I'm so glad I found this forum. (I would really appreciate some help/advice. I've nearly been in two accidents because of this problem. So, please bear w/ all the details. Once while turning left onto a highway in Delaware - I had to stop ,take my foot off the gas and pull the wheel back because it wouldn't return - I almost drove off the road w/ an 18-wheeler coming fast up my back. And again when driving on 355 in Maryland/Rockville - the wheel tugged strongly to the left and I started to pull into the left lane. Fortunately, both times I had both hands on the wheel.

My TL is two months old. Since I bought it, it has consistently turned to the left of its own accord. The dealer tells me this is normal behavior and was unable to duplicate the problem. However, I have never driven a car that behaved like this before. It isn't tire pressure (been checked) and it isn't alignment (checked that, too). It happens when I'm riding the brake in traffic and when I'm cruising along at 30 MPH, although the brakes do seem to aggravate the problem. At highway speeds, I have turned the wheel ever so slightly to see if it will return to center - it will when turned to the right. To the left...it just keeps going. I've never given it the opportunity to actually turn at those speeds. Same things happens in parking lots. It will turn when I hit one of those expansion joints on a bridge or overpass. When I hit a pothole on the right side, the wheel will turn to the right, but it returns - Not so on the left.

And when I say turn, I mean turn. Not drift. The steering wheel has actually turned up to eight inches to the left (I brought a tape measure in the car w/ me so I could be certain of the measurement) and the wheel almost never returns. That eight-inch turn I mentioned earlier was on the DC beltway (495) - I was in traffic, but not riding the brake...and the road was smooth, but graded.

I still believe in the Acura and the TL, just not necessarily the specific one I bought. Can someone plase help me? I'm at a loss and I'm not interested in getting into an accident.

 

Don't deal with your dealer, get a second opinion from another dealer. Call Acura direct. Complain, Complain and keep complaining. Until they do something. This is not normal for a TL or any other car for that matter. If it is drifting at speed it may be a brake problem, one is grabbing and pulling the car to the left. We had another member who's TL would pull to one side when he braked. He call Acura, the BBB and kept complaining until he got his TL exchanged. I don't think Acura wants that car on the road.

 

Thank you for the advice AND the sanity check. The dealer was scheduled to pick up the car this morning and provide me a loaner - somehow managed to not show up. I made an appointment w/ another dealer for this week - they will provide me with a loaner. So, I called Acura corporate and complained for about 40 minutes until they opened a case. They initially tried to tell me that just because I'm telling them about a problem, doesn't mean I am off the hook in case I have an accident - that they have now advised me I shouldn't drive the car if I believe there is a dangerous problem. Rather difficult to do if I don't have a back-up vehicle and the dealer refuses to address the problem. I made it very clear that if they can't resolve the problem, I will want a replacement vehicle as this one will need to be taken off the road. At a minimum, I will want the extended warranty to compensate for some of the other things the dealer pulled. We'll see!

And if you have any other details on what that other member had to do, they would be much appreciated!! Thanks again!!

 

I don't even torque steer would cause that much pull, something is definetly wrong with your vehicle, take it to another dealer, the one you've been going to seems worthless.

 

So heres the deal...I had the same EXACT problem at 1500 miles and when my TL was a month and a half old.

The only way it would drift was left...and it drifted pretty hard too...so I took it to the dealer and they did an alignment...got it back and drove it for 10 miles, and it was still drifting (ONLY to the left)...I called them up that instant and they told me to bring it back...so the dealer was pretty much closed and the service manager who was an X-tech took it for a test drive and said its got to be the tire pressures...he checked them out and saw that they were all uneven...he guaranteed me tha tmy problem would be fixed...IT WASNT.

I went back the next day and drove with a tech, showed him 10 times how it drifted on the freeway. He said that he would definately fix it...I got my car back 2 days later and guess what...they had put about 75 miles on it! Anyway the problem was FINALLY FIXED.

Now was the tech said is that he did a NON factory alignment and had the car tested at 90+ MPH...which is my cruising speed here in socal ...Anyway, he said that the car will corner better and the steering will feel a bit stiffer, and it did.

In any event unless you DO want a replacement, I suggest you try going to a different dealer and sitting in teh car with a tech.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Well - here is an update. I called Acura corporate and complained for about 40 minutes until they opened a case. I also took the car to another dealer. In addition to a few other fixes, the tech took a look at the pulling. The left front tire was already 'cupping' and he indicated that the steering wheel wasn't centered on the steering column. The alignment was off. Considering I was told that it had been checked by the other dealer and I've put 3K miles on the car w/ a bad alignment - I'm not happy. They also said I may continue to have problems as the tires are so worn - and I am. It is much better though. The steering wheel will still turn to the left, but not nearly as hard as before.

So, I go back to the dealer on Tuesday for the rest of the minor adjustments and to talk w/ them about the alignment and the pulling. I'm looking forward to comparing how my car now handles with the loaner. Some of the roads around here have a rather serious grade, but I'm not convinced the problem has been solved.

Based on that conversation w/ the dealer, I'm going back to Acura corporate. At a minimum, I want them to replace the worn tires. I had the car for six days before bringing it back to have the alignment checked - and I'm not dealing with this problem until the tires 'even out'.

Thanks to everyone for your posts and I will keep you updated!