I have a major safety concern with my 2005 Acura TL. In April, 2010, the Acura dealer replaced broken compliance bushings during a routine service (82,000 miles). After the service, I immediately noticed my car felt unsafe to drive and had a very rough ride. After numerous dealer visits, they replaced the rear strut assembly. None of this improved the handling or ride. At this time, the dealer stated I had the wrong tires and needed to replace them with original equipment Michelin Pilot mxm4 tires. I had nearly new Michelin Pilot sport A/S plus tires and not experienced a problem prior to the replacement of the bushings. I checked at costco, where I purchased the tires, and they indicated that Michelin Pilot sport plus tires were an acceptable upgrade for my vehicle. The owners manual does not mention that the Acura suspension requires tires only purchased at the dealer. On Nov. 8, 2010, during a routine service visit, the dealer noted fingernail size chunks of rubber pealing off my 2 front tires. They recommended I immediately change them since they were unsafe. Costco agreed to prorate and replace them with the dealer recommended tire. I notified the dealer of the purchase and then was told that Michelin made special tires only available at the Acura dealer. Until today, the dealer never stated that Michelin Pilot mxm4 tires manufactured especially for Acura were the only tires that would work with the Acura suspension. I have several problems with this. Nowhere does it say you must buy replacement tires from the dealer to have a safe car. Acura should not sell a car that can be safely driven with tires only purchased from them. I am very concerned that had I not taken the car in for service, I may have had a major tire failure causing serious injury or death. I am requesting that the ntsb investigate this issue and determine if other Acura drivers are at risk due to the purchase of tires from anyone other than the Acura dealer. Updated 01/20/11

- Upland, CA, USA

Consumer's dad purchased a 2005 Acura TL that have faulty tires and other problems. Within two weeks of purchasing the vehicle, the consumers dad had to return to the dealer, because the door seal needed to replaced and the battery died. The consumer was also left stranded when one of the tires disintegrated. The consumer picked the vehicle up from her dad and while driving, another tire failed.

- Porter, OK, USA

I bought a set of dunlop 235/45R17 sp sport signature tires in febraury, 2008 -- and replaced one of them in September 2008 due to unrelated issue. In early July, 2009, only about 17 months after I bought after I made my intial purchase, and less than a year after I bought the replacement 4th tire, the sidewall began to deteriorate (on the newer 4th tire) and the tread began seperating from one of the other 3 tires. Had my mechanic (doing a brake job) not noticed the defect, I could've easily had a blow-out and serious injury. I took the car into the tire store when I bought all 5 tires. They inspected the tires and found that all 4 were defective. They called Goodyear/dunlop (I spoke with mary in the customer service dept.) Goodyear/dunlop acknowledged that all 4 remaining tires were defective and initially demanded $200 to replace all 4 of the defective dunlop tires (which I originaly paid $1,000 for). Eventially I agreed to pay $120.51, but I still think I got screwed. Meanwhile, there's no recall notice, but clearly these are defective tires.

- Northbrook, IL, USA

Tire specs -Goodyear Eagle 235/45zr17 94Y S2 Eagle response edge vsb on 2005 Acura TL with variable assist steering. I recently replaced my tires with Goodyear response edge carbon fiber sidewall tires. These tires played havoc with the vas system. The steering wheel could not be centered. In fact the centering changed throughout a drive. Cornering, on acceleration, the car turned abruptly into the corner, on breaking the car turned out of the corner without moving the wheel. Replaced tires with dunlap sp 5000 which fixed the problem tire specs -Goodyear Eagle 235/45zr17 94Y S2 Eagle response edge vsb.

- Falmouth, ME, USA

I recently purchased a dealer-certified used 2005 Acura TL with new, dealer-installed Bridgestone turanza EL42 tires. In my first experience driving the vehicle in rain, I nearly lost control of the vehicle at 60 mph when I hit a shallow standing water (~1" deep) in the roadway. Being a front-drive vehicle, I was very surprised to feel the front tires distinctly hydroplane and cause me to almost lose control of my vehicle. These tires only have 2,000 miles on them and I find their lack of hydroplaning resistance to be well below normal expectations and therefore distinctly dangerous.

