NHTSA Complaint #10186504 — 2005 ACURA RL

I HAVE A 2005 ACURA RL. I BELIEVE THE VEHICLE HAS A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW. THE CLEARANCE BELOW THE FRONT OF THE CAR IS INSUFFICIENT AND FURTHERMORE POSSIBLE THE SUSPENSION IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE ENGINE. WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT I USED THE CAR UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS AND IT GOT DAMAGED. I HAD THREE NORMAL SIZE ADULT PASSENGERS AND A NORMAL SIZE 9 YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE CAR. NO LUGGAGE. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AT NORMAL SPEED AND THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NOTICED BEFORE THAT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE HITS CURBS WHEN YOU PARK AND SCRAPES WHEN YOU GO UP SIDEWALK RAMPS, SO I WAS AWARE THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE AMPLE CLEARANCE AND/OR SUSPENSION, BUT IN THIS CASE WITH THOSE PASSENGERS ON BOARD IT WAS WORSE, THE RIGHT CORNER OF THE BUMPER GOT BADLY DAMAGED. I TALKED TO THE DEALER AND ACURA CLIENT SERVICES AND THEY DENIED THERE IS ANY DESIGN FLAW. BUT I DON'T BUY THAT BECAUSE I HAVE HAD A SAAB AND A LEXUS AND NOTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENED (IN FACT THEY DON'T EVEN SCRAPE LIKE THIS ONE DOES). IT'S MY VIEW THAT THIS CAR DOES NOT MEET THE BASIC REQUIREMENT OF AN IMPLIED WARRANTY, WHICH IS THAT IT SHOULD BE USABLE UNDER THE OPERATING CONDITIONS FOR WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED.*JB