NHTSA Complaint #10510588 — 2008 ACURA MDX

IN JANUARY 2013 MY ADS LIGHT IN MY MDX WENT ON. WE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT ACURA HAD SENT A SERVICE REQUEST TO CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE DESIGN OF THE ADS SYSTEM FOR THE MDX'S WAS POOR AND IT ALLOWED SALT AND MOISTURE INTO THE SENSOR CONTROL FOR THE STRUT THUS CAUSING CORROSION IN THE SENSOR AND STRUT. EVENTUALLY THE STRUT FAILS. WHEN WE CALLED ACURA AND I SPOKE WITH FRANK SWARTWOT IN ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE IN CALIFORNIA, HE TOLD US THAT OUR VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SERVICE REQUEST. WE EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT WE LIVE IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH AND WE GET A LOT OF SNOW AND SALT IS USED ON THE ROADS WHEN THERE IS A SNOW STORM. (WE DID HOST THE 2002 OLYMPIC GAMES AFTER ALL.) WE ALSO TOLD HIM THAT THE ADS FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON IN JANUARY 2013 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORST SNOW STORM OF THE YEAR. THIS SOUNDED LIKE THE PERFECT COMBINATION TO CAUSE THESE PROBLEMS. ACURA TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT COVER US AND BASICALLY TOLD US THEY COULD COVER IT IF WE WERE VALUED CUSTOMERS. SINCE WE HAD PURCHASED THE MDX USED AND DID NOT GO TO JODY WILKINSON FOR OUR REPAIRS, THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT. WE ENDED UP REPLACING THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT AND THE SENSOR AND WHEN THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE SENSOR AND THE STRUT, IT WAS FULLY RUSTED AND CORRODED.. WE FULLY EXPECT THE OTHER SENSOR AND STRUT TO FAIL WITHIN THE YEAR AS THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS ACCORDING TO THE ACURA MECHANIC. THE COST TO REPLACE EACH STRUT THROUGH THE ACURA DEALERSHIP IS $1250. ACURA HAS SINCE REPLACED THE OLD SENSOR AND STRUTS USED ON THEIR CARS WITH A NEW DESIGN. WE FEEL THAT IF ACURA HAD AT LEAST WARNED US THAT THIS COULD BE AN ISSUE, WE COULD HAVE REPLACED THE SENSOR (A $200 FIX) AND SAVED THE STRUT. THE LETTER NUMBER ON YOUR SITE IS CSC-10038347-3254 AND THE URL LINK IS HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/ACMS/CS/JAXRS/DOWNLOAD/DOC/UCM429164/CSC-10038347-3254.PDF. *TR