2002 Acura RSX Complaint Log

SINCE AUGUST 10, 2002, I'VE LEASED AN ACURA RSX. IN OCTOBER OF 2002, A ROTTEN EGG OR SULFUR SMELL HAS BEEN COMING FROM MY VEHICLE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF IT. IT OCCURS AT NO CERTAIN TIME OR CIRCUMSTANCE, JUST EVERYDAY AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. THE SMELL GIVES ME HEADACHES AND FORCES ME TO ROLL MY WINDOW DOWN WHETHER ITS COLD, HOT, OR RAINY OUTSIDE JUST TO PROVIDE ME WITH SOME RELIEF. THE DEALERSHIP, HENDRICK ACURA IN CHARLOTTE, NC HAS REPLACED MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER TWICE. BOTH TIMES THEY ASSURED ME I WOULDN'T SMELL ANYTHING AGAIN. HOWEVER, THEY WERE WRONG. ACURA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE TELL ME ITS JUST A NORMAL BY-PRODUCT OF THE ENGINE AND THAT THERE'S NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *NLM

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING AT 100 MPH REAR ENDED CONSUMER AND BROKE AXLE. VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPEND RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. MR

WHILE IN MOTION, CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED AND BY A VEHICLE TRAVELING 100 MPH. THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER FEELS HAD THEY GONE OFF IT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE CLAVICLE BONE FRACTURE THE DRIVER SUSTAINED. *JG *JB *NLM

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY, WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND HITTING ANY MINOR BUMPS IN THE ROAD THE ABS SYSTEM WILL ACTIVATE. *NLM *NLM

BUMPER NOT FLUSHED NOR ALIGNED, UNLIKE THE LEFT REAR END. BUMPER PAINT FAILING DUE TO IMPROPER MOUNTING OF THE REAR BUMPER. AS A RESULT, BUMPER RUBS AGAINST THE REAR SIGNAL LIGHTS CAUSING THE PAINT TO FALL/CHIP.*AK

THIS IS FOR A 2002 ACURA RSX; OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE. SINCE I'VE OWNED THE CAR, IT HAS BEEN USING ABOUT 1 1/2 QUARTS OF OIL EACH 3,000 MILES. I'VE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, WHO IS WORKING WITH ME TO COLLECT USAGE DATA WITH EACH OIL CHANGE AND THE ACURA CONSUMER HELP LINE. THE ACURA CONSUMER HELP LINE IS VERY RUDE, NOT VERY HELPFUL AND SEEMS TO NOT WANT TO GIVE ME STATISTICALLY CORRECT INFORMATION WITH THIS PROBLEM. I'VE HAD 2 HIGH PERFORMANCE HONDA CRXS FOR UPWARDS OF 150,000 MILES AND NEITHER HAD THE USAGE ISSUE AS THIS RSX. WITHOUT RESOLVING THE ISSUE, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE ENGINE COULD WEAR OUT OR CAUSE OTHER RELATED PROBLEMS. I AM LOOKING FOR ACURA TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THE PROBLEM, DO FURTHER TESTING, GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION TO MY SATISFACTION AND CHANGE THE ENGINE, AS THIS IS NOT A USUAL PROBLEM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE ACURA DOESN'T APPEAR TO WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE, I AM VERBALLY WARNING OTHER POSSIBLE BUYERS AWAY BECAUSE OF THE OIL CONSUMPTION AND THE LACK OF CONSUMER RESPECT AND COURTESY FROM THE ACURA CONSUMER HELP PHONE LINE. I THINK ACURA KNOWS THERE IS AN ISSUE AND WANTS ME TO FOOT THE BILL WHEN THE CAR FAILS BEFORE ITS TIME. *NM

REAR BUMPER COVER FALLING OFF. THE REAR OF THE CAR HAS A LARGE PLASTIC COVER THAT EXTENDS THE WIDTH OF THE CAR AND COVERS THE BUMPER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TAILLIGHTS. THE TOP OF THIS COVER IS HELD IN PLACE BY A SERIES OF CLIPS THAT ARE PART OF TWO METAL STRIPS BOLTED TO THE CAR. THESE CLIPS ENGAGE SET POINTS ALONG THE BUMPER COVER. THE CLIPS, PARTICULARLY THOSE DIRECTLY BELOW THE TAILLIGHTS, DO NOT PROPERLY HOLD THE BUMPER COVER. IT DISCONNECTS FROM THESE CLIPS, SAGS BACKWARD AND DOWN FROM THE CAR AND CAUSES THE TOP OF THE BUMPER COVER TO VIBRATE AGAINST THE TAILLIGHTS, REMOVING PAINT AND PLASTIC FROM THIS AREA. THOUGH UPON FAILURE THE BUMPER COVER IT STILL ATTACHED TO THE CAR ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE COVER, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THAT IF ENOUGH TIME PASSES AND SAG IS CREATED, THE BUMPER COULD FALL AWAY FROM THE CAR SINCE IT WOULD NOT BE ATTACHED ALONG THE TOP. THIS COULD CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE CARS FOLLOWING AN RSX IN SUCH A FAILURE. WE PURCHASED OUR RSX IN JULY OF 2001. SINCE THEN BUMPER ISSUES HAVE BEEN ON GOING, HAVING REPEATEDLY DISENGAGED IN THE METHOD DESCRIBED. IT HAS BEEN RETURNED TO AN ACURA DEALER (WIER CANYON ACURA) EACH TIME. IN JULY WE CONTACTED ACURA CLIENT SERVICES. I WROTE ABOUT THIS INFORMATION TO JASON COX VIA FAX, DISCUSSED IT VIA PHONE AND ON JULY 12, 2002 SENT A LETTER TO MR. KOICHI AMENIWA, PRESIDENT AMERICAN HONDA MOTORS COMPANY. I ALSO SET UP A WEB SITE WITH PICTURES OF THE CAR AND ITS FAILURES AT HTTP://RSX.OBRIENS.NET SO HONDA AMERICA COULD SEE THE PROBLEMS. THEY SEEM DISINTERESTED AT BEST.*AK

