A little background...prior to my purchase of CPO 2012 TL - Advance. ...back in October 2014, I was on my way home from work and I was rear ended by a vehicle was that rear ended heavily and caused me to hit the vehicle in front of me. That was my 2004 Accord coupe that was totaled. Due to time constraints with the rental day limits and need to go back to work, I searched online and found this 2012 TL Advance which was over 100 miles away from home. It was a good deal and I thought that CPO means it's like purchasing a new car with all the bells and whistles at significantly lower cost, and at reasonable mileage of 32,000 on the odometer.

Long story short, the nearest Acura dealership said cupping on my front tires are not caused by bad suspension on the vehicle, blamed on my driving and the road conditions. I reached out to the Acura dealer that sold the vehicle to me and they advised if the Acura dealership I brought my car to said there is no problem but the tires, then there is nothing they can do for me. Road noise is louder than the road noise I heard when I had my 2004 Accord, yet they told me it's normal. Whistling sound also considered normal.

About 2-3 weeks of driving the vehicle from the date of purchase (10/2014), I noticed the whistling sound in front of the vehicle. I know I have read in some threads in the forum that it is common with the SH-AWD. I brought the vehicle to the nearest Acura dealer and told them about the sound and the "road noise" that I did not expect on a $40K+ vehicle. I had the tech ride the car with me to test drive and he said it was common sound that Acuras make. I had them inspect for the cause of the road noise and they told me that there will always be road noise on vehicle regardless of type and class. I did not agree with them but went with their diagnosis and advise that it's normal.

Fast forward to mid-December 2014, I noticed that when I drive the vehicle at speeds 15mph - 40mph, the found of the car sounds loud. Then when I drive above 55mph the noise became louder and at 70mph+ I feel vibrations and shaking. Since I'm always sitting in traffic for my daily commute to work and home, I didn't let it bother me. But the times that I drive the car on weekends, I find myself blasting my music to mask the noise. I waited for my B1 service to come up and I scheduled my appointment for service on 1/10/2015. The Service Advisor had a tech ride in the car with me. We took the car on the freeway, which I thought was rough so it was hard to replicate the noise because just the road noise alone was loud, until we reached a part on the freeway that was smooth. I demonstrated how I would normally drive my car and he says he hears nothing on the passenger seat. So on the way back to the dealership, I asked the tech to drive the car. He said the sound seems normal. He explained that because I "upgraded" from a Honda to an Acura, my sensitivity to road noise and expectation of quality is heightened. I told thim, "that's right, and that is why I am bringing this to Acura's attention." I asked that when they keep the car for the B1 service to put my car on a lift and inspect possible sources of the "road noise".

After 6 hours, I went back to the dealership and check on status and they said the reason why the car seemed to vibrate and the cause of the significant "road noise" is due to cupping on the front tires. They recommended replacing the tires. I told them those are new from the dealership when I purchased the vehicle. I was unable to rotate the rear tires to the front and vice versa because just a day before, the right rear tire was punctured by a nail on the sidewall and is not repairable, which also requires replacing both rear tires.

It is upsetting that they said there are no signs of damage to the suspension parts of the vehicle, therefore the cause of the cupping the driving conditions, load on the vehicle, and the road I drive on. I remember I had the tires of my 2004 Accord cupping due to worn and blown out shocks/struts, which only happened after 8 years of owning the vehicle. I paid to replace the shocks and the shaking and rattling went away.

How can Acura rule out suspension issue and say that the cause of the damage to the front tires are not related to suspension parts of the vehicle?

My car's current mileage is approximately 40,000 and I think it's too early to have these issues considering I bought a CPO Acura. It's depressing to think that I was able to drive my 2004 Accord and the biggest expense on it were the tire replacement at every 80K+ miles and the shocks/struts when I reached 185K+ miles.

Can you guys advice on how to best handle this situation?

 

Sorry about the issues you're experiencing. The whistling sound is probably from the propeller shaft, which is a known issue. That has nothing to do with the tires or suspension and should be covered under your warranty.

 

Thanks for your response BSG1!
Is there another way to present the whistling issue to get them to cover it while the car is still within the warranty period?

