Kingmeow

Do you have a link?

TJD2007TLS

iTrader: (3)

At 59k my 2007TLS has had a thump sound for a long time when going over bumps at slow speeds. Dealer confirmed noise and just replaced the following:

1each 52370-sep-a02-Arm, R Rear Trailing
2each 52610-sep-a18 shock absorber
1each rear upper passengar side arm (no part number on invoice)

There are just over 30k of these TL's on the road starting with the 2007TLS and Acura knows about it. Look in Ron's list of TSB's and you will get the information you need.

shakedown

i hear sound coming from the left rear of the shevel area. not sure why it is a problem but will have acura look into it

t5620

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/passenger-seat-rattle-clicking-fixed-3g-garage-f-044-a-584750/


this fix works... it worked on my 2010 TL

sebounet2005

I have it on my 2005 and 2007 Tl, hope they fixed it now. Unfortunately no, i have put some faoam between the brake light and the rear glass.

Strange, i have the same problem in my 2009 G37X

Strosek

I've had my car for about 3 weeks now and I also have this annoying noise mostly at low speed when I go over small cracks in the road etc. At first I thought it might be the tools on top of the spare but no luck...

Hope someone finds the problem!

DJALAZAY

I had the same problem, took it to the dealership twice and they ended up replacing the rear struts due to defect. it's better now but i hear it sometimes in the front. it seems to me like it's becoming a common problem with the 4g tl's.

KlownDie

I've had my 2012 TL SH-AWD for 5 weeks now, and I have started hearing this "clunk" in the trunk area as well. It only happens when im going slow (30km/h), over small bumps in the road.

I too have emptied out the trunk, the tool kit, the spare tire, and the spare tire cover, but the problem remains.

To me, it sounds like the tool kit is bouncing up and down once in the trunk, when i go over a bump. But it can't be, as the sound still exists when i have the trunk emptied.

I have let my friend drive the car, while i sat in the backseat with the backseat middle armrest opened, and have confirmed the sound does not come from inside the trunk.

I did purchase a 7 year warranty with this car, so I'll be bringing it in on Friday.

DJALAZAY

I had the same problem you did and it's funny because i too emptied out the trunk thinking that something was loose back there but no it ended up being defected rear struts from factory. My is a 2009 fwd tech w/16,000 mi on it. I hope the dealer finds a fix for yours.

Strosek

My car's had the same problem from day one! It's amazing that Acura couldn't figure this out before putting more cars on the road.

So is the problem rear struts? I dread dropping the car off just to get it back with the good old no defect found!

Is the problem completely gone now? Is it quite over low speed bumps now?

Thanks

KlownDie2

I brought it to the dealer twice, and both times they said they didnt hear it :-(

I will be test driving it with a service manager on Tuesday to show him the noise.

RKEnnis

This problem was fixed when they FINALLY replaced the rear shocks. That was done at around 18,000 mi.

Now I'm having the same problem again! The car is at about 48,000, so it'll be covered under warranty.

It sucks to think that the rear struts fail this often. BTW, my car feels like it's all over the road - handling is definitely affected.

KlownDie2

So i brought it to the dealership... after spending 15 minutes in a ride a long, he determined it was the license plate frame. So we brought it to the shop, he added some foam tape to the back of it.

And guess what? Noise is still there... I think i'm just going to live with it....

FanaticFan

This may or may not be relevant, but _15 years ago_ my wife and I purchased a Toyota Avalon XLS, new. About a week after we got it, we could hear a clunking sound from the front passenger side, which was especially pronounced during cold weather. At that time, we brought it in, the Toyota dealer said Nothing Wrong, we said, Oh Well, Okay.

We've kept the same struts for the entire 15 years we've owned the car, in part because the price of replacing them from the dealership was about $1400 for all four. In part, because online research indicated this was an ongoing mystery, and there were no consistent solutions ever provided, and there were no TSBs ever issued. Hey, if nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong.... right?

