2008 Acura TL Air Bags & Restraints Problems

dash is cracked air bag is not secure seat are torn

I noticed a vertical straight line/crack in the dashboard of my 2008 Acura TL located on the passenger side, which is directly in the area of the air bag system. Oddly enough it seemed to appear literally overnight. I’ve noticed the crack seems to expand when in cooler temperatures, however the crack appears to fuse back together when the temperature is warmer and/or hot outside, which is concerning in itself. My vehicle has been stored in a garage since it’s purchase and when not in use a sunshade is used to protect the dash when exposed outside. I am very concerned that there may be a bigger problem with the air bag system that may result in the air bags being inadvertently deployed resulting in an accident, injury or even greater death. Internet searches reveal this a common problem among individuals similarly situated with the same make and model, and Acura is apparently aware. My vehicle is regularly serviced and maintained at the Acura Dealership in Memphis. I have reached out to the dealership regarding this issue, however I have not heard back from them regarding a possible resolution. I believe this issue warrants some type of safety recall before someone or their loved ones become seriously injured.

THERE IS A LONG GASH IN THE DASHBOARD BY THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BASED ON INTERNET SEARCHES AND ACURA HAS NOT ISSUED ANY RECALL FOR THE SAME EVEN THOUGH IT POSES A POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK. I REACHED OUT TO ACURA CORPORATE AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THE INITIAL WARRANTY PERIOD, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THERE ARE NUMEROUS ONLINE RECORDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SAME MODEL YEAR REPORTING THIS ISSUE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS NOT BEING RESOLVED POSES A SAFETY RISK TO MY FAMILY AND OTHER OCCUPANTS OF MY 2008 ACURA TL WHICH WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

THE AREA AROUND MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ON THE DASH IS COMPLETELY CRACKED AND DAMAGED. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAG IS DAMAGED UNDER NEATH AND WILL NOT DEPLOY DURING A ACCIDENT. THESE CRACKS JUST APPEARED ONE DAY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND A FEW DAYS LATER MORE CRACKS. ACURA SHOULD TRULY CONSIDER RECALLING THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE DIES DUE TO THERE NEGLIGENCE. THIS IS MY 2ND REQUEST. I AM AWARE OF OTHER ACURA OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 ACURA TL. WHILE THE CONTACT'S GRANDDAUGHTER WAS DRIVING, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT. THE DRIVER AND FRONT AND REAR PASSENGERS HAD RINGING IN THEIR EARS AND SAW FLASHING LIGHTS DUE TO THE AIR BAG EXPLOSION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT CALLED THE ACURA HOTLINE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT NUMBER AT 800-382-2238 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE ACURA DEALER AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO TOW THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 09727380. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

DASHBOARD CRACKS: POTENTIAL DANGER OF AIRBAG FAILURE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, MY CAR HAS DEVELOPED SEVERAL CRACKS IN THE DASHBOARD. OF PARTICULAR CONCERN IS A LARGE CRACK WHICH JUST RECENTLY APPEARED ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG UNIT. (SEE PHOTOS) I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE CRACKS CAN ALLOW MOISTURE OR CONDENSATION TO ENTER THE AIRBAG UNIT, POSSIBLY CAUSING IT FAIL, DEPLOY PREMATURELY, OR NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY IN A CRASH SITUATION. ALTHOUGH THE DASHBOARD CRACKS ARE SEEMINGLY COSMETIC, ITS POTENTIAL TO CREATE A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE IS OF GREAT CONCERN. ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE TAKATA RECALL FOR AIRBAGS, I HOPE THAT THE MANUFACTURER CAN HELP REPAIR OR REPLACE THESE FAULTY DASHBOARDS WITH A QUALITY MATERIAL THAT WILL NOT DEGRADE IN SUCH A MANNER.

THE CAR DASHBOARD IS COMPLETELY CRACKED RIGHT ABOVE THE AIRBAG, WHICH IS ALLOWING HEAT TO SEEP IN.

I HAVE ALREADY PAID ACURA TO REPLACE MY DASHBOARD ONCE DUE TO THE AIRBAG PUSHING UP ON DASH AND CRACKING IT. I NOW HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN, THE DASH HAS CRACKED ON PASSENGER SIDE IN PERFECT RECTANGLE WHERE AIRBAG IS LOCATED. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT DEPLOYMENT IS LIKLEY/IMMINENET AND I AM URGING NHTSA TO REQUIRE ACURA TO REPLACE AIRBAGE AND DASH.

I HIT A POTHOLE ON THE FRONT, DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND THE AIRBAGS ON THE SIDE PASSENGERS SIDE AND SEAT DEPLOYED BUT DID NOT INFLATE. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR ISSUES REPORTED OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING. I AM CONCERNED THAT IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT, MY AIRBAGS WOULDN'T HAVE INFLATED IN THAT INSTANCE EITHER AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED AT ALL. WITH THEM NOW BEING DEPLOYED AND NO USE IF I'M IN AN ACCIDENT, I AM NO LONGER SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE.

