NHTSA Complaint #10056676 — 2004 ACURA TL

THE VSA (STABILITY CONTROL) SYSTEM ON MY 2004 ACURA TL MALFUNCTIONED. THE SYSTEM WOULD CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE TO ACTIVATE BY ITSELF, CAUSING THE CAR TO SEVERLY SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. AFTER A HALF-SECOND OR SO, THE VSA WOULD DISENGAGE AND THE FAULT INDICATOR WOULD LITE UP ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ACURA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE VSA FAULT CODES ARE NOT STORED IN THE VEHICLE'S MEMORY AFTER THE CAR IS RESTARTED AND THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY RESETS. THIS RESULTED IN HAVING TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THE FAULT RE-OCCURED. EVENTUALLY, WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO DEALER AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAR (BECAUSE WE LEFT IT RUNNING SO AS NOT TO CLEAR THE CODE). THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO A YAW RATE SENSOR IN THE VSA SYSTEM. ACURA SHOULD MAKE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO DEALERS. THIS POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THERE IS NOTHING A DRIVER CAN DO TO PREDICT OR PREVENT WHEN THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR. SINCE MY SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN.*AK