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Finally received the judgment of the court. As expected, the judge took Acura’s side and rejected my request.
Here are the reasons:
1- I did not have any expert or witness to sustain/corroborate my problem as oppose to Acura that sent Lawyer, someone from Client relation service, dealer Service Manager and a “supposed engineer” that was in fact a senior technician. All of theses people lied about the fact that I was the only one in Canada complaining about the vibrations.
2- The judge also believes Acura when they allege that all that was written on the internet was only pure speculations that could have been all written by the same person (in this case … me) with different name and pseudonyms. So, she did not take into consideration anything that came from internet (print screens, letters, site references). She did not even look at the case that Acura lost against another guy in Toronto.
3- She said Acura did everything they had to do to fix the issue and even if there was a slight vibration, Acura was able to bring and showed her graphics that showed that the car operates as expected.
So, for those who were waiting, this is a really bad news. For me, this sign the end of my relationship with Honda/Acura. I will sell the car in the spring and try to forget about this bad dream I had with Acura for the past 2 years, 36 years relation down the drain.
Good luck to all of you that were thinking about going to court.
Mickey: Thanks for participating in this thread and providing closure on your case for the benefit of the rest of us. I wish it had gone the other way for you. I pretty much spoke my mind throughout this discussion, but I'll confirm that a) I'm not you under a pseudonym, b) my car still vibrates after all the "fixes" were performed, and c) when the day comes that it's time to replace my car, my next one won't be an Acura. I've never owned a car with a slight vibration like this. I thought any premier manufacturer would engineer faults like these out of vehicles. If Acura can't get "not shaking" right, what else can they get wrong in the future? My car is embarrassing when I have passengers, not being able to fix it is frustrating, and every commute every day, I'm reminded that I can look forward to the vibration as long as I own it. It's really a shame because my car is otherwise great with the replacement ZF9 and VCM muzzled.
@Tardym: Thank you for the disappointing update. This really sucks. The fact remains that your Acura still has vibration at the end of the day. Even though Acura claims that they have done everything, yes. But no normal car should vibrate or is designed to vibrate. Regardless of sources, or the fact that you are the only one in Canada. The judge seems to forget that.
Well look at the bright side, the only thing you'll lose is a couple of thousands dollars when you sell it. We all understand that all cars have troubles. But the way Acura handles this vibration issue is disappointing.
Finally received the judgment of the court. As expected, the judge took Acura’s side and rejected my request.
Here are the reasons:
1- I did not have any expert or witness to sustain/corroborate my problem as oppose to Acura that sent Lawyer, someone from Client relation service, dealer Service Manager and a “supposed engineer” that was in fact a senior technician. All of theses people lied about the fact that I was the only one in Canada complaining about the vibrations.
2- The judge also believes Acura when they allege that all that was written on the internet was only pure speculations that could have been all written by the same person (in this case … me) with different name and pseudonyms. So, she did not take into consideration anything that came from internet (print screens, letters, site references). She did not even look at the case that Acura lost against another guy in Toronto.
3- She said Acura did everything they had to do to fix the issue and even if there was a slight vibration, Acura was able to bring and showed her graphics that showed that the car operates as expected.
So, for those who were waiting, this is a really bad news. For me, this sign the end of my relationship with Honda/Acura. I will sell the car in the spring and try to forget about this bad dream I had with Acura for the past 2 years, 36 years relation down the drain.
Good luck to all of you that were thinking about going to court.
Mickey.
Dear Mickey,
Thanks for being the instigator of this thread and for sharing all this informations. I know we would all have liked a different outcomes for you, and I'm sorry about it. I know I've told it to you before, but again, I'm sorry that I didn't start looking on Internet for information (for this thread) prior to after your case was heard in Court in Oct.2018. Otherwise, I would have been in Court, at your side, to tell the Judge you were not the only one in the province (Quebec, Canada) to be "the only one".
Again, Thank you! and Thanks to the "guy in Toronto" [who remains (in my knowledge) the only other Canadian, and first ever Canadian, who (successfully) sued Honda in this TLX vibrating issue] and others who have supported you as well.
FYI, because I've found this community, it gives me hope that I'm not the only crazy person feeling vibrations and complaining about it. Knowing that I am not alone to be "the only one in Canada" (or in North America), despite what I was told by my Acura dealer when time came for Acura/Honda to tell me this vibration was a characteristic of the vehicule, is comforting me. This is not the end. I hope people will keep sharing experiences, knowledge and support, just like you've been doing it. I'm sure having the feeling to be fighting alone was not easy, especially when you're doing it against people who are trained to lie and turn situations in their benefit in front of a judge; together and sharing experiences (even bad ones) we may stand a chance.
Because "It ain't over 'till it's over"-Yogi Berra, and because vibrations in my TLX are still a "characteristic of the vehicule" as per Honda, I've just finish doing my homework seeking for specialized lawyer. Acura/Honda will shortly receive a letter from my lawyer.
