TMorss

Hi, this is my first post and I know the title seems negative but I am about to lose it with my 08TL. I bought the vehicle 3 to 4 months ago. It is a certified 08 TL it has 33,000 miles on it when i took it home. Since then it has one issue after the next. I am glad I found this forum because every issue I have had I have found it on this thread. Here is breakdown of my 4 months of ownership.

1.) Subwoofer rattle in the back lid (acura fixed and still does it)

2.) Rattles in the dashboard

3.) Center Console flips open when I hit a bump

4.) Handsfree Link works about 20% of the time works great when I take it in for the issue and they tell me to bring it back when it does it. It just quits responding and will not even connect any phones.

5.) It drove great but I noticed a little pull developing to the left so I took in and they asked me what I have hit cause the car was so badly out of alignment that they couldn't align it. I have not hit so much as a pothole since I bought it and have put maybe 3k miles on it. The car doesn't have a scratch on it. And they tech could find nothing broken or bent? So they told me the next day that front cradle had to be adjusted? And the kicker is the car had a 4 wheel alignment and 4 new tires put on to become certified.

6.) It has a driveline vibration that is off and on but is definitely in the transmission or axles.

7.) Pulling out of my garage to take my son to school this morning and the Homelink is dead. When I hit the buttons not lights nothing.

I don't mean to rant but this car has been a nightmare since I have bought it. I love the style and I really wish it worked right. But with miles in the 30's no car should have all these issues. This has literally been the most problematic vehicle I have ever owned. I actually work for an Acura Dealer to make matters worse. When I take it into my service department they act like I am whining and that this is so uncommon like I am crazy. I come on here and find big threads where most of these issues are common.I was really excited about owning this car my first Acura. I am just of sick of it now. I paid good money for the car and I am ready to have them buy it back.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Sorry.
trade it in.

combat mediC

iTrader: (1)

Trade it in for a 2011 acura

Or if its too complicated for you, try a 95 civic.

TMorss

How are defects too complicated for a guy who sells Acura's and understands them very well? I paid for an Acura I expect quality.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^its an entry level luxury car.
you sell Acura's get your service team to help you out.

you didnt buy the car brand new. I understand that $20k is a hefty amount of change, but at least most of the depreciation hit before you bought it.
Since you sell Acura's, you must have known about the little problems like these. and believe me the rattling is petty.

Now, I do agree that there is something going on with your alignment or tires.

Have your service team check out the HFL. they are your team, right?

TMorss

That has been their response. These are not entry level anything issues man. I have been in the car business for years. I would expect this out the car if it had like 150k miles on it. I have owned Toyota, Chrysler, Ford, Dodge, and Nissan. None of them had issues one after the other like this.

On a positive note if it did not have these issues it would be hands down my favorite car.

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Good luck with fixing your problems; they aren't too bad...

My car has so many problems.

Rust, paint chips, vibration, power steering, electrical (my car has no power randomly; leaves me stranded), huge ass prints, leaking oil, leaking ATF, and the list goes on.

I still love it though because it's the nicest car out there for an 04 so I don't let little things bother me; compensation.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

we can help point you in the direction to fix these issues, but you seem a little bit sour.
a pre-purchase-inspection or a test drive didnt point these issues out and steer you away from buying this exact car?

TMorss

Sorry I really needed to vent to people who own these.

combat mediC

iTrader: (1)

If something is rattling, fix it. I understand you shouldn't have to, considering its "certified"... However you still bought a USED Acura. Which still boils down to a Honda. If you want a true luxury car go buy a Mercedes. or BMW.


You bought the car 3-4 months ago, I assume you test drove it... So either A) You've been offroading and destroying the car, and are blaming the problems on "Acuras Quality" Or B) You were too ignorant to ignore the problems at the time of the test drive.

I highly doubt the list of problems you mentioned all started 3 months ago.

Ken1997TL

Was it a loaner car from your dealership?

Who knows what kind of abuse it has been through.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

TMorss, can you tell we love our Acura's?

