NHTSA Complaint #10416226 — 2005 ACURA MDX

IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT HONDA MOTOR CO HAS NOT TAKEN ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION TO ADDRESS THE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH ITS ACURA MDX TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND I AM CALLING FOR A FULL FEDERAL INVESTIGATION ALONG WITH A POTENTIAL CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST HONDA. A VEHICLE OF THIS CALIBRE ON A LUXURY LINE, COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IS SUPPOSED TO LIVE UP TO ITS REPUTATION. TO BE FURTHER PROACTIVE, I ASK ALL THE MDXERS FOR US TO START A CHAIN BLOG FOR ACURA AND THE OTHER CAR MANUFACTURERS TO SEE HOW EXTENSIVE THESE PROBLEMS ARE. ACURA HAS BEEN LESS THAN COOPERATIVE DURING MY INTERACTIONS WITH THEM. SO FIRST LET ME TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES ON MY MDX. IT STARTED WITH GRINDING AND WHINING NOISES COMING FROM MY 2005 MDX WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I BROUGHT IT IN TO OPEN ROAD ACURA OF WAYNE, NJ SEVERAL TIMES TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT ISSUE STILL REMAIN TODAY. FINALLY, I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. WHEN DRIVING 50-60 MPH, WHINING NOISE FROM ENGINE AREA DEVELOPS. IT CAN BE UNBEARABLE SOMETIMES, SORT OF WHAT YOU EXPERIENCE WITH EARACHES ON A PLANE. THE ENGINE IDLES ROUGH, IN A GRUNTING WAY. INITIALLY, CONSTANT NOISE CAME FROM THE TENSIONER PULLEY. I PAID AND GOT THAT FIXED EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A RECALL ISSUE. TWO WEEKS INTO BUYING THE CAR BRAND NEW, SOMETHING IN THE DROP DOWN DVD SCREEN WAS RATTLING AND I GOT THAT FIXED. THEN, THE DVD/NAV FROZE ON ME CAUSING YET ANOTHER REPAIR AND TIME LOST. SO, NOW BACK TO THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I CONTACTED ACURA HQ AND THEY ASKED ME TO CONTACT THE DEALER. I ASKED FOR THEM TO INITIATE CALL TO DEALER BUT SAID THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO SO AND ALL REPAIRS IS AT DISCRETION OF DEALER. NOW WHAT HAPPENS IF CAR SEIZES WHILE I'M DRIVING CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH? ACURA HAS REFUSED TO EVEN CALL ME BACK AS A COURTESY AND HAS NEVER DONE SO WITH ITS CUSTOMER. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT DEALER CLAIMS ITS AT THEIR COST. DEALER SERVICE IS GOOD, POLICY IS BAD. *TR