2009 Acura TSX Brakes Problems

WHENEVER THE WEATHER DROPS BELOW FREEZING, MY BRAKES STOP WORKING. THE CARE MAY WORK FINE FOR THE FIRST BLOCK, BUT FAIL TWO OR THREE BLOCKS INTO A DRIVE. WHEN I TRY TO STEP ON THE BRAKE, AND IT FEELS FROZEN -- STUCK ALMOST. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE IS BY USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, OF IDLING THE MANUAL BRAKE RETURNS TO NORMAL ACTIVITY. THIS IS EXTREMELY ALARMING -- ESPECIALLY ON CITY ROADS WITH NUMEROUS PEDESTRIANS, STUDENTS, AND OTHER VEHICLES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. IT IS NOT A NORMAL ISSUE; I NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS WITH ANOTHER CAR, AND FROM INTERNET RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER DRIVERS EXPRESSED CONCERN TO DEALERS, THE MANUFACTURER, AND NHTSA WITH NO OUTCOME. WILL IT TAKE A CASUALTY OR HOPEFULLY NOT A FATALITY FOR AN INVESTIGATION/ ACTION?

I HAVE A 2009 ACURA TSX AND WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ( F) OR WE HAVE A VERY COLD OVERNIGHT WEATHER (I'M IN WESTERN NY) I AM EXPERIENCING BRAKE ISSUES. I'LL START MY CAR, IT WILL RUN FOR A FEW MINUTES TO WARM UP AND I WILL LEAVE MY PARKING SPACE. DRIVING ABOUT 5-15MPH WHEN I FIRST PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL THERE IS VERY, VERY, LIMITED TRAVEL, THEN THE PEDAL JUST STOPS (KIND OF FEELS LIKE A BRICK UNDERNEATH THE PEDAL). I CAN TELL THE BRAKES ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO STOP THE CAR. SO NATURALLY MY CAR WILL SLOW DOWN TO A STOP. I PRESS DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN AND IT'S STILL STUCK WITH VERY LITTLE TRAVEL. I'LL PUMP THE BRAKES AS BEST I CAN A FEW TIMES AND EVENTUALLY YOU CAN FEEL THE PEDAL SOFTEN. I KEEP DOING THIS AS IT PROGRESSIVELY GETS SOFTER AND EVENTUALLY RETURNS TO A NORMAL STATE. AS I DRIVE OFF ITS FINE FOR USUALLY THE REST OF THE DAY. IT ONLY RETURNS ONCE MY CAR SITS OUTSIDE IN OVERNIGHT COLD TEMPERATURE. THIS HAPPENS VERY OFTEN IN COLD WEATHER, AND ONLY IN COLD WEATHER. I HAVE READ OTHER ACURA OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE.

UPON LEAVING HOME ON A COLD MARCH MORNING, I DROVE THROUGH MY COMPLEX TO THE MAIN ROAD. AS I APPROACHED THE FIRST MAIN INTERSECTION, THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED RED. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKE, THE PEDAL WOULD NOT GO DOWN - IT WAS HARD TO THE TOUCH. AS MY CAR CONTINUED TOWARD - AND THEN INTO - THE INTERSECTION, I TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO APPLY THE BRAKE, UNTIL EVENTUALLY THE PEDAL RESPONDED, THE BRAKES ENGAGED, AND MY CAR CAME TO A STOP. IT IS NOW A YEAR LATER, AND MY CAR HAS DONE THIS 3 TIMES. ON THE DAY OF THE FIRST INCIDENT, MY BRAKES WERE INSPECTED AND NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. MY DEALERSHIP CLAIMED TO HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE, AND TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGING. A YEAR PASSED BEFORE THE SECOND INCIDENT. AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE COMPANY TECH LINE, MY BRAKE BOOSTER WAS REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER, IT HAPPENED A THIRD TIME. MY CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP AWAITING REPAIR. I'M TOLD THAT THE COMPANY TECH LINE DETERMINED THAT MY DEALERSHIP SHOULD REPLACE THE SUPPLY LINE/CHECK VALVE, BUT THE PART IS ON BACK-ORDER. AS OF YET, THERE IS NO ESTIMATE OF COMPLETION. NO ONE AT ACURA HAS BEEN ABLE TO ANSWER MY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AS TO EXACT CAUSE. THEY SPECULATE THAT MOISTURE GETS INTO THE LINE AND FREEZES, BUT NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHY THE BRAKES WILL WORK SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE SEIZING UP AND FAILING. MY ACURA DEALERSHIP HAS NO EXPERIENCE IN THIS MATTER AND CONTINUES TO CONSULT THEIR TECH LINE TO DETERMINE COURSE OF ACTION; HOWEVER, I AM NOT PERMITTED TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE AT THAT TECH LINE TO ATTEMPT TO GET MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 ACURA TSX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DESCENDING A STEEP HILL, SHE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THEY FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND DOWN SHIFTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKES HAD FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,300.

WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR MAINTENANCE LAST YEAR (9/11) THEY MENTIONED THAT AT MY NEXT SERVICE VISIT I MAY NEED BRAKES. I WAS ASTOUNDED GIVEN THE LOW MILEAGE AND THE FACT THAT ALL MY PAST CARS NEVER NEEDED BRAKES THIS SOON. THE CAR WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD. I RECENTLY TOOK MY TSX IN FOR B12 SERVICE (5/12) WHICH COST OVER $400. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT BRAKES SO DID NOT AUTHORIZE IT. I ONLY HAVE 25,000 MILES. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CLAIMED IT WAS MY DRIVING STYLE. EVERYONE SAID IT WAS JUST THE DEALERSHIP ADVISING UNNECESSARY WORK. THE NEXT DAY AFTER SERVICE MY LEFT REAR WHEEL STARTED TO SQUEAL. WHEN THEY REMOVED THE TIRES FOR THE B12 SERVICE THEY EVIDENTLY PUT THE DEFECTIVE PAD BACK ON INCORRECTLY. THAT DAY, I MENTIONED MY BRAKE ISSUE TO A FRIEND AND THEY INFORMED ABOUT THE DEFECT AND THE CLASS ACTION SUITE. OF COURSE THE SERVICE REPS KNEW ALL ALONG AND NEVER TOOK RESPONSIBILITY. THEY COULD HAVE OFFERED ME A DISCOUNT ON THE BRAKES AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE THEY WERE HAVING WITH THE 2009 TSX BRAKES. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ADDITIONALLY, I NOTICED A RUST SPOT ON MY PASSENGER SIDE BELOW THE DOOR THEIR YEAR (4/12). I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS. I THOUGHT WITH MODERN METALS AND PAINTS THIS ISSUE NO LONGER EXISTED. PARTICULARLY WITH A NEW CAR AND A ACURA. ONCE AGAIN THEY BLAMED ME AND SAID IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY. THERE MUST HAVE HAD A "IMPACT". NONE THAT WAS VISIBLE OF COURSE.

THE INNER REAR BRAKE PADS WENT FROM 6 IN SEPTEMBER TO 1 - WORN TO THE SENSOR IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS REMAINED AT 8 AND THE OUTER REAR BRAKE PADS WERE 6. MECHANICS WITH WHOM I HAVE SPOKEN HAVE EXPLAINED THAT THE REAR BRAKE PADS SHOULD NOT BE WEARING OUT PRIOR TO THE FRONT SINCE THE FRONT BRAKES DO MOST OF THE WORK. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT SUCH UNEVEN WEAR IS NOT NORMAL. OF MOST CONCERN TO ME IS THE SAFETY ISSUE. EXCEPT FOR AN INTERMITTENT NOISE LIKE A LITTLE STICK IN MY RIGHT REAR TIRE WELL, I HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T TIME FOR MY REGULAR SERVICE, I CONTACTED MY MECHANIC TO MAKE SURE MY CAR WAS READY FOR A ROAD TRIP I WAS TAKING THAT WEEKEND. BECAUSE I MENTIONED THE INTERMITTENT SOUND, THEY LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. HAD I NOT BEEN CAUTIOUS, I COULD VERY WELL HAVE HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON THE ROAD WITHOUT EVER ANTICIPATING IT. WHILE THE ACURA DEALER INSISTS THAT SUCH WEAR IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THESE CARS, I FIND IT VERY CONCERNING THAT MY BRAKES SHOULD BE WORN OUT IN THIS WAY AT 36000 MILES. WITH PREVIOUS CARS, I HAVE NEVER NEEDED BRAKE PADS UNTIL AROUND 80,000 MILES. IT IS UPSETTING TO ME TO HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE WITH A CAR THAT IS RENOWNED FOR ITS DURABILITY AND TO NOT HAVE IT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT SEEMS ODD TO ME THAT MY MECHANIC AND THE OTHER MECHANICS WITH WHO I CONSULTED DON'T FIND THIS TO BE "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND YET ACURA DOES. HAD I DRIVEN THE CAR WITHOUT CHECKING, I WOULD LIKELY HAVE HAD BRAKE FAILURE, DESTROYED THE ROTORS AND REQUIRED A MUCH MORE COSTLY REPAIR JOB. BRAKE FAILURE COULD ALSO HAVE MEANT AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY, NOT JUST TO MY CAR AND ITS PASSENGERS, . THAT LITTLE INTERMITTENT SOUND THAT I HEARD WAS SO INTERMITTENT THAT MY PASSENGERS NEVER HEARD IT - WERE IT NOT FOR THE MECHANICS IN MY FAMILY, I MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED EITHER. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 ACURA TSX. AT ABOUT 34,000 MILES I STARTED NOTICING A HIGH-PITCHED NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. TOOK THE VEHICLE IN, AND THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS MY REAR BRAKE PADS. NEARLY ALL OF MY DRIVING IS HIGHWAY, INDICATING THAT THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE REAR BRAKING SYSTEM. COST TO REPLACE WAS $250. *TR