Lastly, I've found out (without surprises) that money is the core motivation behind Class Action Lawsuit. So far, I've contacted more than half a dozen lawyer firms. I know they are only seeking for top $$$ cases. Because TLX doesn't sell as much as Honda Civic or Ford F150, it is less likely that a Class Action Lawsuit will be filed against Honda specifically because: a) you need a Lawyer to file it on your behalf, and b) Lawyer are more inclined to work on other cases involving more cars (more $$$). Honestly, I don't blame lawyers for looking after their own pocket because, in Class Action, Lawyers are working for a %, while we don't have to pay for their fees, and they earn $0 if they loose their case. In my mind, it's not the lawyer's fault if the actual Canadian system isn't favorable to smaller Class Action Lawsuit. My first guess is that it is the same situation in USA. My second guess is that Honda is well aware of this fact, and is taking advantage of it and is supposing chances are lean for them to see a Class Action Lawsuit on TLXs. This explains why a Class Action Lawsuit was filed against Honda for Civic Paint issue, but yet not on TLX for Vibration issue. Nonetheless, FYI, I'm also working with my lawyer, and another lawyer also specialized in Class Action, to investigate possibilities for a TLX Class Action Lawsuit. I'll keep you posted.
This is probably why, according to J.D. Power 2019 US Vehicle Dependability Study, Honda and especially Acura dependability survey are below the industry level .
18 position for Honda and a terrible 26 position for Acura.
Hope so many people will see this and will think twice before buying an Acura product..
During yet another 500+ mile roadtrip, I found myself daydreaming about how perfect the TLX is under 65mph and how irritating it is over 70mph. After several hours of driving with the vibration, I came to the realization that Acura must have given up on fixing or even attempting to fix it. If I were a manager at Acura Corporate, I would have assigned a task force of a few engineers and mechanics to diagnose the source and design a fix long ago. I would have equipped them with cameras and free reign with the dyno (which you know full well Honda or Acura has).
I think all of us with the vibration hope deep down something like this is in progress. Maybe there are even some owners who believe it still is. I doubt it though and I think others doubt it too. It's been over 4 years since the AWD models were released, some of which exhibited this "trait" without a real fix. Acura may or may not have done this exercise. Maybe they have the results. Maybe they never bothered - either because they don't want to invest the resources or because they don't want to know the answer (plausible deniability).
I think the perfect analogy to the TLX vibration is the Ford Pinto memo. Those of you who are old enough know what I mean. Those who are not can look it up. It was more expensive for Ford to fix the gas tank/bumper problem than to save lives. At this point, Acura has already made the decision that the most cost effective solution for their company is to let dealers minimize the vibration, then claim the residual shaking is "inherent to the vehicle." Perhaps the fix is something significant, up to and including a frame rebuild. Do you want to know what it looks like to lose a class action lawsuit for a major defect? - look up Tacoma frame recall and see what Toyota is spending to basically rebuild trucks. Who knows what the TLX vibration problem is? I sure don't, no one on the forum does, and no know has the equipment to investigate such that we can create a class action lawsuit for complete teardown/rebuilds.
Acura determined that it's in their best interest to test the owners' mettle, to see how long they will simply grin and bare the vibration, to fight those in court who sue over the vibration or attempt Lemon Law claims, and ultimately, to let owners continue passing these vehicles down to second, third and fourth owners so the vibration and irritation propagate indefinitely. The only fix is to trade in your TLX. Your only choice is how long you want to tolerate it. It's a tough choice because the TLX is Jekyll up to 65mph and Hyde over 70mph.
During yet another 500+ mile roadtrip, I found myself daydreaming about how perfect the TLX is under 65mph and how irritating it is over 70mph. After several hours of driving with the vibration, I came to the realization that Acura must have given up on fixing or even attempting to fix it. If I were a manager at Acura Corporate, I would have assigned a task force of a few engineers and mechanics to diagnose the source and design a fix long ago. I would have equipped them with cameras and free reign with the dyno (which you know full well Honda or Acura has).
I think all of us with the vibration hope deep down something like this is in progress. Maybe there are even some owners who believe it still is. I doubt it though and I think others doubt it too. It's been over 4 years since the AWD models were released, some of which exhibited this "trait" without a real fix. Acura may or may not have done this exercise. Maybe they have the results. Maybe they never bothered - either because they don't want to invest the resources or because they don't want to know the answer (plausible deniability).
I think the perfect analogy to the TLX vibration is the Ford Pinto memo. Those of you who are old enough know what I mean. Those who are not can look it up. It was more expensive for Ford to fix the gas tank/bumper problem than to save lives. At this point, Acura has already made the decision that the most cost effective solution for their company is to let dealers minimize the vibration, then claim the residual shaking is "inherent to the vehicle." Perhaps the fix is something significant, up to and including a frame rebuild. Do you want to know what it looks like to lose a class action lawsuit for a major defect? - look up Tacoma frame recall and see what Toyota is spending to basically rebuild trucks. Who knows what the TLX vibration problem is? I sure don't, no one on the forum does, and no know has the equipment to investigate such that we can create a class action lawsuit for complete teardown/rebuilds.