Well, the car still drives fine, the tires haven't worn unusually at all, which would be the most obvious indicator of some sort of more serious suspension problem, so clunk clunk clunk... when there's a passenger in the front passenger seat, sometimes that temporarily cures it.

In the interim, online, people have found they've continued to have the problem if they just get the struts replaced (KYB GR2s, I believe, are OEM on the Toyota Avalon). What has FINALLY been isolated, not by Toyota but by owners online, has been that UNLESS you ALSO replace the strut MOUNTS along with the struts, you will have clunk. Apparently the strut mounts can wear, crack, deteriorate, disintegrate, stop eating their Cheerios, whatever, and that can lead to the noise.

So, now we know, on our Toyota Avalon XLS (1997) that if we ever want to get rid of the clunking.... we spend $1400 to replace the struts and make sure that the strut mounts are replaced as well. At this point, we're just fond of our clunker.....

I only bring this up on the random chance that this five-year-old problem on TLs might, conceivably, be due to the same thing? Does the TL use KYB struts? Could there be issues with the strut mounts? Has anyone here ever specified that the Acura dealership inspect the strut MOUNTS along with the struts when doing a replacement, if that is indeed the problem? Could be totally random, could be Acura suspensions are built entirely differently, I don't know.

But if Acuras use KYB OEM struts...... ahem. I have just saved the universe.

Let us all know!

AHma SHerr

Hi guys
I have a 09 tl I have the same problem today I have been to my dailer and mention the problem... What they did is took my car make a 3 minutes test drive and charge me 63$ for testing without finding the problem.
Finally they said there more case of this problem once they found the problem they will call me.

REAR NOISE FOR MY TL 2009

AHma SHerr

I have been to the dealer today for same problem, they test drive the car and charge me 63$ for testing and they said yes there is some noise and there is a lots similar case for 09+ Acura tl they will make same research and will let know.

Mr Marco

Release the hostage from trunk.

KlownDie

I brought it to the dealer again, and went out with a drive with 2 mechanics. They have determined it was the rear strut assembly (both left and right), and have replaced them. The noise is now gone!!! Thanks so much NW Acura Calgary!

2of'em

The noise on my newly delivered '13TL AWD also came from the rear/trunk area. I had zero noise on a '12. When comparing them side by side, the trunk lid on the '13 was not pulling down tight when latched (1/16" "squish play" on the gasket") but the '12 lid was down tight. The rattle sounded like one plastic bottle rattling around inside a larger plastic bottle, but more subtle.

5- minute adjustment on the latch keeper (body side, not lid-side) and the car is silent. (10 mil socket, flat blade screwdriver for the plastic trim on the trunk.

It's a possibility-

probmxstyle

Anyone have any updates on this clunk? I have had mine for awhile. Doesn't seem to be getting worse since it started. Only happens when the right rear tire is going over rough roads at low speed.

mmret

I think I have the same one (right rear, rough roads, though mine is mostly any speed). Sounds sort of like a hollow clunk / thud.

Have had the right rear shock replaced twice and its definitely much less bad than it was before, only happens occasionally now and much less loud. But its still there. I couldn't notice any difference in handling.

I'm beginning to think its a chronic issue with the TL. Pretty annoying for a $50k car.

adirom28

Hi guys,
i have the same problem too on my 2012 TL. "Thunk" noise when I go over small bumps or enter a parking lot or driveway. It always happens at low speeds. Went to the dealer 3 times and they keep saying that there is no problem.I am taking my car in for another drive test tomorrow and ask the dealer to look at the strut assemblies since it was mentioned here that it might fix the problem. I hope that I can convince the dealer to replace those under warranty,
Will keep you guys posted!

probmxstyle

I don't want to jinx myself, but I had some extra time on my hands and did some investigation on the rear end. What I ended up doing is swapping the left and right rear shock assemblies to see if the noise would follow the shock. After the swap, the noise is completely gone. Everything was tight, so it wasn't something loose causing the noise.

adirom28

Wow! I can`t belive that you were able to get rid of the problem with such an easy fix. My car is at the dealer right now, waiting to see what they will do to it. If the problem is still there, I might follow your suggestion. Thing is that I have already hired a lawyer to fight for me with Acura per the Lemon Law. So, I might just leave it the way it is until the legal issue is resolved.

mmret

Did you move the mounts as well as the shocks?

