SL1200MK4

First of all, please understand that I am not trying to bash the TL here. In fact, I love my TL and I think it is still one of the best cars on the market today. However, I can’t accept the way Acura Canada treats me as a customer, and I just can’t live with an unreliable and unsafe automobile anymore!

I bought my car about 5 month ago; it has about 10000 Km (6200 mile) on it now. I have a problem with the Engine Check Light ever since I got my car. I have visited the service department 5 times, and they still can’t fix the problem with the engine. I think there’s no doubt that I got a lemon, and the way my dealer and Acura Canada treated me is just ridiculous.

My Engine Malfunction Indicator light has gone off 6 times in 5 month. They replaced the ECU computer once and still can’t fix the problem. I now have problem to start the car, and it rattles like crazy. My dealer told me that it is because the winter gas fires at a different temperature, and every TL has this problem. They told me that this is normal (yet right!), and there will be a recall for it. Then I ask why other TL owner don’t have this problem, they said that it’s because the way I drive. If I shut off the engine, I must let it cool down before I start it up again. WTF, I went to have my dinner and I am not supposed to drive my car right after it because the engine is not cool? What about those people who to goes to their bank? They are not supposed to drive their car until the engine is cooled down? This is just BS, and half an hour is not enough for the engine to cool down? I am not buying their story.

The TCS on my car sometimes doesn’t work as well. The worse thing is that it usually doesn’t work in raining days. Imaginably you can understand that how dangerous this is going to be in winter. We get pretty bad weather up here in Canada.

After all, their attitude was horrible. The dealer suggested me to phone Acura Canada, and the lady form Acura Canada that I have spoken to said, “Why did you phone us? The dealer should take care of those problems, not us. We can’t fix up car here. Who in the dealership asked you to phone us?”

I had trouble starting the car, and it’s just two days after they checked my car. So, I phone my dealer and ask them what they gonna do about it. The service manager just gave me their BS story again, and said “We can’t fix the problem for you, there’s nothing we can do about it” Well, I then phoned Acura Canada and it was even worse. I said “I am NOT asking for a new car, I just my car fixed.” The lady replied “We won’t give you a new car, that’ not what we do” God, can’t you f**king understand English. I am NOT asking for a new car.

So, I guess there’s not much I can do about it. I just hope that people can be aware of the potential engine problems with the TL if their story is true. I also hope people can realize the horrible attitude Acura Canada has. Good luck if you plan to buy a TL, and for those who have no problem with their TL, please enjoy your car. Thank you so much for reading my long post.

BTW if you know any good lawyers that deal with Consumer Protection Act (lemon law in Canada), please let me know. And if you have any suggestions for me, please post it, too. Thank you all so much, again.

Guest

It is true, Acura's customer service in Canada does provide useless service. I called them when I was having problems with the delivery of my car. It was over 1 month late, they said they couldn't help me at all, they didn't even know if I had ordered one. When I received the customer service questionaire. I did fill it out, on two separate occasions. I never got a reply back even though I requested a call back. Now my problems weren't serious, in your case, they are lying and cheating you out of a reliable car. Unfortunately in Canada we don't have lemon laws, but please call the APA. The Automobile Protection Association. Their number is on their web site www.apa.ca They are a non-profit group that can assist you with your problems.

MikeS

Man this sucks....In America we have lemon protection laws...If they can't fix the problem after three attempts you could get a new car. I would try getting in touch with Honda-Acura of Japan and see if they can bring pressure to bear. This is absolute bullsh**.... To pay that much for a car and be stuck with it. I feel that every manufacturer occasionaly let's a bad one out, for me Honda products have been the best cars I have every owned. I had a Honda 91 Accord and something broke out of warranty. I go there to pick up the car expecting a $600.00 bill and they said they contacted Honda of America and they advised they would pick up the tab. They said that part never should have gone bad at 39K. Good luck and never give up, if you do they win...

