NHTSA Complaint #10372393 — 2005 ACURA TL

I CONTACTED ACURA'S CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING 3 LARGE CRACKS THAT APPEARED ON MY ACURA TL 2005 DASHBOARD. I SPOKE WITH TWO REPRESENTATIVES, WHO DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH OTHER ACURA OWNERS. DURING OUR CONVERSATION, I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVES THAT I HAD DONE SOME RESEARCH REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED THAT SEVERAL THOUSAND COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO THE OFFICE OF DEFECT INVESTIGATION ALONG WITH A FACEBOOK PAGE WITH OTHER DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS. THE REPRESENTATIVES SEEMED UNAWARE OF THE 'SPLIT DASH' PRODUCT DEFECT, WHICH I FOUND UNBELIEVABLE. ACURA DEALERSHIPS IN MY AREA WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND I'M SURE THAT THE CORPORATE OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED BY THEM WHEN ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS CAME IN. THE FACT THAT THE REPRESENTATIVES WOULD DENY ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ISSUE WAS A BLATANT LIE. I WAS TOLD TO BRING MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST ACURA DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY WOULD TAKE PICTURES OF THE DASHBOARD (SEE ENCLOSED PICTURES). WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP, I NOTICED THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT WAS NOW LIT. THE DEALERSHIP TOOK PICTURES OF THE 3 LARGE CRACKS AND LIT AIRBAG LIGHT AND TOLD ME HE WOULD GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME ONCE ACURA RESPONDED TO HIM. AFTER A FEW DAYS, THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TO SAY ACURA WAS GOING TO MAKE A 'GOOD WILL' GESTURE AND ONLY CHARGE ME 50% OF THE COST TO REPLACE IT, SINCE THE WARRANTY FOR THE DASHBOARD HAD EXPIRED. MY COST WOULD BE BETWEEN $900 TO $1000. I WAS APPALLED THAT ACURA WOULD EVEN CONSIDER HAVING A CUSTOMER PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE PART THAT WAS MANUFACTURED BY THE COMPANY. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS LIT. IT IS REASONABLE TO BELIEVE THAT CRACKS THAT DEVELOP WHERE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS SUPPOSED TO DEPLOY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THIS SAFETY EQUIPMENT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT AND, THEREFORE, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR