ltkaufman

HI All,

I am just amazed at the poor quality of acura cars. I received my new TLS which was a replacement for my 06 TL that Acura could not fix. The car was burning antifreeze. After 6 repair attempts they decided to replace it. As my original 06 TL was a 6 speed (no longer offered on TL) they decided to upgrade my to the type S. Yesterday I washed the car and as I was drying the car, the paint on the read bumper started to PEEL OFF. WTF. The car has 800 miles on it. I have never heard of such P*SS poor quality. I am going to get it fixed under warranty then unload it. I am so tired of having to take the car in for repairs.

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

yup acura paint there is another thread bout it... the dealer will paint it no prob

DMZ

I wonder if the car they gave you originally had a damaged bumper that they had repainted.

ChicagoBurbs

I was thinking the same thing...like when you return an electronic device, they always seem to replace yours with a 'reconditioned' unit.

See if you can do a CARFAX on the VIN and see if it was in an accident (which would not appear if the dealer mashed the bumper and fixed it internally).

The paint on my car is in pretty good shape, and with the exception a few minor blemishes I'm willing to live with rather than have the parts repainted.

InfernoAffairs

Sorry to hear about your problem Itkaufman. I am also very tired of having to take my car in for repairs. Hey I'm curious about your previous TL. Did the dealership replaced it just like that or did they have to go thru a lengthy process before they replaced it for you. Did you get the option to get your money back?

ltkaufman

InfernoAffairs, the dealership was very good. I contacted customer relations and after accepting one final repair attempt that did not work, Acura CC agreed to replace the car or refund me my money. The process took about 4 weeks until it went thru mitigation (normal paperwork). I chose to get the replacement car (which was really an upgrade (tl vs tls). Both Acura and the dealership were great. This however does not excuse the poor quality of minor issues. Paint on a bumper is not rocket science. I stopped by the dealer on the way home today, the service manager came out, looked at the bumper, scratched his head and said we will re-paint the bumper at your conveniece, just give us 1 week to line up the car with the body shop. Service is great but the minor things really P me off, not what you expect from a $38K car.

InfernoAffairs

I agree with you 100 percent. A car that cost this much money should have a great deal of craftsmanship and thus it should be very refined but somehow it seems like it's not. The reason why I asked you about the replacement is because I'm having a bit of problems with mine WDP TL-S and hoping that something can be done. Thanks for your information Kaufman.

Slammed_JDM

I dont understand why your bitching when they upgraded you to a Type S at no cost according to your post.

Slammed_JDM

I highly disagree here becuase if you were to go out and buy a BMW or Mercedes benz with all the options that the TL offers you would be over 45K easily. The only way to have both Quality and Quanity is when you can afford a +60k car. The TL comes equiped with so much that they dont produce 100% effort on the car because its not making as much profit.

csmeance

For the most part that is true, but the reason the quailty lacks in paint is due to environmental reasons as honda wants to be a green company in the USA, hence the better paint on the RL. For other issues, honda needs to keep their costs down to keep the price of the car down, otherwise it would end up costing a whole lot more. Just be glad guys that we don't have electrical gremlins that BMW's and benzes are plauged with.

ltkaufman

Hi All,

The reason that I am bitching is that you should not have this crap with a $38K car. Acura is not the only green car company our their so this is NO excuse for peeling paint. The only excuse for this and all of the other rattles and problems on this forum is poor quality control. Acura just like any other car maker is looking to make money, shorter testing and quality control. Paint is not something that is new, the only reason paint peels is poor prep of the part. I took the car to the dealer and he confirmed that the part had not been painted before (he said he could tell) and agreed to paint it in a heart beat. If he had any thoughts that it was my fault he would have refused to paint for free.

All I am saying is the quality that one would expect from the top of the line honda is probably a little bit better than what you would see from a $20K american or korean car.

Acura just like GM and Ford will get their ass kicked by the koreans and chineese if they dont get their act together.

DMZ

That's what the dealer 'said'.
Did you take it to an independent body shop to be evaluated?

