I was driving down HWY 101 in Oregon State in the rain. I was accelerating because I had just turned onto the highway, I got up to about 60 mph whe the car started dinging as it does when you open the door with the keys still in the ignition. The VSA light, as well as the engine, oil, abs and battery lights all started flashing on the dash and the car turned off. The steering wheel locked up and I had to throw it in neutral, turning the key back and forth from the off position to the start position to get it to unlock right before I crashed into on coming traffick! There has been nothing wrong with the car other than routine maintenance an absolutely no signs anything is wrong with the car. It has 168436 miles on it and has been religiously maintained. There is a SERIOUS problem with this vehicle for something like this to happen. I've owned hundreds of cars and never experienced anything like this happening, ever!
Acura TL abs comes on
23 of the 3,117 owner complaints about the Acura TL describe aBS light or ABS activating, most of them for the 2004 model year.
- owner complaints
- 23
- worst model year
- 2004
- typical mileage
- 48,567
By model year
Often reported together
Spongy pedal 3Brake failure 3Transmission failure 1Tire blowout 1Steering lock-up 1Slipping 1Jerking 1Check engine light 1
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 acura tl. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced complete brake failure with the ABS and the automatic emergency brake warning lights illuminated. The contact had the vehicle serviced by two separate independent mechanics however, after each repair the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
I was driving on a city street when I was coming to get ready to stop I started to break, at that time my brake system felt like I was slipping on black ice you could say . But the road was dry ! My vehicle wouldn't stop normal I somehow by the grace of god got it pulled to the side of the street ! My ABS and vsa and the triangle with ( ! ) witch is orange also all came on . I shut my car off ! And had it towed home .. I have had people look and show me behind my two front tires that the speed sensors are on both sides deterrated and the bolts are missing that connect everything in place . I have looked up and seen recalls on this same situation I am now going threw !
Airbag: cracked dashboard above airbag. Abs off steering: (in motion and when stationary) steering wheel moaned while turning wheel/driving and even after parking and turning steering wheel. Brakes: (in motion) when going down on dips on road, brakes make noise and seem to slip.
Brakes feel spongy even after multiple brake bleeding as well as a master cylinder replacement. People on acura tl type s forums are reporting that air is being introduced through the vsa/ABS modulator.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 acura tl. The contact stated that while turning the vehicle on, the vsa warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the vsa warning indicator remained illuminated followed by the illumination of the ABS warning indicator. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vsa module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,220.
Vsa/ABS module failure. Abs, vsa and brake lights come on dash board. Told potential issue could be brakes could lock up so needs to be fixed.
I was driving at about 45-50 MPH when the brakes suddenly came on very hard without me touching the brake peddle and the car slowed very rapidly (in a straight line) almost to a stop. The brakes were then released as suddenly as they had been applied before the car came to a complete stop. The pulses from the antilock braking system (ABS) during the braking period indicated the brakes were being applied rather than a problem with the automatic transmission. I pulled off the road to check that the transmission was still functional and that no unusual fault lights were being displayed on the dash. Since everything appeared normal I resumed my journey only to have the same spontaneous braking phenomenon occur five or six times over the next 2-3 miles. Fortunately I was close to an acura dealer so I drove the car at 40 MPH with emergency flashers on to the acura dealer (about 3 miles away). Driving the car at 40 MPH did not prompt a recurrence of these spontaneous braking episodes over this distance. The acura dealer diagnosed a faulty accelerator position sensor and replaced the sensor assembly. There has been no recurrence of these spontaneous braking episodes over the 39 miles I have driven the car since the accelerator position sensor was replaced. I consider this spontaneous braking problem with my 2004 acura tl as extremely serious. Had a bus, truck, large SUV or pick up truck been following closely behind me when these braking episodes occurred I think it quite likely a serious and fatal accident could have happened.
I had to slam on my brakes today to avoid hitting a car. The ABS kicked in like it should and I heard the clicking of it going on and off. I stopped in time but noticed when I step on my brake now, it goes about half way down before they start to engage. Ii did a search and found the following tsb 07-041. This is a safety issue! Honda is recalled the odyssey vehicles for the same issue. It is a known issue in 2004 through 2006 acura tl and no action is being taken. This is the second instance at 64000 miles. The first instance was at 25,792 miles (03/10/08) and acura replaced the vsa modulator. Various online blogs report others having the same issue.
Abs kicked in when braking on an icy downhill. This is the first time ABS has ever engaged on this car. After releasing the brake pedal, brakes became extremely soft and travel much farther towards to the floor before brakes engage. Pumping them does not return brakes to normal operation. Research uncovered a technical service bulletin (tsb) with honda/acura aware of this problem. Acura service bulletin 07041. It appears this should be a recall given the danger this poses (loss of braking power). Recommendation is to replace $900+ vsa modulator. Ridiculous.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Acura TL abs
Why does the abs come on in the Acura TL?
Owners who report it most often also describe soft or spongy brake pedal, brake failure and complete transmission failure.
Which Acura TL years have aBS light or ABS activating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2004 (6 complaints), 2006 (5 complaints) and 2000 (2 complaints).
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