Alexns05

Have you guys heard that there is now a class action lawsuit against Honda for the HFL drain issue?

Looks like it was just filed at the beginning of July. Who knows what will come of it but hopefully we all get some money for the damages that it has caused.

Luckily, because of these message boards I was able to find the problem after only 1 battery drain. But other people weren't as lucky.


Acura HandsFreeLink Problems Cause Battery Drain Lawsuit | CarComplaints.com

quantum7

FYI....

Hagens Berman: Acura Owners File a Nationwide Class-Action Lawsuit Against the Automaker for Battery-Draining Bluetooth HandsFreeLink? Defect | Business Wire

Not sure if this is a new one or just more of the same.

eastcoastguy

We'll see how far that goes, I doubt anything will come out of it, or by the time everybody is paid you will get $1

mdx001

I think it's great for someone to start the suit. I had a 2007 TL that had two batteries during the 3 years I owned it and a 2010 TL that was jumped 4 or 5 times and also had two batteries in 2 years 6 months of ownership and every time the dealer and Acura played dumb about the problem all the while knowing they had problems. Now I have a 2015 TLX and a 2015 MDX and I am just about done with them and ready to move on. If it starts costing them money they might start listening. I agree that no one will get anything but at least it gets the information out there.

TORQ_STEER

So there is a class action lawsuit against acura for the Hfl battery drain issue with TL & MDX.


Here is one of the articles

https://consumerist.com/2016/08/04/class-action-suit-accuses-honda-of-selling-acura-vehicles-with-battery-draining-defect/

Anyone been apart of an oem class action lawsuit. Will anything come of it?

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

oh wow...
that's crazy.

InFaMouSLink

iTrader: (10)

11 years later..... Hopefully this goes somewhere cuz it sucks not having the HFL when i'm used to it in my other cars. ( I'm saying this but i still don't ever drive the TL )

GOOSEej

iTrader: (2)

Hope it goes somewhere

NO one ever calls me so im ok with hlf not working lol, but it be nice to see some results

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

lol ^reminds me of one of my favorite jokes from the 40 year old virgin.

guy: Andy, what are you doing this weekend? oh just kidding, I know you aint doing shit. (cuz he's a 40 yo virgin)

MilanoRedDashR

Interesting...As my HFL module is sitting here next to my computer desk, BECAUSE ITS DEAD

TexasKaren

Awesome! After going through three batteries, with nobody telling me anything, a Honda dealer finally diagnosed that it was the problem with the hands-free link. They wanted over $400 to repair it, or they would just disconnect the thing for free. Which do you think I chose? I've now been driving around without Bluetooth for several months. It would be nice to be able to get it fixed without having to pay so much

Will Y.

Your choices, in order of increasing cost, are:
1) Disconnect the HFL and live without it,
2) Remove the HFL and send it to Godin Technologies for baking for $45 and reinstall, [Do a search for "Godin" and "HFL" or "Bluetooth" to get the specifics]
3) Buy a new OEM HFL on-line from one of AZ's vendors for $200-$220 and install it yourself (will take 10 minutes or less), [there are a number of threads here on removal and installation] or
4) Have the dealer replace the HFL.

Welcome to AZ.

BMA1078

Good, I had to replace a battery because of this and I removed the HFL module from my TL about 2 years ago.

imakeholesinu

Here's a picture of my defective unit. Replaced it back in June.


Broken HFL unit.

imakeholesinu

Took my car in over the weekend and they told me the battery was dead. That battery only lasted 18 months.

4DGSR

I replaced my unit last year and that did not solve the problem, dash still said "booting" when I tired to pair my phone. The battery drain continue to happen if I do not drive the car for 5 days.

Took it into the stealership this week, and they unplugged it and said that was the cause but did not offer a solution after I told them I already replaced the unit. They also said my audio equipment was the cause of the drain as well.

Told me to go back to the place I purchased the module online to see if they would send a replacement.

InFaMouSLink

iTrader: (10)

did you get a new one or used one?