 

some shocks just go bad, there were a few members that had that issue before..

but then again.. its CPO, you will never know what the previous owner did with the vehicle.. he could have hit a curb and not report it..

 

first, you need an alignment.

if tires cupped in 3 months; there is something out of spec.

Something, but we dont know what.

to figure out; have an alignment done. it's sort of a test.
your car will be aligned with proper specs and if suspension is out like the dealership says it is; you will find out .

so, the first step is to get an alignment.
then get new tires.

 

thats crazy, try a wheel alignment

 

get the new tires installed on the fronts and put the bad ones on the rear temporarily. Go to a honda dealer (cheaper usually) and get a 4 wheel alignment. Wait a day or 2 after moving the tires around since the suspension has to settle. Also I'd suggest having Honda look at the front suspension for any worn parts/issues. Have them write it all down with an estimate to fix and bring it to acura.

The road noise could be a combination of a few factors:
1. Type/brand of tire. I've had tires that were horrendously loud new.
2. Missing body plugs, there are body plugs that block air from coming into the car under it. If you are missing one or two it'll let a lot of road noise in.
3. Do you drive with the moon roof cover open?
4. Are your windows tinted?
5. What air pressure do you keep the tires at?

 

+1

 

UPDATE FOR EVERYONE... I brought my car to a Michelin authorized retailer near where I live and had a master tech drive the car. Immediately, he confirmed where the sound was coming from and validated my concerns. He advised that Acura should not have sold the car with the condition of my tires, plus he confirmed my rear struts needs to be replaced.

Basically, both rear tires were bad... they referred to the words "splitting" and "cupping" which are caused by combination of tire defect and suspension problem. Since I didn't want to deal with the noise problem any longer, I authorized them to replace both rear tires and purchased the added road hazard warranty since I use my car to commute to work and due the nail that deemed the right rear tire as not repairable. So on Saturday, I spent $772 on my CPO Acura... At least the problem is fixed and my car sounds like it should be, better than my previous Accord.

I drove the car to work today and the noise have completely disappeared. It was nice driving a quiet car.

To answer your questions csmeance...
1. They're supposedly the OEM tires for the vehicle... some Michelin brand tires. The set they installed on Saturday are the Primacy MXV4 P245/45R18 96V... the authorized retailer told me they're a replacement to the OEM tires since they were discontinued.
2. I didn't think to look for missing body plugs, but I will definitely ask the dealership next time I take my vehicle for service.
3. LOL, like my ocd... I constantly checked my windows and moonroof to make sure they're closed. I even drive with nothing playing on my radio to exactly pinpoint where the noise is coming from. And when I can't deal with the noise, I'm glad to have ELS on the vehicle that I can drown it out... but end up being deaf when I arrive at my destination.
4. I purchased the vehicle with the rear windows already tinted... Do you think they have a role in making the road noise?
5. I like to make myself think I have the SH-AWD... so I have the Tire Pressure Monitor on the MID display, the tire pressures fluctuate with the heat and cold between 32 and 35psi. The display shows they're all OK, so I never thought of checking the tire pressure.

Will Honda charge me anything for having them inspect my suspension for an estimate?

One more thing... someone from Acura Client Relations contacted me on Friday too because I sent them a letter outlining my concerns and experience with the dealerships. They replied telling me someone would contact me. I received the call and she (Karla) seemed like she just called to tell me she's assigned to investigate my issues. I was going to elaborate but she kept cutting me off telling me that it was just an introduction call and that she'll get in touch again on Tuesday, 1/20.

Thanks everyone for all your input!

 

My car is not SH-AWD... but the car whistles when I am stepping on the accelerator at speed above 55mph. Do FWD cars have a propeller shaft as well?

 

although I had to pay the extra $99 for the wheel alignment after the installation of the new tires, I thought it was worth it to see that both front tires and the right rear were out of spec... which is another documentation I will be asking the dealership to provide since they sell CPO like it should be like a brand new car. I doubt they checked the condition of the tires and the suspension and the alignment... I'm not sure if it's even on their list to "certify" their cars to qualify as CPO...

Looks like I need to be more careful next time I purchase a CPO car... or just save to pay the brand new price for a brand new car....

 

You shouldn't have had to spend $800+ dollars on a CPO car, you should take them to small claims court. CPO clearly has to have alignment done and other inspections when sold.

