1999 ACURA INTEGRA

FIVE MONTHS (3000 MI) AFTER I PURCHASED A YOKOHAMA ENVIGOR TIRE FOR MY 1999 ACURA I HAD A FLAT TIRE. UPON INSPECTION I NOTICED A 1/4 INCH RUBBER SEPARATION ON THE INSIDE WHEEL WELL. IT DID NOT GO THROUGH THE TIRE WALL AND WAS NOT A SLASH MARK AS IT WAS IRREGULAR AND JAGGED. IT ALSO DID NOT PIERCE THE INTERIOR MESH LINING . THE CAR HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING (I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 45 YEARS). THE TIRE WENT FLAT (FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT HAPPEN THE DAY BEFORE WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON A FREEWAY. DESPITE THE OBVIOUSLY FAULTY TIRE CONSTRUCTION I WAS TOLD IT WAS CAUSED BY A ROAD HAZARD BY A YOKOHAMA REPRESENTATIVE. WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO ABRASIONS NEARBY ON THE TIRE AND THAT THE OPENING WAS IRREGULAR UNLIKE ANY METAL ROAD MATERIAL MIGHT CAUSE THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID ONLY TREAD BOTTOM IRREGULARITIES WERE CONSIDERED IMPERFECTIONS. THE DOT SHOULD MAKE MANUFACTURERS INCLUDE NON REPAIRABLE SIDEWALL DEFECTS AS IMPERFECTIONS AND HAVE AN IMPARTIAL REPRESENTATIVE ENTITY A

Mileage: 175,959

DT: HEAD REST WILL NOT ADJUST TO CONSUMER'S HEIGHT. THE HEAD REST HAS ONLY ONE POSITION TO ADJUST, NOT TWO OR THREE. *AK

Mileage: 12

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY, A SMALL PLASTIC CLIP DESIGNED TO SECURE AN ENGINE HOSE WORKED ITS WAY LOSE. THE PIECE LANDED ON THE THROTTLE SWITCH WHILE THE SWITCH WAS IN THE OPEN POSITION AND WEDGED ITSELF IN A WAY THAT PREVENTED THE THROTTLE FROM CLOSING. THIS LEFT THE CAR IN PERMANENT ACCELERATION. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO DROP THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND REMOVE THE KEY TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. DOING THIS THEN MAKES THE CAR DIFFICULT TO MANAGE BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS WAS AN EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE THROTTLE SHOULD BE SHROUDED SO THAT NO FOREIGN OBJECT HAS ANY CHANCE OF INTERFERING WITH ITS ABILITY TO CLOSE PROPERLY. *JB

WHILE STARTING VEHICLE PASSENGER AND DRIVER AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT WILL WORK WHEN STARTING VEHICLE; HOWEVER, WHEN SHUTTING IT OFF BELT WILL NOT BE OPERABLE.*AK

I OWN A 1999 ACURA INTEGRA WITH MICHELIN TIRES (P 195/55 R15 84V XGT V4). IN AUGUST, 2000, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE DEVELOPED A QUARTER-SIZED BLISTER ON THE SIDE WALL WHICH APPEARED TO BE CAUSED BY AN INTERNAL AIR LEAK. AT THE TIME, THE TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 16,000 MILES ON THEM. UPON OBSERVING THIS BLISTER, I FIRST CONTACTED MY LOCAL ACURA DEALER. I SPOKE TO A MAN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHO TOLD ME, WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE TIRES, THAT THE DAMAGE WAS A ROAD HAZARD AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. NOT SATISFIED, I NEXT CONTACTED MICHELIN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO TO NATIONAL TIRE AND BATTERY (NTB) IN ELLISVILLE, MISSOURI. UPON WHAT I CONSIDERED VERY CASUAL OBSERVATION, AN NTB SALES REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THE DEFECT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT A NEW TIRE WOULD COST $180.00 BECAUSE THE TIRES ARE "HIGH PERFORMANCE". THE SALESMAN FURTHER STATED THAT THE BLISTER PRESENTED A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WHICH I BELIEVED AT THE TIME AND TOOK SERIO

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON 3 WEEKS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT VANDERGRIFF ACURA 5 TIMES IN BETWEEN AUGUST 12,1999 TO NOVEMBER 9,1999. I HAVE ALL OF THE SERVICE RECORDS. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED. *AK

KOLCRAFT SECURA CHILD CARRIER AND CAR SEAT HAS A DEFECT WHICH CAN CAUSE THE CHILD SEAT TO NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED. *AK

FRONT WINDSHIELD HAS VISIBLE WAVES RUNNING THROUGH ALL AREAS. THESE WAVES DISTORT OUTWARD VISION AS THE CAR MOVES RIGHT OR LEFT, OR IF YOU MOVE YOUR HEAD DURING DRIVING. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE GLASS, BUT THE REPLACEMENT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IN LOOKING AT OTHER NEW CARS OF THE SAME MAKE IN THE SHOWROOM, ALL CARS OF THIS MODEL TYPE EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER REFERS PROBLEM TO ACURA HELP PHONE LINE, PHONE LINE SAYS THE PROBLEM IS THE DEALER'S. LOCAL GLASS COMPANY SAYS HE CAN GUARANTEE NO DISTORTION BY GOING TO A DIFFERENT SUPPLIER AND REPLACING THE GLASS AT MY COST. *AK