AT 20,000 MILES I WAS INFORMED THAT I WILL NEED REAR BRAKE PADS ON MY 2009 TSX. AFTER I LEFT THE APPOINTMENT, MY BRAKES BEGAN SQUEALING AND GRINDING WHEN STOPPING OR SLOWING DOWN. THIS SEEMS PREMATURE AND I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION. *TR

I WAS HEARING SOME NOISES FROM THE BACK RIGHT SIDE OF MY CAR ON MY 2009 ACURA TSX AND I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER. IT TURNED OUT THAT MY REAR BRAKES WERE DONE TO THE METAL. MY CAR ONLY HAD 23,500 MILES ON IT AT 75% OF MY MILES ARE FREEWAY DRIVING. IT TURNS OUT THAT HONDA RECENTLY SETTLED A LAWSUIT WHERE THEY CHANGED THE DESIGN FOR THE BRAKES. *TR

PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR, SQUEALING NOISE. *TR

2009 ACURA TSX. BRAKES AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 23,000 MILES. NO WARNING FROM DEALER OF POTENTIAL CLASS ACTION OR ITS RESULTS WHEN CALLING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. PRICE ACURA, DOVER DE. GAVE ME A THREE WEEK WINDOW SO I WENT TO MEINEKE, REPLACED FOR $412. DEALER REFUSES TO REIMBURSE. ACURA REFUSES TO ADMIT A DEFECT. THERE ARE TWO OTHER 2009, 2010 ACURA TSX'S IN OUR FAMILY AND THEY WEREN'T NOTIFIED EITHER. *TR

1. EXCESSIVE BRAKE PAD WEAR WAS NOTED ON INBOARD SIDE OF REAR BRAKES DURING ROUTINE SERVICE (AT 21,000 MILES). 2. PADS WERE REPLACED BY DEALER. *TR

I PURCHASED MY ACURA TSX 2009 IN JUNE 2009. I CURRENTLY HAVE 25,000 MILES, ALMOST ALL OF WHICH ARE HIGHWAY MILES. JUST BEFORE 20,000 MILES THE REAR BRAKES BEGAN TO SQUEAK. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND SURE ENOUGH THE FRONT BRAKES ARE TOTALLY FINE AND THE REAR BREAKS NEED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY, FOR $241. (AS A SIDE NOTE: I CONTACTED HONDA OF AMERICA WHO CLAIMS TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE LAWSUIT HONDA HAS AGREED TO SETTLE OVER EXACTLY THIS PROBLEM, "UNREASONABLE WEAR DUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN THAT CAUSED EXCESSIVE FORCE TO BE APPLIED TO THE VEHICLE'S REAR WHEELS." *TR

