CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Good luck man.

sprkyspe

iTrader: (1)

Faxed the letter to Jerry Damson Acura and Acura Client Relations today, I'll let you guys know if I hear anything from them.

sprkyspe

iTrader: (1)

Here's a copy of my letter, I used that other guy's as a template, and just kind of let loose nicely I guess. Feel free to pull anything from it that you need:

Jerry Damson Acura
2402 Leeman Ferry Road
Huntsville, AL 35801

RE: Cracked Dash; VIN#
To Whom It May Concern:
When I purchased my 2005 Acura TL approximately two years ago, I believed that I was making a sound decision when considering the used car market. A luxury vehicle, with great reliability, design, safety, fuel economy, and a powerful V-6. I purchased my Acura with 59K miles on the odometer. I am in the military, and commute daily from Albertville to my base in Birmingham, which is a round trip of approximately 140 miles. But this Acura has made the drive so much better. So as of now, I have approximately 111K miles on this car. I have not had any mechanical problems with the car, the only maintenance I’ve had is the oil changes. I did take my car to Jerry Damson Acura for the 105K service which included the timing belt and water pump change. That service was unbelievable, especially considering I was a first time customer for Jerry Damson. I didn’t even have to ask for a loaner vehicle, they almost pushed me into one.

The service at Jerry Damson was top notch, and something I will not forget. However, while I was there, I also had them check on my dashboard cracking. I had noticed that in the spring of 2010, a small crack beginning to form on the dash on top of the instrument cluster. By the time I had Jerry Damson look at this crack, the crack had turned into three more cracks around the center speaker, and extending all the way to the windshield. At the time I had heard about other Acura TL owners having similar problems (via message boards such as Acurazine,) and their dealers had been performing “Good Will” repairs at a reduced rate, with some not paying more than $100 to change the dash. Well, Mr. Felch, your Platinum Service Manager, spoke with the Acura DPSM, and they agreed that the cost to replace the dash would be $1791.30, plus tax. They offered to assist and have me pay only $608.63. I told Mr. Felch that I appreciated the offer and his service, but $600 is not something I have just laying around. I told Mr. Felch that I would be contacting Acura Client Services to see if they could help a little more, and Mr. Felch understood my position.

Now as stated earlier, my Acura has approximately 111K miles, and I will more than likely be looking for a new vehicle in less than a year. With that in mind, I contacted Acura Client Services, and pretty much explained to them what I’ve told you in this letter. After being put on hold for a few minutes, the customer service representative came back and told me that based on my situation and the factors involved, the offer that Mr. Felch had previously relayed to me, would be the best they could do. He told me that in order to make this decision, Acura considered, age of the vehicle, mileage, how far out of warranty, and importantly, customer loyalty.

I can understand the customer loyalty angle in some cases. But how can you expect to have customer loyalty from me when on my first Acura, you pretty much leave me hanging due to a manufacturer’s defect? I really appreciated the initial Good Will offer, but the dashboard cracking is not due to how many miles are on the vehicle, how old the vehicle is, or if this is my first Acura or tenth. This is a defect due to the material used, and you can tell Acura recognizes it because they improved the dash with a new part number. In my 17 years of driving, I have owned Chevrolets, Mazdas, Lincolns, Buicks, and Pontiacs. All of those vehicles were inferior to Acura. All of those vehicles were used in the same condition that this Acura has been, including the summer heat. But not a single one has ever had a dash fall apart the way this $35K car has. Most of the vehicles I have previously owned were older than the five years that this TL is. I love Acura so much, that I had talked my wife into getting one once she graduates from nursing school, but seeing the dash has her second guessing now.

For a 5 year old luxury car to have a cracked dash is frightening, until you do research. Then you find a Facebook group dedicated to your particular problem. Then you search forums and find other people also having the problem. Now you're confused. Some people are getting full replacements for free while others are given a 50% discount. Sometimes it seems to be the dealership that's just good at taking responsibility, other times it's because the person is the original owner with relatively low mileage. After completing some research, it’s easy to turn from confused to plain old angry.

