NHTSA Complaint #10449955 — 2009 ACURA TSX

THE INNER REAR BRAKE PADS WENT FROM 6 IN SEPTEMBER TO 1 - WORN TO THE SENSOR IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS REMAINED AT 8 AND THE OUTER REAR BRAKE PADS WERE 6. MECHANICS WITH WHOM I HAVE SPOKEN HAVE EXPLAINED THAT THE REAR BRAKE PADS SHOULD NOT BE WEARING OUT PRIOR TO THE FRONT SINCE THE FRONT BRAKES DO MOST OF THE WORK. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT SUCH UNEVEN WEAR IS NOT NORMAL. OF MOST CONCERN TO ME IS THE SAFETY ISSUE. EXCEPT FOR AN INTERMITTENT NOISE LIKE A LITTLE STICK IN MY RIGHT REAR TIRE WELL, I HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T TIME FOR MY REGULAR SERVICE, I CONTACTED MY MECHANIC TO MAKE SURE MY CAR WAS READY FOR A ROAD TRIP I WAS TAKING THAT WEEKEND. BECAUSE I MENTIONED THE INTERMITTENT SOUND, THEY LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. HAD I NOT BEEN CAUTIOUS, I COULD VERY WELL HAVE HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON THE ROAD WITHOUT EVER ANTICIPATING IT. WHILE THE ACURA DEALER INSISTS THAT SUCH WEAR IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THESE CARS, I FIND IT VERY CONCERNING THAT MY BRAKES SHOULD BE WORN OUT IN THIS WAY AT 36000 MILES. WITH PREVIOUS CARS, I HAVE NEVER NEEDED BRAKE PADS UNTIL AROUND 80,000 MILES. IT IS UPSETTING TO ME TO HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE WITH A CAR THAT IS RENOWNED FOR ITS DURABILITY AND TO NOT HAVE IT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT SEEMS ODD TO ME THAT MY MECHANIC AND THE OTHER MECHANICS WITH WHO I CONSULTED DON'T FIND THIS TO BE "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND YET ACURA DOES. HAD I DRIVEN THE CAR WITHOUT CHECKING, I WOULD LIKELY HAVE HAD BRAKE FAILURE, DESTROYED THE ROTORS AND REQUIRED A MUCH MORE COSTLY REPAIR JOB. BRAKE FAILURE COULD ALSO HAVE MEANT AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY, NOT JUST TO MY CAR AND ITS PASSENGERS, . THAT LITTLE INTERMITTENT SOUND THAT I HEARD WAS SO INTERMITTENT THAT MY PASSENGERS NEVER HEARD IT - WERE IT NOT FOR THE MECHANICS IN MY FAMILY, I MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED EITHER. *TR