dordale

I agree that the odds are extremely low and I'm continuing to drive my TL on a daily basis. I will take it in as soon as the dealer has the parts to fix it, but really I'm not worried about it.
Doing the math (now I know this isn't perfect and there are more variables, but)...something like 20,000,000 cars recalled and 10 deaths have occurred, so the chance of being killed is 1 in 2,000,000. According to Google, the chance of being struck by lightning in the US is 1 in 960,000. So, based on this, I'm over twice as likely to get struck by lightning. I know the odds of getting injured are higher--from lbotez's number of 138 that makes the odds of injury to be 1 in about 145,000. And added to that, as far as I know all of the deaths/injuries reported have been in vehicles that are older, which means that the odds are even lower that my 2013 TL's airbag would malfunction in an accident. And like 6SpeedTL also pointed out--to date there hasn't been one case of a faulty airbag deployment in an Acura worldwide to date.

JT4

My dealer told me the same exact thing this morning as I was filling out paperwork for the rental. I know there is a slim chance of something happening but since my middle son drives the TL 95% of the time (it's basically his at this point) I wasn't taking any chances. So he'll drive my wife's SUV when he needs to and I'll use the rental.

RKEnnis

The odds of winning the Powerball lottery are incredibly low too! But it does happen.

SilverJ

I am not sure why any of you guys would still drive your TL after getting the recall, sure the chances are slim, but you could get in an accident at any point and time, do you really want to take the chance of getting your face cut up or losing your sight because a shard of metal flies in it ? All because you were too lazy to get a rental car ?
Acura is going to lose millions of dollars on these recalls, you really think they are going to do the recall if there's NO CHANCE of something happening ? I will be happily driving my 2016 Maxima until my car is ready to be repaired, and probably try out a few other cars while I wait a few months.

lbotez

yeah. I don't get it either.

Takata airbag victims looked like they had been shot or stabbed - Nov. 20, 2014 mentions "minor accidents" set off the airbag.

Note that most of the cars where people died were Honda Accords... but still.

Acura's are just fancy Hondas.

dordale

It's not that I'm too lazy to get a rental car, I've considered the risks and am comfortable driving my TL. I have considered getting a loaner or rental--but the only reason I'd be doing it would be to save miles on my TL.

mossman77

Surely there is a way to disable the driver's side air bag? Isn't there an electrical connector underneath the dash somewhere or a fuse that can be pulled. I'd much rather have no air bags and take a chance with the good old fashioned seat belt as opposed to getting shrapnel in my face!

Kain1009

When the car that Enterprise gives you gets recalled too... Lol

JT4

I asked my dealer about this back in Feb and was told that the dealer will not disconnect a safety device in a vehicle at the customers request, unless directed to do so by corp.

He said that if they disconnected a safety device all liability would be placed on the specific dealer in the event of an accident, even if the customer signed a waiver. As it is now, all liability is placed on the airbag manufacturer and corp.

Just passing on how it was explained to me.

emanon256

Ha! That was the first thing I checked when I got mine.

hadokenuh

Haha for those that say the chance is really slim, I understand your position. But if an accident did occur to you, I am sure your family would sue the hell out of Honda/Acura. Just saying.

I was going to keep my TL until the the part comes but decide otherwise after receiving the official letter from Acura. The language on there seems bad, especially I drive the car with my 10 month old everyday. My appointment for the rental is scheduled for this week.

Nexx

I just spoke with a client who has a 09 TL who just got back from a friend's funeral. Her friend died from a metal fragment that got lodged in her neck from Takata airbag. Understandably, she is freaked out and will not drive her TL now.

Anicra

Well the dealers in the Twin Cities, are not taking appointments, yet, for the airbag replacement. They claim it will be starting in May or June. I am not worried about a shard, chip bag or coke bottle flying out on an accident.

And Nexx - I hope they are suing Acura as we speak

SilverJ

Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make the horse stop driving his TL . I wonder what happens legally if you DO get into an accident and get injured by the airbag if you could still sue being you knowingly were driving the cars after getting the recall letter and ignoring the advice to not drive it. Hmm...
Another thing you guys may want to consider. I would guarantee the customers whose cars that have Acura paying for loaners are going to get done well before those who don't. In my case its costing Acura a 1050.00 a month to pay for my loaner.

On a lighter note...what kind of cars are you guys getting to rent ? I got a 2016 Maxima. Nice car, I am not unhappy with it. Plan to trade it in for a Ford Edge before my 30 days are up with my insurance company.

TooLong without

So I received a note from the sales department of my dealer, Criswell in Annapolis, MD, stating that since I had been having the PM performed at the dealer, my 2013 TL SHAWD (Tech, Black, w Umber) would be "in demand" and they would be willing to take it in trade for a new one, therefore allowing me to avoid the "hassle" of the recall... talk about salt in the wound... projected repair June 2016...

AnalogDE

All 20,000,000 cars recalled haven't had their air bags deployed (gotten in accidents), so you don't really know what the actual fail rate actually is.
You need to estimate the number out of the 20M that have gotten into accidents w/ airbags deployed.

