NHTSA Complaint #10618571 — 2013 ACURA TSX

EPS STEERING ISSUES FIRST REPORTED TO ACURA APPROXIMATELY 250 MILES. HOOD VIBRATION ISSUES AT 3800 MILES. ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING STABILITY TRACKING ISSUES, AUTOMOBILE CANNOT BE DRIVEN IN STRAIGHT LINE. THE EPS SYSTEM IN THIS VIN PLATFORM AND MANY OTHER MANUFACTURERS HAS SERIOUS & WELL DOCUMENTED STRAIGHT LINE DRIVING AND CROSSWIND STABILITY ISSUES DUE TO INHERENT DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FLAWS IN THE EPS SYSTEM AS COMPARED TO HYDRAULIC STEERING SYSTEMS. PASSING BIG RIGS TRAVELING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON TWO LANE HIGHWAYS, CAR BEING PUSHED EXCESSIVELY TOWARD OUTSIDE RIGHT EDGE OF ROAD DUE TO EPS STABILITY TRACKING ISSUES & ENTIRE HOOD ASSEMBLY LIFTING AND VIBRATING VERTICALLY ABOUT 1" VERY FAST ESPECIALLY AT LEADING EDGE CLOSEST TO WINDSHIELD AS IF FLEXING AND TRYING TO PULL FROM ITS HINGES AND FRONT LOCKING LATCH. OCCURRED 5 TIMES ON ONE HIGHWAY AND 4 TIMES ON OPEN CROSS COUNTRY INTERSTATES IN CROSSWINDS AND ACCOMPANIED BY LOUD HOWLING SOUND FROM HOOD VIBRATION WHEN WINDS TRAVEL THROUGH ENGINE COMPARTMENT. "FLUTTERS" OFTEN ON OPEN INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS WHEN NOT VIBRATING VIOLENTLY. HAVE TALKED WITH 4 OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SAME ISSUES. ACURA HAS KNOWN OF PROBLEM FOR 5 YEARS AND ISSUED CAREFULLY WORDED TSB10-103 IN APRIL 2009 WITH CHEAP "BAND AIDE" FIX OF ADDING RUBBER GASKET THAT DIDN'T SOLVE REAL PROBLEM OF HOOD FLEXIBILITY ENGINEERING FLAW. VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE WHEN NOT EXPECTING. HOOD IS 19 SQUARE FEET OF VERY FLIMSY BRACED SHEET METAL WEIGHING 42#. IF STRUCTURE DETACHES WHILE DRIVING AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS IT BASICALLY BECOMES A FLYING GUILLOTINE. CAN PROVIDE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON FACTORY BODY WELD ASSEMBLY ISSUES, HOOD VIBRATION ISSUES AND EPS ISSUES BUT CHARACTER LIMITATIONS ON THIS FORM WILL NOT ALLOW SPACE.