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2000 TL - Laguna Green, Navi, Rear Spoiler. Soon to have 17" wheels. Lowered 1.5" & Comptech Axle back Exhaust.

jkc2121

yeah.....the acura service in the states must be better because my local acura dealership is putting a new transmission in my car even though i am nearly 10,000 miles over warantee. that sucks. you should definitely attempt to contact the big dogs at acura because acura is a company that definitely worries about reputation and they dont want to get a bad one.

riceboy_TL

SL1200MK4,

YO!! don't tell me u got ur acura at this dealership "ACura of North Toronto"
if u did, then u are f*cked... I'm sorry but that dealership is the worst in Canada probably. Tell u one thing to do. DO NOT GIVE UP!!! Keep on bugging them... phone them whenever u have free time.. bug the heck out of them!! They suck it's true. Their service people do not know what da heck they are doing for sure. I had soooo many problems too with my car. I only drove my car for one month or so and i went back for service 4 times already... hahaha.. so... Good luck man!! maybe one day all toronto Acura owner should appear at once in their face and arugue with them. Don't worry!! Just keep on fighting !! WE SUPPORT YOU!


Riceboy

Guest

Dear SL1200MK4

Its sad to hear your story. I am from Toronto Canada and just took delivery of a 2000 TL last Saturday. I haven't driven much yet but I cerntainly will watch out for the problems you mentioned.

Which dealer did you buy from? and did you bring to this same dealer to fix these problems. I just wonder whether it will help to bring to another dealership.

This TL will be my third Honda (1988 Civic, 90 Accord) and I had pretty good experiences with Honda products. I do expect better quality from the Acura line though.

I hope your problems will be fixed soon as I really think TL is a good car.

Guest

I think I am having the same problem as yours.My TL is only 4 months old and with only 2500km on it . When the engine is cold,no problem. When it is warm, ie. just
go to the bank and go home, still no problem.But the worse thing is in between !
For example, park the car in a shopping mall
for 2 hours, it won't start right away.I need to start a few times..the rare thing is
not all the time. Once a while that happens.. I have no idea what the problem is and so does the acura of north toronto service department.

Guest

There was some mention of problems before with regards to having problems starting the car. I would look at past posts and see if you can find them. When I first purchased the car, several times I also had problems getting the car to turnover after it had been sitting for a while. It went away though, and I have never had the problem again.

Wierd.

SL1200MK4

Thanks to everyone who cares, and I really appreciate your advices and supports. I will definitely give APA a call and see what I can do about it. I didn’t get my car from “Acura of North Toronto”, I got my car from Downtown Acura. In fact, I live really close to Acura of North Toronto, but their sales didn’t treat me right.

Anyhow, the TL is still a very good car. I hope everyone here enjoys it. I will keep you people updated on this issue as I believe that I am not the only who have problems with the TL. Maybe I will try to gather every unhappy TL owner in Toronto and perhaps fight against Acura together. Anyways, we’ll see how it goes.

I wish I didn’t have any problems with my car, so that I can get the intake/header/exhaust, sway bar, springs, a set of Brembo, Konig 18in rims, P-zero tires, and an aftermarket navi system. I had a plan for my TL… but I guess I better keep it stock for, now. Just so that Acura can’t blame those problems on aftermarket parts…

“Never give up, never surrender”

AcuraJoe

This may sound weird, but take your TL to a dealer that is in a smaller city, or town. They do care about customers because the last thing they want is to have a bad image of themselves. I went to many acura dealers in toronto and let me tell u, they sucks!! The place I take my TL, Kingston HOnda, treat me like....the most important customer of all time! They do thing right, and right on time! That is the survice that all of us should get.

JoNightTL

I take my TL to Acura on Main in Hamilton. The service there is great, it's a small dealership but they are curteous and respectful. I'd rat out your dealer to Acura of Canada and tell them how terrible their service is. I did this with my Honda dealer when a prick at the dealership scratched my car while detailing and he refused to how is buffed out. Eventually one of his superiors gave us the treatment after we threatened to goto Acura of Canada.