SilverJ

That sir, is an excellent point. Your odds of serious injury or fatality are significantly lower. All the more reason NOT to drive your car.
You may want to "take your chances", but really, for what ? To drive a freakin TL ? . SMH.

steve807

Here's what your dealer is saying today:

The $35 gets you a Camry or other mid-size

Photo your Ometer and park it or you owe the rental total

and the best part:
"There's no stats yet relating to actual Acura accidents showing the air bag issue, just Hondas so far"

"Only 25% of owners are taking the $35/day deal and renting a car because of the above"

No firm decision yet, but I'm leaning hard on driving it until the parts come in, or until better risk information becomes available. I'm thinking the added risk is probably down in the noise for the normal risk of driving in a big city.

Looks to me like this recall might completely kill Acura dealers' used car lots. Then again, they have probably found a way to unload the used ones legally dealer-to-dealer since small independent dealers can still sell them. I know if I was a dealer I'd be fixing my used cars with the first parts to come in if I still had any on the lot.

The biggest question I have is why Toyota is just disconnecting the air bags until parts come in yet Acura is saying to park it. Does an air bag in the steering wheel really help if you have your shoulder belt on? If not, then disconnect it and drive worry free.

Also I'm thinking the parts will be in closer to 5 months, like the letter said, rather than 3.

EE4Life

Latest update today, per Honda/Acura:

"Service bulletin 16-010, Safety Recall: Takata Driver’s Airbag Inflator May Be Over-Pressurized has been revised with repair procedures and parts information for the following models:

2013-2016 ILX
2013-2014 ILX Hybrid
2007-2016 RDX

Limited quantities of inflator kits will be allocated for the above models and will begin arriving at dealers Thursday, April 7, 2016.

In addition, special tools (metal snips) are being distributed to all dealers and are expected to arrive by Thursday, April 7, 2016.

The service bulletin will be updated again once parts for the following model/model types are available:

2005-2012 RL
2009-2014 TL
2010-2013 ZDX

Beginning Friday, April 8, 2016, parts will be available for controlled order. While many part numbers may not be available, we will begin to accumulate back orders to allow for proper distribution of parts as they are made available".

lbotez

Your client doesn't live in Texas, by any chance?

Another death on 3/31: http://www.autonews.com/article/2016...orted-in-texas

Honda Civic was involved. Now it's up to 11 deaths, 10 being Hondas.

the victim was sent several notices, but never had it fixed. It was a 2002.

Inspire08

I'm sure that Acura Insurance will be paying for all of our rental/loaner NOT Acura itself. It's about right 1050 plus tax a month. According to my dealership parts is not available until end of summer (July/Aug).

RKEnnis

I was initially undecided about taking the rental. I like driving my TL. The rental options here aren't that great. Odds wise I'm not overly worried about the possibility of air bag shards hitting me.

But then I thought, what if the chances are greater than we think right now, and what if someone else gets hurt in my car just because I didn't want to drive a rental?

Needless to say I got the rental. The "best" option was a Dodge Journey. Meh...

Maybe I need to insist on getting a Maxima! haha

Edit: I wish I could get into a rental car model that I'd actually consider replacing my TL with...

crxb

watch the video Vehicle details

real_mckoy

not to mention the ACE body structure to evenly distribute the energy from a collision.

mrclemson

I think most people don't get it: the real risk is about getting seriously injured/killed when the airbag deploys. I saw a number before, in last 10 years, some 2800 accidents that people got seriously injured/killed in last 10 years, so let's say 300 a year on average. I don't know the time frame of those 10 deaths in Honda, let's say all happened in two years. So the math is when you get into a bad accident, your chance of getting killed becomes 5 out 300 or 1 in 60. Do you want to take that risk? I won't, because I know I only get to live once. You can always say that the chance of getting into an accident is low to begin with. True, I have been driving for 16 years now, no accident no ticket so far /*knock on wood*/, but you never know whether you will get one tomorrow.

By saying that, I haven't got a chance to get a rental myself. Being lazy/busy recently, I will probably get one this weekend.

mrclemson

Besides, my local shitty dealer (surprisingly enough there is only one here) only offers up to $30 a day for rental. I confirmed with Acura corp they said the corp doesn't set the number, it's all up to the local dealership; yet Honda's offer is a standard $35. Talking about shitty service . . . lol

dordale

I understand your point, but don't agree with your logic. The odds of getting killed or injured by a recalled airbag have to first take in to account the odds of getting into an accident where the airbag deploys--and then on top of that, the odds of the airbag fails. So the odds of me getting into an accident in which I get killed by a malfunctioning airbag is the product of me first getting in an accident where the airbag deploys and that the airbag malfunctions--so it really is closer to 1 in 2,000,000 than something much smaller than that.

SilverJ

For all you guys who are ignoring the suggestion to get a loaner car and are continuing to drive their TL's, if you were shopping for a car right now, would you buy a TL knowing it had a safety issue that could possibly kill you, even if it is only temporary ? or would you be looking at another vehicle ?