Acura determined that it's in their best interest to test the owners' mettle, to see how long they will simply grin and bare the vibration, to fight those in court who sue over the vibration or attempt Lemon Law claims, and ultimately, to let owners continue passing these vehicles down to second, third and fourth owners so the vibration and irritation propagate indefinitely. The only fix is to trade in your TLX. Your only choice is how long you want to tolerate it. It's a tough choice because the TLX is Jekyll up to 65mph and Hyde over 70mph.
how come a lemon or buyback doesn’t take place after 3 or 6 returns to the dealer for a fix? Mine is still doing this shaking and I hate it! 2018 TLX ASPEC
how come a lemon or buyback doesn’t take place after 3 or 6 returns to the dealer for a fix? Mine is still doing this shaking and I hate it! 2018 TLX ASPEC
Depending on your state, but you'll need to have your dealer document the issue and what they do to fix it every time. Dealer may or may not document the same issue for obvious reasons.
I bought my 2016 V6 TLX a month ago. I also have the vibration on the passenger seat belt buckle. The only reason I noticed it because it was making a noise, and that is really annoying.
I've been following this thread every time I check back into Acurazine. I'm sorry you lost battle. I can only imagine how frustrating it is. I gave up on my '16 TLX SH-AWD a few months ago. The vibration bothered me so much that I was about to go postal. However, after some looking around at alternatives, I ended up staying with Acura. I still liked the TLX more than any other vehicle out there for its look, layout, comfort, technology, handling, etc. I think Acura and my dealer realized the frustration as they gave me a really good trade-in value for a 2 year old car. My now-2-month old TLX 4-cylinder ASpec handles like a dream. Yes, the top end power is not the same as the V6 but I don't really miss it. The PS-AWS and the DCT 8-speed transmission on the new car are really really nice combined with the A-Spec suspension. Only thing I miss right now from time to time up here in the dead of winter in Ottawa and the Laurentians is the AWD. But I'll get over it.
All that to say that despite this incredibly frustrating issue I had, I haven't given up on Acura (just yet). Yes, they screwed up big time - and I'm venturing its the 9-speed transmission mated to this car... I can only hope they have learned from it and we'll have a better 6th generation TLX.
I took my TLX to a local shop, who happens to be a highly regarded Honda specialist, for a B1. He complimented my car and asked how I liked it. Per usual for anyone that asks, I said it was perfect except this strange expressway vibration. He probed about that, so we discussed what I knew from hanging out here (thanks to all you guys). He said he heard of that in the MDXs and asked if my dealer ever removed the prop shaft so I could go for a spin as a FWD. He said that has worked and it's a really pricey part, like $700. If it were defective/imbalanced, I could go to dealer to ask for a replacement under warranty. I told him at least one other forum member tried that and it didn't work. I forgot who that was - someone in one of the vibration threads. He said he would only charge $40 to remove and reinstall for me. Is that worth a shot?
Would that also isolate vibrations from the rear diff? I don't think so, because it would still be spinning. Is there a way to remove the rear diff and/or rear half shafts? If it's not those, it could still be subframe, rear suspension or anything in the front.
I also saw 9speedtran had this issue after a rotation, but that a tire specialist questioned Acura's balancing methodology and how a Hunter Road Force Elite fixed it. Hunter has a locator here: https://www.hunter.com/gsp9700. I'm tempted to go pay out of pocket to try perfecting the tire balance. Did that work for anyone else?
There are a lot of really smart people on this forum. This Honda specialist knew his stuff and offered to do anything. He said this vibration was strange - normally a front tire would be felt in the dash/steering wheel and a rear tire would be felt in the floor/seat. He said he could put vibration sensors all over the suspension and subframe to try identifying the source. I'm afraid whatever money we spend, Acura may not fix what we find. Where could/should we start? Even you guys without the problem, if you had it, what do you think it could be? I'm so serious - this car is perfect besides the vibration. If I was guaranteed that spending a little money would result in a fix, I would do so in a second.
I think I just found my answer. Thank you @#172CR for the detailed post here. I hadn't seen this in my research since joining the forum, but I suspected something like this from the day I bought my TLX almost a year ago. REAR DIFFERENTIAL. This is consistent with the dozens of stories I've read on the site. This is consistent with road force balancing, replacing wheels and removing the driveshaft not working. I knew it wasn't VCM after I muzzled. It's something mechanical, something expensive, that Acura is pitting owners against their own tolerance rather than wholescale replacement. According to Acura Parts Now here, it's $2,247 for the assembly. Probably more through a dealer. Call it over $3k installed with labor and fluid. I may try asking my dealer specifically during my next oil change to replace the rear diff as a fix for the vibration and see what they say. I doubt that will work. I'm glad I know what it is now and not something crazy like tires or suspension or subframe or bushings or engine mounts. I feel like I have some closure. As I suspected, cost is why Acura hasn't fixed it.