So here I am now, with a car that I hate to look at, and I can’t even attempt to sell because of this defect, and the money I would lose on the resell. If Acura would attempt to make a better offer, they would have a stellar reputation with me, which would make up for itself considering the amount of vehicles I go through in a ten year period. All I am asking for is another look, another offer, and yes, a little sympathy. If Acura would make this up to me, my next vehicle will be another Acura, along with my wife’s. In order for there to be customer loyalty, it has to be gained on both sides. Thank you for your time.

ParaSurfer1979

Awesome letter. I wish you had thought to mention that infinity has done a recall on their G35's due to the same issues and are repairing them free of charge. My next car will probably go with a company that admit its' mistakes even years later and owns up to it so that it doesn't loose its customer base. Great letter.

I hate cars

Acuras are great cars. Acura service is the worst I've ever experienced. If I did not do 99% of the work myself I would not buy Acura based on how bad the service is.

It's bad enough they won't admit to the dash. But look at the transmissions. They had a class action lawsuit and still did not admit to anything. All they had to do is replace pressure switches and run the right fluid. To this day they won't acknowledge it. The poor attempts at diagnosing engine and transmission problems are something I would expect from the average Joe with no automotive knowledge. Absolutely terrible.

sprkyspe

iTrader: (1)

Just an update, I have not received any contact from the dealership, but Acura Corp did call today, within 24 hours of faxing the letter. I couldn't answer at the time and by the time I got the voicemail, the guy was already gone for the day. So we'll see how it goes, I'll keep you updated.

BuffBakerGA

iTrader: (2)

I just received an update... Acura would cover about 75% to 85% of the cost, so $250-$300 out of my pocket. I told them to email me the invoice and I'll let that marinate. Something is better than nothing....

ParaSurfer1979

Awesome bro. I'd take it if you can afford it. Don't wait too long...lol. I'm happy you had the balls to stand your ground. There are folks way over than you that can't do what you did with or without help.

Sunnybwoy1

iTrader: (3)

so i have had a cracked 04 dash for sometime now and just found a used 08 dash from a friend. he is asking $200 but i want to confirm that acura did fix this problem in 08 i sure hope so. cause i would hate to pay about $400 for everything then cracks down the line . thanx guys & gayls. BTW my car is up for sale so check it out! but will have a fixed dash!

https://acurazine.com/forums/member-cars-sale-49/2004-tl-w-aspec-kit-tein-sus-fort-lauderdale-fl%2415-500-47k-miles-rebuilt-title-805949/

Schulminator

iTrader: (2)

Well I received the call yesterday, Acura finally stepped up and is going to cover 80% of the total cost. So only $300 out of my pocket. I hope the tech does not scratch up anything during the removal/install process......

Xiteg

well after a year and a half I finally got my dash fixed. Rick Case Acura would only do 50% since I am the second owner of the car.

but the cracks were getting worse and was making me hate the car. I picked it up last night and wow not having a cracked dash makes me feel so much better about my TL. walked out of the dealership owing $778 for the dash.

Though I had a lot of other stuff done like 2 mounts were tore up the tranny needed a flush and my damn amp was blown so had all of the work done for $2400. like a brand new car now

sprkyspe

iTrader: (1)

Acura Corp called me back after the letter. Said they were staying with the original offer of me paying $600. Hung up on him, then he called right back and asked me if my cell phone dropped the call. I told him, "No, I hung up on you." CLICK

I guess I'm going to pay that amount to get the dash fixed, then sell. Anybody in Alabama that needs a TL let me know.

240AceX

Add another cracked dash to the list.......... My first Acura I have ever owned, the newest car in my garage, this is so disappointing. I can not believe that I'm having to deal with this problem on a luxury car. Like most of you I wasn't even aware of this problem till I did a bit of internet research! Long story short, I drove to the local Acura dealer today and very politely was told that all they could do is contact Acura Corp for me and open a case and in three to four days they will get back to me with an offer. So I guess I'll have to wait and see. Anyone in Central Florida, Orlando area dealt with any of the Acura Dealers around and had any "positive" results with this issue?