The OEM tires are the exact same ones they put on so they should be good. Feathering and cupping can happen on FWD cars on if you leave the fronts on for too long and don't do rotations properly. I'm sure the bad alignment had something to do with it as well.

Conditioning the seals helps reduce road noise too, I use the 1Z Gummipledge product every 3-4 months and it makes a noticeable difference in road noise and as well how high the trunk pops up!

When windows get tinted in acura's they tend to scatch the window tint. The solution most cheap tinters use is to cut the rubber blade that traps dirt against the tint and causes the scratches. Better tinter's use felt on this strip to cushion dirt/dust. The rubber strip helps keep wind noise out! I would check and make sure that they are intact and proper on the rear windows. Google "moleskin window tint scratch" and you'll come up with a lot of info on the strip and how to install the felt (called moleskin).

Honda shouldn't charge anything esp if you go to them for an oil change or something in the future. They tend to make a huge list of things to make some money off an unsuspecting customer.

I had the same experience but actually had a long conversation with the person that contacted me about the incident.

 

thanks for the advise and your tips csmeance!

I hope to have a more detailed conversation with the Acura Customer Relations person tomorrow.

I've contacted the local Acura dealership that told me the noise was normal and asked them to send me copies of the invoices from my visits to them. Each visit (once in Nov 2014 and recently 1/10/2015) I complained about the noise and each time I was sent home and told the noise was normal.

I hope the Acura Rep can resolve the issues and authorize a reimbursement for the amount I paid for the rear tires; and, authorize to replace my rear shocks; and, authorize a more thorough inspection of the vehicle so that I can avoid having to go through small claims court...

I know what you mean about the windows and the tinting... My last vehicle, the 04 Accord coupe had so many lines on the driver and front passenger windows that I just learned to live with them. They looked hideous from the inside but never visible on the outside, so it wasn't so bad. LOL

I will have to look into the conditioning of the seals that you mentioned. Sounds like a good idea as I want to keep this car running in good condition and avoid high-cost repairs in the future. My last car, the 04 Accord coupe lasted me 10 years and 212,000+ miles. My biggest expense on the car were the tire replacements (each time after 80k miles) and finally when the shocks gave out at about 150k miles which was still less $1000 to replace. I want to remain a Honda/Acura customer so I am hoping for the best with this Acura...

I will keep you guys updated. Thank you

 

+1
The dealer who sold you the car should eat all the cost. Bring the receipt back to them and if they refuse to pay for it, take them to small claim court. Good luck and keep us update.

 

I doubt Acura Client Services will pay for the repairs, rather the dealer should be the one paying as they falsely advertised the car as CPO and inspected!

 

that's right... the rep called me last Friday, 1/23, and she said they can't accept the diagnosis from the Michelin authorized retailer, so they can't pay for anything until an actual Acura dealership looks at my car again and validate the need to replace the rear struts. She said they can't reimburse what I paid for the tires because I have driven the car for 8,000 miles since I purchased in Oct 2014. Although I explained I commute approx 100 miles a day for work, she said it's possible I caused the damage to the tires. She explained Acura does not manufacture the tires so they can't cover it.
I will be taking my car to a dealership next weekend and I am hoping they agree to replace the struts to prevent cupping on my new rear tires... but everything seems to be "normal" whenever I've taken my car to the dealership with the car issues. I'm very disappointed that I had to pay out so much so soon for what I thought was a quality "certified" "CPO" car from Acura.
Wish me luck...

 

just checking in to give you guys update...
I received a call from the Acura Client Relations representative and she gave me good news.
She told me that she submitted the work order from the authorized Michelin retailer to the dealership where I purchased the car; and, they agreed to reimburse me $300 as their share of the cost of the two rear tires I had to replace. I was pleasantly surprised as to keep myself from being disappointed, I set myself up to expect nothing.
She also offered to reimburse the cost of diagnosis when I take my car to an Acura dealership to confirm the tire retailer's suggestion to replace the rear struts. I had to explain that I called a dealership about my situation and that I was told they'll charge diagnosis fee if they don't find anything wrong with the struts.
So far, things are going as they should...

 

Good to hear the good news.