I really do Love my 2004 Pearl Diamond TL w/Navi. Got it from a Dealer in Ft. Lauderdale for a great price!! However, here are the problemes I have noticed with the car and wanted to see if you TL'ers have any of the same problems or any solutions....

1. The steering. It's awful, Sometimes when I come to a stop, the steering wheels turns almost to what is 90 degrees. Also, when I go over a bump, the steering goes crazy. The car also drifts. I thought i needed an aligment, GOT ONE the day after I bought the car but Still having the same issues...

2. Road Noise. The inside is awfully noisey with a mix of tire noise and wind noise. The Dealer said it's because I have high-performance tires...What? I checked and everything is closed completely...Is there something that can correct this interior noise problem?

3. Engine Vibration. I hear some weird vibration coming from under the hood, maybe it's the engine? It seems to happen every 3-4 minutes, even when my foot is not on the gas...The car also seems seems to ride "hard" for lack of a better word from the rear. My 2000 Nissan Maxima was a smoother drive this my TL

I did take it to the dealer for Alignment and 29 point inspection. It passed!! But I'm taking it back Tuesday for the above issues. I'm just so frustrated cause this is supposed to be a "psuedo" luxury vehicle...I do have to say I have somewhat of a bias opinion and maybe I'm over-reacting since I've gotten used to driving in my boyfriends Mercedes CLS-500 (such a smooth ride)

Anyhelp, advice or information anyone can provide would be greatly appricated..

Respectfully,
Monique

 

Not so sure about the engine vibration, but the road noise and steering problem is just something that comes with this car. yes it's a "pseudo" luxury vehicle but it's not perfect. my friend's toyota camry seems to float compared to the stiff suspension on this car. thats just how the TL is made. anyway, try to look passed these issues and enjoy it!! by the way, nice color :-) i have the same one

 

Welcome to the forum.
1, 2: The car should neither drift nor should the steering wheel turn on its own, esp. while braking. The TL is also generally one of the quietest cars around. It sounds to me like you might have a tire issue (which can cause tramlining/wheel movement, drifting and noise). The air pressure, brand/model/size of tires and amount of wear on the tires affect the noise level even if the alignment is true. Check those, or get those all checked by someone you trust with cars. If your tires are worn Bridgestone EL-42s, that would explain a lot (horrible tires for which there was a service bulletin). The TL is sensitive to tire alignment and balancing; only shops with Hunter Road Force machines should be used to balance the tires if you are having tire issues (many, not all, Acura dealers have the Hunter machine).
3: Sounds like it's the air conditioning compressor switching on and off.
Also, the TL was designed to fall on the sporty side of psuedo-lux sedans, so it has a stiffer ride and more planted suspension than most.

 

Oh, you mentioned Navi- so the original tires for Navi models were Michelin MXMs, which are pretty quiet tires. Let us know if you have other brand/model tires; if the TL's mileage is over 30,000, the tires were probably replaced.

 

Wow, thanks for the information...I do have 34,000 miles on my car but I'm not sure about the tires. I willl definitely bring up all the info you identified during my visit to the dealer!! I knew this was a great forum !!