A couple other options for those struggling with the vibration:
1) Scalping a used TLX AWD rear diff from junkyards. No guarantee you'll get a good one. There must have been a design change that affects some but not others. Not sure if VIN sequence or sourcing plant related.
2) Paying for replacement out of pocket. Maybe down the road once you can't bear it anymore? Maybe save some bucks and replace it at a 30k or 60k service when the fluid should be changed anyway? Maybe at the 100k timing belt service? But honestly, for that sort of $3k investment in the car, I would almost certainly rather take that $3k toward a trade. You could hope to get rear-ended and have the whole rear drivetrain replaced.
It's a little odd to me that Acura DID do just that with the ZF9 AT - wholescale replacement for which I'm a very grateful beneficiary and pleased customer - at $4k a pop. But they won't with a $3k differential. Maybe ZF paying vs. Acura themselves? Maybe we needed to complain louder about the vibration like the owners complained about the ridiculous hard shifting on SaferCar and ConsumerReports?
This dealer worked hard, didn't accept an "inherent flaw" excuse, drilled down for the cause and fixed the car. Kudos to that dealer. This story is precisely what I was prepared to have a mechanic start exploring. I'm afraid my ending wouldn't be so pleasant. I wonder if Acura issued a secret memo advising dealers NOT to go down this route with individual TLXs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by #172CR
Okay here's my full conclusion on this one.
8/8/15 - Initial Purchase; 13 miles - When debating on getting the SH-AWD TLX, I wanted to see how it performed. I hadn't had an "automatic" since my first car at 16. 11 Honda/Acura's later, I hopped in the TLX. My test drive was consisted of curvy back roads in the hills around Portland. Never thought I had a need to drive it up and down the freeway (cabin quietness wasn't a big issue to me at the time).
9/1/15 - 1st visit 954 miles - On that first visit to the dealership, the general manager of the dealership drove my car and confirmed the "irregular" vibration. Nothing looked out of sorts with the car, the technician re balanced all the wheels, noted the vibration and wanted me to drive it for a few 100 miles and see if that improved. My initial thought was "This is a brand new model year, a TSB will probably come out figuring out what's causing it and we can fix it at that time" Until then I just wanted it noted within the Acura system something was off, because after all, I liked the car a LOT, just didn't know what was wrong and didn't want to end up with a car wearing on certain mechanical parts faster than it should be. A new case was reported to Techline for my car.
10/10/15-10/14/15 - 2nd visit; Mileage 2503 - We chatted about the vibration and he said to bring the car back, so I did. He completely de mounted each tire, checked the wheel's for imperfections, re mounted and balanced each tire. We looked at all the components under the car, things appeared normal. We drove the car together and we both felt the same vibration in the seats and floor of the car. Not the steering wheel and the cabin didn't shake. Techline had advised to swap tires/wheels with a known good car and see if the vibration persisted. We did that, went for a drive with the new wheels and tires and noticed the vibration was there, but something was different. The vibration threshold was pushed higher than before. Initially it would start around 55mph, but this time it didn't start until 65mph or so. After the drive we brainstormed a bit and realized the SH-AWD Tech pack tires had Bridgestones vs my Advance had the Goodyear LS2 tires (which I hated!), we were afraid it was an internal component though because the same issue was there, albeit at a higher MPH. That was when we first thought of the differential since the tendency of the vibration was in line with differential problems (felt from rear, in seats, not steering wheel etc). The district representative was involved now, a brand new $46,000 top of the model shouldn't be having issues like this. The rep goodwill'd a set of new tires since that helped a lot. We all kept our eyes on the TSB's hoping something would eventually come out.
2/12/16 - 3rd visit -Acura puts out TSB 16-009 - Vibration Felt in Floor at Highway Speed. This seemed to fit my condition exactly. The only problem was my VIN was not in the range of affected VIN's. The fix was fairly easy though (Disconnect and rotate the rear differential flange 90 degrees counterclockwise and replace the propeller shaft bolts) and the dealership said to come by and we could try it. The markings on my rear differential shown this had already been corrected from the factory. We still tried it, no change, so put the driveshaft back. Feeling defeated, they said to bring the car back and leave it with them, which I agreed to.
