2015 TLX-AWD Vibration - Escalating
 

Fellow Acurazine'rs, I'm not one to post or complain as I feel we each have our own qwirks and nit picks from time to time. This is especially true when many of us work long hard hours to afford the toys we consider a luxury in our lives. That being said, I'm posting only the facts about my current issue, the actions taken thus far on the issue, and as well will try to keep you updated if needbe on future results.

Approximately 4 weeks ago I took my 2015 TLX AWD into the dealer from where I purchased it for an initial 5,000 mile service. As you know, this includes of all things, a tire rotation. This car was the first AWD delivered to the dealer in my area and as such I knew there was always the risk of things not being 'Up to snuff' the first year around for the model change. Regardless, I leased it for 3 years, and here I was eager to get the first service out of the way.

Following this service which went flawlessly, I left the dealer for the approximate 15-20 mile drive home. This drive is 80% highway, so a speed of 70-80 is the norm lets just say. Once on the highway, I noticed the unmistakable feeling that perhaps a wheel weight was thrown off. It's the feeling you get where the vibration runs throughout the car, from the steering wheel, to the pedals, from the front to the rear. I am no mechanic and never will be, but that was my first impression: wheel weights. I called the dealer back quickly and explained that obviously the first 5,000 miles went without a hiccup and after this service, the car is vibrating badly.. specifically between 70-80mph. Below that, you notice no vibration, and above that, it starts to taper off.

Acura then requested I bring the car in again the following Monday and they would investigate the issue. That following Monday, I happily returned to the dealer where I waited approximately 2 hours for it to be serviced. After that time, the service staff (Who I have no qualms with believe me, the service counter staff were impeccable at assisting me and understanding my frustration) advised me that the issue still wasn't solved.

Service stated that they attempted to re-balance the tires on all 4 wheels. In doing so (Again I'm no mechanic,) the front driver's side wheel couldn't be balanced. As he put it, the #'s were all over the board with the tire so it was replaced with a new one. Believing this fixed the issue, I was sent on my way to continue a day of shopping with the lady. Minutes after leaving the dealer, we both looked at each other, as the vibration was back.

I turned around at this point, drove back to the dealer (Still Monday morning) and explained that the issue was not fixed, at all. I was then put into a loaner vehicle and went about my business for the day. Later I was contacted and told they were road testing the vehicle and trying to see if the issue was the tires, the transmission, or anything else that they hadn't determined yet. A few hours later, near the end of the day, I heard again that it appeared the tires 'could' be the culprit but that they had no other tires to put on the Acura TLX due to the high speed rating it required (I'm told it needs to be good up to 160mph.) None the less, they were speaking with the district reps and would get back to me.

We'll fast track to the end of this week, it's now Friday, and 5 business days later after the 2nd attempt to fix the vibration. I was told Friday that they had replaced all 4 tires on the vehicle with brand new Goodyears, again. Service staff said they received approval for those replacements from Acura directly and that before they would release my vehicle, they wanted me to road test it with an Acura service clerk. This in my mind was a fine idea, I'd rather we both be sure it's fixed and I was glad they were so thorough. Again however, keep in mind, this was visit #2 and a full week had past over what looked like a simple wheel vibration issue.

The road-test was promptly started and just as prompt to reveal that in fact the vibration was still there. The service clerk said he felt it too and that although a bit more faint, it was quite obvious. I reminded the clerk that in fact the loaner they gave me which was identical to my car, also exhibited the horrible vibration in case they wanted to know about that! We returned to the dealer and they asked that I take the car home for the weekend as it would be safer with me, while they continue figuring out a solution.

The next Monday, I spoke to service again who stated that it appeared a balancing machine for the TLX wheels had parts that didn't pass an inspection of some sort. I was told they ordered a new cone for the machine and another part, however it would take a week or two before the parts would arrive. That was fine, not an issue.

Fast forward now to yesterday, May 7, 2015. The Acura dealer was kind enough to send a driver to my home with a loaner vehicle, and return to the dealer with my car. The intention was for Acura to re-balance or attempt to re-balance my wheels as they had tried many times before. (Note: The week long attempt to fix my car previously they stated every time they drove on the highway and came back, the balance #'s were all over the place again, as if when the Good year tires warmed up, they lost balance) I was called hours later and told the news: My Acura was not fixed.

