| blkmdx |
| I picked up my '08 Nimbus Grey X about 2 weeks ago. First let me start by saying that I love the vehicle. Drives and handles just great. But, after admiring it for a couple of weeks, I am really disappointed with the fit of the body panels. My hood sits about 1/8" below the tops of the fenders, the drivers side rear door is about 1/4" out from the rear fender, the top of the gas filler door sticks out about 1/8". I must also comment that the gas filler door is very cheap feeling. In comparison to my '01, I would say that body panel fit is much worse and very disappointing for a $45K vehicle. Especially for a vehicle from Acura. Anyone else notice this or am I just overly picky. I am taking it into the dealer today so hopefully they can address and correct some of panel mismatch. |
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| nick1214 |
take it to the dealer
it seems a little bit off |
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| skinny |
My panels are pretty much aligned, but I would have to agree with you. While picking up my X i had a couple to choose from, 2 of 3 had a misaligned bumper where it met at the fender by the front tires.
Also After going back to the dealer and while walking around the lot. I noticed some of them are not aligned correctly. I don't think you are picky, if i were you i would bring it back and ask them to realign it. |
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| craniotes |
I don't think you're being picky at all. What are we talking about here, three different panels that don't align properly? Unacceptable, IMO.
FWIW, when I took delivery of my X, I didn't notice that the rear spoiler was misaligned. It was barely off, but it was still enough to bug me each time I looked at it. Well, at the first service I pointed this out and they fixed it. No questions. No funny looks. The bottom line is you paid your hard earned money to Acura, and they need to do right by you.
Regards,
Adam |
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| cybulman |
Yes, it is definitely NOT a Merc., BMW, Infiniti (all which I have owned) or a Lexus quality body.
It has been great in crash tests and must be very light, due to weight and pull - but all the parts are not seamlessly together.
If you have owned the others you will notice this. I myself came off a VW Touareg, which we joked about in terms of nagging electrical and mechanical gremlins, but it was well put together in body.
I got the MDX for RELIABILITY and try to overlook the parts not seamlessly together.
So, I guess you get what you pay for and this is Made in Canada...and designed in CA!!!
Cy |
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| blkmdx |
| Thanks everyone. My wife says I am too picky, but I have to tell you, the mismatch is very noticable and bugs me everytime I look at it. So I'll hope the dealer can make it right. I never noticed any type of mismatch on my '01 MDX or my '05 TL. The fit was perfect on both. |
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| Fabvsix |
| So what you are saying is its designed by nuts in kalifooya and built by the stubborn french in Canada with 75% import parts? I've learned to live with these issues only seen by the owner. As long as she doesn't fail me, I'm happy with it.....My 04 RL is way better built and 100% built by the Japanese.....:1: |
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| blkmdx |
quote:
Originally posted by cybulman
Yes, it is definitely NOT a Merc., BMW, Infiniti (all which I have owned) or a Lexus quality body.
It has been great in crash tests and must be very light, due to weight and pull - but all the parts are not seamlessly together.
If you have owned the others you will notice this. I myself came off a VW Touareg, which we joked about in terms of nagging electrical and mechanical gremlins, but it was well put together in body.
I got the MDX for RELIABILITY and try to overlook the parts not seamlessly together.
So, I guess you get what you pay for and this is Made in Canada...and designed in CA!!!
Cy
I have to disagree with your "you get what you pay for" statement. The MDX is considered a luxury class SUV. I would expect panel mismatch from a $20K SUV, not something $45K. And even a $20K SUV I would expect they can align the body panels up correctly. |
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| blkmdx |
quote:
Originally posted by Fabvsix
So what you are saying is its designed by nuts in kalifooya and built by the stubborn french in Canada with 75% import parts? I've learned to live with these issues only seen by the owner. As long as she doesn't fail me, I'm happy with it.....My 04 RL is way better built and 100% built by the Japanese.....:1:
I think the Canuck's were smoking crack when they assembled mine! |
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| cybulman |
We can agree to disagree, but just look at your dash and compare it with other SUV dashes in MB, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus and even VW and you will see what I am talking about.
