NHTSA Safety Complaint: 2000 Acura 3.2TL

anonymous to NHTSA
December 13, 2002


All Products Associated with this Complaint: 2000 Acura TL
Date Complaint Filed: 12/13/2002
Date of Incident: 9/25/2001
Component(s): AIR BAGS , ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC , UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NHTSA ID Number: 10000008
Crash: No
Fire: No
Number of Injuries: 0
Number of Deaths: 0
Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Vehicle Identification No. (VIN): Not Available

SUMMARY: TTHINK TWICE AND LONG BEFORE BUYING A 2000 ACURA 3.2 TL.WE ARE THE SECOND OWNERS OF THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. WE AND THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2001, AT 20129 MILES, THE FIRST OWNER TOOK THE AUTOMOBILE TO AN ACURA SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THE SRS (SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM) INDICATOR LIGHT HAD COME ON.THE SHOP REPLACED THE 'OPDS UNIT' BUT PROVIDED NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE WARNING INDICATOR HAD COME ON. AT 26467 MILES, THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT HAD COME ON.BRAKE FLUID WAS ADDED, BUT NO REASON FOR THE LIGHT'S ILLUMINATING WAS GIVEN.WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 25807 MILES.SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON.AT 26467 MILES WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO AN ACURA DEALER.SHOP PERSONNEL CHECKED THE SRS INDICATOR AND CONSEQUENTLY ORDERED YET ANOTHER 'OPDS' UNIT.WHILE IN THE SHOP, THE SEAL AROUND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD,WHICH HAD PUCKERED UP,ALSO WAS REPAIRED.SOME THREE WEEKS LATER WE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE OPDS UNIT REPLACED.NO EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN FOR THE PROBLEM.IN THE INTERIM,THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON,AND THE BRAKE RESERVIOR CAP WAS CHANGED AS WELL.LESS THAN TWO MONTHS HAVE PASSED:THE SRS LIGHT IS AGAIN CONSTANTLY ON.WE ARE ABOUT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT, AND ALSO HAVE THE TRUNK LIGHT INSPECTED, SINCE IT DOESN'T WORK.THE TRUNK LIGHT PROBLEM IS NOT DUE TO A BLOWN FUSE OR BURNED-OUT BULB; I CHECKED THAT MYSELF.HAVING THE SRS WARNING LIGHT COME ON,TOGETHER WITH THE DEALER'S INABILITY TO EXPLAIN OR RECTIFY THE SITUATION,PUTS ONE IN SOMETHING OF A QUANDRY:IS IT A FALSE WARNING,WILL THE AIRBAG(S) DEPLOY IN A CRASH? OR IS IT AN INDICATION OF A PROBLEM AND WILL THE AIRBAG(S) NOT DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED? THE ACURA 3.2 TL IS NOT AN INEXPENSIVE CAR, AND ONE WOULD EXPECT IT TO REQUIRE MINIMUM ATTENTION WHILE PROVIDING A HIGH DEGREE OF RELIABILITY AND SAFETY. IT DOESN'T.