Ronp8

I have seen reliability ratings for the 4g TL where the FWD version is rated higher than the SH-AWD due to the system being more complex than the average AWD system. My question is regarding long-term ownership of the 4G SH-AWD system. I know you can easily get 200k miles out of most acura's, honda's, toyota's, etc. But what do you guys think about the 4G SH-AWD TL as far as long term ownership. I saw a post earlier where someone stated that they had a few issues with their TL system with only I think 18k miles. I never trade so will keep this car until the wheels fall off - lol.

potmilkz

honestly.. its how you take care of the car.. more you keep up with maintenance, the longer it will last.

acurator99

Probably at least 100K. You won't be driving it that much considering the current and future gas prices. You can probably trade it in before it reaches 100K.

krislv

I noticed consumer reports has the SHAWD on the "used cars to avoid" list without any additional details. Granted I havent done a ton of digging, but I havent heard of too many problems with the TL in general aside from blown speakers. What other problems are prone to the SHAWD models?

jasonwdp10

The fact that there are more moving parts to it (when compared to the base) would instantly make it less reliable. More advanced parts = more complicated to fix = more chances of things breaking down

Mr Marco

I smell a trade on my gas hog RDX coming up sooner than the TL.

docboy

Which issue did you notice the "used cars to avoid list" in? More moving parts = more prone to issues. But traditionally the SH-AWD models on the MDX and RDX have held up well (ie. above average).

Other problems I've noticed on the TL (not exclusive to SH-AWD models, at least not that I'm aware of) are rear head seats popping out [mine did and were replaced under warranty] and rust/discoloration on the brake rotors [on 09 models I believe].

JM2010 SH-AWD

The RL has been using SH-AWD (albeit in a slightly different version) for some time with very good reliability. I don't buy that SH-AWD is somehow a reliability negative.

krislv

The anual auto issue. While yes more moving parts, or even more parts in general has more potential for more things to fail, if it is well built, it shouldnt matter. They also do not give the specific breakdown for the AWD model, only the FWD, which is above average.

jasonwdp10

I don't think anyone said it was a "reliability negative"
Yes it should matter, but only when compared to the base model of the car. Hondas FWD cars are proven through decades of reliable cars, the SHAWD has been around for less than a decade.. what like 6-7 years at most?. Not only that, but the way SHAWD works is slightly modified depending on model and has been updated more than once since its inception.

If anything, I think we can agree that the base model would be undoubtly more reliable than the SHAWD model based on the fact that its the same car with less moving parts. This in itself would make the shawd "less reliable" but still reliable overall.

JM2010 SH-AWD

^^Thought that was the point you made above in post #5. I must have missed something.

Shellyduchsk8s

^^^ is it true that the rust on the rotors/calipers is something that is covered under the warrenty? Mine are looking terrible, and I want to get it fixed, but I don't necessarily want to put up the $$ to fix something that shouldn't be occurring anyway. Am I wrong in that thinking?? Calipers shouldn't rust, right??

Ruby

Calipers and rotors rusting are normal...as long as its just surface rust all rotors and calipers rust. Around here ANY cars rotors and calipers will rust with all the salt and stuff on the winters. Perfectly normal.

NwTSXmt

Nailed it...Some post like the system is brand new...if SH-AWD it can lug around a MDX it can handle the TL.

jajameson

It is my own considered opinion that Consumer's Reports isn't worth the paper it's published on. They are about as open and unbiased as politicians.

I believe that the difference in reliability between the FWD and AWD TLs will be measurable, but minimal. And I'm not going to worry about it - that's what the warranty is for, which, in all likelihood, will never be used.

Acura/Honda has an outstanding reliability rating, even in CR.

Shellyduchsk8s

The rust on the rotors doesn't bother me, bc as soon as I drive the car, it goes away. I've never seen calipers w/ such significant rust on them though. My father owns a couple Jags (classic - current) and there is no rust present on his, and my mother's dinky 04 Dodge Neon doesn't have rust on the calipers either. My car is of a far better quality than a Dodge, which I was alarmed when I compared the two.

Thanks for the answer though!

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

Hey Shelly, i believe there was a tsb on the 09 rotor rusting issue...the dealer will refinish/paint the rotors and correct the issue at no cost to you....

try a search for rusty rotors and see if you can find out more information on this....

Glashub

I don't get the op. Why isn't SHAWD on worse of the worse then?

Consumer Reports - Best and worst used cars - The most reliable models and those to avoid - http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...-used-cars.htm