fotodad

I'm still in the research stage of buying a car, and I've noticed some, not many, but some owners have said they wish they hadn't bought a first-year, newly designed car because Acura hasn't worked out all the problems. Do you agree with this statement or not? Please post a comment. I am so excited about the TL, but I don't want to buy a car that doesn't have all the glitches worked out.

caball88

there were glitches in the new TL but for the most part they have been worked out. Tire virbration, changed to different tire compound but same tire. most have reported no more vibraton with the new VIN numbers. memory seat problem has been fixed no one has reported this in a while now. headliner and rattles will be scattered but doesn't come up much. in my opinion the TL is a pretty safe bet and you probably won't regret getting one this year.

w1n78

no regret for buying it

JoganJani

Regrets? None whatsoever. ...Just did my A1 running solid.
No rattle here, no rattle there no rattle nowhere.
No vibration, No headliner drop.

rynpamn21

no regrets...very very minor stuff....the rattles hmmm none...vibration? in some roads yes....headliner drop? what is that? i think i got a good car ...aside from the normal HONDA/ACURA glitches like the engine turning 2-3 times before starting, clicking sound when shifting to reverse from D...i TOTALLY love this car........i also can't wait for the A1 service coz after that, i know my car will be close to PERFECT!

w1n78

ummm....
what's the A1 service? lol

J0KER

In the span of owning my 04 TL (2.5 months), Acura has had my car 4 times. Most recently for over a week, and a half.
At this point I summarize my TL experience as paying $36K for an RSX (the loaner I have been driving more then the TL I payed for).

UminChu

No problems, no rattles, no squeaks, no paint flaws, no complaints, no regrets.

billk86

Joker,
Sorry to hear about your issues with the car....I have had a much better experience (so far) with no such problems.

It sounds like you might have gotten a bad apple. Are there lemon laws where you are and are all the problems you have had make your car eligible?

J0KER

Yes, in fact I have contacted the BBB, as well an an attorney. It qualifies. Also, Acura has offered to buy the car back (for much less then I payed).
At this point, I am optimistic that they will get her fixed this time. If not, we'll go from there.

neuronbob

No big problems, no regrets. See my six month report to see how my early-build 5AT is doing. I guess my car was built on Wednesday morning.

I hope your dealer resolves your issues, Joker.

caball88

well the lemon law states that they have to either buy the car back or give you a new one right? why not just opt for a new TL, it probably won't have the problems you had.

J0KER

Mine is new. 2.5 months old, with just over 2K miles
With the lemon law once you file a claim (with the BBB), Acura would have 40 days to try to resolve that matters. In the event matters are not resolved in 40 days, it goes to an arbitrator. Like I said, I just want my car fixed, and hope it wont come to that.

bktabinga

I personally posted no problems with mine. I was so paranoid about everything with my Type R when I first bought it, now my second Acura purchase (actually third if you count MDX) I'm a little more forgiving (much like the second baby effect, first baby you are paranoid, anyways...)

I knew from the start, I would be accepting some glithches in the new model...if anyone says they should come off the lot from a major redesign flawless is kidding themselves. The car is under warranty, get it fixed, voice your concerns so those lucky owners next year can get a good product. Some of you dont want to consider yourselves "beta" owners, and I understand and sympathize, for 33,000+, it should be perfect. Unfortunately, car companies don't have the luxury that software companies do and release version upon version of beta and like Windows, even after years out with the same product, still can't get it completely right.

Remember, the G35 sedan had major problems last year when it first came, even being heavily touted by R&T. Browse their forums, you'll see paint chip problems, rattling, clutch issues, but most of their guys chalk it up as first year growing pains...the G35 coupe and the 2nd year G35 "seem" to have less problems, don't know for sure, because I don't have one.

If 05 TL's still exhibit same problems, then we really should asking the big questions!!

Still in love with my TL!

rets

Actaully, I was ever thinking of creating this POLL. You're fast.



Although I have some rattle and tiny issues, I don't feel bad to get this 04TL. My early-built seems ok at this moment. I believe lots of ppl just like me spent tons of time to research this hot vehicle since 03 summer, and made the early reservation in September or even earlier to get this new ride. I took a risk, and it paid out great.

I don't regret this decision, and seriously consider 05RL if that car is good.

:diablotin

żGotJazz?

For a first year design, this car is amazing!

I have owned 2 other "Rev 1.0 cars", and the 04TL is soooo much better in quality & design it's not even a fair comparison.

In fact, out of all the cars that I have owned so far (Rev 1.0, Rev 1.2, Rev 2.0 versions and beyond), the Acura TL is on the top of the list for overall quality.