ParaSurfer1979

When i lived there i went to Hollar Honda. They were a good dealership on 17/92. Also another Honda dealer was in west Orlando on 50. We had our S2000 meets there.

Damn thats Honda not Acura. I dont remember the Acura dealerships when I was there. Best thing to do is how the Acura dealer is doing it. Contacting Acura Customer service. Wait for there response after a regional Manager comes out to look at it and go from there if you don't think what they'll do is acceptable.

sprkyspe

iTrader: (1)

Here are the pics of my dash:

Loudpedal

I hate to see all of the pics and posts of dash cracks Hopefully Acura will fix those needing such...and I hope my '08 TL dash doesn't crack too.

For those not going with a dash replacement, has anyone considered (or tried) 3M Di-Noc wrap? Not sure if this has already been suggested, however, it might be a cost effective alternative to a full dash replacement. There are plenty of images by doing a Google search, and the stuff comes in dozens of patterns, colors, etc.

1/2 breed

i see lot of people are having the same problem as i do. i have notice a crach in the dash board of my 04 TL,acura needs to fix this problem being that it is right above the airbag ..

sprkyspe

iTrader: (1)

From what I understand, people that have been getting their dash replaced, Acura has been using a dashboard with a new part number. 04 and 05 models seem to have the most problems with the dash. 08 TL should be ok

I've been back and forth with Acura, talking to their client services people, but they would never budge on their original offer. They told me their decision was mainly based on customer loyalty. I told them this was my first Acura, and you're expecting me to be loyal to a brand that covers a defect 100% for some people, but only 60% for me? I talked to my local Acura dealer last week and had them go ahead an order the dash. Once it's installed I will be selling if anybody needs a TL

mau108

I notice the dash right where the passenger air bag is very dry. Would applying some type of armor all stuff (I use mcguires dash stuff and its very greasy and shiny) help in prolonging the dash?

TammySpencer

My 2005 TL cracked in 4 places in one week!! We all seem to have cracks starting around the air bag...And the pictures posted all look the same!! I've taken it to my dealership Courtesy Acura(this is my 3rd Acura by the way) and i am still waiting for a reply...we just need to keep complaining till someone hears us!! Facebook has been GREAT with finding other people with the same problem...And there are many...Some have actually been fixed...what gets me is all the different costs each dealership is charging people anywhere from FREE to 1500.00!! What is wrong with this picture...

TammySpencer

All the cracks in these cars are almost exactly the same!! My 2005 TL has the same cracks..they started around the air bag..It seems to me we need a RECALL!

teejack

Let me be the first one to post for April 2011. I have been hearing the sound of a water bottle being smashed for several months, but because I have water bottles in my car, I just thought they had heated up and made that noise...until I started seeing cracks on my dashboard of my 2005 Acura TL w/Navi. I now have a total of 4 long cracks on both the driver and passenger side. One is u-shaped and I thought it was two cracks from my vantage point, but it just goes around. Actually better to see it from the outside, through the windshield. Brought the car in January 2009 after looking for my "perfect car." I live in New Orleans, so I'm in the South, but it just started getting hot (warm for us) last week or so. I contacted Acura headquarters and both Arlilick and Tony were unsympathetic and borderline rude. They did not give me a number and Tony told me to take it to my local Acura dealer, but be prepared to pay for them to look at it. I said, "you've got to be kidding me." They are going to charge me to look at cracks in the dashboard. I told him to tell his manager to just google "cracks on Acura TL dashboard and there are many posts. He said they don't trust Google. I will contact Walker Acura later this week after I have calmed down. I am the second owner and love the car other than this "cosmetic" flaw. Would trade it if I could because of it, but not willing to take a loss. Scared it's going to get worse and look like a road map.

sprkyspe

iTrader: (1)

Take it to your local Acura dealer first, let them take pics and contact the District guy. Let them make a decision, and if you don't like the decision, fire off a letter like I did to the dealership and Acura Corp. The letter didn't help my case any, but at least it's been noted there to maybe get them to pay for others in the future.

