Table 1 shows two common suspension related problems of the 2005 Acura RL.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Suspension Noise problems | |
| Suspension problems |
I have a 2005 Acura Rl. I believe the vehicle has a fundamental design flaw. The clearance below the front of the car is insufficient and furthermore possible the suspension is not strong enough for the weight of the engine. What happened is that I used the car under normal operating conditions and it got damaged. I had three normal size adult passengers and a normal size 9 year old child in the car. No luggage. I pulled into a parking lot at normal speed and there was a loud noise from the front of the vehicle. I have noticed before that the front of the vehicle hits curbs when you park and scrapes when you go up sidewalk ramps, so I was aware that it does not have ample clearance and/or suspension, but in this case with those passengers on board it was worse, the right corner of the bumper got badly damaged. I talked to the dealer and Acura client services and they denied there is any design flaw. But I don't buy that because I have had a SAAB and a Lexus and nothing like this ever happened (in fact they don't even scrape like this one does). It's my view that this car does not meet the basic requirement of an implied warranty, which is that it should be usable under the operating conditions for which it was designed.
Both struts appeared good on smooth road, but are essentially rock solid on potholes or bumps. In 60 years of driving I have never had a failed shock so never considered it and bought this 10 year old car. Scant and incomplete data related to all brands on the internet blames the routine lifting of the car for tire rotation and breaking of internal parts that block the oil flow in the shock. This seems reasonable since many events occur in pairs (in front; I don't know about rear) . I expect that a single failure could cause obvious safety problems. Many miles of good operation are cut off for owners by this diabolical design error in addition to the added repair expense of approximately $1000. (+ and -) I believe that the dealer (brand not important) did not recognize the problem, indicating that more exposure and training is required. Parts people and mechanics seem to be aware but there is no concerted effort to solve it. (a conflict of interest?).