MrGQDieselNY

I just called my sales rep at Acura, I pick up the car this Wednesday, he said he has had only one guy complain about the tire issue and the guy also mentioned people on this site having issues, and the rep spoke to the dealer and they aren't remedying the problem by trading in the tires, he told me the dealer says just to buy them on your own, the tires that come with the car (EL42) are the tires and there is nothing they can do.

Anyone else get replies like this? I assumed people were getting dealers to replace the tires at no cost if the car was pulling left or vibration issues.

PoochaKannInc

Tires were being replaced only if they were not the reformulated EL42s. If yours is a higher VIN, it should be the new EL42's (my VIN is in the 30xxx's and it has the reformulated ones).

Most people try to work out a deal with the dealer to trade in their EL42s and pay some extra $ for some other type of tires. Me? The EL42s work fine for now.

rets

why I have to always agree with you... why you're always right...


Tons of ppl have asked dealers to do something with those crappy EL42s. Some of them got good dealers who are willing to swap free Michilin Pilot Sport A/S, another dealers would help you replace them if you pay the difference, others are just doing nothing.

However, most of dealers would help you free replace PVC EL42s to TU2 EL42s, as PoochaKannInc said above.


Let's see who could get free swap from EL42s to newly Michelin Pilot MXM4...

MrGQDieselNY

Ok so since mine is a new VIN lets hope the tires are better, so lets hope mine are the reformluated ones.

side note: its pretty pathetic that I can find out more info on here than the sales reps know at Acura, I tell them stuff and they are like "huh"? "really"? They dont even know much about the 2004 issues let alone whats new on the 2005's.

Oh well.

lindros2

I had to pay for an upgrade - and required two sets of EL42's and four dealer visits to remedy.

JetJock

I just bit the bullet and bought PS-2's to replace my RE-030's Even though Acura claims this is their High Performance tire, I didn't like it. The PS-2's are awesome tires for this car...they are expensive but well worth the price. They are so quiet and ride much better than the Bridgstone tires that it just makes me wonder why Acura ever went with Bridgstone in the first place. The car would get better reviews with better tires, people would be happier, and they would end up selling more cars.

sw1tchn1nja

Is there an easy way to tell if you have the PVC or TU2's?

alvon

It is on the sidewall of the tires.

jjsC5

I am totally dumbfounded by how much play this issue gets. You are a good example. You don't even own the car yet and you want them to replace the tires.

I have almost 4,000 miles on my car now, and have no complaints with "ELs". I realize they may have a bit of vibration when cold (not a factor in Houston since I have owned mine), but I really thing that most people are bitching just to bitch.

MrGQDieselNY

No, I just like to cover my basis even before something happens, I sent a fax over to my dealer, I listed a handfull of problems many people are having and told him if he knows of any of these to make sure he fixes them before I pick up the car today. If not then fine, but to keep the letter on file for me, because I will not be a happy camper if/when I come back. Maybe I will get lucky and not have any problems, but for a $35,000 car, these little or big problems are just not acceptable... so I want him to know that I am aware and hope he is, which they seem to be clueless.


If they change the tires on the 05's then common sense says they know there is a problem and save me the headache and just change my tires now... thats my point.


I told them if/when I come back to get them fixed, there will be problems from me..

njsesq

Please check my prior posts. Don't watse time with your Acura dealer - it's VERY unlikely they'll replace EL-42s with anything other than new EL-42s. Go directly to a Firestone/Bridgestone dealer (company owned store, not an independent) and ask for an upgrade to Bridgestone LS-Zs. They should pro-rate your tires, charge you about $30/tire for the upgarde plus balancing, etc... The LS-Z is a better tire than the Pilot AND you'll have an easier time upgrading.

MrGQDieselNY

How do the tires look on the 17 inch stock rim? nice side walls and profile?

Do they ride smoother, do you notice a difference even if you had no problems with the EL-42's?

Thanks for the info.

njsesq

Definitely smoother. The LS-Z is superior in every way to the EL-42, except it is about 4lbs. heavier per tire. The diameter is also minutley smaller. However, given how quickly the EL-42s wear out, I doubt that's an issue at all. As for aesthetics, is has a nicer sidewall and a much nicer looking tread pattern. OK, it seems silly to call a tread pattern nice-looking, but I think you know what I mean. The EL-42 tread pattern reminds me of something you find on a $20 Pep Boys tire. Go on Bridgesone's website - the LS-Z has every new innovation the company has to offer, the EL-42... none. The tire's wet traction and resistance to hydroplaning is fantastic.

MrGQDieselNY

Thanks! and of course I know what you mean about nice looking tread pattern, thats one of the most important part to making a car look perfect... a clean car and goofy looking tire tred/ sidwalls, etc, really mess up the look of the car.

njsesq

I'm not sure if this link will post, but here's a pic of the LS-Z

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/BigPic...omCompare1=yes

njsesq

Oops, that's an LS-H, but the pattern is the same.

baby_igor

I traded my EL-42 for LS-Z about 300 miles ago. The local Firestones here in Northern Virginia have the program in place, I just had to ask for it. Cost was $22 per tire, plus another $20 in labor, so out the door for about $150. I was going to wait longer to comment on the performance, but so far so good. We had alot of rain the past few days, any they are excellent. Waiting for the snow for the final test.

e46m3

My dealer came exceeded my expectation today. I brought in my 04 TL with 3000 miles for vibration due to flat spotting.

