to all complaining about rattles (especially steering column)

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Hey guys and gals, I'm new to this forum. I just bought my first Acura, 2007 TL with 8000 miles. This car was titled new, was a previous dealer courtesy loaner. It is Acura certafied -HA- and the reason I bought it was because of the so called high end quality. I had it 2 weeks when the steering column began to rattle and to make it even better it developed a wierd electrical problem. I took it back to the dealer in Kansas City, Mo.-75 miles one way- and they gave me a loaner for a couple of days. I ended up driving a total of over 300 miles in 3 days to get it repaired, they did fix the electrical problem which was a loose ground wire. They said the rattle was a "warped" cover in the steering column and replaced it.

Well, two days later it started to rattle again but even worse, this has gone on for 3 weeks and I have talked to the service manager several times since and complained about how far I had to drive for repairs and still had the problem. He keeps saying they will do whatever it takes to make me happy but doesn't offer any solutions except sending someone to pick up my car and take it back to their shop.So I have two choices, let someone they send drive my car 150 miles or I waste an entire day and drive it myself, again. He doesn't offer any information on what the problem might be even when I tell him I have read on this forum that it is a common problem and I think it is the air bag assembly.

I called them again today and the service manager was out but I talked to one of the technicians. He gave me some interesting information, probably would get him fired if I was to let the dealership know. He informed me Acura was quite aware of this on going problem and it was in the air bag assembly but they had given up on trying to remedy it. Acura recommends to them to fix most rattles to fill the area with a spray material that hardens and thus prevents anything loose from ever rattling again. Only problem is they can't fill the steering column air bag area with this material for obvious reasons. I am very dissapointed in the quality of my car. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried the "lemon law" for problems like this? Sorry this post is so long, I had a lot to say.

 

to the best of my knowledge, for a car to be considered under the "lemon law" it has to affect the mechanica/drivebility of the vehicle. I could be mistaken, but im pretty sure this is correct.

I can feel your pain (as well as numerous others just on this forum), when it comes to rattles. It has been said that this type of luxury vehicle should be free of rattles. Hope you can get it resolved.....good luck.

 

i had my steering wheel/colum fixed...they put ept on everything inside the steering wheel...

 

what's ept? Maybe the stuff the Acura tech was talking about?

 

some kind of black foam material, supposed to sound deaden as well....they took apart my steering wheel and stuffed it full of ept and its quiet now...i had the same issue and the first time i took it in they said it was my key...next time i took it in i gave them the gray valet key.....

 

I hope to gawd they aren't spraying that foam-filler material made for walls and home repairs. That is the nastiest, stickiest material ever created and would ruin a vehicles insides.

If that is the case, I'm glad I never let the dealer hack on my car chasing rattles!

 

dude, its the same material they use to line just about everything inside your car...its just like the black felt, buts its a more dense memory type foam...

 

has anybody else had this ept put in their column and does it work? What about the airbag, wouldn't it interfere with it? I'm just about ready to try anything to get rid of this rattle!!!!

 

Super - you should have received several manuals with the TL one called Consumer Information. If you're in Missouri it does describe the lemon law. I don't really undertand the legalease but it seems to say the lemon law enforces the manufacturer's expressed warranty. I do know a key part is you need to notify the manufacturer in writing.

I think you could find more out contacting MO AGs office.

 

Thanks, Stjohn, I called Acura last Monday and talked to someone in the consumer relations dept. I expressed my dissapointment with this vehicle and the fact that this rattle problem has been ongoing since 2004 models. He assigned me a case number and said I would be contacted by an Acura representative. So far I have heard nothing. I think tomorrow I am going to stick a WD40 tube in the bottom of the column opening by the tilt release lever and spray the hell out of everything, can't hurt! By the way, my headlight shut off delay function is also now not working , just another headache.

 

Yes, that steering column rattle is about to make me destroy my car. They replaced the column pieces and the noise was gone for about 10 miles. I am just so tired of going back, I'm about to give up. But I think that is what they want. So I'll have to try again, only weekday appointments, so that kinda sucks but I'll have a friend off soon. hehe.

 

Wellllllllll, Acura took my car in again for the rattle. The d*%#n thing would not rattle one little bit when they drove it. They kept it 4 days and drove it every morning (so they claim) and not one rattle, nor could they find anything loose. They replaced the air bag assembly at my request and put some of the fix all -ept or whatever in there someplace. I got it back and that very evening it started to rattle again and has not stopped!!!!! I give up, I'm not even sure now that the rattle is in the column, may be from something else but I sure can't find it. Anybody got any suggestions short of setting it on fire?

 

I thought I had the infamous steering wheel rattle, but I discovered it was my keychain making the noise. Any possibility?

 

Nope, I wish it was that simple! By the way, I like your car, same color as mine.

 

There are alot of things that can cause the rattle in that area, the guage cluster, the guage cluster trim, the air-bag assembly, the steeringwheel, the kick-panel and so forth. One member here fixed the rattle of the "airbag" by tighting the bolts that hold the air-bag and the steering wheel.