Acura's parent company, Honda, wants to settle up a decade-old lawsuit about downshifting transmissions with an offer so low it's borderline insulting. A 2009 lawsuit says 5-speed automatic transmissions in some 2002-2004 Honda and Acura vehicles have a defect in the 3rd clutch. That defect can cause the transmission to suddenly downshift from 5th to 2nd gear. That's one way to reach your heart rate goal on your FitBit.
Acura's parent company, Honda, has reluctantly agreed to settle an oil consumption lawsuit for vehicles with 3.7-liter J37 engines. I emphasize reluctant because the automaker says they're closing the book on this case to "avoid the time and expense of ongoing litigation" and says only a small number of customers have filed complaints.
When Honda and Acura recalled 1.1 million Takata airbag inflators for exploding into pieces, they replaced the defective part with a slightly different version from the same company. Now those are exploding too. The replacement PSDI-5D desiccated inflators were exposed to excess moisture during assembly. This rapidly degrades the propellant and allows pressure to build up over time, turning the inflator into a mini-grenade that explodes during airbag deployment.
A Puerto Rico man has sued Honda after being severely injured by an exploding Takata airbag. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff's Acura "lightly bumped" another car in front but the Takata frontal airbag allegedly exploded and sent shrapnel into his face, chest and neck, allegedly causing severe lacerations.
When a storm cloud starts dropping rain, you can only dodge the drops for so long. Such is the case for another 2.2 million Honda and Acura vehicles that are now involved in one of the largest and most dangerous recalls in automotive history.
A new report from WSB-TV Atlanta is shedding some light on a common complaint from TL owners – cracked dashboards. Owners are understandably upset that the plastic on their dashboards is splitting apart, even when the car has been garaged.
Acura TL News and Notes

Bite-sized content about all the recalls, lawsuits, and investigations surrounding the Acura TL.