The final word yesterday was that service had exhausted all resources and options for trying to ascertain the issue with the 2015 TLX AWD. They said again that they wanted to replace the tires with another brand, however unfortunately had none available for that model vehicle to match the speed rating. (Unknown why they couldn't order any.) They instructed me to contact Client Relations with Acura and open a case #. I was told I now need to explain things to Acura in reference to my maintenance issue the last 4 weeks and hope that they can resolve it or find a solution/path to resolve it. I was not happy to hear this, as it was now put in my hands to start with this issue all over again. I was told there is a similar issue now 'They're aware of' and that the more cases they get, perhaps it will speed things along.

Here is a little background on me: This is my third Acura TL(x). I'm a faithful buyer, supporter, and believer in the product. That being said, it's become apparent that once I'm given the responsibility of trying to fix a problem with a vehicle I paid 'you know what we all paid' for, I'm pretty much turned off from the brand, similar to giving a significant other 10 too many chances!

I now sit here advising you all of this issue, in hopes that if you too have a problem, to be sure you report it and not ignore it. I'm not sure what is wrong with a vehicle I've only owned since October and put minimal miles on, but the fact that after a month of service assistance (1 full week in itself) without it being repaired, I'm not intending on keeping it nor accepting the lack-luster maintenance they've provided. I plan on giving Acura a few weeks after notice of this 'Incident #' and see if they can repair the new vehicle they've leased me. If not, unfortunately I've exhausted the patience options.

If any questions pop up while you read this, by all means ask, I'll do my best to answer. Remember though, I do not do mechanical work so you'll get a lame man's answer!

Sucks to hear

Tswaibel...I am sorry to hear about your situation. I am pretty sure they tried this but I have to ask nonetheless....did they attempt a "Forced balance"? I had a non Acura vehicle in the past and there was nothing that could solve this issue...rims, tires, balancing...the only thing that worked was a forced balance.

It sucks that you have to deal with this and nothing is more annoying than a vibration! Especially a non resolvable one.

Good question. The answer I was told is that yes they did do that. Again it doesn't mean much to me but they did a 'match force balance.'

dang! I hope they can fix it.

Nothing to add though. I've been a loyal Honda brand but I never had such issue. Right now my problem is my I4 idle vibration but it's totally different from what you have.

Sorry to hear about your experience. It is like a story from the twilight zone (if you are old enough to know that reference).

It is a long story, but I have had 3 different sets of wheels and tires on my TLX, the original, a set of winters that did not work out, a second set of winters, and now the original that are back on. The two sets of winter wheels and tires were successfully balanced with no hint of the issues you experienced.

Your dealer has gone to great lengths to resolve, but maybe it is time for a second opinion. Ask them to have another dealer or tire shop attempt to do the balancing.

The fact that your car was fine before the 5,000 mile check - with the original tires -- is what is puzzling. Unless someone at the dealership damaged something during the service, the only explanation is tire balance. It seems hard to believe the dealership can't solve a tire balance issue. While they do seem to have tried to accommodate you, I think it's a little lame to say "All yours - call Acura." Good luck. Hope you get it resolved quickly.

Both valid points and I agree. It left me saying to myself.. why did I ever take it for service, then this wouldn't have occurred. It is also true that it makes you think "I wonder if they damaged something.." :what:

Sorry to hear about your issues, sounds frustrating.

Did they check the prop shafts. I thought I heard there were cases of imbalanced prop shafts on this car at one point. Not sure why that would have manifested itself after a tire rotation.

Did they check if the wheels are round? Sounds odd but one of the wheels might have been out of round (hit a pot hole) and being in a different location on the car changed its behavior.

I've had my and my wife's car get a 4-wheel alignment. This requires a special set up that the dealer may not have. Car never drove better. Maybe Acura will pay to have this done.

Tires can be off. I once had a tire that had a broken belt inside it. The front shimmied and I couldn't find a fix. Then when I finally changed the tires it went away.

