NHTSA Complaint #11131086 — 2018 ACURA RDX

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DEC 2017. SINCE DEC 2017, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE CENTER AT THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR A TOTAL OF 2.5 MONTHS DUE TO SOUNDS WITH THE STEERING COLUMN - SPECIFICALLY THE LOCATION OF THE DRIVER AIRBAG WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN UNDER THE HORN. THE SOUND WAS IDENTITIED WITHIN THE FIRST 2,000 MILES OF BEING A NEW VEHICLE. THE SOUND BECOMES PRONOUNCED WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS ROTATED 180 DEGREES AND FEELS LIKE IT IS PULLING ON AN ITEM UNDER THE PLASTIC COVER ABOVE THE AIRBAG. THE AIRBAG WAS REMOVED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND WHEN THE AIRBAG WAS MOVED AROUND, THERE WAS A SOUND SIMILAR TO THE SOUND FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNED. THE ACURA TECH TEAM HAS BEEN INFORMED. THIS SOUND WAS EVIDENCED TO BE IN ACURA MODEL YEARS 2017 AND 2018. THE SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN/AIRBAG LOCATION BECOMES EVEN MORE PRONOUNCED AS MORE MILES ARE PUT ON THE VEHICLE. ACURA WILL NOT INVESTIGATE FURTHER AS THE MODEL HAS BEEN REDESIGNED AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN ADDITIONAL RECALLS. I HAVE DRIVEN NUMEROUS OTHER ACURA LOANER VEHICLES AND NO OTHER ACURA VEHICLES HAVE MADE THIS SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN/AIR BAG. THE SOUND STARTS TO OCCUR AFTER THE STEERING COLUMN HAS BEEN ROTATED TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT 180 DEGREES - SUCH AS GOING UP OR DOWN A PARKING RAMP. ONCE THE SOUND HAS STARTED, IT PERSISTS AND CONRINUES TO GET LOUDER OVER TIME. I HAVE ONLY 7800 MILES ON MY VEHICLE, BUT THE SOUND WAS ALSO RECORDED IN VEHICLES WITH OVER 20,000 MILES. I FEEL THIS SOUND COULD BE THE AIRBAG BEING CAUGHT IN THE ROTATION OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONCERN IS THE AIRBAG WILL ARTIFICIALLY DEPLOY AFTER USE, AS THE SOUND BEING HEARD IS COMPARABLE TO A BAG BEING TWISTED OR AN ELEMENT WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN RUBBING AGAINST ANOTHER ITEM.