Acura TSX Maintenance and Repair

redkey1

I agree that the seams / seals are a bit stiff. You will notice the car makes different noises in different weather conditions (humidity, etc). I think this is atrributable to the quality of the plastic used and the sounds we hear are not "rattles" but vibration of plastic on metal / plastic / glass.

As of the stereo settings, the TSX stereo runs high according to one of the techs. He said that the treble should be 2-3 bars above the bass and the bass should be set to no higher than flat. I think I have mine at bass -3 treble -1. While this sounded a bit dull at first, it has really brightened up over time. He said that the tweeters and their placement heighten the need to turn down the settings.

Check behind the bracket, when I got mine the used long pointed screws and went right into the bumper on the front plate. Thankfully you can't see it. Some have suggested removing it, putting it in the trunk and IF you get stopped just say it fell off the day before.

thepdmm

you think it is set high hey?? well I have mine both at +2 and I think it sounds better at lower volumes but I will try bringing the bass down and see how that sounds..

I think I will keep the plate on more for my wife for when she is driving it and my own well being if she were to be pulled over because of no front plate:)! however the elbows are touching and rubbing against the bumper which doesn't make me happy but it is plastic under the paint so if the paint does rub off it won't rust or chip.. AND it is a honda installed part so it does have a warranty for 4y/50K!

jkobty2

Yep the drifting is because of the tight handling(BMW handles tight, are owners complaining about drifting too?) and the black oil is because the oil is cleaning the engine, and yes all cars burn oil to the lower mark between oil changes, and all speakers vibrate, and paint chips and peels on all cars, and all cars recently get lousy gas mileage, and rotors get grooved all the time.
GET REAL. This is supposed to be an Acura. Not a Ford or Chrysler. Frankly my 5 year old Korean built Daewoo Leganza has less wear and tear than my 2004 TSX. I would not recommend the TSX to my worst enemies.
We got screwed folks. My Acura dealer will not do anything to fix my car because as they claim, everything is normal.

thepdmm

was a bad post taken off this message board? I could be mistaken but was there a complaint about somebody's wife hitting a curb and the bumper popping out from the top and burning oil and Acura dealership refusing to fix the problem or something..

jkobty2

Yep, that was my message, and it seems to have been deliberately deleted. This is a problems board and it was not out of line. This is censorship. I am waiting for someone to delete post# 306 as well. My wife's colleague who drives an Acura TL 3.2, has just had his transmission fail at only 40K miles. I am starting to get nervous.

Karen_S

Did you receive my email concerning your post? I sent it to the address listed in your profile two days ago.

jkobty2

I have a spam filter on my email, so it probably blocked it out.

Karen_S

Ahhh...okay...please send me an email and we can get this matter straightened out.

saruhhh

jkobty2 wouldn't recommend the TSX to his worst enemy. Does everyone (or a large majority) feel the same?

I won't be buying until December. So, I have a lot of time to shop around. I REALLY like the TSX, though. But, I like it for the looks.

My 93 Civic has never given me any major problems. It's still doing great. I figure the Acura should be the same, if not better.

Cost-wise, I'd prefer the Accord. But, the current model UGLY. The TSX is my top choice. But, if you guys really have that many problems with it, I don't want to waste my money on it.

Should I take it out of my wishlist???

mbennett674

I think you're hearing a minority opinion. I love my TSX (replace a 94 civic with it). Performance is excellent... tranny is smooth as silk....steering is precise....suspension is tight and responsive.

The price was right, and the stereo sounds great to me (though I'm not an audiophile).

People who are used to sloppy handling cars that don't respond to the road, or offer any driver feedback may be dissapointed by the TSX, but "drivers" will appreciate it.

thepdmm

I am sure this board tends to show more problems then good about the TSX.. I had a few concerns/questions about the car but so far they have turned out to be me worrying too much.. which I do.. if your shopping for a car based on looks alone that might get you in a pinch but anything that says honda (whether the simble is H or A) I don't think you can go wrong)..