Granted, I've only racked up a little over 2,400 miles this first month and a half, but the only real problems I have had so far are:

(1) Minor rattle problem from the passenger side vanity mirror when the mirror is facing down. The dealer has the new visor on hand (and has had it for a few weeks now), so maybe I'll get it fixed this weekend.

(2) The "Color" option on the Navi (On Setup screen 3) doesn't do anything that I can detect. WTF is this about?!??!?!?

That's it.

I had a few reservations about buying the Rev 1.0 04TL until I started visiting this forum regularly. I noticed that the overall complaints were very minor and pretty specific, especially for a new design.

Another point - This isn't exactly a Rev 1.0 car, since is is built upon the previous year's Honda Accord base.

Just indulge yourself and go buy it!

TLGator

Though I've personally had no problems yet (OK, I've got the clicking brake pedal, but who cares) I am starting to get a little concerned at the number of people having problems that should have been fixed by mid-year. Certain rattles that seem more common, headliners falling, stuff like that. Those issues are excusable at the begining of a new model life, but by mid-year cars rolling off the line shouldn't have them.

When I leased my '01 CL, that car was also in the first year of a major redesign, and early customers had many complaints on our sister forum. But my mid-year car was completely trouble free, and pretty much everyone else who bought or leased mid-year had the same experience. So Acura heard the complaints and fixed them. It's not clear that Acura is doing as good a job of that with the new TL.

Acura does seem to be trying to fix the worst problems, like the memory seats and to an extent the tire issues (although they really should have just switched manufacturers mid-year, no matter the cost). The vibration problem may require such extensive changes that it's not fixable mid-year.

But when I read that people whose TL's are, like mine, just a few weeks old, and they are having the moonroof rattle, the glovebox rattle, paint peeling, rusty exhaust tips, the headliner falling, etc., well, I just don't see what excuse Acura can have for that kind of stuff this far into the year. Those issues should have all been addressed and fixed by now, methinks.

I hope I don't get those problems, but I feel bad for the people who do.

marquis

I've only experienced a handful of problems with my TL since I got it in december:

- Crappy tires (since replaced by dealer with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S)
- Seat memory loss (problem with early VINs, not with newer TLs)
- Slight left drift with front alignment (since corrected)
- Outside temp gauge off about 2 degrees (since corrected)

I love this car. Don't regret buying it at all.

TheNip73

I've had rattle after rattle after rattle. I would rather have a car have a mechanical failure than a rattle that nags at me a bit each time I am driving. Don't get me wrong, I love the car and I am getting the rattles licked one at a time but it is getting me irritated. But to be honest, most people are rattle free or able to get the rattle fixed relatively easily. I just think I am in the minority and got a special edition rattlebox 04 TL. Ohh well

-=¤willhaven¤=-

youve got a desert mist one right?

got any pics of it (or any like yours color-wise)? i havent seen an actual acura in person in that color. only on the website which you can only see so much with.

Xpditor

My car is due in next week. The VIN is 40,xxx. Do they make mid-year quality corrections or do they wait until the next model year? Can I expect the same issues that people had when they got their cars last October?

:banghead:

BlackSunshine

I don't regret buying it... but I do regret that it was built in the U.S.

svtmike

I saw one today, with the body kit; first one I've seen in Desert Mist. It looked pretty nice, but for me the color just couldn't be done; the wife's Odyssey is the same color.

I've seen some pictures of a Desert Mist A-Spec somewhere on the net, but I couldn't locate them again today.

Mike

Ron A

They make quality corrections when problems are found. Most of the problems associated with the early models have been cleared up for several months now. These included the memory seat retention problem, various trim and fit problems, etc.

The only remaining wide-spread early built problem, I think, is the tires and they are working on these on an individual basis, but you shouldn't have the problem because they changed production in mid-February.

This is not to say you won't have any problems, but hopefully they will be minimal. And then again you might not have any. Many people with even the earliest built cars reported no problems at all, or maybe a few minor ones cleared up on the first service.

This is going to be a long week for you, waiting for your baby to come in, but it is worth it. Enjoy the car and let us know how you like it and how it is treating you.

Xpditor

Xpditor

I am having second thoughts about the TL I have on order. Hearing all the stories of problems, like Jokers, has me very concerned.

I keep my cars for a long time and I don't want a nightmare. My last car I had for 14 years. I've had an RX-7 and two Maximas. The problems I had with all of them were so minor, I don't even remember what they were.

I can back out of my order. My dealer has a five day/300 mile return policy with a full refund.

I originally wanted to get the best driver's car for under $45,000 and had just about settled on BMW. I was persuaded to get the TL because of Acura and Honda reputation for quality and reliabilty. Now, I wonder.

