NHTSA Complaint #10288547 — 2002 ACURA MDX

ON OCTOBER 13, 2009, AT ABOUT 12:45, I PROVIDED MY 2002 ACURA MDX TO JERRY DAMSON ACURA, HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA FOR THE '82,500 MILE SERVICE'. AT ABOUT 1:15 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATING THAT TWO ENGINE MOUNTS WERE BROKEN. THE PRICE WOULD BE ABOUT $500. ALTHOUGH I WAS CONCERNED HOW ENGINE MOUNT FAILURES COULD HAPPEN ON A VEHICLE WITH THIS MILEAGE, I AGREED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED FOR OBVIOUS SAFETY REASONS. LATER THAT DAY I DISCOVERED OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FOR BROKEN ENGINE MOUNTS FOR THIS VEHICLE. WHEN I ARRIVED AT JERRY DAMSON ACURA TO PICK IT UP, I ADVISED THE SERVICE PERSON THAT I FELT ACURA SHOULD PAY FOR THIS. THE ACURA SERVICE MANAGER, GIL WILLIAMS, WAS CALLED-IN TO DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM WITH ME. HE STATED THAT THEY/ACURA WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS. I ASKED HOW A FAILURE OF THIS NATURE COULD HAPPEN AT THIS MILEAGE. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION HE STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS LOCATED NEAR THESE PARTICULAR ENGINE MOUNTS AND CONTRIBUTES TO INCREASED TEMPERATURE IN THE AREA, RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THESE ENGINE MOUNTS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THIS PROBLEM WITH ACURA AND THEY ADVISED HIM TO 'SELL IT AS A MAINTENANCE ITEM'. I STATED THIS WAS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN DEFECT THAT ACURA OR JERRY DAMSON SHOULD PAY FOR. HE SAID THEY WOULD NOT. I ASKED HIM TO ELEVATE THIS TO THE JERRY DAMSON GENERAL MANAGER. HE REFUSED TO DO THAT. HE PROVIDED ME WITH THE PHONE NUMBER FOR 'ACURA CLIENT SERVICES', HE WOULD DO NOTHING ELSE. I RELUCTANTLY PAID FOR THIS BROKEN ENGINE MOUNTS REPAIR AT $483 IN ORDER TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE. IT IS A LOGICAL DEDUCTION THAT THE BROKEN ENGINE MOUNT PROBLEM IS A DESIGN DEFECT SINCE HE ADMITTED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER'S PROXIMITY TO THE ENGINE MOUNTS CONTRIBUTES TO THIS EARLY FAILURE. IT'S THEREFORE CLEAR THAT THIS REPAIR COST SHOULD BE BORNE BY ACURA/JERRY DAMSON. *TR