Then voila, new Michelin Pilot A/S the next day. That is what I call service.

Thank you Clair Acura!

badboy

I have the old pvc el42's. Went to the dealers last week regarding headliner issue, and asked them to check out the tires. I have had no problems with the tires, the only thing that bothers me is the loudness of the tires at high speeds. They ordered to set of the reformulated el42's without me complaining at all.

But now I am thinking about going ps2's since I have read many posts about how good those tires are, especially with the noise level at high speeds.

Going to try and convince the dealer to make the swap and if I have to pay a bit extra I probably will.

Going to get the passanger seat cover and the arm rest cover replaced as well. They dropped glue on them when they fixed the headliner.

MrGQDieselNY

Just checked mine, they have the EL42SZ TU2's on them So i guess im ok?

baby_igor

yes, thems the good uns

ebloomponycar

IT IS NOT THE TIRES. CAR HAS MAJOR PROBLEM. ARBITRATION SCHEDULED OCT 8. Suggest you do the same. ACURA CLIENT SERVICES CONFIRMED PROBLEM WITH VIBRATION BUT WILL NOT PUT IT IN WRITING.

MrGQDieselNY

Arbitration? where? how? please elaborate. Thanks!

ebloomponycar

CALL YOU STATE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. VIRGINIA IS GREAT. CLAIMS HANDLED IN 47 days start to finish. We will see what happens next week. Also call or visit the National HIghway Traffic Safety administration. You can see all the recalls and service bulletins. ARBITRATION IS NOT BINDING ON CAR OWNER. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A LEMON LAW SUIT IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE ARBITRATION>

ebloomponycar

The Dealer Was Useless. They Have Confirmed My Problem But Won't Do Anything About It. Bridgestone Has No Recalls Or Bulletins On The Tires. It Is Only Acura Tl Owners With The Automatic Trans That Are Complaining.

I Am A Master Auto Tech (ase And Gm) With 20 Years Of Experience. This Car Has A Serious Design Flaw.

MrGQDieselNY

Good luck, keep us updated, let us know what happens. Im crossing my fingers I don't have any of these major issues.

njsesq

What type of problem are you having - exactly? Something more than tire vibration? What did ACS confirm for you?

ebloomponycar

Arbitration for buyback. Vibrations in this car started at 700 miles in the a.m. and a more harmonic type vibe between 55-75. I am sure they are both related. Seems a little temperture related. The a.m. vibration is so bad that I pulled over the first time to check for flat tires. I am on my third set of tires. Now I have Turanza LS-Z's with no history of vibrations and the morning vibrations have not changed. Dealer said it needed a 4th set of tires but I am not putting out more money. They put on the second set and I went to Bridgestone for the third (150.00). ACS reimbursed after raging battle. ACS confirmed problems verbally but no one will put it in writing. General Manager for ops at Pohanka has the same problem with his. He told me not to buy a 4th set of tires that he would get back to me after meeting with the rep. No rep has called and after 2 calls to the general manager no return calls either. They must have heard about the arbitration. They told me not to bring car back because there is nothing they could do. Call service manager last week for update and he was surprised area rep has not called.

all the tire complaints are on acura tl autos. no complaints on the LS-Z. No recalls or bulletins from Bridgestone (I called and spoke with two different tire dealers.

On top of the I have an automotive degree from Denver Automotive and I am an ASE certified Master auto tech and a GM Master Auto tech.

We will see what happens. No more acura autos after this debacle. I worked at a GM dealer and we took pride in fixing the problem cars. This dealer is a joke.

Imagine putting down 35k cash for a touring sedan and getting in it everyday just to hear your teeth rattle!

And to think I was going to buy a 5 series BMW instead. Who is the idiot.

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

Heading down to Firestone tomorrow to trade in my EL 42's for a new set of 255/40/18 SO3's. Hope it all works out ok.

njsesq

When do you go to arbitration?

djnman

I have the EL42's and am annoyed by the flat spotting effect for the first 10 miles. I spoke to the service manager at my local Connecticut Dealer. Acura has stopped replacing the EL42's with Michelin according to him. The route they are taking is to upgrade your EL42's with LS-Z's. If you should still have a problem the Area Rep will make an appointment with you to go for a ride. According to him the Michelin Replacement got out of hand and abused to some degree so Acura put a stop to it. I saw new 05's today with Michelin tires on them...... Seems Acura wants to take the cheap way out. When I trade in a few years I will remember this...

Repecat

Not all dealers are upgrading the EL42s. Mine flatspotted after one week of ownership and I complained to the dealer. They agreed to replace them with another set of EL42s. I have yet to try them on a cold morning since the replacement was yesterday. I may just be entering the "revolving door" syndrome.