DivinDude

each successive acura I buy has gotten worse in the quality department (this is my 5th since 1998). I've had my TL-S almost a month and the inside sounds like it was fastened together with wireties there are so many squeaks and rattles. And apparently the sunroof rattle still has not been fixed ... they are still using the same design that caused all the problems 5 years ago .. I'm hearing it already and I'm sure it will get worse ...

awilson529

I know the TL is plagued with rattles, but at a month? Wow. I've had my TL-S for a month and no rattles yet. Although, I have had my fair share of problems; search thread titles "take this car and shove it".

Bully4me

I agree on the excessive rattles in these cars. I have had my car for a month and something rattles in the right rear corner of the interior. Maybe a loose speaker but it comes and goes. Thought it was a loose shock.
Paint shouldn't be different between Honda/Acura and BMW or Mercedes. All use similar systems with water based paints for emissions. Maybe part wasn't cleaned properly before painting. The mold release agents would let the paint flake off.
Good luck to all with repairs. All manufacturers have problems, its how they resolve them that makes a difference. Don't be afraid to contact corporate HQ if the dealer doesn't respond well.

donc

I would say - if you have an Acura sell it, if you are looking then look elsewhere as you don't need to bitch about purchases you have made...

NVMYT

I was stationed in Japan for about 10 years and all the Honda cars cost about half of what they sell for here in the states...so I would say your "not much" profit theory is out!

Bully4me

Received car back from dealer yesterdayand all problems were fixed. The scratch on the door was sprayed rather than touchup (what I was expecting). Did a good job. My deck lid noise wasn't there when I took it in but they took out the trunk trim and found that the spring had come loose.
Door trim gaskets replaced with new. Only missed repainting the trim piece on theglove box door that was scratched. I'll get that at the first oil change.
Had a new TSX loaner.
All is well for now.

DMZ

Here in the states, labor costs are much higher than in Japan, even in non-UAW plants. There's also import duties on cars and parts imported to here from over there.

If our TL's were made in Japan like the TSX and the RL, I'm sure all of us would be having fewer problems, especially when it comes to rattle issues. And with all the 3G TL rattle nonsense that's gone on, it's disgustingly obvious that Acura cut corners on the assembly line to save money. Whenever you go in for warranty service, the dealer charges Acura back for the parts and labor. You can bet your bottom dollar that that's taken in to account when they set the selling price for a specific model. Like they say, what goes around comes around and I'm sure its already cost Acura plenty.

Maybe next time, they'll pay less attention to cutting corners on the assembly line for the 4G.

NVMYT

I agree with your assessment that if Honda cars were still assembled in Japan everyone would have NO rattle issues. However, labor cost ARE NOT higher here in the US than they are in Japan. Everything in Japan is MORE expensive (food, clothing, gas, land, housing). I have personally been to the Nissan, Toyota and Honda factories. Everything is done with a sense of purpose. There is no talking, laughing or "grab" ass on the line...ALL BUSINESS. Not to mention, most of the work is done my computerized robot arms. However, the reason Hondas cause so much less in Japan is that when it comes to automobiles, Honda is the Hyundai of Japan...meaning; if you live in Japan and you don't have much money and want a new car, then you buy a cheap Honda...In Japan, if you have any kind of status/money, then you buy a Toyota, then Nissan. Nothing beats Toyota quality, service and reliability in Japan. When/if you go to a Toyota dealership for service in Japan (after the service manager apologies about 100 times for you even having to bring your car in for anything other than routine maintenance)…you are treated like you are the most important person in the world! But of course here in the US, your car is assembled mostly by hand…this of course hurts overall quality, but definitely helps the economy. So next time your TL starts to rattle, just deal with it and think how much you are helping the US economy!

DMZ

True, what's built in Japan is much better. That's why Lexus owners don't have anywhere near the complaints of American built Toyota owners. Read owners reviews of the '07 Camry, made right here in the good 'ol US of A. Toyota's been secretly buying those cars back in droves.

When my TL rattles, I really don't give a shit about the so-called US economy. I CARE ABOUT MY PERSONAL ECONOMY from all my time lost due to 10 dealer visits for roof rattles alone in the 1st 15 months. So I really therefore don't give a shit about the American workers who assembled my car. If they can't pay attention to what they're doing, then FUCK 'EM!