żGotJazz?

I think this poll is really funny, and speaks volumes. Why?

I think on a GM site, the poll would have replaced the "small" with "large". None of the selections in the poll really are indicative of significant problems. The selections given in the poll are more indicative of personal preference.

There are a lot of whiners and extremists on this forum that will never be happy with any car they purchase. It won't have enough power. They won't like the handling. The interior looks cheap. They'll be bored with the car in a year or two. These are all true items complained about in the past.

Let's see ... Where is Acura in the overall product quality ratings? I've seen them listed in first, second, or third place (depending on the year and reviewer). Is Acura producing total cr*p for the first 04TL?

Sure, there have been a few problems, and some people have had significant failures. No mass producers of any product can guarantee that everything that comes off the line will be problem-free. They aim for a overall significant failure rate, say 0.1 % (I don't know Acura's real target, it could be higher or lower). With Acura's current production at around 31,000 cars, that would be about 31 cars that have had a significant problem. That's not real bad, unless you're one of the 31, of course.

Remember how complicated a car really is! It's pretty amazing that a product with literally millions of complex items in it works at all, and you can order it to your specifications and get it in only 2 months! It's pretty miraculous, really.

BTW, I have a friend who purchased one of the new Mazda RX-8s. His car has been in the shop 3 times now for various issues that are more significant than most of the complaints listed in this forum (his car arrived one week earlier than mine). Mazda has had quite a few problems with their "new design" (I'm sure you heard about the 10 HP refund policy). His major complaint now is that he's only getting 14 MPG, which is way lower than their EPA estimates. He said this is a common complaint on their forums, and may result in another Mazda refund offer ...

jpanagia

Marquis,

I've got a drift to the right and my steering wheel is slightly off center.

If I let go of steering wheel on any road surface the car will always track to the right.

I noticed this when I had 18s installed. Acura told me I have to pay for the alignment unless the stock tires are on the car.

Is this similar to your issue and what exactly did they do to correct it?

Thanks

mtvernon

The first gen first year CL 2.2 was worth skipping. The first year of the 3rd gen TL is highly worth gettting. No problems with my 04 TL.

TLGator

GotJazz - in general I completely agree with your post. But is there really ANY excuse for the headliner to be falling down on this car?

Something like the memory module - sure - that's a product of complex engineering and it turned out to have bugs. Not a big deal, and now it's been fixed.

Granted, a falling headliner is not a big deal either (provided, of course, that it can be fixed and doesn't recur) but it's also not a complex engineering product in the first place.

The only car I've ever owned that had a falling headliner was a '68 Oldsmobile that was 15 years old when I got it as my first car.

If my TL headliner starts drooping, as it has for several others on this forum, well I'm sorry, but that to me will be totally ridiculous.

bktabinga

it could always be that those falling headliners all came from the line where some jackass who was the quality control oversaw...or the guy putting it together wasn't all there.

Unfortunately, one bad apple can spoil the whole lot. To me it wasn't a major engineering flaw, etc. It seems that it was quality control or workmanship and unfortunately, there are so many levels before the car gets to you, you can't pinpoint.

In my profession as a nuclear trained officer, if we get into a string of incidents, we ask ourselves, is this a training issue, do we really suck and need to go all stop and standdown for training or self assessment, or are these "single-point failures". As in, one person just really didn't get it that day, and the program as a whole is not flawed, one bad apple spoiled it, and we need to either focus on finding those apples, or preventing them from happening in the first place.

Xpditor

No, this isn't about Rush Limbaugh. Don't EVEN get me started on THAT! <pass the Vikes>

I wanted to remind you folks that all paved roads are "crowned" in the middle. They are not flat. They slope to the outside edge of the pavement so that water will drain off. ALL vehicles should drift to the right slightly as a result of being pulled by gravity downhill. This is the case if you are in the right lane. If you are in the left lane of a divided highway, it should level out or go a little left. This is more noticeable in tight sports oriented cars (like our TLs) because there's no slop in the tires or the steering gear. Lincolns, Buicks, and DeVilles don't have a big problem with this but you might need some sea-sick pills.

The only way you can tell if it's the crown or the alignment is to 1) straddle the white line on a straight stretch of two lane and see what happens, or 2) get your front end aligned. 1) is cheaper.

If you bitch to the wheel alignment guy that your steering wheel is not centered when going down the road, he can compensate for the crown but why would you want him to? A steering wheel which is a few degrees to the left is merely compensating for the crown of the road. Two bad we don't have a rudder trim control like airplanes have. We could adjust it on the fly.

jpanagia

My car pulls to the right on the left lane of the LIE and everywhere else. It does it in my driveway and if I ride in the left lane of a two way road. Also, if I'm standing still and accellarate the steering wheel will turn to the right about one inch.

