malnik

I noticed whistling noise from under hood. It turned out my power steering fluid was empty and I went ahead a refilled it. When I started the car, I can see drips coming down from under the driver side front. The steering rack boot was cracked and it drained out all the fluid. Dealership said I will need to replace the complete rack and pinion assembly. They also recommended me to replace my power steering pump because the leak might have dried up the seals. I found out that rack boot leak is a known issue with TSX. I'm called Acura to about covering this under goodwill since the known defect not only costing me to replace the R&P but also the pump. The district manager sounded reluctant since my car has high miles. But he said he'll let me know later this week when he could do for me (if anything at all).

malnik

Acura said no to my Goodwill request. Oh well. This is the only major issue I had with this car so I could accept it. The car is in the dealership now for aftermarket R&P and pump replacement. The total is $2,000. They will warranty the parts and labor for one year.

bvogel7475

Holy crap, that is a ton of money. I've had a leaking steering rack for over 3 years now on my 2005 MDX. It is an extremely slow leak. The steering functions perfectly and there is no noise. Seems like a waste to replace the whole thing but I guess a leak can't be repaired. I check the reservoir monthly and I have never see PS fluid on my garage floor, only small seepage on the rack. Only have to add about 2 ounces a year of PS fluid. I refused recommended rack replacement until the fluid drains quickly like yours.

malnik

The dealer mechanic said he never seen power steering fluid drained out this way. He said the pump might have malfunctioned and created high pressure and blew out the R&P seals. Anyway, I got my car back last week but it's back in the shop again. Something is wrong with the replacement parts. I have good power steering on the left side but half power steering on the right. The mechanic said it could be a weak pump not circulating fluid all the way around.

malnik

I got a call from the service adviser. He told me the steering problem is still there after changing the pump. He said he contacted the manufacturer (Napa) and was told to add some additive to the fluid. It is purposed to make the steering run better and we take effect in 2 weeks. I told him since he ruled out it's the pump, then the rack & pinion must be the problem and he should change it. He said that the issue I'm having is not a defect. It ordered for him to get labor reimbursed by the parts manufacturer, he must proof it's a defect. I don't know what to do here. I'll contact CA Consumer Affair soon.

malnik

Just want to update this post. The power steering rack & pinion issue is fixed. The Acura dealership service gave me hassle but honored my warranty and replaced the faulty rack. They kept telling me that "that's what you get when you buy aftermarket parts". And I had to keep reminding them that they picked out the parts from their vendor and sold them to me. Here is a few things I learned from this process.

1) Credit card purchase & fraud protection won't cover motor vehicle repairs.
2) Call Acura Customer Relations if you have a dispute with acura dealership service. They will offer to call the service manager to mediate the dispute.
3) If you live in CA, you can file a complaint to Consumer Affairs Bureau of Automotive Repairs (BAR). They will assign an agent to your case and investigate the service center for work performed, mechanic certs and parts invoice. Then they will help mediate the dispute.
4) Document all conversation and events in a log
5) If all fails, file a case in small claims court for a settlement. Submit your events log and BAR report with your case.

Jdrum1

Wow. What a hassle.


I doubt they are so keen to offer using aftermarket parts in the future. I respect that they were trying to save you some money, but it doesn't seem worth the hassle on either end.


I once had a Honda dealer offer to put an aftermarket radiator in a car. Sure enough, within a couple years, it failed. While it had a lifetime warranty, the dealer didn't pass any proof of purchase along to me, so I was SOL.

Being from NAPA, the rack and pump should have a lifetime warranty. Did they pass any proof of purchase along to you?

nothome17

From my experience with the good faith Loyalty having owned a 92 GSR, 2000 GSR, 2006 TSX and 2008 TLS. I've got denied twice that I called. So 0 for 2 lol..

The issue I called for was for the 2006 TSX clutch master cylinder creaking at 90k miles, service advisor told me I needed it replaced. To find out later, its a normal issue with 2004 and up manuals. Also the 2008 TLS, the oil pumped leaked at 80k miles and got denied.

Trying out Subaru if they have some loyalty perks.

fast1

Creaking clutch master cylinder for me too at 100K. I was well outside the warranty (and at the 12 years mark) but it was the first major component to fail on me so I couldn't complain. I could've waited a little longer to get it replaced but my commute is stop and go in hectic traffic so I didn't want to leave myself stranded in that mess.