3/28/16-3/31/16 - 4th visit; mileage 11,000 - The tech had an idea to disconnect the drive shaft to try and eliminate the rear (differential) causing the problem. Everyone felt if the vibration still was there, it would be coming from the front of the vehicle as those axles were engaged and being powered. Also, he took each wheel off and force/road balanced them. Both he and another senior technician took the car out and both verified it was still there. Notes from district rep were to monitor the condition and see if it gets worse <--- After all this, didn't like that very much
4/7/16-6/8/16 - 5th visit (Mileage unknown as I don't have the full write up yet, ~11,xxx) This was the big one. They started out wanting to completely eliminate the Variable Cylinder Management being the culprit for corporate. At least in my case the VCM is not directly related. They had the HDS (Honda Diagnostic System) connected while driving, monitoring the VCM, it was NOT engaging during the times the vehicle was shaking. As mine would shake on acceleration, we didn't think it was, but just to be sure. To further rule out concerns; front engine mount replaced and neutralized, still there, rear engine mount replaced and neutralized. Still there. Back to the drawing board. The regional Acura rep is fully engaged to correct the issue. They were directly working with Torrance regarding it too. Techline had the dealership drive it to see if they could get to a high enough speed to get OUT of the vibration, and they did, my threshold was 85mph (I had not gone that fast). They advised the technician to drive it through the vibration zone (65mph-85mph) then put in neutral and coast back through the zone and see if the vibration is there. It was, so to them they wanted to try new front axles first, in doing so, the technician noted the front passenger wheel bearing had an abnormal build up of grease on it, felt it had gone bad, so that was replaced at that time. Vibration still present. Since the rear differential was still actively engaged, they wanted to try new rear axles. Vibration still present. With Acura corporate actively involved and wanting a resolution, the next step was the rear differential A part like this carries a large purchase price, not only from the expense of the part but the labor to install it. It's also not a component that's readily available for such a new car. The differential had to come from New Jersey, and being in Oregon, delivery time was 7 business days. Found out late in the following week the differential was installed, and to all of our surprise, this remedied the ABNORMAL vibration my car had.
The circumstances surrounding my case were taken over by Acura corporate earlier on, through their engineers, believed it to be something more simple. I think they thought the chances it could be a major component like the differential or even transmission were relatively low but wanted to systematically try more inexpensive parts first as things started to get more and more carried away.
The dealership and I wanted to try the differential earlier on, but with the expense of a part like that, it needed to come from Acura. I can't say enough praise and thanks from the dealership staff, to the district representative and even Client Relations. All were on the same page with acknowledging the issue and making sure I was happy in the end. Communication with multiple parties isn't easy, and I know there were things lost in translation, but in the end I felt pretty good with it all
Total: 73 days the car was in service out of 305 days of total ownership (24% of the time I've owned the car...I didn't even have it!)
A couple things to keep in mind;
All v6's due have some vibration in them naturally, FWD and AWD, as this is the nature of the ZF transmission and the gears
The VCM itself does also cause some vibration at cruising speeds
My car vibrated above and beyond the norm and was felt in seats and floor but not steering wheel or rest of car
The conditions of my abonormal vibration were on accelertion, between 55mph-85mph, on deceleration
My vibration at speeds made road trips uncomfortable, and had passengers asking if something was wrong with my car
I don't know if this is possible or what it would take, but another option to consider is permanently removing the prop shaft, rear diff and half shafts to convert your AWD to a FWD. That would cost a lot less than replacing the rear diff.
Another option (maybe the best case for us) is that our differentials vibrate themselves into wear, damage or failure before our 6yr/70k mile warranties. Be cognizant of this item down the road should drivetrain issues surface.
Interesting stuff. How can I part like that on an new car come failed? Are you sure its a failed part that needs replacement, rather than just being reassembled securely and tightly?
Interesting stuff. How can I part like that on an new car come failed? Are you sure its a failed part that needs replacement, rather than just being reassembled securely and tightly?
Good question Mak. I don't know. But I've thought about this a lot over the last two days. Obviously, there is a subset of owners who are driving around with this problematic rear diff, which is the likely culprit of the vibration. I wouldn't really call it a vibration. It's more like a shimmy or a wobble. Unnoticeable up to 70, faint at 70-75, obvious at 75-81, worst at 77, and disappears after 82. I haven't seen the inside of the TLX diff, but all diffs do the same thing in similar ways. My first guess is that one of the gears (or multiple gears) was not fabricated perfectly. An imbalanced gear spinning will create vibration. Either the weight is insignificant up to 70, or the threshold that the frame, bushings, tires and suspension can no longer hide it happens to be 70. It's weird to me that it corrects after 80, almost like it's spinning fast enough that it self-dampens. That certainly beats the alternative, which is the imbalanced mass would rotate faster and worsening with frequency until it vibrated violently and exploded. Imagine your washing machine that wasn't programmed to stop before that happened. There must be some dynamic resonance within the whole rear drive and suspension system absorbing the vibration over 80. If it's not a gear, it could be an axle that is imbalanced or off-center from the moment. This problem would be perfect for a mechanical engineering exam and I'm not one of those.
I've thought about the options I mentioned. Like you, I thought about disassembly, replacing individual gears and rebuilding. That may work. I thought it may be loose connections too. Reassembly may work. Both of those are cheaper than replacement. But like my wife said, Acura must have concluded that this "problem" is not severe enough to require replacements. It is annoying, frustrating and unbelievable, but they decided it's not a defect. I may ask my specialist how much it would cost to tear down, inspect and reassemble the diff just like you suggested.