It does sound like Acura is really trying to resolve the situation. If they can't fix it with tires they have on hand, go to a good tire shop and have some better tires put on the car and have Acura pay the bill.

Somehow the issue will be resolved and once this is behind you I'm sure you will be back to enjoying your car.

That's a terrible situation, and I feel for you through all of this.

As others have said, is there a reputable tire shop you could take your car to and have them do an assessment? It wouldn't be unheard of having something damaged when serviced and then trying to hide it, but with them having your car and trying all the things they "said" they tried, I think they'd have owned up and "found" the real issue. I've had other vehicles damaged and the service didn't mention anything until I noticed and pointed it out. At that point they reluctantly agreed to take care of it.

I've had several of the same problems as RocketMan has had. I bought some new Goodyear Eagles a while back and no matter what I couldn't get rid of the vibration. Later found it to have a broken belt......had to eat that one since I drove it a while. I also had a bent rim, which I was able to get repaired, but it acted a lot like what you're describing.

I hope you have better luck with Acura, but it might be worth a shot to visit a tire dealer and maybe have them check it out. Ideally you could change all 4 wheel/tire combos to eliminate them from the equation.

Good luck!

Thanks for this post. I too have a '15 TLX AWD (<4K miles) and have been experiencing a slight shudder vibration at around 70-75MPH. I've been trying to convince myself that it is just the highway segments that I drive on at that speed, but your post makes me think otherwise. I'll be speaking to my dealership at my first service for sure. Please keep us posted on your outcome.

Its too bad they first didnt attempt to "un-rotate" the tires....now no one might have any idea of what wheel used to be where.

I would think a bent/out of round wheel would show up at ANY speed, not just 70-80 which is where most out-of-balance situations show up. It *could* be a prop shaft thing, but I had a similar issue with my G37 and that showed up at any speed as well. At 70mph you couldnt focus on anything in the rear view mirror because it was vibrating so much.

Use this tool: Hunter GSP9700 Wheel vibration Control System solves wheel vibration and tire pull problems that balancers and aligners can't fix to find a shop with a Road Force Balancer machine.

My local Acura dealer actually has one, as do a few other shops around me. Ive specifically gone there for rebalances (on all our cars, not just our TL) when I needed it and the vehicles always come back perfect.

There are some haters that claim that I come here to badmouth Acura. Believe me, this is not the case; I just pay a visit from time to time to see how the RDX or new TLX are doing and to check if Acura has been able (or at least is trying) to fix all these ridiculous noises and vibrations that plague so many acura models

To the OP now: I dumped my 2013 RDX with 14k miles for exactly this situation that you explain. It is true that I had to deal with quite a few other issues (VCM subtle vibration, jerky behavior of the trans in stop/go city traffic and noisy rear suspension) but the constant vibration at highway speeds (70-85mph from what I remember) was the cream on the cake. I experienced the same thing that you explain and that frustration kept piling up until it reached a boiling point and I decided to get rid of the RDX, losing serious $$$ in the process.

I would take the vehicle to a dealer for what I thought was a simple road balancing and they would have it for a day or two and they would return it to me with the same vibration or worse; service record would state that wheel [insert random number] was found out of balance and fixed at no cost.
The third time I took it to the dealer for this same reason they said that they could not take the vehicle to 80 mph (for tests) because that was illegal.

I even took it to a professional shop that sells performance wheels and these guys used force road balancing to measure the wheels and proceeded to fill a couple of my wheels with lead; and after some road tests they told me that, according to the machine, one tire was bad and needed to be replaced, but that they had done the best they could with the leads. I then went to the Acura dealer to corroborate and they simply told me that the shop's machine (force road) seemed to be out of calibration, removed all the lead and made my pay $50 because I had done the balance somewhere else. When I drove it away the vibration was still there but I was too frustrated to return again . At that point I started second guessing myself, thinking that maybe I had a higher sensitivity to noises and vibrations than other people.