JT4

A lot of people aren't taking this seriously which is sad. I usually don't jump when I hear of or receive a recall but when I receive a recall notice that says;

"The defect in these vehicles could kill or injure you or other people in your vehicle"

I cannot with a clear conscious allow my family, or anyone for that matter drive or ride in the TL. Even though there is a very slim chance that something could happen, they way people drive today IMO raises the chances of any of us getting into an accident.

Let's face it, it's like an obstacle course out there. Everyone is on their phones not paying attention. People are texting, talking, taking pictures, posting crap on social media sites all while driving.

I don't need one of these people blowing through an intersection and me hitting them, and have a metal fragment from an airbag that is supposed to protect us, (even though slim chance) kill my passenger, I would never forgive myself.

I am not living with that for the rest of my life because I could have done something to prevent it, and instead I chose to do nothing.

6SpeedTL

It did. I had a 2016 Charger and i had to return it and they put me in the only car available, a smelly Altima.

ABDomega

I am driving a RAV4.

SilverJ

Well said JT4. I feel the exact same way, I miss my TL, but it will sit in my garage until the part is ready. If one of my family member or friends were to get injured or die in my car as a result of MY laziness or ignorance, I would never forgive myself (nor would they) .

I thought someone mentioned they had an Audi Q3 or Q5...I would be all on board to try that one, they look like nice trucks..

hadokenuh

My thoughts exactly. I was gonna keep driving the TL until I received the official letter. Then googling some of the past incidents involving the airbag crash, I changed my mind.

sehale

My dealer called to have me come in and re-sign the paperwork for the above RDX. I asked him when they expected to get parts in and he said this morning they received word that some replacement airbags would be received TODAY. They were designated for specific vehicles and since they had not arrived yet, he didn't know if the replacement for my car was in today or not. I will update when I know more. Meanwhile, he took a walk-around of the car and I signed up for another month.

lbotez

Try again. I got a Maxda CX-5 crossover SUV. I really like it. Brand new too.


Meanwhile, here's a video regarding the last victim:
Fort Bend HS Senior becomes the 10th US death from Takata air bags | abc13.com

accident was a fender bender... I don't care if zero TL's have had an accident yet, it's the same damn airbag. Statistics say that the longer this goes on without fixing the inflators, the more people are gonna die. Many people don't even open those recall notices. And think it's something like a replacement seatbelt... Even when 50% of the cars have these inflators fixed there will still be many more deaths and injuries.

Plus I want my car fixed early.

Polaren

I think the notices were sent out a bit late here in Canada.
I ended up with a new 2016 ILX today, which funny enough is also affected by the recall.
So they are taking that back and I'll probably end up with a new Mazda 6, but I'm negotiating for a Q50 since our expected time frame for a fix is Sept/Oct.

I just put my TL in storage mode for the time being.

RKEnnis

I don't think I'll buy another new Acura period!

Not because of the recall, and not that I'm unhappy with the car. It's because:

1. My local Acura dealer has given me TERRIBLE "service" on both of my TL models. They are the only Acura dealer in my city, and I'll never buy another car from them.

2. After just about a week in a comparatively much cheaper vehicle, I'm realizing that driving a luxury car just doesn't mean as much to me as it once did. My next car will almost certainly me significantly cheaper than what I spent for my TL with Tech.

Yeah, I'll miss some of the features of my TL, but looking back on it, owning them just hasn't been worth the cost and hassle to me.

Maybe if the dealership experience had been better i'd feel differently...

BTW, MY local dealer was planning to put me into a Fiat 500 rental. Uhm, no. Had to pitch a bitch about that one!!

TLbullet

I called my 3 closest dealerships and their rental car companies are out of cars completey. I also called ACR who "put me On a list". They gave me Option of getting my own rental but would have to pay the rental company as i go along and later be reimbursed by Acura after the cat is fixed (which will obviously be a few $G's).
My own fault for waiting, but my wife just heard of the most recent death and will not get back in my car....and i now dont blame her.
Anyone have similar issue?
FYI I financed my car and dont want any other one (have 6speed w 10k miles on it, great/fun car to drive) not looking forward to my smoke filled altima rental!!

TLbullet

I checked my local Enterprise and i cant get one of those Nissan Shoeboxes for that price!!

lbotez

Just to make you feel better, Enterprise made me sign something that I would not smoke in the car (I don't anyway); so I doubt it will be like that. I had to wait a couple of days. Enterprise is huge; they own National Car Rental. They'll ship some cars in; takes a few days but you should get something. Go in early when they tell you they have some cars coming in so you can pick what you want. Mine came from another state.... Enterprise is making a bundle on this, don't worry. Plus you can swap the one you get out when they get something better in.

Also, I don't think the price written on the contract is the same as the price they rent to a walk-in. It's the price they arranged with Honda/Acura.... I got a Mazda CX-5 (an SUV).... which is pretty decent.

Tell your wife to sit in the back seat until you get it.