2007 Acura TL Power Steering Stiff

asingh80

Hi,
I bought my Acura 2007 TL new from an authorized acura dealer and have have had all sorts of issues from day one. The main and the most annoying of all have been the very stiff power steering, handling and pulling (on straight even roads) on either side.

I am looking for inputs from others to see if you have had similar issues. I have taken my car in to the dealership for power steering and pulling (left/right) several times since I first bought it but they haven't been able to fix it. The dealership tells me, it's how these cars are made. I have to use both hands while steering because with one hand it's more than a work out. The car is no longer under mfr warranty and every couple of months for the past 4+ yrs if I happen to drive a rental and come back to driving my own car, I feel the pain and agony. It seems my car doesn't have any power steering built in at all. Any help is highly appreciated. Could I be stuck with a lemon? What are my options? Just live with it?

Thanks!

ferdorski

I have a 2007 saturn xe 3.6 with 27,000 mi. bought brand new, and has had a VERY weak power steering assist from the start , and even makes strange growling sounds-especially on cold starts. I was told that the "assist" sound was common, and the weak power steering (like a Truck) was just a common tendency of the Saturns.
The rear brake pads and rotors, which usually last for at least 40,000 mi. were totally trashed and grinding at 24,000 miles.If I produced a product as poorly made as this I would be sent to China. I NEVER return things, as in a restaurant, I will always politely eat the food and not send it back, as I am responsible for my purchases and was stupid enough to buy them in the first place. I just wanted to inform you of my similar situation. Hope you make out better than I have.

skim111

I have a 2001 Acura TL Type S and have the same problem. Power steering on the case sucks. It's a nightmare to park the car and I hate driving it. I've also taken my car to the dealer and they tell me the same thing. Very frustrating.

tamer35

I bought a 2007 TL and I also noticed power steering issues from day one. In my case the issue is at idle, which makes parking a 2 hand job at times. I did some investigation by comparing it to my friend's 2006 TL and to other 2007 TLs at the dealership, and by talking to the maintenance team at Sunnyvale Acura. The 2006 model felt normal. The steering was easy to turn no matter what RPM the engine is revving at. My 2007 model if it's at idle in Park or Drive the steering is very stiff. Now the minute I step on the gas the stiffness goes away. Well in a parking situation pressing on the gas to increase the RPM is not much of an option. You can also test this while in Park. Simply press on the gas until the RPM goes to 2000 or so and you will notice that the stiffness had gone away. This behavior was explained by the dealer as 'normal'. On the 2007 models they added a traction control feature that does two things 1) apply on breaks independently when the car is out of control, 2) limit the steering fluid pressure when appropriate (make the steering stiffer) to help regain control. The second case may not make sense to a lot of people, but trust me it does. If you've ever seen a person on freeway making a sudden correction to help avoid an object. After clearing the object the driver ends steering from side to side with increasing swings and in some cases losing control all together. At that instant if the steering stiffness is increased then the driver won't be able to make these large swing corrections that are escalating the problem.

In any case, the second condition above is casing the stiffness at idle. Maybe the steering is stiff on the freeway to others, but I don't notice that. Stiff steering on the freeway is what one needs for stability. It can be extremely unstable to have the ability to apply large swings with ease at high speed.

I hope this helps. The only test I suggest is at Park. Press the gas a little and confirm that the steering stiffness goes away. If it does then I bet that your 2007 TL is functioning as designed. I do agree this is pain at times, and this is one thing I'm looking forward to losing when I move on to my next car in 4 years or so.

elgoatador

I have a 2007 Acura TL, Original Owner, on 80k miles with an extended warranty. I've had to have steering work done 4 times. First was the recall on the power steering hose, then steering hose again when it was defective and leaked, after that the steering pump went out a year ago. All were replaced under warranty. Just recently noticed my steering was stiff at low speeds again, so brought my TL back to dealer for steering issues, this time to a different dealer, they told me my steering pump went out again, because when the other dealer replaced it last year they didn't flush out the system, so the contaminated fluid and metal bits remained and ruined it again. Also they told me the rack and pinion should have been replaced last year too, also due to contamination. All were replaced under warranty, $1200 worth. Steering at low speeds is back to normal. Bottom line, some dealers are on it more than others. Also, expect to replace your engine mount, that was done last year as well, under warranty, $700. Extended warranty had been well worth it. Runs out at 100k though, but the new work on pump is warranty at 3 years and 36k.