Ken1997TL

No rattles in my 1997 TL with 163,xxx miles

The '05 has had a few in the rear.

jayjay36

Ditto... $42k sticker for what.... my 02' Bmw made less noise....rattles, banging, clanging than this 07' type "S".. The car is quick and comes well equipped.. but come on, all this at 1600 miles ?? can't wait till it hits 30k miles to see how the car is holding up

NVMYT

Hey man...relax. I was just joking when I wrote the whole "think" about the economy thing ( I was only trying to make light of a horrible situation). I also expect perfection from a "so-called" luxury product. However, the Japanese were "strong" armed by the US into allowing assembly plants here in the US. When Honda/Toyota starting selling more cars here in the US then all US automakers, the government told the Japanese that they would have to cut their import numbers by half...or employ US auto manufactures….so they did. Now although your car is built with flawless Japanese technology, the assembly is no better then a Ford or Chevy. Even though the engine and components in Japanese cars are still bullet proof, we all have rattles because of the final assembly point. Sorry if I struck a nerve, trust me, I understand you frustration!

DMZ

Don't worry, you didn't strike a nerve. Roof rattles were only part of that great American build quality. Crappy leather on the front seats, defunct tail light, bad HFL module, seat memory module, and a host of OTHER rattles in places like the dash, the door, the rear deck, the seat belt anchor, etc. all make me feel real great about that good 'ol American quality.

Meanwhile, my friend's 2 year old Lexus (made in Japan) has never had any rattling whatsoever and hasn't had to go in for any warranty work.

Think cost is the only reason American manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas?

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

^^^ ever hear of Lexus ES350's having bad tranny's just like the Camry's? Trust me, there are QC issues with Lexus as well. Acura is no different. It's how the company handles the situation which differentiates a luxury company vs. a non luxury manufacturer. In the case for the OP- Acura has already given him a TL-S. When the paint started peeling, they offered to repaint it. At least, they're doing the right thing.

donc

If you are that unhappy with your 07 TL-S sell it. Life is to short to waste time on taking your car to the dealer all the time. Vote with your money and get on with life...

DMZ

Let me guess, your '97 TL's VIN starts with a 'J', right?
Indicating it was made in Japan.

citidelx

I agree with NVMYT, if the TL's were built in Japan there would be less quality issues. American workers do not have the same mentality as the Japanese. If I wanted a car plagued with problems I would have saved $20K and bought an American brand.

mikiTL

+100

This is very true, American factory-workers are just plain lazy and are looking to clock out when their shift is over. They demand overtime pay and benefits. Productivity and Efficiency far outweighs quality. It certainly is a sad state of affairs.

Japanese workers on the hand take their line of work MUCH more seriously. They work their asses off as if their life depended on it. The quality of the work they do is reflected on the company, and any such mistakes or poor quality control that could bring shame or embarassment to the company is unforgiveable. Keep in mind that employees that are hired into a Japanese company are joining for life. You either get fired, retire, or die.

Shame is something that Japanese ppl commit suicide over. It's that serious. And that's just one extreme. The other extreme is the "Mastery" and "perfection" of their work. That is perhaps why Lexus is #1. "The Passionate Pursuit of Perfection".

The TSX is built 100% in Saitama, Japan. It's build quality is rock solid. This is because Honda knew that every TSX/EU JP Accord made in Japan would be supplying the global market. The Honda brand was at stake. Then take the TL. It was designed and built in the US, with no real plans to be sold other than North America (Canada included) and Central America(mainly mexico).

DMZ

Yup, and look what's happened.

In my case, 9 dealer visits for roof rattles alone in the 1st 15 months.

Calebz

+1

Why would you even think about coming into the TL problems forum and posting about your problems with your TL.


The nerve of some people.


Harumph

S power

Sometimes I say to myself that buying a TL is like buying a Ford, made from those lazy mofo's on the assembly lines here in the U.S. My new TL-S came with missing bolt on the driver door and some rubber stopper under the arm rest.

bmaczo6

iTrader: (1)

I wonder how many of these posts came from American workers complaining about other American workers. I also wonder if all of the companies that have hired you guys know how crappy of a job you are doing and that anybody in Japan can do it much better.

No manufacturer is perfect and overall Acura quality is rated much higher than average.

dampfnudel

I already know that my next car will be made in Japan. So unless they switch production to Japan (unlikely), there won't be a 4G TL in my parking space in the future. Maybe a 2G TSX will be there instead.

enigmaos

iTrader: (4)

real Japanese car. time to switch.