Also in australia the Honda Accord Euro sells like crazy.. (which is our TSX) so the car (in prinicple) has already proven itself.

Yet I still use the board to know what to keep an eye on in my car. if it is under warranty and you complain about something premature it still doesn't matter to you!

ailmar

I'm currently preparing to sell my 2002 Audi A4 1.8T (4 breakdowns in 2 years/47K miles) and wanting to buy a 2004 TSX....I'm mainly looking for a much more reliable car and slightly less expensive than the Euros since I'm doing ~21K miles/yr but at the same time wanting to keep some level of luxury/sportiness. I thought I was convinced of the TSX till I got to this forum!

Leather discoloration, door vibrations, poor radio quality....these seem to be the major problems. Anyone know if any changes in production have been made to correct these issues?

As for my test ride - it was pretty good but not great (I fing the German ride of my A4 better but I'm sick of the breakdowns and the $3000 repairs!)...I do like the look of the TSX a lot, both interior and exterior....
Basically I'm looking for a strong reliable car that has a good ride and is easy on the eyes; my fear with the TSX is that it will end up sounding like a tin-can after 15K miles.... Can anyone put my fears to rest?

Also, any recommendations regarding leather protectants and exterior paint protectants that will safely lengthen the life of the interior/exterior?....

tommyijr

At 1 year I have NO discoloration in the leather and mine is the Parchment.........Small door vibrations occurred when I first got the car, but I have had Acuras before, give it some time and it tightens up, now it is smooth and silent........I have never had a problem with the stereo, granted I am no serious audiophile, it just sounds good at any level. I can't complain, I love the car, and still after almost a year, I still rarely ever see another in the Richmond, VA area. Another Acura characteristic seems to be evident in this car - it gets better with time; gas milage improves, ride improves, etc.....

kyfdx

300,000 Accords every year say that the TSX will be in good shape for a long time... It IS a euro Accord, after all. You are correct, none of the Japanese cars have the road feel of the Germans, but don't mistake that for a lack of quality. After the Audi, you have nowhere to go but up. Those issues are fairly minor, and reflect the high expectations of Acura/Honda owners..

regards,
kyfdx

mq2

ethos80, thank you so much for your post. I, too, discovered that my clock and audio lights dimmed after sometime (got 9+k on my TSX). I thought I was seeing things but after reading your post decided to take it to the dealer. They're replacing the whole unit. I guess this is a problem with some TSXs. Anyone else out there with a similar situation? Replacement is covered by warranty.

ailmar

Sarruhhh,
I'm going to the dealer today to finalize negotiations and if I like the price then I drive out with one...I'll keep you posted as to how everything goes with the car over the next few weeks/months if you like. I'm definitely quite picky and being that I'm switching from an Audi A4, I think my expectations may be high...so if I REALLY like it, then you know it has to be a pretty good car!

-Ailmar

saruhhh

I have 5 months until I can buy. So, please DO keep me updated as to how you like it!

ailmar

Well, I just picked up my new TSX yesterday - absolutley love it! I would highly recommend it to anyone.

The ride is great, the interior has a nice sporty/luxurious feel to it (got the pearl black/parchement trim), the radio is good, lots of standard options that are great...

As for other complaints that I've heard, I didn't notice any rattling of doors or poor radio performance; I mean, it's not an ultimate top-of-the-line $10,000 system but trust me, for the average person the radio meets ALL expectations! I didn't seem to hear or see anything out of the ordinary with my radio tuned in on high and even put the bass all the way up.....MILD tremor to the rear view mirror with those settings but I assume it happens to other cars as well (both my Audi's had that).

Basically, for an average $26,000 you are getting a super reliable car that comes fully loaded, looks very very nice both inside and out, and provides a great ride. I was actually surprised; the more I drive it, the more I feel it's tightness and cornering abilities...and its good pick up - I think I will very quickly forget my 1.8T A4....

