Andyw2100

Following is a letter that I am sending today to Acura Client Services, my dealership, and the CEO of Acura. I don't know if it will help our cause, but I don't think it can hurt.
--Andy W.


February 27, 2004


Acura Client Services Office
Mail Stop 500-2N-7E
1919 Torrance Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90501-2746

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to express my complete and utter frustration with both the tires selected for the 2004 Acura TL, and with the type of customer service I have received from what I thought was a company with a great reputation. To date the level of customer service I have received would be more in line with someone who just purchased a $150 bicycle rather than a $35,000-plus luxury sports sedan.

As I am sure you are well aware, many new TL owners, myself included, are very dissatisfied with the Bridgestone Turanza EL42 tires Acura chose to use on the 2004 TL. I personally am concerned with the fact that the tires “flat spot” when cold, and cause hydroplaning if the road surface is even damp! This is a safety issue, and one that should be addressed. Reading the surveys at tirerack.com, as well as posts on various Acura TL websites allowed me to realize that many new TL owners feel exactly as I do.

My frustration is exacerbated by the horrendous customer service that I have received when trying to deal with this issue.

I have called Acura Client Services a few times about this, most recently earlier today. My case manager, Man Phan, actually said I should just make myself happy and go out and pay for the Michelins that I obviously wanted, since I kept telling him about other people who were getting the Michelins, and since I had been unhappy for months. (He was referring to the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, which many people who post online have received as replacements, with either Acura, or their individual dealer footing the bill.) Mr. Phan basically called me “cheap” because I didn’t want to spend the money on the new tires, as some other people had done. (Mr. Phan correctly noted that some people who post online and were dissatisfied had simply paid for the Michelins on their own, not wanting to take the time to do battle with Acura.)

My most recent call with Mr. Phan resulted in his telling me to once again contact my dealership. The reason he suggested this was that I had informed him that I had just heard from my dealership that I would be getting my tires replaced, with other Bridgestones, some time in March, at Acura’s expense. Mr. Phan knew nothing about this, and kept repeating that “there is no official word on this.”

I should note that both the sales manager and sales person that helped (if you can call it helped) with my purchase no longer work for Acura. I’ve had my car less than three months, and two of the three people with whom I had contact at the dealership are gone.

I called my dealership again, to speak to the only person left there who I have dealt with before, Mark DeLosh, the service manager. (He also is the only Acura employee who I feel has been truly helpful, and the only person who really cares about my satisfaction.) Mr. DeLosh informed me that the factory rep, Melissa Cahn, knew about the tire replacement, and was the only person who could help. When I asked to speak to her, Mr. DeLosh told me that he could not give me her number. However he did agree to call her, and ask her to call me. He then called me back, to let me know that she would not call me, but that I should open (or reopen) a case with client services, and that that might induce her to call me.

Can you see why I am frustrated? I am getting a complete run around, and can’t even get the person who apparently has the ability to satisfy my needs to call me back. This is customer service appropriate for the purchase of a $35,000 automobile? I think not!

The bottom line is that I do not want another set of Bridgestone tires. I want a set of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S that some other new TL owners have received.

I should note that except for the tire issue, and the complete farce that is Acura customer service, I have been very happy with my TL. It is a beautiful, very well-designed car. I am extremely satisfied with it, and would most certainly consider purchasing a TL (or RL) again in the future. However that decision will largely depend on the kind of customer service I receive from this point onward.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Andrew W........
2004 TL Owner


cc: Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Acura
cc: Crest Acura of Syracuse
ec: www.acura-tl.com user forums
ec: Temple of Vtec user forums

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Best of luck -- i've found that fighting Honda/Acura head on .. you get nowhere w/ letters .. you have to file a complaint w/ the BBB to just BEGIN to get anything done.

Ron A

Hear, hear. Outstanding letter. Would you mind if I copied it and sent it to the same address you did? I couldn't write a better letter if I tried, and it really tells the story. I would really like Michelins because I have driven on them for about 40 years now, but would settle for another good brand, anything but Bridgestone (Firestone) tires.