I simply didnt know what to do to get rid of the dreaded vibration. To this day I am not sure of what it was ... it has always been a mystery to me :scratch:

Go to a shop that uses the HUNTER ROAD FORCE BALANCING MACHINES!!!! Most discount tire stores use these machines.

I've had to deal with this issue with my MDX after getting the tires rotated when new. Acura does not balance the rear wheels of the car as well as the front wheels, so when the first rotation is done you get the nasty vibration. A cost cutting measure that really puts a sour taste in owners mouths.

Also, many of the tires that are now put on cars have softer sidewalls and need to be high pressure mounted. This involves inflating the tire to 60+ PSI to ensure that the bead seals properly.

If the tire tech uses too much wheel grease when installing the tire, it can cause a vibration that is almost impossible to fix! You need to remove the tire, clean the rim and apply a light coating of the tire grease/paste.

Third, make sure your tires are inflated to 33-35PSI cold, this will help prevent flat spots when the car is parked while the car is waiting to get the balancing done. It helps keeps the tires warm and round.

All good information however, I'm not the most mechanic savvy person when it comes to a 2015 vehicle. I also shouldn't have to be, which is another major point here.

Purchasing a 2015 TLX is not like buying an old Ford Escort. . I'm partially buying a vehicle knowing I should not have to worry about that type of maintenance, not even bringing up the fact it was all included in the lease, and I sure as heck don't want to have a vehicle that's new and is totally 'unfixable' so to speak within the dealership that sold it. This is not what we pay for, nor should we pay for something that is 'broken' in a sense.

I heard back from Acura Client Relations yesterday which didn't accomplish much. Although I had called and given a full report as told to do by my dealer, the call yesterday was just another agent 'verifying' what I had already told the original agent. I was then advised they would contact the dealer to confirm that information, contact an engineering department that would also see the information, however that he could not provide any resolution right now as he's not a mechanic. They also advised me that this was being reported as a 'known characteristic' of the vehicle especially considering the loaner vehicle did the same thing. What it boiled down to was, they were unsure when, or if even at all a resolution could be found.

Unfortunately, I'm sure you all know the road this heads toward, which is already in progress. I've always supported the brand, but this obviously leaves a pretty bad after taste, knowing I was sold something that had a known characteristic as they state. The price tag on this vehicle (My 3rd) is not conducive to driving a 'broken' vehicle for 2 1/2 more years. We'll see what the near future holds in regards to progress, I'll try to keep you all up to date. Appreciate the tips and advice thus far.

I received a follow-up phone call today from Acura Client Relations. They confirmed that everything I stated in the complaint, and all details I gave them were true after speaking with the dealership. Following that confirmation, they then informed me that as this is a 'Known Characteristic' of the vehicle there is nothing more they can do and are closing the case. They also stated it will be documented that you are not happy with the issue.

I repeated to the gentlemen on the phone (Knowing it's not his issue nor his fault of course) that in fact the vehicle is broken, is not working properly, and that I paid a substantial amount of money for a vehicle that is currently under warranty, and yet he's telling me on a recorded line they will not fix it.

The representative said I understand you're not happy but as a 'known characteristic' there is nothing more we can do and are closing the case.

Folks, it's beyond understanding how a faithful 3x car buyer of this brand is somehow told "sorry we won't fix your vehicle" and sent on their way. Therefor, this will be handled legally. Thank you again for the advice and information none the less. That being said, I'm no longer trusting nor supportive of the brand. I'll still enjoy this forum none the less when time allows.

Tswaibel, I too am sorry to hear what you have been through. Hopefully your legal route will get you the satisfaction that the customer service could not. I agree that it shouldn't be considered "normal". It appears your only option left is to get some legal help. Keep us posted on your resolution.

Does anyone know how widespread this issue is?

^Sorry to burst your bubble on the perception of information available from the forum, but there are no insiders here or anyone connected to Tech Line. This is the first report of this problem, so it is not a common.

I've been accused of being an insider, a cool accusation indeed. :yum:

Yes, this is the first I have seen this particular issue. It is a very odd one.

That has not been the only accusation. It helps to have a tough skin.