My only beef (and it's not the car, just my luck) has been that the car has a couple of small scratches that I need to take back to the dealer next week - they're going to have the professional body shop guy buff them out for me (he's putting on some acrylic stuff on it and then buffing it the next morning). Some people have told me if the scratches are minor and not noticeable (which they kinda are but why have them if you can get them professionally removed for free with the dealer) to just leave it alone because if not they'll leave swirly marks with the buffer. Is that true? They suggested I just ask the dealer to replace the door with a new one...I dunno, I prefer to just leave the door that it came with and let them buff it out if it's possible....Any suggestions?

fedlawman

Congratulations! The black pearlcoat paint is absolutely gorgeous.

Don't mess with the door, buffing is just fine. A professional shop will not leave swirl marks.

I've had my Milano Red/Parchment TSX for about 13 months now and I still sneak in the garage at night to look at it. It's a terrific car!

dx2e

My wife and I have had our TSX for a month now and we absolutely love it. We have also found that this site is extremely useful. (To some potential buyers, don't judge from the posts that TSX is trouble prone. This IS the board to post such things. And you are going to see those problems. Just try to see how many problems there are and how many TSX have been sold -- the ratio is SMALL and many of the problems can be fixed quickly under warranty.)

Our problems:
1. car drifts to the left slightly. I noticed it the moment we drove the car out of the dealership. However, my wife could never tell. I was going to live with it, but thanks to the board I realize it is something can be fixed.
2. engine whines faintly, but unusually, at 20-40mph. Also thanks to the board, I realize it is a problem. But it maynot be fixed as most of th e earlier posts indicated.

I took the car to the dealer. The mechanic was suspicious. He is polite but I guess he might have heard too many paranoid complains. He suggested the drifting is because TSX follows the road very tightly, and the whinning noise is probably from the chain (TSX doesn't have timing belt anymore).
I let the engine noise go, but asked him to check the drifting as it never drifts to the right no matter which side of the road I am on.

They checked and agreed the car is drifting "Left toe was not in spec". A steering alignment fixed it. (The car never drifts now.)

After two weeks, the engine noise grows a little louder and it become a whistling sound whenever I accelerate. I am worred again and took the car back. The same mechanic, although still suspicious, went on a road test with me. It didn't last long, because the moment he heard of it he claimed that it is unusual and he will check.

They took the car in for a day. Today, they called and said the noise comes from transimission and they can't touch it. (Honda prohibits it.) They will order a brand new transimission and install it. It will be fully covered by warranty. For us, we will just use the loaner car (a same TSX with even same color) until the new transimssion is installed next week.

So, here are my two problems and how I get them fixed. I hope owners with similar problems can benefit from my experience. If you are under warrany, don't feel shy to report problems.

For potential buyers, it is a GREAT car for what it is selling. We LOVE it. But if you buy, make sure you buy it from a dealer with good reputation.

dx2e

kyfdx

It sounds like you have a great service department and mechanic.

dx2e

My wife and I have had our TSX for a month now and we absolutely love it. We have also found that this site is extremely useful. (To some potential buyers, don't judge from the posts that TSX is trouble prone. This IS the board to post such things. And you are going to see those problems. Just try to see how many problems there are and how many TSX have been sold -- the ratio is SMALL and many of the problems can be fixed quickly under warranty.)

Our problems:
1. car drifts to the left slightly. I noticed it the moment we drove the car out of the dealership. However, my wife could never tell. I was going to live with it, but thanks to the board I realize it is something can be fixed.
2. engine whines faintly, but unusually, at 20-40mph. Also thanks to the board, I realize it is a problem. But it maynot be fixed as most of th e earlier posts indicated.

I took the car to the dealer. The mechanic was suspicious. He is polite but I guess he might have heard too many paranoid complains. He suggested the drifting is because TSX follows the road very tightly, and the whinning noise is probably from the chain (TSX doesn't have timing belt anymore).
I let the engine noise go, but asked him to check the drifting as it never drifts to the right no matter which side of the road I am on.

They checked and agreed the car is drifting "Left toe was not in spec". A steering alignment fixed it. (The car never drifts now.)