DMZ

You're right, letters alone don't always work. Here's my story in a nutshell:

Had an '86 Accord LX that after 3 1/3 years/44K miles was ready for the junkyard. Problems problems problems from day 1. The dealer's district service rep let the cat out of the bag by admitting to me the car was 'SABATOGED' on the assembly line by UAW sympathizers having come down the line in Marysville in early 1986 while the UAW was trying to unionize the plant. Even though he of course, denied it later in a feeble attempt to save his ass, I won't bore everyone with all the details though they really are juicy starting with my smashed heater core and paint job that had to be replaced. I wrote and sent a 9 page letter with copies of the Honda owners survey and the 1987 Consumer Reports owners survey to the CEO's and every member of the board of directors of American Honda AND Honda Motor Co. in Japan. Followed up with a barrage of non-stop phone calls becoming the pest of a lifetime, and I assure you, someone they never forgot to this day! Good thing for them the internet didn't exist yet.

Then when my attorney wrote them a certified letter threatening them with a lawsuit for consumer fraud if they didn't respond within 15 days, Whoolla! A senior VP from Honda called and offered to take the car back for credit of the full original purchase price toward a new car, the '89 Accord SE-i I still have to this day and will for about 1 more month until my new TL comes in. Though tires alone are relatively minor in comparison, they're still a major safety issue.

So......
You can win!!! Persistence and going up the ladder pays!!

Keep at 'em Andy!!!!!!! Best of luck!



Like General George Patton once said:
"ALWAYS TAKE THE OFFENSIVE, NEVER GIVE IN"

fsconsult

I agree 100%. I've done the letter writing compaign back in November. No results.

Called ACS many times = waste of time. Told :"No Official" word yet. Check with your service dept.

Called my Service Dept numerous times = waste of time. My service department must be the only ones that believes the BS EL's are best tires in the world. Pointed them to tirerack ratings...was told "I wouldn't hold too much value on ratings from their website"

My service department...IMO = totally worthless.

I don't think the run-around that you've experienced is unique. Acura customer service needs some serious re-work. Acura needs to wake up and realize Customer Service is king in the auto industry. For most people, an automobile is the 2nd largest purchase, therefore, do not expect to get the run around when problem arises.

Poor customer service may not effect Acura immediately, but it will bite them in their a$$ down the road. Believe me...the poor responses I've received from Acura will not be forgotten.

It will be a long winter in hell before purchasing another Acura. I do believe Acura in general offers the best "Bang for the Buck" but will not consider another Acura for its lack of Customer Service.

Andyw2100

Ron A,

Thanks for the nice words on my letter. Feel free to write Acura yourself, using whatever parts of my letter seem to make sense in your case. (Some of the specifics don't, I'm sure.)

Also, I can't take credit for the idea, or the addresses. A while back (in January, I believe) someone else here posted a similar letter, suggesting we all write. I almost wrote then, but decided to wait a while longer. But I stole both the idea, and the address, CEO ccing, etc. from that person. You can probably find the post by doing a search here on "clent services."

Good luck!
--Andy W.

mrpete

I've had my TL since Dec. 24th. I keep hearing from Acura and my local dealer that Acura is talking and a resolution to their sub par stock tires is coming.

I"m still waiting.

Your letter dated Feb 27th says there is still no close decision?

I"d not been to this forum in a month and thought I'd find some GOOD news.

NO good news it seems?

I"ll start calling my dealer and Acura, again, Monday morning.

I'm beyond being tired of my brand new car a) flat spotting several times a day, b) sliding out on rainy roads where i've NEVER had a problem before in other cars and c) bicycle like-tires in the snow.


Pete

calgary2800

Surprised to hear this about the Stones being so bad. I've only used that brand on Motorcycles and most riders say their fine, even the oem ones.

Well, I took the loss and replaced my lousy stock Michelin mx4h( something like that) at 800 miles and replaced them with excellent Falken ST 115 tires.

Fermin3344

If you get any positive feed back please keep us updated I have send Sincere letters to death threats to both Bridgestone and Acura. And still no luck.

pimpin-tl

This topic is like 2.5 years old guys. lol

LKLD

Obviously someone came through a worm hole

csmeance

My service manager said that acura bought a huge lot of these. He said acura will try to put them on the tl until they run out. (millions of the el42s)

acford

I know this thread is old, but I'm now having problems with my EL42s. I hate these tires! I just took them to a tire shop here in Northern Virginia to have them road force balanced with the Hunter GSP9700 machine. I just drove it from there and it isn't quite as bad, but still very evident.

I noticed on the 06 TLs that they come standard with the Michelins. It's just not right. It's always something!

csmeance

so you just adding to the theme that the EL42s suck or are you trying to get acura to replace them?

acford

I've already submitted a case with Acura Customer Service and I'm waiting to hear from the case manager. I'm not going to hold my breath!