Acura Service News: Excessive Steering Wheel Shimmy or Chassis Vibration (Part 1-5)

This Acura Service News 5-part article series provides excellent background and troubleshooting information along with step-by-step instructions on how to fix steering wheel shimmy and chassis vibration issues.

Excessive Steering Wheel Shimmy or Chassis Vibration (Part 1-5)
http://www.urvi.net/forumfiles/SN/B07100K.PDF
http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/SN/B07100K.PDF

I have owned my car for 48 hours and it has been at the dealer twice for the same issue. they say this is how the car is. On the test drive, I didn't get up to 65. It is terrible. The other TLX's in the lot do the same thing. I told them they should keep the car. I have been a Lexus owner for 8 years and now the vibration is so bad, I can't take it. I don't know what to do.

Sorry to hear you're having the same issue. Mine to date had 4 visits, to 2 separate dealers of which all were stumped on any solutions. Acura refused to help in any fashion, its now in the hands of the court system. I can only say I'll update you when this process ends.

This is too bad. I don't own this car but I've test driven several and never noticed a vibration. There can be many causes. But I'd suggest you elevate it to Acura Client Relations and open a case. If all the TLX's on the lot have this same issue it sounds like there may be a bad set of parts that got into production. Their factory test may not include a high speed road test. Probably just a rolling road that may not detect whatever this vibration is.

I also feel like I'm getting a steering wheel vibration. Mine seems to occur at any point over 40mph with it being worse at highway speeds. I'm guessing it is the shitty goodyear eagle LS2's that are the problem. I don't think I can get it to the dealer fast enough.

I have 3,000 miles on my BWP/Espresso/SH-AWD/Tech/TLX, with the so-called shitty LS2's. Just did a 350 mile road trip; averaged, 32MPG; most of the time 70-75MPH.
ZERO vibration, or road noise
All 4 tires at 35PSI
Either I'm lucky, or your particular vehicle has wheel bearing, or other defective problems
Good luck with the diagnosis; no new $40,000+ vehicle should shimmy, vibrate, or cause disconcerting steering problems

[QUOTE=CPR;15478301]I have 3,000 miles on my BWP/Espresso/SH-AWD/Tech/TLX, with the so-called shitty LS2's. Just did a 350 mile road trip; averaged, 32MPG; most of the time 70-75MPH.
ZERO vibration, or road noise
All 4 tires at 35PSI
Either I'm lucky, or your particular vehicle has wheel bearing, or other defective problems
Good luck with the diagnosis; no new $40,000+ vehicle should shimmy, vibrate, or cause disconcerting steering problems[/QUOT

or it could be a tire... I'm running the same PSI as you and have about the same mileage

I am sorry to hear about your issue....While I can give some slack for a company to not be able to prevent all glitches to make into the production car, or still having problems diagnosing the issue but if you want to insult me, is trying to pass me for a dumb person!

How can a vibration or a thumping rear vibration (like my RDX) can be considered as a characteristic of the vehicle?!?

If that is a FEATURE of the car, why don't they do advertizement or brochure promoting this great feature....I understand it is a purely legal issue and not willing to admit a problem for fear of being sued except but it would be better to remain silent than use a BS line and play on people's intelligence.

I have TLX SH-AWD Tech with about 2,000 miles on it. Until recently, the only complaint I had about this car was the 9-speed transmission.

I finally got out of the city traffic and onto the open road, only to discover a really noticeable cabin vibration at highway speeds. At around 68 mph you start to feel it in the seat and accelerator pedal and when you reach 72 mph, it is at its worst. I never took it past 80 but it seemed to begin tapering off.

It happens in ECO, NORMAL, and SPORT modes. I then put the car in SPORT+ and manual mode. In 7th gear at 70mph, it's a faint vibration, shift to 8th and it's more noticeable, shift to 9th and it's very bad. I could actually hear a rattle from the empty passenger seat and if I looked down at the passenger seat belt buckle (next to the center console) that thing was going wild bouncing back and forth a million miles an hour. I took a video of this with my phone to show the dealer.

I hope it's just a bad tire/wheel but now I'm worried since Acura is telling people it's a characteristic of the car. I'll report back once the dealer has checked it out.