JMRipple

Is it just the TL and MDX? I had a battery drain and problems with the HFL in my '06 RL disconnecting calls from my cell phone. After several frustrating years when I first owned the vehicle, with the dealer insisting it was my phone, several cell phones later it was diagnosed and replaced under warranty. After it was replaced it worked without issue but I had to replace two batteries within the next 6 months. I recall that before the HFL was replaced I had to replace a battery too, about 1.5 years into ownership. I also had a problem with the trunk wiring, both rearview mirror actuators had to be replaced, the iPod MusicLink was replaced and one of the headlights, all while under warranty. About a year later I moved into a house with a built-in garage. Just before we moved the lock sensor on the driver's side handle stopped working when it was wet but the passenger side sensor continued to function normally for the rest of the life of the car. Otherwise the vehicle worked well from then on.

I remember having 4 batteries in 4 years. When they said I just had bad luck with batteries, I requested a full check for parasitic leaks. The dealership said the car was fine. The last time I replaced the battery was in 2015. The 4th battery was 5 years old and therefore there was no warranty coverage. It says it's an 8 year battery but apparently that doesn't mean there's a guarantee. I don't drive a lot and as the car is stored in a garage I though it was premature. I was told I was lucky it lasted 5 years. So I have good luck and bad luck - that was the diagnosis.

The vehicle was totaled this summer. I bought another 2006 RL thinking I'd just had bad and good luck with my previous vehicle. What do you know neither door handles sensors work when wet and the handsfree link is defective. It worked for the first couple of times I tried it. Shortly after purchase it stopped working. Coincidentally, the battery had been replaced by the dealer just before it was sold to me. They also did a system reset by disconnecting the battery right before I drove off the lot in an attempt to get the CD changer working.

The symptoms are the HFL disconnects after I hit the answer button, just like it did in my previous '06RL. I can tell it's going to do that because even though the ring tone sounds through the car speakers, the navigation screen stays on map instead of switching to the call screen. The CD changer was broken so I had another radio installed and the HFL worked once (battery was disconnected during install). then began the disconnect problem. The original radio/nav controller was sent out to be refurbished and they found it all was working properly. So I have another '06 RL with gremlins.

Is the malfunction of the HFL in any way connected to the battery drain problem? Further examination of the records on my new to me RL shows the battery has been replaced at least twice in the last 11 years. It's on it's 4th battery now. For a vehicle with 50K on it, and that has lived in a moderate climate, that seems like a lot.

Q_ShipTL

I had to replace the HFL/ Bluetooth Module in my 05 TL Base, and just last month in my 08 TLS. The module was poorly designed and one of the resistors keeps burning out easily. Acura really should make good on these as it is a chronic issues with all of our cars.

headroll

I just found out about this issue! I have 2005 TL (bought it new, still running strong after 290K miles) and for past 6 or 7 years, I had to replace battery almost every year!!! I just couldn't figure it out. Then I found out about his just yesterday. I just removed the defective HFL unit. It was warm, draining my battery.

Would we get some kind of compensation from the class action?

Gordon Murray

Hello i'm here for the gangbang. No but seriously I just picked up a used 05 TL couple months ago and the battery has gone dead several times in the past two month if the car wasn't driven for more than 2-3 days. Glad I found these forums. I promptly proceeded to remove the HFL unit and noticed it was pretty hot when I took it out. Looked up the part online and they have a $192 core charge if you buy a new one....ahh no thanks...I'd rather just install an aftermarket HU with BT for less. Acura seems pretty shady in this regard with the HFL fails.

NoTLoud

First mod I did after buying the car was getting rid of the HFL. Actually, I did this right after my battery died on day 10 after I had bought it... Not sure if the battery was just old (car was driven 5k miles the previous 3 years) or if it was in fact the HFL. I didn't care to find out after installing the new battery, so I preemptively removed it.

So the HFL remains sitting in my room along with the rest of the stock audio system.

gopeman

Say if I remove HFL, is it going to effect me in anyway if I decide to add a BT45-HON3 to my 08 TL?

kpaul5257

FYI - Acura is finally getting sued over the dead battery issues caused by defective HFL module. I have a 2005 TL that the battery goes dead after sitting for a few days. Had to disconnect the HFL like everyone else because I don't want to pay to have it fixed. The attorney's website has an easy online form to fill out to be added to the lawsuit.

https://hbsslaw.com/cases/honda-acur...reelink-defect

Case update it is proceeding to discovery! Honda knew about it since 2005 with older models not just "X"s.