I actually finally caved and had my dash replaced last week. Went to pick it up and they had ripped my passenger seat. Now they've got some upholstery guy going to look at it. I don't know how he's going to repair it, it seem like you would have to recover the seat. They better not try that Billy Mays magic leather patch shite either. I picked it up in the daytime, but later that night when I had my lights on I noticed that the backlight wasn't working for several of the HVAC buttons around the NAVI display. Not very happy with my experience.

The Blue Abyss

iTrader: (1)

Update: I got my dashboard replaced for free in late December after Acura corporate agreed to pay Acura of Tempe to do it (aka goodwill). They did it while I was in Texas for Christmas, and they even dropped me off and picked me up from the airport. I think my past purchases, lower mileage for an '04 TL, as well as the narrow window Acura of Tempe had to get this approved and completed (I told them I was moving after New Years to Las Vegas for a job promotion) were the main reasons I was able to get this done. My dealings with Acura of Tempe and their Internet sales department, which is the vendor "Acura Parts Source" (lowest prices except for maybe AckTL05), have been very good for the most part. Below are a couple of e-mails that I sent to get the ball rolling. I also went to the dealership in person to express my frustration.

___________________________
Bob (GM of dealership),

Over the last 2 years or so, I've spent quite a bit of money at your dealership getting things upgraded on my 2004 Acura TL (Type S tail lights, deck lid spoiler, side mirrors with blinkers, Type S racing pedals, window visors, sunroof visor, Type S carbon fiber shift knob, carbon fiber rear console trim), as well as service, maintenance, and repairs. Below is an e-mail that I sent to Dan about my cracked dashboard, along with his response. Can any goodwill warranty be applied to getting the cracked dashboard fixed?

Thanks,

Tom

___________________________

Dan (Internet sales guy),

Back in late September, my dashboard started to crack. A vertical crack formed on the dashboard along the right side of the rectangle with the rounded corners that looks like the cover for the airbag (see attached pictures). I called Todd at your dealership to see if there is a cheaper way to replace the airbag cover and blend it in with the dash without having to replace the whole thing. He said I would have to replace the whole thing, and it could run as high as $2k to do it!

I told him about Acurazine and how this cracked dashboard problem is a known issue and that Acura should fix it. He tried to blame my lack of using cleaning products on it and sun exposure when at work and at home. I told him I park my car in a dark parking garage at work, and I have covered parking at home. He tried to convince me to buy a dashboard cover. I complained to him about it, because he knows how much money I've given your dealership over the past couple of years upgrading things on my car.

I'm not a satisfied customer right now, because I can't justify dropping $2k to get this fixed. I planned to buy the ASPEC body kit package (front, sides, and back) from you guys and have you install it, but if I can't get this fixed first for a reasonable cost, then I may get rid of this car (and I wouldn't be inclined to get an Acura after this problem) instead of keeping it long term like I had planned.

As you can see from the link below, there are Acura dealers out there who are showing goodwill by paying for most if not all of the costs involved in replacing the cracked dashboard, even though it's not under warranty:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=688828

There is even "Acura TL Defective Dash - Consumers' Rights" on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gi...3928650&v=wall

This "luxury" car is only 6 years old with 50k miles. If you look on Acurazine (and other websites as well), you will find people having this problem even earlier than 6 years. Does being a loyal customer not mean anything?

Thanks,

Tom
___________________________

CocheseUGA

Guess what showed up on the local newscast tonight?

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/27832796/detail.html

There's a number at the bottom you should call if your dash is cracked, and contacting the reporter about your problem wouldn't be a bad idea either.

BlueAquarian

I personally don't have a problem with my dashboard, but have read hundreds of complaints about it. I found an article on line with Atlanta news WSBTV.com about the complaints and think you guys should respond. These complaints will get the attention and hopefully have them replace it..



http://www.wsbtv.com/news/27832796/detail.html

nfnsquared

Nice find! I sent Jim Strickland an e-mail with a link to the two major dashboard threads in this forum...