Think about this. Every one of us are getting the same lines from every dealer throughout North America. "The car performs within parameters." "This is an inherent characteristic of the vehicle." Even TSB 16-009 states the goal is to reduce, not eliminate, the vibration. Does that seem strange to anyone else? How in the world has everyone heard almost the exact same phrase verbatim from their service advisors to their legal team? I'll tell you. Acura must have issued a memo instructing dealers NOT to continue diagnosing the source of vibration, NOT to replace rear differentials, and instead feed us the "characteristic" and "within parameters" lines after the vibration was minimized.
Hi all,
Since there are a lot of people, including myself, who shared on this vibration issue, I would also like to hear what you have to say on the other Acurazine forum entitled "Custom IDS settings?". I believe there may be a connection between Honda "Fixes" (no Fix yet, at least not for my car) for vibrations and the loss of IDS capabilities. Looking for your input on that other forum as well as this one. Thanks in advance.
I feel like I've commandeered this thread being the only person who absolutely can't stand this vibration. Acura replaced the ZF9 and fixed that problem for me. I put a VCMuzzler on my car to fix that problem. This is the only remaining problem I can't fix - my only option is to go pay $3-4k out of pocket for a replacement rear diff, which I might do if it was a guaranteed fix, but I would do so in hopes that it's not another one that vibrates.
This vibration will eventually be the reason I replace this car. It drives you mad like the dark passenger in Dexter: always tapping, always letting me know it's still in there, still alive.
The weird thing and the reason for this addition to the topic is: I had a passenger (about my size, 6', 200lbs) in my front seat yesterday for a lengthy expressway drive. He's a gearhead, so I fully expected him to ask "WTF is wrong with your car?" At the end of the onramp and up to our 78mph cruise, the vibration was much more muted then ever before. It was almost as if weight in the front seat dampens the cabin vibration enough to almost eliminate it. I wondered if a vacant front passenger seat, through the chassis of the car, somehow amplifies the powertrain vibration. Although I could still see the dashboard vibrating and feel it in the console, he never said anything. I wondered about driving around with a bad or two of salt or sand on the passenger seat or in the passenger footwell to make it tolerable for the duration of my ownership.
So, ultimately, buy this car and these are the topics you can daydream about while cruising on the expressway. Weeee! Nice job Acura.
I feel like I've commandeered this thread being the only person who absolutely can't stand this vibration. Acura replaced the ZF9 and fixed that problem for me. I put a VCMuzzler on my car to fix that problem. This is the only remaining problem I can't fix - my only option is to go pay $3-4k out of pocket for a replacement rear diff, which I might do if it was a guaranteed fix, but I would do so in hopes that it's not another one that vibrates.
This vibration will eventually be the reason I replace this car. It drives you mad like the dark passenger in Dexter: always tapping, always letting me know it's still in there, still alive.
The weird thing and the reason for this addition to the topic is: I had a passenger (about my size, 6', 200lbs) in my front seat yesterday for a lengthy expressway drive. He's a gearhead, so I fully expected him to ask "WTF is wrong with your car?" At the end of the onramp and up to our 78mph cruise, the vibration was much more muted then ever before. It was almost as if weight in the front seat dampens the cabin vibration enough to almost eliminate it. I wondered if a vacant front passenger seat, through the chassis of the car, somehow amplifies the powertrain vibration. Although I could still see the dashboard vibrating and feel it in the console, he never said anything. I wondered about driving around with a bad or two of salt or sand on the passenger seat or in the passenger footwell to make it tolerable for the duration of my ownership.
So, ultimately, buy this car and these are the topics you can daydream about while cruising on the expressway. Weeee! Nice job Acura.
Yeah the vibratoon is annoying as fuck I am going to take it to the dealer again and see if they do anything. Where did you get the vcm muffler? And how much did you pay?
my only option is to go pay $3-4k out of pocket for a replacement rear diff, which I might do if it was a guaranteed fix, but I would do so in hopes that it's not another one that vibrates.
Before trying to fix the diff.and pay big $ for it, I would recommand you to perform a test with a PicoScope + NVH Analyser (Noise Vibration Harshness) or a similar divice. If you send a legal notice to Honda, they will send you someone with a similar tool (MTS4100) to perform a test....but be advise they'll probably never provide the test results until you go in court. You could be surprise of where vibrations comes from. In my case, it's clear the 3 cylinder (VCM) that causes the vibrations.
If that's true, you should have Acura re-synch the active engine mounts.
At this point, after going through more than four (4) years of car fixings and probably more car fixes than many on this forum (as previously describe since I joined this forum, last fall), Honda has decided my TLX was operating as per designed. Honda's engineers and lawyers have also decided to ignore both my lawyer and I by not getting back to us in months, ever since they sent their dude to test the car's vibrations (obviously, this dude's task is not to fix cars, but to collect data for Honda and not share the result unless, just alike what Tardym experienced, we'd go to Court).