SK MOD #6

I had the newer EL42s on my August build date TL. After 2000 miles of hopping around in the morning I called my dealer and made an apointment. Two hours after dropping the car off they called and said come get the car. They installed four new Michellin AVS,no charge and man what a difference. The car actually handles alot better. Better steering response and far better wet performance...

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

I tried to trade in my EL 42's for a set of PP S03's for my A spec wheels but the Firestone dealer nixed that idea. They did agree to give me a set of LS-Z's which I accepted and I then decided to go with the Falkens on the 18's. Hopefully the LS-Z will work ok for the Louisville winters, the Falkens for summer and now I need to get some Kumho's for the track and I'll finally be finished with the tire setups.

Ted Johnson

Well, maybe people in Houston don't have conditions to bitch about. I got my TL and it snowed a bit (2") the next morning. There was essentially no traction in even the least amount of snow. (I also found it discouragingly poor in the wet - - the condition that I consider the most important in an AS tire in my climate (mid-atlantic region)). Now I don't mind limited traction driving (rather like it actually), but this was tire was a ridiculous choice for a car with sporting aspirations.

I went on the Tire Rack site and looked at the reviews of the EL 42. My experience matched the reviews entirely (except on longevity since I haven't really tested that -- I changed tires). I bought the Pirelli P Zero Neros (not the best AS tire for snow) and it is night and day over the EL 42 in every area (except wear since I haven't had them long enough to know on that).

Having said all that, I tend to be a fan of Bridgestone tires. (They sponsored me in racing at one point and I really liked their product.) They do make excellent AS tires. The EL 42 isn't that. Since they are capable of making very good tires, I tried to figure out what went wrong with the EL 42. All tires are a compromise. What was the compromise here? Is it a cheap tire? No, it is expensive. Is it very comfortable? No, the Pirelli is less harsh. Is it quiet? No, the Pirelli is quieter. Does it wear like iron? Well, according to the Tire Rack survey, it is not as good as the Pirelli there either. I just don't understand the EL 42 -- ie why Bridgestone made it and why Honda chose it for this application.

OK, that's why I "bitch". YMMV!

<TED>

rmastbro

I called my local Bridgestone/Firestone dealer in Florida and they told me that they would give me $130 credit (half of what the tire costs) towards the $290 LS-Z tire. I have only 5000 miles on my EL-42 and to replace them for (4) X $160 = $640 is out of the question!!!

What dealership did you goto to get this amazing deal upgrade for $44 per tire??????

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

Go to company owned Firestone store, not a franchise

lookin4tl

If you read my post below I had a blowout on my stock el42's and needed to get it replaced. I've had major vibration problems at low speeds causing rattles and wanted to get ALL the tires replaced...
https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/memento-long-98923/

I went to my local Bridge/Firestone dealer today and they were not aware of anyone having any problems with the EL42's. WHAT?? I told them I had vibration issues but the tech said they cannot replace any of my tires. I asked if I could upgrade to the LS-Z and he said yes, but they would only give me roughly $100/tire, since mine have 5000 miles on them!

So... HOW MUCH??? He said that the LS-Z goes for $299/tire which, to me, is rediculous for a 17" tire!! I then ask what it will cost just to replace the one blownout EL42 with another EL42... He says they go for $264/tire, which is COMPLETELY OBSURD for these pieces of SHY-ZA!!!!

So I don't know what to do... Either way I'm out to spend a grip! Sounds like a good time to upgrade to the A-Spec 18's... christmas is around the corner!!

njsesq

If you have the 1st generation EL-42s, get your Acura Dealer to swap them for the new ones (just as bad) and drive right to your Bridgestone/Firestone Dealer and upgrade with a minimal pro-ration on the new EL-42s. That's how I did it. Also, do NOT go to an independently owned dealer, go to a company store. There's actually no specific EL-42 upgrade program in place from Bridgestone. Bridgestone is supplying Acura with new El-42s - under some un-named "let's not admit to it" program. The upgrade to LS-Zs is something a company owned store would do regardless of what Bridgestone tire your were upgrading. As long as they're making some money on you, they're happy - not to mention they get to sell your used tires. See my prior posts for more specific information. Also, the LS-Z is far, far superior to the EL-42 in every important characteristic, although it is a bit heavier.

If you already have the 2nd generation EL-42s, you probably won't be as lucky. Giving you 50% credit for 5000 miles isn't so far-fetched. You'll be lucky to get more than 10,000 miles out of the EL-42s - as I was told by my Bridgestone dealer. So, you can buy LS-Zs in another 5000 miles at full price, or get 50% credit now and get tires with a 40,000 mile tread warranty.

Acura_zing

Just bought an '05 TL (silver, no NAV). Noticed that it had EL42 TU2's on it in the lot, and wasn't sure if these were alright. However I assumed it could only be more difficult to solve a problem after they got my money so I quickly negotiated a swap for Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 as part of the deal. Oddly, they were on another '05 TL in the lot that had been delivered to the dealer on the same day.

Any idea why two TL's delivered the same day would have different tires?
Reviews of the Michelins aren't really so great (now that I've had a chance to look them up). Was the swap a good move?