- Troy, MI, USA

- the contact owns a 2005 Acura, and complained about the tires. The contact had 3 incidents with the tires that were on the vehicle at the time of purchase. During the first incident, the driver's side tire lost air due to a nail. The tire was repaired on May 6, 2006. In July the contact noticed the same tire was losing air, and was repaired on December 1, 2006. Also, the contact had the tires rotated, aligned, and the tire pressure checked. On December 31, 2006, the contact was driving and noticed the vehicle was slowing down. She then accelerated, but the vehicle continued to slow down. Suddenly a cloud of smoke appeared on the front passenger's side. The police escorted the contact to a safe location. The tire was burnt, and the rim was damaged. On January 2, 2007 all 4 tires were replaced at the dealer. The contact felt that Acura should not use this type of defective tire.

- Watertown, MA, USA

Michelin Pilot hx mxm4 tire failure complaint against Acura and Michelin tire corporations* the right front tire dislodged completely off of the rim. The portion of the tire which comes in contact with the road surface completely separated from the remainder of the tire. The dislodge portion of the tire passed completely over in front of the consumers vehicle and proceeded to roll in the pathway of three adjacent lanes of traffic. The consumers vehicle was damage due to loosing some control of the vehicle when the incident occurred. The tire was inspected by a tire dealer and it was determined that there was puncture to the tire or any prior damage to the tire, it was clearly a defect with the tire. The consumer also experienced problems with the drivers side window. The regulator and motor were replaced.

- Capital Heights, MD, USA

My 2005 Acura TL EL42 Bridgestone rear tires went completely bald on a 3000 mile trip(19000 miles total) from dallas to Colorado and back. It appears that there is a suspension/tire problem where the rear alignment under full load of 2 passangers and luggage in the trunk degrades and causes severe tire wear. This causes severe loss of control on wet pavement with rear hydroplaning at even <50 mph. Acura has a tsb and replace tires at lowered cost but only with the suspect EL42 tires. After further internet searches this seem not to be isolated incident.

- Richardson, TX, USA

Vehicle has a vibration between 52-64 mph. Feels like you are driving over rumble strips. The dealer and factory have attempted to repair 4 times and over 19 day in shop and still the vibration is present. My fear is the vehicle transmission, drive train, steering or brakes could fail at any moment due to part fatigue. There seems to be no repair in plan to resolve this problem can you please help.

- Elizabethtown, KY, USA

In spring 2004 I purchased an Acura TL with Bridgestone turanza el 42 high performance tires. After 6,500 miles one of the tires had a flat. Although the garage attempted to repair the flat, it continued to lose air and I was informed that I needed a new tire. It seemed odd that a tire would not be reparable after that short a use, but I was advised that it had to do with the location of the puncture and was not a defect. In November of this year, after putting 14,500 miles on the car I had a more serious problem with another tire. On this occasion, while traveling at 65 miles per hour on an interstate highway, my car began to shake. I managed to pull over to the side of the highway and stop. The tire sidewall had disintegrated and was completely separated from the rim. The following day I took the tire into a Firestone shop where the service manager, tom curry, advised me that the problem was due to a road hazard and was not a defect. He inspected the tire for a puncture, and after not finding one, assured me that it must have been in the disintegrated sidewall. I then asked him if he had ever seen a tire that was damaged in the absence of a road hazard, and he told me he had not. It is clear to me that these tires are defective and that Bridgestone refuses to take responsibility for their products.

- Cleveland Heights, OH, USA

I purchased a new 2005 Acura TL in August 2005. My car is a non-navigation 6 speed manual transmission model delivered with Bridgestone EL42 tires. The first time I drove the vehicle in the rain, I noticed that even at low speeds on wet roads, the tires do not have any traction at all. On ramps at 20 mph the front tires loose grip. As of today, the weather is getting colder and the tires are flat spotting on top of that. These tires are all season rated and delivered on a $35,000 vehicle. They are absolutely unsafe in anything but dry weather, but are rates all season. I fear for my safety on the highway at freeway speeds and even more fear the first day of snow. Acura has so far refused to do anything and referred me to the tire manufacturer. They do deliver other TL models with Michelin tires that are rated by customer much much higher. While the EL42 tires present a big problem from wet weather traction, over flat spotting to premature wear, Acura has chosen not to do anything about it yet. How shameful for otherwise such a great car, putting on tires that will land them a lawsuit if anything happens at all! it it their choice to put these tires on some of their cars, so their responsibility to fix the problem!!

