NHTSA Complaint #10536226 — 2000 ACURA TL

YESTERDAY, 8/18/13, OUR AUTO DARKENING REAR VIEW MIRROR LEAKED A BLACK LIQUID THAT MELTED THE PLASTIC CONSOLE UNDER IT. THE LIQUID COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE CONSOLE FOR MORE THAN 45 MINUTES AS THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WENT FROM BEING CLEAR WHEN WE ARRIVED TO A SHOPPING CENTER, TO A DISTORTED VIEW WHEN WE WERE LEAVING. SEARCHING GOOGLE, ??2000 ACURA TL REAR VIEW MIRROR LEAK,?? I FOUND MANY INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHERS. I ALSO FOUND THAT THE SUBSTANCE IS TOXIC (PERHAPS AS MANY AS 6 COMPOUNDS INCLUDING MERCURY). IN SOME CASES THESE MIRRORS HAVE EXPLODED THROWING BLACK TOXIC GOO ON PASSENGERS AND THE INTERIOR. SOME HAVE REPORTED GETTING ILL FROM EXPOSURE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I REMOVED THE MIRROR. WHAT I CAN??T UNDERSTAND IS THAT THESE MIRRORS HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED, NOT JUST BECAUSE THE LIQUID RUINS THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR, BUT IT??S DANGEROUS AS A HEALTH HAZARD WELL. I BELIEVE THIS TYPE MIRROR WAS USED FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. YES, THIS IS A 13 YEAR OLD CAR. WE PURCHASED IT NEW AND IT REMAINS IN NEAR PERFECT CONDITION WITH UNDER 30,000 MILES ON IT. IT NOW HAS PARTIALLY DISSOLVED CONSOLE. *TR