Furthermore, as a result of Honda working and trying to fix (read:hide) vibrations, Honda has eliminate (or merged) IDS fonctions from my car (and many other cars), as I recently described in the "Custom IDS settings?" forum. Instead of fixing TLX, Honda is intentionally messing up with them. Honda has long ago chosen a path which forces costumers to take legal actions against them. So far, it has been favorable to Honda, except one (1) Court judgement "David Isabello VS Honda Canada and Maple Acura" in Ontario (Canada). Besides this judgement, I have not seen Honda being successfully sued for TLX problems. Should you be aware of other winning judgements by TLX owners, please feel free to share.
Accordingly, you'll excuse me for I gave up on having Honda fix my TLX ; they have had their chances (before launching TLX in 2014, and until now) and they kept messing up with them, and car's integrity now suffers from the direction they tool and their successive flaws. I'm finding Honda is not trustable and I hold Honda entirely responsible for this loss of trustability and confidence in their Acura/Honda brands.
The vibration is so weird atleast in my case it does it once I hit 70 and mellow out at 65 and 80 which makes no sense. And how is there no fix for that. I haven't even attempted to take it to the dealer as I expect to get the same lame response
Sorry, what I meant was, if you can directly trace vibrations to VCM, then you should get the engine mounts resynched. But from what I understand, most folks think that the vibration in question is not VCM related.
Yes, on my TLX (it seems some TLX owners are experiencing vibrations when accelerating, not cruising, which may comes from a different source), at constant speed, we can directly associate vibrations with an engine operating with 3 cylinders. Besides my TLX, it also fits many TLX I have driven which had the same caracteristic. This PicoScope+NVH Analyser are a very powerful cutting edge tool kit which can determine the source(s) and mesure the amplitude(s) of vibration(s). I understand many folks are trying their best (and it's appreciated by us all that each one contributes his best) to solve what Acura/Honda has not been able (or does not want) to fix, but I'm confident to say very few people have gone as far as I did, so far, to get the real answers we all deserve as Honda costumers. I'm not done investigating; I think there is more to come.
New 2016 V6 TLX owner via the CPO program. I too have noticed that the car has a slight vibration right around 68 MPH where the passenger seat belt buckle vibrates if the passenger seat is empty. I have asked passengers if they notice any vibration in the seats, and they indicate that they do not feel any vibration--but if this continues, I will be taking to the dealer to see if any TSB's can be applied to eliminate the vibration. The car did not exhibit this on a test drive, but I also do not believe that I took the car up to that speed. I am not sure I would have noticed anyhow, as the sales person was sitting in the drivers seat during the test drive. I mostly drive the car as a daily commuter, so most of the time the passenger seat is empty.
I did purchase a "Drop Stop" last night for $10, which is a piece of rubber that goes between your seat, and center console/buckle to keep items from falling between the seat and console, which should keep the seat belt buckle from vibrating, and making a click noise as it hits against the center console.
I have black leather seats, so I can't even tell this gadget is there, as you push it down below the seat, and between the seat/buckle/console. Will update later to see if it helps keep the buckle from moving.
Last edited by CheeseyPoofs McNut; 07-29-2019 at 07:57 AM.
Reason: Image not displaying properly
By the way I have those things in both our cars, they're great
I tried to edit my previous post, but somehow can't figure out how to edit the post.
I just took a 300 mile round trip, without a passenger. The "Drop Stop" worked perfectly. No more seat belt wiggle on the passenger side, and no more noise from it.
Mods, are you able to delete post #267?
BTW: I also purchased a pair of "Drop Stop" specifically to address the resonance issue with the TLX seat belt buckle and they work great.
Mods, are you able to delete post #267?
BTW: I also purchased a pair of "Drop Stop" specifically to address the resonance issue with the TLX seat belt buckle and they work great.
Thanks! I tried to delete my post, as the wall of text is the image that I tried to copy and paste into the thread.
Anyone want to start a class action lawsuit? I’m in.
I would join if someone starts one. Just tell me what attorney to send my VIN, name and address. The judge can come test drive my car or ride along with me up to 78mph. It should be an easy win for all of us, but after what Tardym went through - how Acura lawyered up against the suit, hired expert witnesses (technicians) and claimed this annoying vibration was within operating parameters - victory is far from guaranteed.
My fix is to live with it in hopes that Acura steps up with a rear diff TSB someday. The only other option is to trade it in for a Lexus or Audi. No one who has this issue will ever give Acura another chance. It’s simply too annoying and supremely disappointing for a $45k luxury sedan to shake like it has a perpetually imbalanced tire.
While I don't have the vibration issue, it's the ZF9's behavior that has completely turned me off from Acura.
It sucks the life of the entire driving experience of an otherwise fantastic drivetrain. I guess no one drove it before releasing the car to customers.
Next car will be an Audi (which will be leased, as reliability is a concern!)
^— This too. Totally agree. The vibration has my focus every single drive of every single day. It’s public enemy number one in my mind. A close second in my mental crosshairs is the ZF9. Almost every shift from every stoplight or around every corner catches my attention for some odd reason. It oftentimes can’t even cruise or coast properly without doing something stupid. Seriously, the car could be perfect absent the AWD vibration and with a proper tranny.