DEFENDANT NAME: American Honda Motor Company Inc.
CASE NUMBER: 16-cv-04507
COURT: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
PRACTICE AREA: Automotive Litigation, Consumer Rights
STATUS: Active
DATE FILED: 06/22/16
KEY ATTORNEYS:
Steve W. Berman
Catherine Y.N. Gannon
Christopher R. Pitoun
RELATED DOCUMENTS:
Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Defendant's Motion to Dismiss 04/25/17
Amended Complaint 10/17/16
Complaint 08/03/16
CONTACT:
206-623-7292
CASE UPDATE

Judge Jon S. Tigar, of the Northern District of California, recently denied (download Judge Tigar's Order) in large part Honda’s requests to dismiss plaintiffs’ claims—representing a big win for consumers. In doing so, Judge Tigar found it was plausible that the HandsFree Link defect posed a safety risk because drained batteries could cause the car to stop unexpectedly on the road. He also found that plaintiffs have adequately plead that Acura/Honda knew about the relationship between the HandsFree Link and drained batteries as early as 2005, but withheld this information from consumers. With this decision, a large number of Plaintiffs’ claims are allowed to continue.

Plaintiffs anticipate filing an amended complaint by July 2017, which will update some of the allegations at issue, and are eager to move forward with the discovery process in order to build on the momentum of this recent win.

jon2000

Great post! I tried to sign up for this but it's only for USA and I'm in Canada.

GreenSpades

Very interesting, my HFL has just not worked since I bought the car. I mean I havent messed with it much because I dont use it but I guess the PO disabled it after having this issue. Or it just failed in a different way.

truonghthe

^^^^ PO as "Previous Owner" or "Piss off Owner"?

GreenSpades

Ha I always meant it as previous owner. Ive never heard pissed-off owner. Id imagine that would be the PoO.

Cheval

hmmm interesting. Would be nice to get one of these for the cracked dashboards.

Is there any downside to filling this out? Acura finds out and remotely blows up my TL?? lol

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Hmmm, my recently purchased 2006 TL has a fully operational HFL and no battery drain issues (the car has sat for as long as two weeks and fires right up). I wonder if I should sign up just in case.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

signed up, thank you!! it's one of the worst design flaws i've ever seen. my battery has died twice because of it

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

Signed up, Thanks!

truonghthe

Most likely the previous owner had it replaced, I got really lucky on mine and it finally gave out at 91k miles the car build date was Nov 2006.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

my 2006 stock HFL is still operational. I dont drive the car everyday. on weekends it gets driven tho.

EvilVirus

iTrader: (8)

Signed up OP

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Didn't see it in the service records, that said, he might have done it himself or had an indy shop do the work. Regardless, in spite of HFL being relatively primitive compared to the connections in my wife's (former) GTI and current Mazda3, I rather like how it works and will definitely buy a new HFL if/when my current one fails.

NBP04TL4ME

I've been driving a 3G TL ( 04 and 08) for 13 years and never had a problem.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

Buy a lottery ticket!

truonghthe

how many miles you put on each car? James went through about 5-6 TLs with no HFL problem but he didn't put a lot miles into those car as well.



Its a 10 mins fix if you replace the unit. Most dealer wanted $750 since they said they gonna replace the delay unit behind navi (big BS). I already replace two units one in the Type S (failed at 91k miles and one in the base model fail around 70k miles). Now I hope the one in the RL doesn't goes out because the unit cost $1000 from our vendor OEM part.



yep.

NBP04TL4ME

I bought my 04 TL new and had it for just shy of 6 years. I traded it with about 48K on the odometer. My current 08 TL-S was purchased as a CPO with 13K on the odometer and have had it coming up on 7 years. Odometer has 78K. So overall not tons of miles on either one but way more than James.