When you mention it gets worse as you go into 8th and 9th, were you maintaining the same speed (70 mph) or were you upshifting as your speed got higher?

If it got worse as your speed got higher, it could be a wheel balance/tire thing.

If it got worse at the same speed in higher gears I would tend to think it might be more transmission/driveline related.

Does your steering wheel shake during this vibration? The only time Ive felt something in the seat/gas pedal/flooboards was on my G37 when the driveshaft was (apparently) installed incorrectly from the factory. Usually a wheel balance/tire issue will be felt in the steering wheel, and you can see the steering wheel shake if its bad enough.

When I was manually switching gears, I was maintaining the same speed, between 70-75mph. I don't have any noticeable vibrations in the steering wheel, I feel it in the seats. Here's a short 6-second video that will help visualize what I'm describing.

TLX 70mph Vibrations

Many Dodge/Chrysler owners with the 9-spd are reporting the same driveline vibration issues. The V6 also has a noticeable vibration from 1000-1300RPM's that seems to taper off around 1400 RPMs. I've noticed this on my 3.2 TL and 3.5L TL along with my AWD 3.7 MDX. It's a characteristic of the J-series but it shouldn't impact cabin comfort.

Have the dealership check and neutralize the engine mounts (far stretch here) if they have shifted or are binding and allowing the vibration.

I road with the technician from my local dealer this afternoon. Unfortunately, traffic was too heavy to cruise at 70+mph and we were unable to feel the vibrations. He said he hasn't heard of any vibration problems before. I tend to believe him because as soon as I mentioned the rough 2-3 upshift and the downshift lag of the 9-speed he acknowledged that its a well known problem and Acura is (hopefully) going to be able to fix it.

The issues with the chrysler products mentioned above is an axle vibration.

What you are describing and showing could very well be the same, or at least similar, thing.

Vibration
 

Are you sure it's coming from the wheels? If it's a V6 the car will shut down up to 3 cylinders at highway speed to save gas.

If you were happy with the car before the service, maybe they did some kind of software update that messed with the function of the engine.

A V6 running on 3 cylinders will vibrate pretty hard. The TLX has special engine mounts to compensate but the owners manual says that you can notice the vibration.

I have a V6 Tech and I have not notice any vibration but I don't drive on the highway much.

Same issue
 

I have the same Issue, right at 80 mph. I have a 2015 TLX V6 all wheel steering. Love the car, smooth, fast. Best bang for your buck$$$. Looked at the BMW 328 and 335. I don't lease and not spending 50 grand on a compact 4 door.

At 80 Mph, on newly paved highway, I feel a faint vibration in the seat, in the petal, slightly in the steering wheel. but the steering wheel doesn't shake or shake my watch on my wrist. Its very strange. Went to firestone to balance all 4 tires that are Bridgestone. 57 bucks later, wheels balanced but issue still there. after seeing other issues, it seems to be wide spread. The VCM causing the vibration makes sense but not 100% sure. its only at 80 mph. 70 mph smooth, no vibration in acceleration so its not a drive train problem. Have not taken it to the dealership, not after reading this post. I have 0 time to deal with this!!! Its why we have Honda's and Acura's. We have a weird thing with our 2012 pilot with the VCM.

Acura does need to figure out the up shift to 3rd gear (hard shift).

Every visit, report to your adviser so they will document the issue to protect your warranty and past 70 miles.

I notice vibration on mine too but im thinking its the road. Drove an i4 loaner and the vibration was worse. I4 does not have vcm, right?

Correct - no vcm on the I4. The only vibration reports I am aware of with the I4 are when the car is idling. There have been similar reports for other Hondas with the I4, including the CRV and the Accord.

Same issue for me too...
 

I just picked up my brand new 2015 TLX SH-AWD last Wednesday (8/26) and as of Friday 8/28 it was in the shop for service for the same vibration issue described in the prior posts. Only 100 miles driven since delivery and haven't had my car since. They're playing the tire balance game with me also and I refuse to pick it up until it's resolved. Nice to know I'm paying for a car I don't even have!