective buyers as well as those who need direction with current problems. So, thanks to everyone who posted problems for their 04 TL, which include: tires, multiple rattles, engine vibration, headliner, seat leather, visibility, mats, speaker buzz, seat memory and the list goes on and on.

Either this car is the biggest piece of crap $33k can buy, or there is a disproportionate amount of complaints versus praise. And, if you think I am trying to provoke a surge of positive feedback for this beautiful ride, you are right.

So what do you say guys (and gals), lets hear some positive feedback.

X

 

I have 1600 miles on my car, and love it. I have had no problems so far.

 

I too was reluctant to buy the car due to the various complaints seen on the forum. But I figured:
1) You're always going to hear the bad stuff from people more than the good
2) Most of the earlier issues (ie memory seat and tire vibrations) have been addressed
with later builds
3) No car is perfect and other forums will discuss issues people are experiencing with
the cars so the TL will not be an excemption.

I bought my TL last month, with a vin # of 37,XXX.....have 1000 miles thus far and not a single complaint. Absolutely no regrets whatsoever. And if I were to run into any issue, that's what the warranty is for.

 

i have a vin of 36000, no complaints. everything is great, sometimes i think i hear a phantom vibration but that goes away. might just be my head, but there is always the warranty. i love this car. the tires give me no problems either.

 

DON'T BUY THE TL!

I have heard there is a car that is perfect somewhere. I would wait until that comes out. Supposely no warranty since its perfectly trouble free!!!

 

Just a note, my VIN number is 19,xxxx and I don't have any of the problems I read on this thread.

 

Hey Racer- go to any site G-35, BMW 330, Audi A4 etc... and you will see problems MUCH worse that the EXTREMELY MINOR TL problems featured on this site. I'd provide all the links, but I don't have them all. Go through them and come back and tell us how you feel.

 

I'll be happy to provide some positive feedback. Everyday weekday I sit at my desk excited about getting to jump in the car for the ride home. If traffic's bad, I don't care in the least. I can set my 8-way adjustable leather seat back (seat warmers if I wish), choose from 6 discs of music (some of which are DVD-A's) or 100+ XM stations on a superb sound system, check up on people, admire the lovely interior and contrast of the aluminum trim without having to take my hands off the wheel, all in a very quiet cabin.

When traffic's a little looser, the performance comes into play. If I see an opening two cars up, I can throw the SportShifter down into third and rocket my way on. And that VTEC does sound nice at 6000rpm. I've found my greatest disappointment in driving this car is that so many other cars prevent me from testing the legs on mine.

And it is a very sleek, head-turning ride. I love to get out, wash it, and make it look its best.

And if there are problems, I've got the service department of a luxury brand to make things right.

All cars have their problems. But if track record is any indication of the long-term reliability of Acura, you're going to be satisified. Japanese car makers have it all over every other nationality. Check out the latest car issue of Consumer Reports. Not a single European brand's reliability faired better than "Fair." Infiniti, Lexus, and Acura are all at the top.

 

Another positive of the tl. when you sit in it, you feel so sexy!

oh.......wrong forum. sorry.

um......I only had 1 minor problem and the rest has been great.

 

If I had to buy a new car all over again today, I would get the TL again. After 3000 miles my only complaint is the brakes squeal sometimes. I am sure the vast majority of TL owners are very satisfied with their cars.

Oh, one more thing. It's not a complaint, but be warned that if you get a NBP/Ebony A-Spec, your car will talk to you - sometimes telepathically! She's calling me now...she wants to go for a ride...

 

For a little perspective:

- Take a look at the BMW forums on the 3 series, especially commentary on the transmission issues on the '04 model (a car thats been around a while).
- Yesterday I looked at the link to service bulletins for the first model year of the G35 (someone posted the link yesterday) - surprise, surprise, quite a list.

 

2004 TL is perfect as a car can get!!

 

I checked out MANY cars whhile I was shopping---every 4 dr sedan with a manual under 35k I looked at...
I can honestly say there is not one car I would rather have other than the TL. To me its as close to car perfection as you can get...
My vin is 36000+ and I have had zero problems. Not even tires...

 

1100 miles, 36,xxx vin#, headliner fall (very minor), NOTHING else... this car is a dream. It is your loss if you dont get it.

 

Car is two weeks old. It is a incredibly great car.
Essentially all problems are fixable - if you have them.

 

alot of people on this forum can re-assure you that the TL is problem free for the most part and is a great car. but if you are uncomfortable so far with purchasing the car then good luck with whatever car you choose. just keep in mind that other cars will also experience minor problems. its sad but not all cars that come off an assembly line is perfect.

 

It's your decision. There are several other nice cars our there too. I looked at quite a few before I made my decision. Consumer Reports was one of my reasons for choosing the TL , on top of the fact that I just love the way the car drives and looks. I've had mine for a couple of months now, and like the others who have posted before me, can't wait to drive it.

Like some of the other posters also mentioned, when you think you may have decided on another brand of car. Check out some forums on those too. You just might be suprised on the amount an severity of some problems they are having in comparison.

I've not been sorry one iota that I bought this car.

 

Seriously though, I have just clocked over 10,000 miles in under five months. Beyond any doubt this is the best car I have ever driven or owned. I have had my share of minor issues that we all are aware of with my TL. However, with a good relationship with your service provider at the dealer you should be able to resolve them with little stress or trouble. If I had to buy a car today, it for sure would be a duplicate of what I have. My next car will most certainly be either a Hybrid TL or a Hydrogen version when they come out. I figure that will be a good ten years down the line though. Like most other things in this life, if it is about something bad, you will hear about. It is rare that people will openly speak of anything good. This Forum is very much the same. We have probably less than 200 people voicing negative comments. Considering about 40K units or so have been sold, safe to say we can presume that most are happy with their cars.

