11 of the
317 complaints about the 2001 Acura CL are about the
braking system — 3% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
47,000 miles.
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN FATALITY WHICH WAS MY BROTHER, THEY CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY THE VEHICLE ENTERED INTO A SKID ON A PRETTY STRAIGHT PART OF THE HIGHWAY NOT SURE IF IT WAS A POWERTRAIN ISSUE AS I DID SEE A RECALL AFTER I DID SOME RESEARCH FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT. THE OTHER ISSUE IS THE MECHANISM ON HOW THE DRIVER SAFETY BELT ATTACHES TO THE FRAME AS THAT WAS DAMAGED ON FIRST IMPACT WHICH CAUSED MY BROTHER TO BE EJECTED. SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS A SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE COMPROMISED SO EASILY.
NHTSA complaint #11114701 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 139,000 milesMonroe, MICrash1 injured
SERVICE BRAKES
ACURA 2001 WAS PARKED ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF A PARKING STRUCTURE. OWNER(DRIVER) BACKED CAR OUT OF ITS PARKING SPOT AT 5:00 P,M, WHEN THE TEMP. WAS 13 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO. AT FIRST OWNER WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY ACCELERATION WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL TO GO FORWARD IN DRIVE, GEAR 5. TAPPED ON GAS PEDAL FOR ACCELERATING AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD WITH ENGINE RACING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. DRIVER WAS TRYING TO DECELERATE THE CAR WHILE STEERING CAR THROUGH THE DESCENDING LEVELS OF THE RAMP. SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT HOLD THE CAR TRIED THROWING IT INTO REVERSE AND NOTHING CHANGED. ON THE FIRST FLOOR DRIVER WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKES SHEARED OFF THE FRONT OF A PICK-UP TRUCK BEFORE SMASHING IN TO THE WALL, WHICH STOPPED THE CAR. DRIVER SUFFERED A BROKEN STERNUM, COLLAR BONE AND L-3 VERTEBRAE FRACTURE IN THE BACK. SPENT TWO DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND 4 WEEKS IN BRACE OFF WORK.
NHTSA complaint #10694131 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 64,000 milesPlant City, FL
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
2001 ACURA CL TYPE S, FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPING: AT 34000 MILES, THE BRAKE DISCS HAD WARPED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND AFTER I SHOWED THEM THE ACURA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 01-017 ABOUT WARPED BRAKES, THEY AGREED TO RESURFACE THE BRAKES UNDER WARRANTY. AT THIS TIME THE TWO SERVICE WRITERS ACKNOWLEGED THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE A WEAKNESS ON THE ACURA TL AND CL, THAT THEY SERVICED ABOUT TEN CARS PER WEEK FOR THIS, AND THAT THEY HAD PUT NEW BRAKE ROTORS ON THEIR PERSONAL VEHICLES. 14000 MILES LATER, AT 48000 MILES, THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AGAIN, AND I PERSUADED THEM TO REPLACE THE ROTORS WITH NEW ONES UNDER WARRANTY. (I PAID FOR NEW PADS.) NOW, 16000 MILES LATER, AT 64000 MILES, THE NEW ROTORS HAVE WARPED. I AM A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, AND I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE TO CAUSE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF HEAT BUILD UP IN THE ROTORS, SO THIS IS A CASE OF UNDERDESIGNED ROTORS.
NHTSA complaint #10102467 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 47,000 milesPalatine, IL
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BRAKE ROTORS WERE SEVERLY WARPED. THIS IS NORMALLY A WEAR AND TEAR ITEM AND IS EXPECTED TO REQUIRE REPLACEMENT; HOWEVER, ACURA KNOWS OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE BRAKES ON AT LEAST THE 2001 3.2 CL AND 1999-2001 TL VEHICLES AS EVIDENCED BY TSB 01-017. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'VE REQUIRED THE ROTORS TO BE REPLACED (NOT JUST RESURFACED) IN 45,000 MILES. FIRST TIME AT AROUND 25,000, SECOND NOW AT 45,000. THERE IS NO REASON THE ROTORS SHOULD HAVE WARPED A SECOND TIME SINCE THE TSB WAS ADDRESSED AND THE NEW PADS AND ROTORS SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE HEAT ISSUE THAT LEADS TO WARPING. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE CASE. THE TSB DOES NOT FULLY CORRECT THE ISSUE AND CAN LEAD TO A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE BRAKES ARE NOT TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE.
NHTSA complaint #10090949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 5,000 milesSacramento, CA
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
WHILE BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10089557 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 37,000 milesMountain View, CA
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I PURCHASED MY 2001 ACURA NEW IN JULY OF 2000. OVER ITS LIFE TIME OF THREE YEARS & 37K MILES ITS HAD THE BRAKES WORKED ON FOUR TIMES. *BREAK PADS REPLACE FOUR TIMES *ROTORS MACHINED DOWN TWICE *ROTORS REPLACED TWICE BASICALLY DURING NORMAL RAPID BRAKING THE CL'S STEERING WHEEL SHAKES RAPIDLY. ACURA HAD STOOD BEHIND THERE PRODUCT AND REPLACED THE ROTORS AND PADS AT NO CHARGE. ONE MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM EARLY ON, IS THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THE BRAKES JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY COULD STOP THE CAR. I KNOW UNTIL THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED I WAS DRIVING A TOTALLY UNSAFE CAR THAT COULD NOT STOP AS IT SHOULD. EVEN NOW AFTER REPLACING THE BRAKES SO MANY TIMES IF DO RAPID BRAKING THE WHEEL WILL SHAKE. I FEEL THE CL'S BRAKES ARE INADEQUATE FOR THE SIZE, WEIGHT AND HORSEPOWER OF THE AUTOMOBILE. IF THE BRAKES WERE ENGINEERED CORRECTLY, THE FIRST REPLACEMENT PADS AND ROTORS WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS OVER THE YEARS, I OWN A 95 ACURA INTEGRA & A 94 NISSAN PATHFINDER. NO MATTER HOW I DRIVE THESE CARS OR ANY OTHER CAR, THE WHEEL NEVER SHAKES DURING ANY BRAKING. MY 95 ACURA INTEGRA HAS 110K MILES AND THE BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE DUE TO THE FACT THEY WERE WORN OUT. THE ROTORS HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN WITH MY PROBLEMS WITH MY ACURA CL. IF I CAN BE OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE PLEASE CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL OR TELEPHONE. ERIC CORREA
NHTSA complaint #10070688 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 25,000 milesHudson, PA
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
THERE WAS A PULSATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED, DUE TO A FAULTY BRAKE/ROTOR SYSTEM. THE PARTS HAD BEEN CUT AND REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB
NHTSA complaint #10019535 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brooklyn, NY
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
THE BRAKES FAILED TWICE AND WERE REPLACED. BOTH THE REAR AND FRONT ROTORS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED MORE THAN THREE TIMES.
NHTSA complaint #568327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Nyack, NY
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE DRIVING BRAKES VIBRATE/PULSATE VERY HEAVILY, AND VEHICLE PULLS VERY HARD TO THE LEFT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. VEHICLE STILL HAS THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #8014441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Nyack, NY
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
WHILE DRIVING BRAKES VIBRATE/PULSATE VERY HEAVILY, AND VEHICLE PULLS VERY HARD TO THE LEFT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. VEHICLE STILL HAS THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #8014441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SAN Leandro, CA
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THE TRANSMISSIONS AND BRAKE ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESS, I FEEL THAT I PURCHASE A LEMON CAR.
NHTSA complaint #756659 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.