Intermitten problem with brakes becoming soft/spongy. I have taken my vehicle to Hondaa and a few local shops no one could identify the issue but confirmed brakes rotors were good and no leakes. After searching online I found many people experiencing the same issue which seems to be a known issue Acura is aware of....there seems to be a problem with the VSA Modular failing which is leaking air into the brake line and causing spongy brakes. This is sooooo dangerous as it happens out of no where Im driving normal and suddenly it feels like I have no brakes. The spongy brakes cause a lag in stopping and if for some reason I have to suddenly stop I would be unable to...this symptom last sometimes minutes, hours, and days with no reason and then brakes return to normal. Im afraid to drive my vehicle as this is dangerius and a safety issue. Acura should issue a recall as this is putting lives in danger.
Acura TL spongy pedal problems
10 of the 3,117 owner complaints about the Acura TL describe soft or spongy brake pedal, most of them for the 2004 model year.
- owner complaints
- 10
- worst model year
- 2004
- typical mileage
- 78,000
By model year
- 20091
- 20081
- 20062
- 20051
- 20043
- 20002
Often reported together
What owners say
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.
Brake pedal feels spongy and reduces stopping power due to air in the brake lines requiring replacement of the vsa modulator. (2004-06). I researched this online, after noticing my breaks were soft and less effective over the past few times I drove. They want to charge 2.6k to repair the module, despite them clearly having issues in the past. I'm hoping you will issue a recall so we can get reimbursed for this defective product which is a safety issue few can afford.
Early on I noticed that the brakes in my 2006 acura tl had a relatively soft feel in operation. Indeed, from the first day of ownership of the brand new car I'd been surprised at the difference from my previous car -- a 1995 nissan maxima -- which had solid feeling brakes. I attributed this softness to the new car's greater weight -- the brakes did after all, stop the car. But they never felt truly secure. In the last 2 years, the softness progressed slowly at first, and then worsening with an increasing rate of decline. At the start of july 2013, I was alarmed to find that I needed to pump the brakes for them to engage and stop the car. On 7/3/2013 the mechanic I saw found that air was in the lines, and that this apparently had let the right rear pads stay in contact with the disc requiring servicing of that portion of the system. He alerted me that a defective brake modulator problem was known to affect many tls of that time period. As it is an expensive part and not yet recalled, we opted to bleed the lines and fix the other damage hoping it would turn out that the line had simply leaked somehow. The drive away was the first & only time I've ever felt solid brakes on this car. But before I'd reached my home 10 miles away, they'd become spongy. By the next day I needed to pump them. Clearly, the modulator is introducing air to the lines. I essentially set the car aside while deciding whether I should replace it or fix it. I'm about to replace the modulator at my expense as I've decided I'm not prepared to buy a new car after all, but the brakes must be made safe. Acura has issued a bulletin, but they've not accepted responsibility for selling new cars with a defective part that completely fails, eventually. The problem they've imposed on the public is serious. Please don't wait for there to be a death before requiring a recall of the part by acura. Thank you.
Engine noise: a vibration and low buzzing sound in 5th gear caused by normal engine vibration at around 1,500 RPM, requiring a vibration damper near the rear motor mount. Also causing vibration on steering wheel at normal highways speed limits. And causing tires to cup and get bald. Very dangerous to drive on freeway causing steering to be very erratic due to vibration from front and rear broken engine mounts. Check-engine light: the check engine light may illuminate and a trouble code for the coolant sensor may be stored, but the problem is most likely a software glitch in the engine control module brakes: brake pedal may feel spongy or have excessive travel due to air in the brake lines requiring replacement of the vsa modulator. (2004-06) total repair cost so far... Item name repair cost A/C compressor $1,320 alternator $780 automatic transmission or transaxle $3,460 brakes $1,320 exhaust system $890 radiator $920 shocks and/or struts $3,200 timing chain or belt $1,050.
2006 acura tl 6 spd. 36,667 miles. Defective ABS/vsa modulator leading to air in brake lines, spongy brake pedal with inconsistent unpredictable braking ability (dangerous conditions).
The brakes on my 2004 acura tl have continued to be spongy and air gets into the system. I have spent over $1000 trying to fix the brakes and they keep getting spongy within a day of being bled. My mechanic did a seach and found the following tsb. Http://www.in.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/sb/b07-041.pdf this is a safety issue! Honda is recalling odyssey vehicles for the same issue. It is a known issue in 2004 through 2006 acura tl's and no action is being taken. I called acura and they said that they have no current plans for a recall.
2004 acura tl at has soft and spongy brakes. Braking seems useless under hard-braking conditions. It all started when I had to hit the brakes to avoid hitting road debris, ABS went into action and the car stopped in a dime, however, a few days after the event, I noticed the brakes getting spongy and soft. I went to get my brake pads and rotor changed along with a brake fluid change. It worked fine for a week but then it went back to soft and spongy. I had a situation where I had to brake hard for a beautiful l.a commuter who cut me off and there was almost to pressure whatsoever on the brakes, no ABS, no tire screeching, it just glided to a stop. I knew something was wrong. I took it to the dealer and they found out it was the vsa modulator, which was injecting air into the brake lines ever so often. Apparently it happened when the ABS kicked in, they said it would have faulted the vsa system. The part was replace under warranty, but that's because I purchased an extended one from acura. I afraid there are other tls with the same issues having to pay close to 2000 dollars for parts that are so critical and yet defective.
Brakes felt spongy, pedal would sink to floor. Master cylinder found defective and replaced under warrenty.
Consumer states that the brake pedal is much lower than the gas pedal and the pedal is spongy and goes to the floor when applied, the dealer stated there was nothing wrong.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Acura TL spongy pedal
Which Acura TL years have soft or spongy brake pedal problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2004 (3 complaints), 2000 (2 complaints) and 2006 (2 complaints).
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