After two weeks, the engine noise grows a little louder and it become a whistling sound whenever I accelerate. I am worred again and took the car back. The same mechanic, although still suspicious, went on a road test with me. It didn't last long, because the moment he heard of it he claimed that it is unusual and he will check.

They took the car in for a day. Today, they called and said the noise comes from transimission and they can't touch it. (Honda prohibits it.) They will order a brand new transimission and install it. It will be fully covered by warranty. For us, we will just use the loaner car (a same TSX with even same color) until the new transimssion is installed next week.

So, here are my two problems and how I get them fixed. I hope owners with similar problems can benefit from my experience. If you are under warrany, don't feel shy to report problems.

For potential buyers, it is a GREAT car for what it is selling. We LOVE it. But if you buy, make sure you buy it from a dealer with good reputation.

dx2e

monkeyhair

I am about to purchase a TSX in the next couple of days (I was all but sold on getting another Honda Accord EX...and still might!). My question...the brochure "recommends" premium unleaded for the TSX which surprised me. Does it HAVE to have premium all the time or could it run as well with every other tank of premium or how about unleaded plus? I just don't want to be backed into a vehicle that demands premium gas all the time. Thanks for any help. (Honda Accord is not out of my sights yet!).

kyfdx

If you don't want to buy premium, don't buy the TSX. It NEEDS premium. You can get away with using Plus, but then I don't want to buy the car from you, when you are finished with it.

jkobty2

my drifting was also fixed with a proper alignment.
But a transmission replacement on a brand new car. Man you are easy to deal with!! If that happened to me, I would be furious. I would demand they give me a brand new TSX. No dealer mechanic shop would be able to fit a new transmission as well as it is done in the factory.
I hope these problems do not become a norm with Acura. Maybe it is just because it is a new model, and they will get these problems ironed out soon. But it just amazes me that my 5 year old Korean built Daewoo is still in better shape than my one year old TSX. Go figure.

kyfdx

Transmission swaps are easy.. Now, if they had to rebuild it themselves, then that might be a problem.

You can demand whatever you want.. but getting it is something different. No dealer or manufacturer is going to give you a new car because a repair was needed.

redkey1

The way I understand it, there is a knock sensor that can tell if you have not used premium which will decrease the performance of the engine. If you can't afford the extra $100 or so per year to run premium, I'd say skip the TSX.

xplorx4

redkey1 makes a good point. While the TSX will run on lower grade fuel, it will not perform as well and the fuel economy will be lower, which will essentially offset the savings obtained by using regular unleaded.

Premium is typically 20 to 25 cents more per gallon than regular. Assuming an average of 25mpg and 12,000 miles driven annually, you're consuming about 480 gallons of gas. Even at the 25 cents per gallon higher, the difference between using regular unleaded vs premium in one year is only $120. That's just TEN bucks a month. Surely that's not going to break the bank.

johnny420

I've had my TSX for about 7 months and 5500 miles now, and I've used the winter mats the whole time with no problems. I vacuum the carpet every time I wash the car, and haven't noticed anything like what you describe, and I live in the rainy NW.

As far as the wind noise is concerned, the TSX is definitely not a whisper quiet car at freeway speeds, but I don't find it to be anything approaching obnoxious. I mostly notice tire noise on textured concrete surfaces, but I've gotten used to it.

I'd press the dealer to resolve your rust problem. A one year old car should not have any corrosion problems. Maybe they should look closer.

Good luck.

Johnny

tsxowwner

my center console lights have also disappeared.

The clock, the radio and the temp guage - nothing lights up.

At about 9,000 miles now.

Bringing it in tomorrow morning to be looked at. It sounds like a couple others had this same issue.