 

Other than the crappy tires (and the dealer is replacing them as soon as the new ones are available), mine has been great (VIN # 15XXX). No squeaks or rattles, paint has been fine, and I have almost 2700 miles in two months. When I turned in my ES300 at the end of the lease, I told my salesman that I was getting a TL, and he said "see you in three years". If the next TL is better than this one, he won't be seeing me for a long time!

 

people are like 11 times more likely to complain than they are to praise. That said, people also seek out forums when things go wrong with their cars, thus adding to the disproportionate amount of complaints. The bottom line is that most of the people who have ANYTHING to say about the car say that it's AWESOME. Mine just arrived at the dealership and I'll be picking it up tomorrow.

 

Just the nature of the beast (i.e. this forum) to complain and whine about problems.

Had my TL since the end of January or so and no major problems to speak of....minor rattles which went away and the starting problem caused by the ULEV which happens from time to time. No biggie....still the best $33K I've spent on a car in quite some time.

If you're seriously thinking of not buying a car because of what's been posted on a forum site, it's your loss.

 

no problems with mine and it's almost a month old and with 2200 miles on it. passenger door started rattling on the 3rd week but after a day it stopped and no more. the car is fun to drive (navi). i looked up places where i used to live (chicago) and started browsing around the area, pretty cool. oh you know what i do have some minor problems:

1) while in traffic people look at me coz i'm singing/dancing in my car. they give that look like "wtf we're stuck and traffic and it seems like you're enjoying it". duh get a TL and see how fun traffic can be

2) even with a navi you may find yourself taking the longer route. i know i do

3) you can't wait to drive to work, at work you can't wait to drive out for lunch, after lunch you can't wait to drive home

4) while washing your car in front of your house, get used to people looking at you

5) while driving get used to people looking at you

those are just minor for me and i'm getting used to it

 

My turn,
Only 2 complaints about my TL: crappy tires, and yes, way too many rattles. I do respect your decision to not purchase due to this forum and its info. Overall one could come to the conclusion that this "new model year" needs some major tweaking - and you would be right. Anyone that purchases a newly designed vehicle needs to realize that "we" are the real test and evaluation department for any new technology, manufacturing processes, and overall construction etc. All of our complaints and warranty visits will go directly back to the Acura line to help alleviate like issues. That being said, yes their are "better" (less issue) cars out there, but after all of the sedans I looked at: BMW, G35, Maxima (owned an 04 for 4.5 months-went back via lemon...), GS series Lexus, A-4s & 6s... The wife and I looked at them all. For the money, styling, and amenities, we took the risk with the TL. I, even w/the rattles, haven't regretted it. The ironic thing for me, my previous commute vehicle was a 99 Honda Civic Si. With 52K miles it had never seen a dealer for warranty work, never had one iota of a rattle, and the stock Michelin's never required balancing to the day they came off at 40K miles - perfectly smooth - only rotation every 5000 miles.... Even funnier, when I replaced the Michelin's I went with the Bridgestone S03 Pole Position's.. You guessed it, my first experience with major flat-spotting....

Anyway, best of luck with your vehicle purchase whatever it may be. Like you said, spending $33-($35K in my case) for a car makes you want to get your monies worth. My previous Civic Si was a gem, thats why I chose the Acura. The TL has some minor/major issues, but in the long run I still believe Honda Corp. makes a good car.

Take care

Smitty

 

SPEEDING TICKETS. BREATHE IN AND BREATHE HARD. :rocketwho :tflamer:

 

I really thought the new car novelty of the TL would wear off after a few weeks. 2000 miles and almost two months later it hasn't. I have never enjoyed a car more than this one. I have been out of town for the past few days. I explained to the wife how to drive the car with the SS now she wants one.

You will find minor problems with every new car. What you don't hear about with the TL is major problems.

"My leather squeaks under my butt"
"My headline needs more sticky tape"
"My radio doesn't sound good"
"My rims are scratched AFTER HITTING a couple curbs"

All minor issues (many have been fixed already). YOu don't hear people complaining about major problems, Water pumps, burning oil, transmission issues, brake problems etc.

THink of everything that could possibly go wrong with a car....The TL is a steal at $33k.

Ask your dealer to take one home overnight and then drive it as much as you can when you have it. You'll see.

 

I just passed 1,000 miles and although the car has a few very minor problems (tires, paint quality, squeaky Brembos) I'd do the deal again. Everytime I put the hammer down in 3rd this thing just takes off like a rocket. The perfect car does not exist, the only question is how bad the problems are and how willing the dealer is th fix them.

 

why even leave this thread open, this guy is obviously just a troll. come on, just 1 post? he hasn't even responded to any comments or anything.

 

Dear iNteGraz92, Why don't we close you as a participant to this forum?

X

 

Other than the seat memory problem (promptly fixed), I have had no concerns at all. I have 6800 miles so far, and nearly all of those have come with pleasure. This is by far the best car I have ever had.

 

Just go and buy a VW or Audi or even a M-B.

At least those cars actually stop running in the middle of traffic so you really have something to complain about.

Just last night: A broken down brand new VW Jetta right in my lane. Wish the Nav would warn me: "Warning... broken down POS ahead!"