ABNORMAL BRAKE WEAR: I BOUGHT THIS CERTIFIED, ONE-YEAR-OLD DEALER DEMO IN JANUARY WITH APPROX. 10,000 MILES ON IT. BETWEEN THEN AND A SERVICE APPOINTMENT IN LATE APRIL, I PUT ANOTHER 8,500 MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES ON THE CAR. AT THE SERVICE APPOINTMENT I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKES AS THEY WERE ON THE VERGE OF FAILURE. I WAS ALSO TOLD SUCH EXCESSIVE WEAR WAS COMMON IN THIS MODEL AS WELL AS THE HONDA ACCORD. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE BREAKS AT 18,500 MILES, MUCH LESS AFTER 8,500. I WAS SHRUGGED OFF BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND BASICALLY INSTRUCTED THAT MY BEST OPTION WAS TO PURCHASE A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THE PADS TO HELP OFF-SET THE COSTS OF CONSTANTLY REPLACING THEM (THIS WAY I'M ONLY OUT TIME AND LABOR) DUE TO A BRAKING SYSTEM THAT THE DEALERSHIP ADMITTED HAD A DESIGN FLAW BUT THAT THEY SOMEHOW COULDN'T FIX. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HONDA/ACURA IS ALLOWED TO BLOW OFF REPAIRING A DEFECT IN A SAFETY COMPONENT AS CRITICAL AS THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *TR

REAR BRAKE PADS WERE WORN OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 16K MILES ON MY NEW ACURA TSX 2009 CAR. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 ACURA TSX, THE BRAKES KEEP PREMATURELY WEARING OUT AND HAVING TO REPLACE THEM EVER 12-15K MILES, I AM ALREADY ON MY SECOND SET OF BRAKES FOR THE REAR, DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON VEHICLE AND I DISAGREE, CANADA PUT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THEIR REAR BRAKES AND REPLACE THE PAD AND CALIPERS. ACCORDS IN THE SAME YEAR HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR. INSIDE WEARS FASTER THAN OUTSIDE AS WELL. THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY EXPENSE AND ANNOYING. *TR

NORMAL DRIVING, REAR BRAKES WORN OUT PREMATURELY. OE BRAKES WORN OUT AT 13600 MILES, REPLACEMENT BRAKES ARE CURRENTLY BEING REPLACED AT 35300 MILES (I AM CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER). REAR BRAKES ARE WEARING OUT ON THE INSIDE PADS. POSSIBLE CALIPER ISSUE. FRONT BRAKES ARE WEARING NORMALLY. RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR CANADIAN MODELS OF THIS CAR, US MODELS ARE YET TO BE RECALLED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. HONDA ACCORDS HAVE SIMILAR PREMATURE WEAR ISSUE. HONDA IS YET TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE FORMALLY EVEN THOUGH A COMPLAINT HAS BEEN MADE. SO FAR I HAVE SPENT $250 (FIRST TIME) AND $200(SECOND TIME) TO GET REAR BRAKES REPLACED UNDER 35000 MILES. HISTORY OF CAR: BOUGHT TSX IN OCTOBER 2008 (2009 MODEL), FIRST SET OF PADS REPLACED IN APRIL 2009. SECOND SET IN MARCH 2010. *TR

I BOUGHT AN ACURA 2009 TSX (TECH PKG) IN AUGUST 2008. WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH I HAD THE BRAKES SQUEALING,TERRIBLE NOISE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHO SAID IT IS NORMAL WITH FRONT BRAKES. I HAVE SUFFERED WITH THE PROBLEM EVERYDAY FOR 1.5 YEARS. WHEN I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER FEW DAYS AGO, THEY SAID THERE IS EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE FRONT PADS. THE CAR HAS 14,000 MILES AS OF MARCH 2010. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES PER THE NEW SERVICE BULLETIN RELATED TO SQUEAKING BRAKES. WINDSHIELD MOLDING CAME LOOSE FOR NO APPARENT REASON, DEALER FIXED IT AS WARRANTY SERVICE. THERE IS EXCESSIVE GLARE ON THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM, MAKES IT DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING. NOT SURE IF THERE IS A FIX FOR THIS. *TR

REAR BRAKES ON A 2009 ACURA TSX HAVE WORN EARLY, WELL BEFORE THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE WORN DOWN. FRONT BRAKES ARE AT 70+% LIFE, WHILE THE REARS ARE ALREADY WORN TO WITHIN 1MM.

I HAVE A 2009 ACURA TSX. AT 17K MILES THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE WAS 7 MM LEFT OF REAR BRAKE PADS. AT 23K THE BRAKES STARTED TO SQUEAL. DEALER SAID 3MM LEFT AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. WHEN LEFT, THE SQUEALING WAS GONE. AT 26K THEY STATE THERE IS 00MM LEFT. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. NO BREAK PAD SHOULD WEAR OUT IN THIS SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. *TR