To the others with the shake: our class action lawsuit will never gain traction because there is no money involved. No one is getting injured, meaning no profit, meaning no interest. Attorneys won’t care less about Acura doing right by us without financial gain. Vibration is annoying - live with it or move on. Be sure to never, ever give Acura your money again.
To close the loop on my experience for anyone reading this thread, I traded in my TLX after 14 months and ~20k miles. The expressway vibration was the real reason, but the tranny is a close second. Acura road force balanced my tires (and tried to charge me for it, but I convinced them not to thanks to this thread and the known vibration issue), replaced engine mounts and rotated prop shaft, but this vibration never went away. It was reduced to about 25% of what it started. For me, it was every time between 70mph and 80mph every day, every road, just like everyone else. Many of ours were 2015s, but what's really crazy is that there are still people on Edmunds with 2019s complaining about the exact same problem.
I'm pretty sure the source of the vibration is either the rear diff or the transfer case. The gears, bearings, both or something else in those is out of tolerance. It's not the tranny because mine was replaced and vibration didn't go away. It's not the prop shaft because removing that didn't make the vibration go away. It's unbearable if you have it and there is no fix except ditching your TLX. Acura will not replace either of those, even if you are aware of the issue and ask specifically (I tried). They eventually do what they do to minimize it and write "characteristic of vehicle" or "within parameters" on the work invoice.
To close the loop on my experience for anyone reading this thread, I traded in my TLX after 14 months and ~20k miles. The expressway vibration was the real reason, but the tranny is a close second. Acura road force balanced my tires (and tried to charge me for it, but I convinced them not to thanks to this thread and the known vibration issue), replaced engine mounts and rotated prop shaft, but this vibration never went away. It was reduced to about 25% of what it started. For me, it was every time between 70mph and 80mph every day, every road, just like everyone else. Many of ours were 2015s, but what's really crazy is that there are still people on Edmunds with 2019s complaining about the exact same problem.
I'm pretty sure the source of the vibration is either the rear diff or the transfer case. The gears, bearings, both or something else in those is out of tolerance. It's not the tranny because mine was replaced and vibration didn't go away. It's not the prop shaft because removing that didn't make the vibration go away. It's unbearable if you have it and there is no fix except ditching your TLX. Acura will not replace either of those, even if you are aware of the issue and ask specifically (I tried). They eventually do what they do to minimize it and write "characteristic of vehicle" or "within parameters" on the work invoice.
Really sorry. What did you end up trading it in for?
Anyone want to start a class action lawsuit? I’m in.
As written in my hereabove post # 244, there is a reason why there is yet no Class Action Lawsuit. That said, because my Lawyer starts recognizing that the TLX issue is not exclusive to my TLX, my lawyer recently asked me if I wanted to switch to Class Action (rather than running an individual lawsuit). This would allow me to save money instead of paying Lawyer and Experts fees; Class Action members don't pay for Lawyers fees (despite winning or loosing), but Lawyers get a share (somewhere around 20-40% of win, or $0.00 if loosing). I choose to run alone because my TLX has too many issues(see hereabove post # 201), not only one common issue. In order to start a Class Action lawsuit, lawyers will at least need:
A common denominator (ie: ZF9 issue, Vibration issue, Blue B-588P Paint issue, etc.)
Owners name and contact informations
TLX VIN numbers
Should one TLX owner gathers such informations, and his list of VIN is relatively important (ie: 50+ cars within the same country or state/province(Canada)), he will have more chance to grab a Lawyer's attention.
As I said, I'm going to sue Honda/Acura alone because I have too many specific issues which may not be common to everyone (i.e.: My TLX is painted B-588P Obsidian Blue Pearl (or Fathom Blue Pearl) and my 2015 TLX received the TBS#19-033, not only once in 2017 (before the TSB was published), but again in Sept.2019). By running against Honda alone and by focussing only on a couple issues (ie: VCM Vibrations and ZF9 issue (which tranny was already replaced once), because I've been documenting my situation thoroughly for the past 4 years, I hope I'll have better chances in Court than our friend Tardym has had in Oct.2018. FYI, I've already spent 400+ hours on building my Court case (no kidding!, I'm taking this very seriously).
If Honda/Acura doesn't settle before going to Court, and if I win, it may creates Jurisprudence and help someone else start a Class Action Lawsuit. That said, we won't know if I win until at least another year from now (Court appearance delay) and you will still need to regroup and be prepared to fight back, because myself and Tardym wouldn't be allowed to participate in any Class Action for Vibrations issue since we will have had a Court judgement (regardless if I win, or loose my case). That said, we could still share our expertise and help you build your Class Action Lawsuit. Accordingly, by regrouping and working hard, Winning a Class Action is possible. Someone needs to take the lead, and get started. I regret I cannot act has THE team leader we all need, because my TLX situation is too much specific and I can't work on both my individual case and act as the Leader in the meantime.