CRACKED DASH BOARD. THREE SEPARATE CRACKS. I'M POSITIVE THIS IS GOING TO EFFECT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. CLEARLY THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE. I'D SUGGEST GETTING AN ATTORNEY. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT

IN SEPTEMBER 2018, SEEMINGLY OVERNIGHT, 2 LARGE CRACKS DEVELOPED IN MY DASHBOARD, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, DIRECTLY OVER THE AIRBAG. I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE THE DAMAGE IS DIRECTLY OVER THE AIRBAGS.

I HAVE A 2008 ACURA TL-S, IT IS GARAGED AT NIGHT AND I DO MY BEST TO TAKE CARE OF IT. THE OTHER DAY I DEVELOPED TWO CRACKS RUNNING FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE GLOVEBOX, ALONG THE EDGES OF THE AIRBAG. I DIDN'T NOTICE THEM UNTIL I GOT HOME LAST NIGHT, BUT THEY ARE QUITE NOTICEABLE. I HAVE READ ABOUT SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS O THIS HAPPENING TO ACURA'S AND I AM WONDERING WHY AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS. WILL THIS IMPACT THE AIRBAG OPERATIONS AND MAYBE IMPACT WAS A BAD CHOICE OF WORDS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 ACURA TL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS FRACTURED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE AIR BAG. A LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.

A LARGE CRACK HAS APPEARED ON THE DASH PANEL COVERING PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. I FEAR THIS WILL GET IN THE WAY OF DEPLOYING PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND/OR POTENTIALLY GENERATE DANGEROUS SHARDS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WHEN I VISITED THE ACURA SERVICE DEPARTMENT EARLIER TODAY, BUT THEY HAVE SO FAR REFUSED TO ADVISE ME ON A SUITABLE COURSE OF ACTION. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OFF, WITH MOST OF THE DRIVING BEING LIMITED TO SURFACE STREETS AND ALWAYS BEING GARAGED OVERNIGHT.

CRACKS ARE APPEARING AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DASH COVERING, I FEAR THIS WILL SEND DANGEROUS SHARDS EVERYWHERE IN CASE OF DEPLOYMENT IN ADDITION TO THE ONES POSSIBLY SENT BY THE AIRBAG ITSELF.

THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG DEPLOYED AFTER HITTING A SMALL POTHOLE GOING AROUND 35 MPH ON A PAVED CITY ROAD.

DRIVERS SIDE CURTAIN AND TORSO AIRBAG DEPLOYED, AND SEAT BELT TENSIONER OPERATED WHEN PASSENGER SIDE TIRE HIT A POTHOLE ON THE OFF RAMP OF A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY. CAR WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH.

TAKATA RECALL - MY AIRBAGS ON MY 2008 ACURA TL HAVE EXPLODED ON MY SEATS, ROOF, AND SIDE AIRBAGS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE HAVE NOT BEEN RESPONDED TO. MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF AND MY SAFETY IS BEING JEOPARDIZED EVERYDAY ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT APPEARS FOR THE LAST DECADE OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2008 TL HAVE REPORTED ON THE ACURA FORUMS WHAT I HAVE, YET FOR SOME REASON, THE RECALLS ARE EXCLUDING THIS MODEL. WHY, WHY WHY????? DOES IT TAKE ANOTHER DEATH FOR SOMEONE TO RECOGNIZE THIS???? THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING WHEN THIS OCCURED ON AN EXITING ACCESS ROAD.

SEPT 2016 WAS HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE SRS LIGHT REMAINING ON CONSTANTLY. SEAT BELT BUCKLE UNDER RECALL, HAD THAT REPLACED'THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. JULY 2017 NOW THE DASHBOARD ON PASSENGER SIDE HAS A DEEP STRAIGHT CRACK. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER ACURA TL HAVE THIS ISSUE. THE AIRBAG IS IN THAT DASHBOARD RIGHT WHERE THE CRACK IS. ACURA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE A SAFETY ISSUE AND WILL NOT REPAIR, REPLACE OR RECALL. I HAVE KEPT THE CAR IMMACULATE, I HAVE REGULAR SERVICE AND A HONDA/ACURA REPAIR SHOP. I UNDERSTAND ACURA TL SPECIFICALLY 2008 HAS THIS PROBLEM AROUND THE COUNTRY IN A VARIETY OF CLIMATES, AND WHETHER THE CAR HAS BEEN GARAGED OR NOT. IT'S A DESIGN FLAW. IT IS ENDANGERING MY PASSENGER. ALSO, IF YOU FIND A JUNK PART AND REPLACE THE DASH, APPARENTLY THE REPLACEMENT DASH WILL CRACK ALSO AND THE SRS LIGHT WILL BE ON AND THE AIRBAG COMPROMISED AGAIN.

CRACK DEVELOPED ALONG THE PERIMETER OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LOCATION. THIS PRESENTS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THERE NEEDS TO BE A SAFETY RECALL TO FIX THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD BE FATAL. ALMOST EVERYONE I KNOW THAT OWNS THIS THIRD GENERATION ACURA TL HAS THIS CRACK PROBLEM. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.