NHTSA Complaint #11355035 — 2012 ACURA TSX

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, A WARNING MESSAGE TO "CHECK POWER STEERING!" APPEARED AND THE POWER STEERING DEACTIVATED COMPLETELY. THIS LEFT ME SUDDENLY IN A VERY HEAVY AND DIFFICULT TO TURN VEHICLE. I HAD TO PUSH/PULL THE WHEEL VERY HARD TO THE RIGHT TO SLOWLY GET IT OFF THE HIGHWAY WHILE BARELY MISSING OTHER CARS. THIS WAS A VERY UNSETTLING/HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND FOUND THAT THIS YEAR/MODEL CAR SPECIFICALLY HAS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING FAILING. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. ACURA HAS QUOTED $3800 TO FIX THE PROBLEM! TOLD ME IT IS THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING GEARBOX/ASSEMBLY WHICH IMPLIES IT'S SOMETHING LIKE A WORN OUT MOTOR , HOWEVER THE ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT AND USUALLY DISAPPEARS ONCE THE CAR HAS FULLY COOLED DOWN, AT LEAST UNTIL IT HAS HEATED UP AGAIN AT WHICH POINT IT WILL SUDDENLY HAPPEN AGAIN AT ANY TIME (TYPICALLY AFTER AN HOUR OR TWO AT MOST). THE FACT IT IS AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE WOULD SUGGEST IT IS A COMPUTER RELATED PROBLEM/WIRING PROBLEM - AKA ; DEFECTIVE PART . CAR HAS ONLY 105K MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN MISTREATED NOT HAD ANY DAMAGE SUSTAINED NOR HAVE ANY SERIOUS POTHOLES BEEN HIT. APPARENTLY ACURA IS REPAIRING PROBLEMS WITH THE EPS UNIT UNDER A LIFETIME WARRANTY FOR THAT SPECIFIC PART, BUT NOT THE STEERING GEARBOX. SO THEY CLEARLY RECOGNIZE THE DEFECTIVE NATURE OF THE POWER STEERING IN THIS MODEL/YEAR CAR BUT WANT TO MINIMIZE THE COST TO FIX THE PROBLEM BY ONLY WARRANTING THE CHEAPER OF THE POSSIBLE POWER STEERING ISSUES TO FIX WHILE LEAVING ANY OTHER ISSUES UP TO THE OWNER TO PAY OUT TO FIX. I CANNOT AFFORD THIS SO I EFFECTIVELY NO LONGER HAVE A VEHICLE.. SPENT 25K FOR THIS CAR AND GOT 105K OUT.OF IT ONLY.. THANKS HONDA! I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA ANYTHING AND WILL BE SURE TO SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN. UNBELIEVABLE.