DEALER SAID THAT RIGHT REAR STRUT WAS SHOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SIGNIFICANT RATTLE WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR PORTION OF THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE ONLY HAD LESS THAN 200 MILES WHEN FAILURE OCCURED. THEY ARE ORDERING NEW PART AND WILL INSTALL UNDER WARRANTY. WAS TOLD THEY HAVE SEEN A COUPLE OF OTHER NEW VEHICLES WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED. *AK

VEHICLE IS LEAKING TOXIC HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND INSIDIOUS POISON GASES THROUGH VENTILATION. THIS CAUSES HEADACHE IRRITATION WHILE IN VEHICLE. DEALER HAS NO WAY TO DETECT THE LEVEL. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. 27-NOV-2001 [XXX].*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

*OPEN BODY SEAM AT DRIVERS A-PILLAR. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TWICE AS SUSPENSION NOISE WHICH I THOUGH WAS THE PROBLEM; DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH THE SUSPENSION. A FEW MONTHS WENT BY AND I REALIZED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE SPECIALLY WHEN TURNING WHEELS ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT. DEALER KEPT THE CAR FROM 2/12/04 UNTIL 2/28/04... BODY SEAM WAS REWELDED BY AN INDEPENDENT BODY SHOP. NOW I GET METAL CLICKING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR AFTER ALL AND I GET FRUSTRATE EVERYTIME I HEAR NOISES IN THE FRON END.*AK

THE BRAKE CALIPERS ON MY 2002 ACURA RSX (BASE MODEL) INTERMITTENTLY "SEIZE" AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE AND STEERING COLUMN TO VIBRATE WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND APPARENTLY CAUSING ROTOR DAMAGE. SINCE BRAKE PROBLEMS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE, THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED BOTH THE CALIPERS AND ROTORS FREE OF CHARGE UNDER THE WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING IT. SINCE THE EQUIPMENT WAS REPLACED, THE SAME PROBLEM HAS RECURRED.

WHEN VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ON CONTINUOUSLY AFTER VEHICLE HAS BEEN TURNED. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP 7 TIMES FOR PROBLEM, THAT WAS NOT REPAIRABLE.*AK

MY 2002 ACURA RSX EMITS A TERRIBLE ROTTEN EGG ODOR AFTER I DRIVE IT FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND STOP FOR A STOP SIGN. THE SMELL COMES BACK INTERMITENTLY WHILE DRIVING SOMETIMES BECOMING QUITE OVERPOWERING IN THE CAR. THE DEALER HAS NO SOLUTION. HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS A POISONOUS GAS. THE SITUATION IS ON GOING AND HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES.

