NHTSA Complaint #10156036 — 2003 ACURA TL

2003 ACURA TL TYPE-S EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE WEAR ON ONLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE. CAR WAS TAKEN TO AN ACURA DEALER FOR SERVICE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE ACURA MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN SEEN PREVIOUSLY ON SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE/MODEL AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (VSA) ALLOWING SLIPPAGE OF THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE DURING RIGHT TURNS. ACURA STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION AVAILABLE AND THE ONLY RECOURSE WAS TO ROTATE THE TIRES ON A MORE FREQUENT BASIS. TIRE DEALER WAS ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE TIRE ITSELF (MICHELIN) AND INDICATED THAT THERE WERE NO SERVICE NOTIFICATIONS ISSUES FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE WEAR ON THIS TIRE IS HEAVILY ACCELERATED AND WAS ONLY NOTICED ON A ROUTINE EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE. BASED ON THE STATEMENTS BY THE ACURA MECHANIC, I BELIEVE THERE TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TO SLIP, THEREBY CAUSING THE EXCESSIVE WEAR. GIVEN WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS, THIS SLIPPAGE WAS INCREASED DUE TO THE LOSS OF ROAD TRACTION. IF UNNOTICED, THE TIRE WOULD HAVE FAILED (WITH LESS THAN 28000 MILES) POTENTIALLY CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE WORN TIRE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AND PICTURES OF THE TIRE IN COMPARISON TO THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *NM