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

So did I, but I overloaded him with 8 threads.

VQPower37

yea i think the more people u tell, the more willing the dealership/acura will be willing to help you out in order for u to stop telling people

on a side note ... what year is ur car?

Splke

iTrader: (1)

I just got off the phone with Genine of Honda Corp (800-382-2238) and was given a case worker by the name of Jun Hung. I spoke to Hung and explained the fact that this is a safety issue with the cracks being over the air bags and my wife wont put our kids in the car. It was easier than I thought and I was told by Genine that this is not the first time she heard about this problem. It looks like it will be better for your case if you are a regular customer for services at Honda or Acura. This may take a while to become a recall but in the mean while the most you may have to pay is the labor to install the new dash.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

I'm so glad this finally made the news.

During the video, the picture from North Carolina is one from my cracked dashboard before I had it replaced. $550 out of pocket for the replacement and the new one has the nasty airbag outline on the passenger side.

Acutron

+1 That shit is loot but worth every penny.

tekageek

I also have an '04 TL. Can't believe how many people actually have this problem.
Got in my car this morning and saw this long crack on the passenger side. All the way from the windshield down the right side of the rectangular air bag indent. Later in the afternoon it got longer. Almost all the way down to the glove compartment.
I called my local dealer and told them about it. Didn't say it was a known issue but I have the 100,000 mile warranty and says that it might be covered but I'll have to pay part of it.
This is my first Acura. Really surprised at the quality of these parts. For a luxury car at $32k it's almost not worth it. Already had the water pump recalled and some other parts recalled. Not only that, my airbag light is starting to light up intermittently.
At 90,000 miles seems like it's falling apart. My '97 camry had 200,000 miles and still ran like a champ until i traded it in for this thing.

nfnsquared

^^^^ water pump????

gvernet

did anyone already tried the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety) and reported this problem yet? the # is 1-888-327-4236. just an FYI. hope this can help out.

Matt_T

Does anyone know the new Acura part number for the non-defective dash?

I'm assuming the $1500-$2000 price tag everyone is quoting is the dash installed by some chum at an Acura stealership. Sorry but I won't bring my TL back to the dealer after the scuffed the hell out of my wheel (granted they got it refinished but... still a PITA process).

So if anyone does have the new Acura part number for the non-defective dash and/or where to pick one up at a reasonable price, please reply or PM me asap! I'm going to do the work myself as I do for all of our vehicles now, will post some pics of the tear-down and install of the new dash (probably with a new center and tweets as well, might as well since I'll be in there!).

Roger555

iTrader: (3)

Pretty sure no revisions to the dash were made. The new one will crack again in 4years

Matt_T

Several previous posts mention that the old 2004 TL dash was replaced by a new item number (indicating Acura's acknowledgement that there was a problem with the first dash/item number).

On Acura Parts Warehouse (For the 2004 Base TL) it shows "77120-SEP-A01ZA - PANEL, INSTRUMENT *NH167L* (GRAPHITE BLACK) . Interior color: B-GRAY
Replaced by: 77120-SEP-A03ZA."

So basically I'm trying to find someone that has ordered one before to make sure that the 77120-SEP-A03ZA item number is legit. I can do the install myself I just don't wanna hassle with returns/shipping.

BTW... going off topic but I'm researching doing the Navi swap along with the dash. Might as well do it all at once along with re-stringing some nice shielded audio wires and replacing all the speakers :-p

GO BIG OR GO HOME!

Majofo

That's the right P/N for the dash cover. I'd be interested to find out if the P/N changing has anything to do with the design or mfg. I'm guessing with the lack of issues in 06+ I would guess both.. probably a better thermal barrier between the plastic and vinyl.

Matt_T

Thanks man... now for some more audio and navi research! It's near impossible to find an early model 6MT with navi The one I did find before I bought mine was leased, just can't have that... went for the "one previous owner" TL.

Since it has been done (non-navi to navi swap) I'll just have to do as much research as JPTL and others have done... lol. Hitting the books, be back next year