TMorss

I love Acura's too. I have sold a lot of them new and pre owned. They have been great cars. I think I just picked the wrong one.

dece207

I guess I am missing something here. I just bought two '08 CPO Acura TLs three weeks ago. And I bought the Acura Care extended warranty for both which I was "given" employee pricing on because we are good customers.

All of the things you mentioned should and will be fixed with no questions asked at my dealership. Perhaps you need to take it to another dealer? One where you can demand the service you have a right to having bought CPO. And one where you can do so without the risk of alienating yourself from your boss or co-workers. My 08 is at the dealer right now for an issue and I know it will be fixed. Try to relax. Use your warranty. These are great cars. Trust me, if you bought a 2008 Chevy Lumina you'd have issues too. Only difference is they would never end. Good Luck.

myron

iTrader: (4)

my center console was opening up when I hit a bump. What had happened there is that when the center console was opened, you must have bumped it with your elbow bending it back a little. Maybe previous owner did it, who knows. You just have to take the cover off and bend the bracket a little. had this problem on my car, fixed it under 10 min, 3 years and no pop ups.

AMUA6

iTrader: (7)

Good luck with your problems OP! And welcome to the forum

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

first off, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being particular about your car (its a weird OCD type thing...but if its important to you...). you wouldn't be in the car biz if you didnt' like cars. so your service dept should help you out, damn you guys all work together for crying out loud.

the rattles...everyone has them to some degree. though your car is CPO...some of the rattle solutions on here are quite ingenious and they work assuming you can locate the source of the bugger. if your service dept can't find them...find them yourself and fix them.

the center console pop up...haven't experienced that one, but try what has been suggeested.

your HFL...some go out, OR your phone is not compatible with the car. interesting you also mentioned that your homelink died recently...its located in the same area of your HFL module...see what service can do for you.

alingments...the TL is finicky. though the CPO theoretically had the alignment done...was the print out in the car when you bought it? then you can be sure it was done and you can look over the specs. i had an alignment print out in the car when i bought my CPO'd MDX. the toe adjustment has to be as close to zero as possible otherwise...you might get some drifting. could also be the tires and wheels. you mentioned new tires...have them checked if not already done. and check tire pressure...sometimes one low tire can cause a pull as well (sounds obvious, but sometimes overlooked).

the driveline vibration...isn't there a TSB on this? could be a bad axle...known to happen. depends on when and where the vibration occurs. i had to replace my axles on the TL (@50k mi) when they went bad at 42k mi.

really the issues with your TL aren't THAT bad. annoying and frustrating yes, but who knows how the previous owner took care of the car. its ok to rant, its understandable, b/c you just bought it, BUT everything seems to be "breaking" at the same time and its overwhelming. however to say its the worse car you ever owned is a pretty....strong statement...considering what other cars are out there with more issues (ie domestics or german imports). with a used car there are risks... just get the major stuff fixed (at least the transmission didn't crap out)...find the rattles (or you can just insulate the entire car with dynamat)...and enjoy the car.

Acura604

it is simply amazing to see these stories about the issues some owners have faced with this brand... i have to honestly say that in my history of vehicles (see my sig below)... with pretty much ALL of them being ACURAs..i have NEVER had to deal with a warranty related issue that has caused me an inconvenience (the only time was when the acura dealership installed that terrible OEM 'bass system' option in the 06 CSX)...and that is the biggest reason why I will stick with the brand. next on my list? MDX.

Bearcat94

Sounds like it. Being "in the business" you should know that "certified" is just a word for "costs more". And you really should've been in a position to do a really good evaluation.

I'm guessing this came up at an attractive price? If so, now you know why.


Regardless, pretty much everything listed should be 1.) fixable and 2.) under warranty.

Something about the alignment thing sounds bogus, but I don't know what. I do find the TL sensitive to alignment and in need of regular checks, but not to the point that a minor pull can't even be corrected. Something doesn't add up.