What was the explanation, resolution?

kyfdx

Just stick it out... You will get killed trying to trade out of it.. I think if I was that bothered, I would at least spend the time ONCE, to try to get that problem fixed at another dealer.

regards,
kyfdx

jkobty2

I might just try that. I do understand that dealerships make a difference, but I was not willing to waste any more time on this:
1. It is my wife's car
2. It is her work car (leased, business expense).
3. It has not cost me a penny in repairs.
My only interest was because I initially LOVED the car and wanted to buy it out after my wife finishes with it in 3 years. Even though the car has not failed yet, I am not comfortable with the way it is aging or behaving. So I dropped the idea of buying it after the lease ends. So as long as it starts, runs, and does the job, I do not care anymore.

lori

We recently purchased a TSX and have the same whining noise.
Did the new transmission correct the noise problem ?

ank

When i put the turn lights on and when i turn the steering column a full circle, i hear the sound (sounds like a tap)a couple of times and i believe it comes from inside the steering column or very near to it. is it normal or is it something to be taken care of.

kyfdx

That is just the cam that self-cancels the turn signal. When it moves far enough, it clicks past then catches the turn signal and pulls it back to the starting position when you unwind the wheel. That works with all cars, though maybe its a little noisier on yours.

jkobty2

Mine makes a squeek only when turning the steering wheel to the left. It seems to be coming from the steering column itself or dashboard immediately behind the steering wheel.

irisheyes205

I've noticed my new (1 wk old TSX) doesn't seem to be shifting correctly... I'll be driving 70+ mph, slow down to say 60, and I'll notice the car has downshifted to 4th gear.. then when I speed up again, the RPM's will hit close to 4000 til I shift into 5th.. unless I take my foot off the gas, then it will shift automatically.... kindof strange, I don't think this is normal.. I've also found while city driving that it will stay in 4th gear and the RPM's will be really low, ~1000 RPMS.. has anyone else experienced this? is there a fix? I'd hate to think I have a serious problem, this is a beautiful car, and I bought the ACURA because I had such goodluck with my Honda..thanks for your time

c_hunter

Hmmm, I'll have to observe how our car behaves before I can say for sure if it's normal. It doesn't sound like a definite problem to me.

Craig

ponytrekker

>>I'll be driving 70+ mph, slow down to say 60, and I'll notice the car has downshifted to 4th gear.. then when I speed up again, the RPM's will hit close to 4000 til I shift into 5th.. unless I take my foot off the gas, then it will shift automatically.... kindof strange

Sounds like an imitation of BMW's Steptronic Sport mode, which holds the lower gear longer during spirited acceleration.

irisheyes205

but what about the 40mph at 1000 RPMs? I was in my friends 10yr Maxima and the RPMs stayed perfectly at 2500 no matter what speed she was driving... of course at 5-10 mph it was lower than that..

when I mentioned my issue ot the dealer, he said it shouldn't go that high.. I'm a little concerned, but even still, the car drives beautifully.. I just don't like the RPMS all over the place.. thanks for your interest.

xplorx4

How high or low the RPMs run depends on how much acceleration/deceleration is involved. If you've got the pedal stomped on the floor, RPMs will go up to 7000 before the transmission shifts. You can actually go over 90MPHin 3rd gear. If you're cruising at 40MPH on a slight downward grade with virtually no go-pedal applied, revs can drop down into the 1000RPM range (saves fuel while you "coast"). It doesn't sound abnormal to me. You can check to see what gear you're currently in by moving the transmission lever left from the "D" position into the "sportshift" mode, then looking at the dashboard display.

You may be mistaken about your friend's Maxima. There's no way the RPMs can stay constant no matter what speed [greater than 10MPH] she drives. The Maxima just may not automatically shift gears as often since it most likely has a V6 with more low-end torque than your TSX.

ronabi

I have been planning to buy a 2005 TSX later this year, but after reading many of the postings on this site am developing some serious reservations primarily since there is no local dealer where I live and I would need to buy from a dealer in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex which is over 150 miles and nearly 3 hours distant. Apparently many new owners find themselves needing to take their new cars in for warranty service pretty often, which would be a real hassle for me. There are local dealers for Honda, Mazda & VW plus the standard US brands, but nothing for Acura, Volvo, Subaru, etc within a 150 mile radius. Are the problems reported on this board typical of a large number of new owners, or do they represent only a small fraction not representative of the whole? Am I asking for trouble to consider buying from a dealer at this distance? Can Honda dealers provide warranty service under these circumstances, and would I want them to?