I have had the right rear strut replaced twice on mine but the noise is still there. Test drove two other TLs and the all made similar noises. Very weird.

Also, on mine, it actually makes the noise on both sides but you can only hear it on the side opposite to the one you're sitting on. So I'm a bit surprised that reversing left and right fixed it for you, though I'm still a bit hopeful I will also find a fix.

probmxstyle

I moved the entire assembly. I did not disassemble them. I guess I will need to have someone drive the car while I am in the passenger seat to see if it is there. But with the windows up and the music off, I cannot hear it from the driver seat.

adirom28

Hi guys,
today, after 9 days in service I got my car back...Here is my entire experience:

On October 31st, I took again my car back to Boardwalk Acura in Egg Harbor Township, NJ to report the same clanking noise coming from the rear suspension. With this visit, I also reported a problem with the driver`s side window and a clinking underneath the steering wheel. My service advisor was Wynn Keller. He gave me a loaner car and told me that he will be in touch. On Saturday morning, he called me and said that they are aware of the noise in the rear suspension and he will order 2 new struts to replace the ones currently on the car. He said that he will receive the parts by Tuesday and he will get back to me again on that day(November 5th). On Nov. 5th, he called me and asked me to come back to the dealership to take a test drive with a mechanic. Once I got in the car with the mechanic he told me that no repairs have been done yet as they wanted to take a ride with me to troubleshoot the noise and the window issue. He immediately realized what the problem is regarding the window and he said he will fix it right away. Once we got on the road, he was able to hear the noises in the rear suspension and he said that he will replace the entire strut assembly on both sides in the rear. He said that he will need to get approval from their Acura rep. first, in order for the dealership to get reimbursed for the labor and parts. When we got back to the dealership, we walked back inside in the service department and he told Wynn Keller that he wants to order the strut assembiles to replace the ones on the car. Mr. Keller said ok and he told me that he will get back in touch with me again once the service is done.
On Friday, November 8th, I received a call from Rodney, the service director, to come pick up the car. Once I walked into the service department, I went to my service rep, Wynn Keller who immediately took me to Rodney`s office. Here, I was invited to sit down as Rodney was typing some final information in the computer regarding my service. He said that they fixed my window problem and that they washed my car too. Then, he asked me for the loaner car`s key back and he gave me my keys. He said" Thank you for your business" and handed me 3 pages of my service report. At this time, I asked him if they did the work on the suspension. He said that they did not because they can`t hear any noise coming from the rear. I told him that I was told that the mechanic said and Mr Keller said that I will get new strut assemblies and he said that the mechanic was wrong and he only thought that he heard that noise when in fact he actually didn`t.(basically, he said that the mechanic doesn`t know what he is talking about!)
So, after almost 10 days, still no fix for my car. Instead, I got a nice taste of corporate America at it`s finest.

mmret

^^ that is brutal. I would be absolutely livid.

At least they tried on mine. Not that it made much difference, though.

kepatton2064

I have the same issue. Driving out of my neighborhood daily over street cracks, and it sounds like a muted "pop" or thump. I only seem to hear it when driving below 40mph. Annoying as hell - never had a car that made that sort of sound over minor bumps. I've reported it twice to the dealer and they said everything under there (rear suspension) was tight. I had one of their loaner cars - same year TL as mine - and it made the same exact sound, so I agree with others that it may be a characteristic of the car. Frustrating.

kepatton2064

#probmxstyle - can you expand on your post #66 and #63? What did you do to remove the left and right rear "shock assemblies" and then be able to test the difference? Really interested in your response as it sounds like we have identical issues. Thanks!

kepatton2064

UPDATE: Took back to the dealer with 25K miles. Clunk noise was getting worse. I made the technician get in the car to ride with me. He heard it too. Dealer ended up replacing BOTH rear struts under warranty. It is much improved now.

