NHTSA Complaint #10290071 — 2004 ACURA TL

2004 ACURA TL AT HAS SOFT AND SPONGY BRAKES. BRAKING SEEMS USELESS UNDER HARD-BRAKING CONDITIONS. IT ALL STARTED WHEN I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ROAD DEBRIS, ABS WENT INTO ACTION AND THE CAR STOPPED IN A DIME, HOWEVER, A FEW DAYS AFTER THE EVENT, I NOTICED THE BRAKES GETTING SPONGY AND SOFT. I WENT TO GET MY BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR CHANGED ALONG WITH A BRAKE FLUID CHANGE. IT WORKED FINE FOR A WEEK BUT THEN IT WENT BACK TO SOFT AND SPONGY. I HAD A SITUATION WHERE I HAD TO BRAKE HARD FOR A BEAUTIFUL L.A COMMUTER WHO CUT ME OFF AND THERE WAS ALMOST TO PRESSURE WHATSOEVER ON THE BRAKES, NO ABS, NO TIRE SCREECHING, IT JUST GLIDED TO A STOP. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND OUT IT WAS THE VSA MODULATOR, WHICH WAS INJECTING AIR INTO THE BRAKE LINES EVER SO OFTEN. APPARENTLY IT HAPPENED WHEN THE ABS KICKED IN, THEY SAID IT WOULD HAVE FAULTED THE VSA SYSTEM. THE PART WAS REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED ONE FROM ACURA. I AFRAID THERE ARE OTHER TLS WITH THE SAME ISSUES HAVING TO PAY CLOSE TO 2000 DOLLARS FOR PARTS THAT ARE SO CRITICAL AND YET DEFECTIVE. *TR