I would greatly appreciate hearing from people who know more about this than I do. Any advice?

c_hunter

The only thing I can tell you is that our TSX has been flawless so far, after about 2.5 months and 4000 miles. Obviously that's not a lot of time or mileage, but we have not had to make any visits back to the dealer for problems. It's been a great car so far.

Craig

jkobty2

I would not recommend this car if you are not planning to spend a lot of time at the dealer for warranty work. I have had numerous problems with this vehicle, that I have listed in earlier posts, the latest addition is that the rear wheel bearings have gone bad at 25K miles. The dealer has to order the parts and they do not have them in stock, so I have to live with a noisy ride for the moment.

johnny420

"Apparently many new owners find themselves needing to take their new cars in for warranty service pretty often..."

Sorry, ronabi, but that is absolute poppycock. I don't no where you read this, but you have to realize that anything you read in forums like this represent a relatively small percentage of any car's owners.

My TSX has been absolutely terrific for close to nine months now. If you like the car, buy the car.

Johnny

fedlawman

Gotta agree with Johnny.

I've had my TSX for 15 months and almost 14,000 miles and it hasn't needed any warranty repairs. My TSX has been as bulletproof as the '93 Accord it replaced. Like every Honda I've owned over the years, it begs to be driven hard, puts a 7400 RPM smile on my face, and keeps coming back for more.

You must understand that Edmunds.com is an outstanding sounding board for a vocal minority who need someplace to vent their anecdotal experiences.

All manufacturers produce an occasional lemon, and the folks who are unfortunate enough to get one come here to talk about it. It's unfortunate that they got a lemon, and I feel for them, but their experiences are hardly representative of the vast majority of satisfied owners.

c_hunter

I have been participating in the Subaru forums here for over 4 years. We also have our fair share of problems and complaints about the cars, but there are a lot more participants over there so there are a lot more "good" posts as well. The ratio of Subaru messages to TSX messages is probably 1000 to 1 (based on the number of new messages I read over there every day compared to the ones here).

What does that mean?? Well, you are more likely to read about problems here and there are fewer "good" posts to balance it out, so it may give a poor impression of the car, which is unfortunate. The fact of the matter is that the ratio of complaints to good messages is high here, but the total number of messages is very low. So given the propensity of people to sound off on Edmunds primarily when they have a problem, I think it means the forum may give a false impression about the TSX.

Many of us at Edmunds have noticed that owners of certain cars are more likely to be on the internet, own Macs, or have some other oddly common trait (like the name Dave) that influences their participation on the boards here. So I would say that in the case of the TSX, owners are probably out driving their cars and don't have time to post about the good things on the internet. We probably hear primarily from the people with problems. On the other hand, all the Daves with their Macs are posting at the Subaru forums...

Craig

tommyijr

13 months > 13k miles and not a single problem. This car is a treat, everything I have come to expect from Acura.

redkey1

There are some snaps / crackles from the headline and squeaky door seals, but these seem to be temparature / humidity driven. There is also a clicking noise from the rear, but some have said that it may be either the seat belt adjustment hitting the pillar and/or the headrest adjustments.

All in all, these are not really "rattles" per se, as some may want you to believe. The car is solid as a rock otherwise and handles like a dream. Those who have had major problems are a very slight minority IMHO.

For a better look (not that I don't love edmunds) try some of the TSX dedicated sites on the net for more info. There are pages and pages of posts. Subie drivers may congregate at edmunds, but TSX drives seem to use dedicated sites.

kyfdx

I would not buy a car, where the closest dealer was 150 miles away.. I agree with all the others... The TSX is a great car.. but, what if yours is one of the 1-2% that have problems? I don't have the geography problem that you do.. Unless I want a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, any car I choose has a dealer within 20 miles. If you have a busy life, and convenience is important to you, pick something else...

regards,
kyfdx