The off-center steering wheel is also a constant problem. If I pull straight into driveway or parking space, the wheel is slightly to the right. Basically if the car is straight the steering wheel is not.

I guess I'll call Acura in the morning.

żGotJazz?

TLGator, I'm sorry to hear about your headliner problem. I hope you only have to go in once for the repair, and then it's just a memory.

Believe it or not, a headliner is a complex engineering product. Everything on the car is. Do you think that the headliner is just slapped together at the 04TL factory? I doubt it. I'll bet that the specifications for the parts and cut of the headliner were built in a 3-D CAD (Computer Aided Design) modeling system. Then, it may have been built at another factory, quite possibly by a different manufacturer than Acura. All of the pieces of the puzzle (your headliner included) have to fit together properly on the manufacturing floor. Your headliner parts may have been built properly, but the parts that hold it up (or what it's being held to) may be faulty also. When you begin to think about all the stuff that has to come together to build your car, it's almost overwhelming.

I guess my point here is that just because there isn't a computer chip involved, doesn't mean that something isn't a complex engineering product. There probably isn't a single part on the car that hasn't gone through a few hundred hours of engineering design and quality testing before it ended up on the car - even including the bolts.

kosh2258

I noticed it for the first time today coming from the right rear corner of the sunroof. I reached up and was able to stop it.

When I got home I opened the sunroof and took a peek. Basically the headliner is being held in place by a square of velcro that's attached with a piece of double stick foam tape. The 1 inch square of foam tape is what let go - failed to adhere to the steel frame of the sunroof assembly.

I recognize this tape, I've used it before for other things.

While it does a pretty decent job of holding things in place, if the surface it's being used on isn't absolutely clean it will not adhere for long. And over time this tape is noted for deteriorating and eventually releasing. Off handedly, I'd say that lots of customers are going to eventually have the problem. Hopefully Acura will change the method of bonding the velcro patch to the steel frame using something with a far more agressive adhesive than this foam tape has.

For now anyway, I just pushed up hard on the spot to make the tape adhere to the frame again which it it seems to have done.

TLGator

GotJazz - Again I appreciate your knowledgeable and well-written comments. And actually, I'm not (yet) having the headliner problem, though I am now a little paranoid of opening the sunroof when the car is moving fast.

But the post after yours from kosh2258 reveals the irony of the situation - complex engineering or not, Acura used good old double-stick tape up there - the kind you and I can buy rolls of at Home Depot. It seems neither an adequate nor clever approach. Maybe it seemed like a good idea back in August when the finishing touches were being put in place on the TL assembly line. But after six months of customers complaining about falling headliners, wasn't it time for Acura to change things - before those of us who got the car a few weeks ago took delivery? Yet several people with weeks-old TLs are having the same problem. And that's the only point my original post was trying to make - the mistake in design was forgivable, but the failure to adjust mid-year is just infuriating.

żGotJazz?

Agreed!

Vtecne

xpditor42 ,

Are you buying at Rick Case? I am also in Fort Lauderdale "Pembroke Pines".

Vtecne: AKA Neil
2004 with Navi

Stu E.

I just recently picked up my TL and while they were PDI'ing the car I noticed that the headliner was hanging down at least 2-3 inches in the middle of the roof behind the sunroof. I pushed it back up really hard on the fastener points and then tried to pull it back down and it didn't want to budge at all.

Before I tried to reconnect the liner, I looked at the way it was designed and saw that while it's sort of a hook and loop fastener on my March build car, it's really much more substantial than Velcro. In fact, my friends who works at the dealership, as a technician said that the Accords and Civics have the same type of "fasteners" as the TL. He told me he has had to correct this on a few cars before and that he once put "too much" on one car and when he needed to remove the headliner again, he actually tore it since the fastener was too strong. He says that although the material is similar to velcro, it has a much better grip than Velcro. He also stated that since it's removable, it makes the car easier to work on when dealing with sunroof issues, etc.

All in all, he said the rattle issues have slowed down since around March. He says he does seem to recall a change in the headliner fasteners since that time.

I hope this helps,

Stu E.

04 Satin Silver/Ebony 6MT

TheNip73

3M makes a material with "balls" on the end of the stems. When you push the two sides together the balls from the opposing sides slip past each other and form a tight friction fitting. Needless to say, this stuff is HARD to pull apart. I bet it is what Honda/Acura uses. I believe the name of the product is Scotchmate Dual Lock Fasteners from my not so far away days interning at 3M.