- Pewaukee, WI, USA

I'm very upset about the oem tires on my 2005 Acura. I've had it since March of this year and complained from the beginning that the tires should be replaced because of the flat spotting and vibration. I complained to Acura in California who had my car in twice so far. They acknowledge the vibration in many of their Tls but won't replace the tires. They placed a small dampening rubber by the engine mount but it's still very obvious and very annoying. We as citizens come to you as a last resort many times to voice our concerns over safety issues. I cannot believe that with all the numerous complaints for over two years now about these tires failing, vibrating and very premature wear from new car buyers all over the country, nobody there is doing there job! Acura and Bridgestone should be made to replace all Bridgestone turanza EL42 tires immediately.

- Holbrook, NY, USA

The rear tires on a 2005 Acura TL lost all thir tread with only 8000 mile on the odometer. The tires supplied by the vehicle manufacturer were Bridgestone turanza EL42 P235 45 R17 with a tread wear rating of 260. The tires were rotated by the Acura dealer at 4000 miles and no unusual ware was reported. This totally unexpected rapid wear resulted in the vehicle becoming unstable on wet pavement. This could have resulted in loss of control. The extreme tire wear problem was found when investigating the vehicle stability problem. These tires are either totally unsuitable for this vehicle and should have never been provided by the manufacturer or the rear suspension of the vehicle was not properly designed for the vehicle. All Acura TL cars with these tires should be recalled and the tires replaced. It should be noted that recent vehicles are being shipped with Michelin Pilot hx mxm4 tires so the manufacturer appears to be aware of the problem.

- Kennebunk, ME, USA

The rear passenger side tire went flat. There was no indication that it was flat. Consumer could not feel that the tire was flat. If he had driven another 20 miles on the highway the tire would have come off of the vehicle. Consumer was concerned because it could not be sensed from inside the vehicle. The tire went flat due to a nail puncture. The sidewall of the tire was worn. The consumer stated the tires are low profile tires.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

There were original tires on the vehicle. The rear passenger tire was smoking and went completely flat while driving at 60-65 mph. It damaged the rim. The dealership gave the consumer the number for the manufacturer and they told her that the tire was tested and it was not defective. This was caused by a nail puncture.

- Gahanna, OH, USA

Oem tires on 05 Acura TL's at 5000 wet weather driving is downright dangerous. Driving in snow even when new was impossible.. yet these tires are marked M/S all season. Dealers are aware but have no incentive to do anything about it...except sell you a new set of tire for $800 we have had two very close calls in the rain are in the process of replacing tires at our expense before someone gets hurt. Rf tire has developed a major sidewall blister and was removed from service before catastrophic failure.

- Hopewell Junction, NY, USA

Driver swerved to avoid car tryin G to merge into same lane. Front and rear left tires hit the median curb ( aprrox 6" max hieght). The rims are the standard five spoke mags that come on 2005 Acura TL. Immediatley after hitting the curb - at a very oblique angle - the rim broke. The spokes of the front rim broke loose form the part of the rim that forms the inside of the tire. All 5 spokes broke in the same place. The sppkes and center of the rim stayed bolted to the lugs. The tire and the rest of the rim came losse from the car and passed ahead of the car. When the front tire broke free from the car several things happened. The car settled down on the spokes of the mag rim, this impact set off the driver side airbags and cracked the brake caliper on the front left. Braking was not effective at this point. The car eventually came to a stop in the right hand lane of road. The car was taken to the Acura dealership ( on a flatbed truck). The woman at the dealership told us that they wanted the car taken to their collsion center so that digital pictures could be taken and forwarded to Acura. Several days later Acura replied that a rim failure like that was normal for hitting the curb and that they were not responsible.

- Venice, FL, USA