NHTSA Complaint #10280082 — 1997 ACURA CL

MY CAR IS SERVICED AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, TISCHER OF LAUREL WHO HAS PROVIDED ME WITH EXCELLENT CARE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. MY MANUAL AND MY MECHANIC HAVE DETAILED PRETTY MUCH WHAT CAN BE EXPECTED AS A REPLACEMENT COST THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THAT IS WHAT LEADS ME TO THIS POINT, BEING DIAGNOSED WITH A BALL BEARING FALLING OUT OF THE PACKING IN THE FRONT DRIVE OF MY 2.2 CL WITH THE MILEAGE AND A RECORD THAT ANYONE WOULD WANT WAS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. I?VE DONE SOME RESEARCH WHICH REVEALS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE ACURA CL 2.2 WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO WHY ACURA VOLUNTARILY DISCONTINUED THIS MODEL. THERE IS NO INDICATION IN MY OWNER?S MANUAL THAT THIS WILL EVER BE A PROBLEM. AGAIN I HAVE MAINTAINED MY CAR AND MY MECHANICS CAN VERIFY THAT IT IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION FOR ITS AGE. THIS LEADS ME TO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS SERVICE THAT SEEMS UNLIKELY? I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND NOT THE CONSUMER. THE AXLE WAS REPLACED IN 1999 AND HAS NO TYPE OF PROBLEM THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED MAJOR. IF WE WERE DISCUSSING A CAR THAT WAS ITS CURRENT AGE AND 250,000 OR MORE MILES I WOULD NOT CARE, CONSIDERING MY DRIVING SKILLS AND MAINTENANCE RECORD. BASED ON MY RESEARCH, THERE ARE DESIGN FLAWS IN MY BELOVED CL 2.2 WHICH WERE NOT DISCLOSED TO THE BUYER AND WERE NOT A VOLUNTARY RECALL ISSUED. INSTEAD, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DISCONTINUE THIS MODEL. IN LATER MODELS ACURA RL AND TSX THE AXEL IS DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY. HONDA/ACURA KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM. I CONTACTED MR. IWAMURA OF ACURA WHO SAID THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRENTY? THERE IS NO WAY A CONSUMER WOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM UNTIL THE WARRANTY IS OUT. CAN YOU HELP WITH ACURA TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE? *TR