ON 12/11/01 MY 3 1/2 MONTH OLD RSX-S WAS TOTALLED. A 1990 CHEVY TRUCK SMASHED INTO THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE CAR AND CRUSHED IT. THE DRIVER SIDE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE REAR FENDER (JUST BEHIND THE DRIVER'S DOOR) ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FRONT BUMPER WAS HIT AND CRUSHED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG DID NOT OPEN. THE DRIVER'S FRONT AIRBAG DID NOT OPEN. THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS NOT HIT AT ALL HOWERVER, IT'S FRONT AIRBAG DID DEPLOY. BECAUSE OF MY AIRBAGS NOT OPENING MY HEAD SMASHED THE DRIVER'S DOOR WINDOW AND MY LEFT HIP AND KNEE WERE PRETTY BRUISED. THE PAIN IS JUST NOW STARTING TO GO AWAY, 3 WEEKS LATER. PICTURES CAN BE SEEN AT: <HTTP://PHOTOS.YAHOO.COM/REDHEIFER8 I CALLED ACURA AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE AIRBAGS NOT WORKING ON THE SIDE OF THE CAR THAT GOT HIT, BUT POPPING OUT ON THE SIDE THAT DIDN'T. THEY SENT AN INVESTIGATOR OUT AND HE TOOK PICTURES OF IT AND WROTE STUFF DOWN FOR ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS. HIS CONCLUSION WAS THAT "THE IMPACT WAS TO FAR TO THE FRONT TO SET OFF THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG AND TOO FAR TO THE REAR TO SET OFF THE FRONT IMPACT AIRBAG." THIS SEEMS TOTALLY ILLOGICAL. THE CAR WAS CRUSHED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE REAR FENDER ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT BUMPER. IF THAT'S NOT FAR ENOUGHT BACK TO SET OFF THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG, THEN WHERE ARE THE SENSORS FOR IT??? IN THE TRUNK???? WHY DID THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT IMPACT AIRBAG DEPLOY SO EASILY WHEN THAT SIDE WASN'T EVEN HIT??? OBVIOSLY IT'S SESOR WAS NEVER TOUCHED AND IT DEPLOYED. SO WHAT'S UP WITH THE SENSORS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR??? WHY DON'T THEY WORK??? YOU WOULD THINK IF ONE OF THE SENSORS WAS GOING TO BE LESS SENSITIVE IT WOULD BE THE ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SINCE A CHILD COULD BE OVER THERE. BUT WITHOUT EVEN BEING HIT, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG POPPED RIGHT OUT. YET NOTHING WORKED ON THE DRIVER SIDE EVEN THOUGH IT TOOK ONE HELL OF A POUNDING THAT TOTALLED THE CAR. HOPE THIS ISN'T A DEFECT ON EVERYBODY'S CAR. I'D HATE TO SEE SOMEBODY GET KILLED BECAUSE THE DRIVER'S AIRBAGS DON'T WORK.

WHILE DRIVING AND TRYING TO SHIFT TO ANOTHER GEAR VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO TO INTO THAT GEAR. IT WILL GO INTO ANOTHER GEAR, EITHER HIGHER OR LOWER ,BUT IT WON'T GO INTO GEAR THAT WAS INDICATED. THIS SUDDEN CHANGE IN ENGINE CAUSED ACCELERATION CHANGE. ON HIGHWAY IT MISSHIFTED, AND THEN ENGINE DIED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON A BUSY ROAD THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE RSX IS A BRAND NEW CAR THAT HAS ONLY BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS. THE CAR HAS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN DRIVEN BY SMALLER ADULTS. BASICALLY, SMALLER ADULTS CAN NOT SEE EFFECTIVELY OUT OF THE CAR. I WILL FAX A LETTER THAT I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN HONDA MOTORS WITH THIS FORM. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOME DRIVERS OF THE CAR ARE INVOLVED IN CRASHES BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY CAN NOT SEE OUT.*AK CONSUMER STATES BECAUSE THE SEAT IS SO WIDE AND TALL, ALL SHE CAN SEE IS THE SUPPORT BEAM BETWEEN THT WO WINDOWS WHEN LOOKING LEFT, THE ONLY WAY SHE CAN SEE OUT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR IS TO POSITION THE PASSENGER SEAT IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION AND THEN TILT THE SEAT BACK FORWARD SLIGHTLY. *SLC *TR

WHEN SHIFTING GEARS IT SHIFTS ROUGH . MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHEN LOOKING THROUGH THE FRONT TWO TIRES/WHEELS YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THROUGH TO THE ENGINE. I'VE CHECKED ALL OTHER CARS AND THEY ALL HAVE SOME SORT OF COVERING THAT PREVENTS WATER, DIRT OR OBJECTS FROM GETTING INTO THE ENGINE. I AM DISAPPOINTED TO FIND THAT A BRAND NEW CAR SUCH AS THE ACURA RSX DOESN'T HAVE THAT COVERING. THIS MAY LEAD TO ENGINE PROBLEMS IF SOMETHING GETS IN THERE. DURING THE RAINY SEASON, WATER CAN SIP THROUGH AND RUIN THE ENGINE ALSO. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT IF THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PUT A COVER THEN IT WOULD ASSUME TO BE SAFE. I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT SAFE OR DURABLE, AFTERALL MAYBE IT'S THE DESIGN OF THE CAR. NEVERTHELESS, I BELIEVE THAT HAVING A COVER WOULD HELP PROTECT THE ENGINE BETTER.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SIDE AND FRONTAL IMPACT, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. ALSO, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AS IT SHOULD HAVE. THE SRS WARNING LIGHT DID COME ON. THE BODY SHOP HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SRS SYSTEM CONTROL WHICH CAUSED THE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THEM. *JG

USING HEADLIGHTS DURING DAYTIME CONDITIONS RESULTS IN ODOMETER, AND GEAR SELECTION INDICATIORS BECOMING UNREADABLE

WHEN SHIFTING GEARS FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR THE SECOND GEAR ALLWAYS GRINDS. I HAVE TALK TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE OF CAR AND ALL OF THEM SAY THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. DT

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 30MPH THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY JUMPED OUT OF 3RD GEAR. TS

A FAILED PARKING BRAKE CAUSED VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE/LOSE CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION. *AK *JB