SimonCL-S6

You bought a .....

TMorss

Above is the update of my issues.

I hate cars

I totally understand being picky, it's a lot of money. I bought mine brand new and made the dealer re-tint the window due to a tiny scratch that no one else could see. Got it waxed because of a small surface scratch. Brand new floormats because someone got in the car with greasy shoes (and it had only 8 miles on it). Nothing wrong with that.

As to your issues, you're best off fixing the rattles yourself. I had mine back to the dealer several times. I finally ended up stuffing a thin piece of cardboard between the deck cover and glass. It was invisible to the outside. It even stopped the rattles when I had two 12s in the trunk. It's a very easy fix. This is assuming the sub is not blown or does not have debris on it causing the noise.

Rattles in the dash, these can be fixed yourself also depending on which rattle. The driver's side vent is an easy one. You can remove the trim under the vent and glue some thin felt underneath and it will be gone. The center display can usually be fixed by removing (no tools required) and reinstalling. Center console shifter rattle can be cured by removing the trim piece and inserting some thin felt underneath. I replaced mine because it was scratched and they come with felt from the factory.

HFL should be done by the dealer under warranty. There's a very good thread on it and the $.10 piece required to fix it if you can soldier good but again, dealer should replace this before it leads to a dead battery overnight which it most certainly will.

Is the driveline vibration only when cold or all the time? These cars are very sensitive to tire balance and flat spotting when they sit overnight. Mine is rough for about a mile before it smooths out in the morning. Not so bad in the summer time. Axles can cause this but will show up only under acceleration where tires will do it all the time. If it happens only under acceleration and only at a certain speed, look into getting the trans fluid replaced with Redline D4 or "racing" and no matter what, do your 3rd and 4th gear pressure switches. These are a must every 2 years regardless of mileage if you want the 5at to live a long life.

If the car is too far out to align, it's been in a wreck. Flip it around on them, get aggressive toward them that they sold you a wrecked car without telling you. They will be more than happy to align it for free.

Sounds like you got the center console sorted out. FWIW, the cushion on mine went flat and the "leather" started looking bad. You can buy a replacement with very nice real leather and new padding for about $50. I try to keep mine looking brand new so I've replaced most of the trim pieces and sometimes you fix rattles that you don't even know you have until they're gone.

BigPZ

Could be that you just ended up with a bad one...Sorry to hear...

P.S. My shit rattles like crazy inside too...crank the music, and rip it till you have a smile on your face...makes me forget about the bullshit every time...

I hate cars

Thanks Bearcat!

RJNN TL

I had to replace my frigin engine on my 05TL 5AT.. Engine knocks at 78K.. I had it since 72K.. That was horrible. And.. the DVD stopped working at 90K. The rim was bent on the front right tire.. and.. well. I fixed it all. I had Acura replace the engine under my extended warranty.. After that. I did some HW on these forums, sent the DVD unit from the trunk to Alpine and they fixed it for $150. And my rim I got off ebay OEM for 125$.

And when that was all fixed my airbag light went on and never went off. So I replaced both sensors and it STILL stayed on.. but I sold it before it annoyed me THAT much.

Even with all these "issues", sure I was annoyed at times. I still loved the car enough to get a Type S, same color too in 6MT. Since I got this car I.. had to have the CD player replaced. And well.. now I have an awful vibration. Sure it pisses me off. BUT. I still love the car and it gets good gas mileage at 29-30 respectively.. And it seems very reliable! Even more so than my old 05 TL. I had my 05 TL up to 122K and the engine had 110K without the timing belt done. I traded it in before I even thought about replacing it.

So sure. Some things PISS me off, and I have your rattles too. BUT. I turn the music up and ignore them haha. They have problems sure, just wish you didnt have the 00-03 TL issues with the tranny issues.. lol. Keep it a little longer. Try to fix those small issues and see what you think. If you still hate it, trade the girl in and find another. :P


I loved my old 05 TL. And I only traded her in for the Type S version.