Tonyware

This issue is one of those issues that either the dealership has a tech with talent or has a bunch of "trained highly qualified techs". There is no amount of training and pieces of papers hanging on the walls that can replace talent and experience. Period.

Find a dealership with a star tech and keep them!

Nabooly

Man, my thumping is getting much worse. Now no matter what bump, speed bump, pothol, bottom of my drive way I get this thumping in the rear.

My concern is my extended warrant will run out in aprox. 24,000 miles, I'e got to take care of this.

rthammer

iTrader: (1)

Same issues noted by all above - Have a 2014 SHAWD Advance - Thumping sounds over minor road cracks at slow speeds - Louder in the rear then the front Acura replaced the rear shocks and for a while i know the sound lessened but once the shocks tamper down I am sure it will be the same noise.
Dealer tech friend stated its the car and the extensive size of wheel wells and min amount of sound proofing along with a rather stiff suspension.
Believe it or not a friend had the bright idea that if... i need to live with it try to dampen down the echo sound in the trunk... Well, I could have gone and paid bucks for Dynapads ( sound reduction) mats to place under the trunk liner but instead i went to Lowes .. Bought a movers blanket ( Nuts right ?! ) and lined the trunk under the weather cover liner Acura gave me at the time of the sale.
Yes I know.... the trunk has min. room to begin with but ... believe it or not ....it DID help to reduce the clunking sound noise for a big $18 dollars the noise has been reduced - An interesting side benefit the base speaker from the rear ( I guess the woofer center rear deck) sounds better. Go figure.....

RKEnnis

So, I originally posted about this issue back in 2010. It took several visits to correct the issue, but they finally fixed it by replacing the rear struts.

Now, the car is out of warranty, and the struts have started doing the SAME THING! I guess it makes sense. The old ones failed at arounds 25k. The car has 70k+ on it now so they were due to go I guess.

I bought a certified used car, so my warranty lasted until 62,000 miles. I took it in to the dealer right before the warranty expired because the problem was starting again. They "couldn't duplicate the problem" on several visits until my warranty expired. Now 10k miles later it's making noise every time I hit a bump!

I've gotta tell you, I'm pretty soured on Acura/Honda right now. I think my local Acura dealer may be the worst one in the U.S.! I've got quite a list of outstanding issue they never fix properly under warranty. They did the same thing with my '06 TL.

I can't ever buy another Acura anyway unless I move - I'll never buy from them again, and they are the only Acura dealer in my city.

John35205

Hey guys, have any of you resolved this issue yet?

fsures

Check the rear sway bar links. Will be replacing mine. Not expensive. My front were going and they clunked over bumps. They looked good but the Moog replacements stopped the clunking up front. Car has 78,000 miles.

Crafty Veteran

Had a rattle in the trunk....replaced the propeller shaft, rear shocks and sway bar links plus loaner for 2 days. Battery then died driving out of the dealership and got a new one on warranty....this on the same week Lexus charged me for gas in their loaner. Great service Jody Wilkinson in Salt Lake City!!!

sharkwaters

SUPER SIMPLE FIX......WHITE LITHIUM GREASE ON ALL CONNECTION POINTS TO
SUSPENSION, ALL BUSHING, etc......problem gone for me...

DONT LET THE DEALERSHIP SCREW YA .....they'll keep billing you for unnecessary
repairs that usually dont work.

ALL DEALERS ARE SCUM BAG RIP OFF ARTISTS!

John35205

I did apply White Lithium Grease, unfortunately it didn't not work for me