NHTSA Complaint #10247205 — 1997 ACURA RL

CAR WILL NOT CRANK EVERY TIME. WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY AND PUT A NEW BATTERY IN AND IT WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. I TALKED WITH ACURA OF MEMPHIS AND THEY SAID IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. THEY SAID THAT THE 97 3.5 RL DOES THAT SOMETIME AND THAT IT HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ANY OTHER ACURA VEHICLE. THEY SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. IT MAY NOT CRANK AT FIRST, BUT IT WILL ALWAYS CRANK EVENTUALLY. THAT IS ONE HELL OF A WAY TO DEPEND ON YOUR CAR. I PUT UP WITH IT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THIS UNTIL ONE DAY MY WIFE GOT STRANDED FOR A LONG TIME AND WAS VERY UPSET. SO AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR THE CAR FINALLY CRANKED AND SHE GOT HOME. THIS IS VERY UNSATISFACTORY. I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT ACURA OF MEMPHIS AND TOLD HIM WHAT THE MECHANIC HAD TOLD ME ABOUT IT NOT BEING ABLE TO BE FIXED AND HE SAID THAT WAS NOT RIGHT. HE KNEW THEY COULD FIX IT. SO, I TOOK MY WIFE'S CAR TO THEM AND THEY KEPT IT FOR THREE WEEKS. AFTER THREE WEEKS, THEY CALLED AND SAID THEY TRIED IT EVERY DAY AND IT CRANKED FINE EVERY TIME. WE ASKED IF THEY DROVE IT AROUND BECAUSE IT LOOKED TO US AS IF IT HAD NOT BEEN MOVED. THEY SAID YES, BUT WE DID NOT REALLY BELIEVE IT. MY WIFE PICKED THE CAR UP YESTERDAY, LEFT MEMPHIS AND DROVE TO A SHOP IN BARTLETT. WHEN SHE CAME OUT, IT WOULD NOT CRANK. FINALLY AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IT CRANKED. WHAT IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN TRYING TO ASSAULT HER AND SHE COULD NOT GET THE CAR CRANKED TO GET AWAY. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN OUR MINDS. WE HAVE DRIVEN ACURA'S FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND HAVE SENT MANY CUSTOMERS TO BUY ACURAS BECAUSE OF OUR SATISFACTION WITH THE VEHICLES. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND EITHER FIX THIS CAR OR GIVE MY WIFE A NEW CAR THAT WORKS. I KNOW THAT MAY SOUND RIDICULOUS, BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT THIS SMALL EXPENDITURE ON ACURAS PART WILL SERVE YOU MUCH BETTER THAN THE BAD PRESS WE WILL GIVE ABOUT ACURA AND ITS FAILURE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE UP TO ITS WORD THAT THE CAR CAN BE FIXED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. *TR