It's all cheap plastic trim made to look like wood. The others are all wood and polished steel/aluminium. Just compare your steering wheel, its leather and feel and you will know what I am talking about. Compare the leather stitching and you will see what I am talking about.
The MDX is a very good, solid, reliable and techie advanced machine - but it is not true "luxury" and the bodywork/trim is badly put together in Canada.
Cy |
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| craniotes |
While I'm the first to admit that the "plood" in my X is hardly a substitute for the burled walnut in my Benz, the rest of the dash measures up quite nicely -- no squeaks or rattles -- and seats are more supportive with softer leather. I might also add that all of my body panels line up properly (save for the spoiler, which was fixed under warranty). Does the X possess the same vault-like aura of my E420? Not quite, but then IMO, few cars do, including the current crop of Benzes.
We can certainly agree to disagree, but at the very least advertise your opinion for what it is -- namely, your opinion -- because IMO, based on features, performance, styling and quality, the X is a true luxury vehicle. blkmdx, and I'm assuming you as well, both received cars that don't quite meet up to your expectations, but I hardly think that it's fair to tar them all with the same brush.
Regards,
Adam |
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| rsgacura |
| I too have front driver side panels mis-aligned right above the wheel, asked dealer to fix it while it was in shop for fixing door light and other TSBs. They did something, but, I can tell, they are still not aligned properly. I just need to stop looking at it!!! |
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| skinny |
| It should not be a hard fix. I say keep bugging them if it still bothers you. Good Luck to you, i hope everything works out! |
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| blkmdx |
| Well the dealer called and didn't give me exactly the answer I want. According to them, they compared the fit of the panels of my X to others and feel it is within spec/tolerance. Which I find is a total joke since the loaner I have doesn't have these same issues. And if all MDX's have this poor of a fit, then Acura's quality & integrity is crap in my opinion. So they are going to bring up my complaint to the Acura District Manager to see "what they can do". So in one way he is admitting that the panels don't fit correctly otherwise why would he bring this to the district manager. I should have listen to my wife and paid the extra for the X5 I guess...........:mad: |
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| craniotes |
Wow. I've got to say that I'm surprised at their response, particularly because my dealer was only too happy to fix my issue with my spoiler (and we're talking about a millimeter or two of error at most). I wouldn't stop at this -- make your own complaint to Acura Client Services, because misaligned panels are most certainly a defect, the proof of which being that you're driving around in a loaner that doesn't evince any of these issues.
Regards,
Adam |
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| blkmdx |
quote:
Originally posted by craniotes
Wow. I've got to say that I'm surprised at their response, particularly because my dealer was only too happy to fix my issue with my spoiler (and we're talking about a millimeter or two of error at most). I wouldn't stop at this -- make your own complaint to Acura Client Services, because misaligned panels are most certainly a defect, the proof of which being that you're driving around in a loaner that doesn't evince any of these issues.
Regards,
Adam
I too am very surprised at their response. I surely will be contacting Acura Client Services with my complaint. I am just really disappointed that after having a great experience with my 1st '01 X and my '05 TL, I am not so overjoyed with my '08 X. |
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| Fabvsix |
| The difference you would pay BMW right now, with the depreciation of the X you would be better off paying a high end body shop to straighten your misaligned panels..... |
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| theOldMan |
| The body pannels on my MDX are perfectly alligned. As a matter of fact, the fit and finsh of the car is excellent. I may not like the plastic wood on the dash, but everything is perfectly bolted together. |
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| Fabvsix |
| Why can't it be like that? Heck the newer RL gets faux wood but not my 04 RL! |
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| blkmdx |
Well after picking up my X tonight and comparing it to not only my loaner, but others on the lot, I am completely dis-satisfied. The fit of the rear drivers side door and top portion of the gas filler door is absolutely horrible in my opinion. I mean, the passenger side rear door is perfectly flush, so why can't the driver side match this. To tell me these are within spec. is a slap in the face. I'll try to take pictures tomorrow when it is light out.
So needless to say I have a fairly lengthy letter prepared to send off to Acura Client Services (I can't believe they don't have any email address! They have a fax number...fax, welcome to the year 1980.) I'll also cc: the dealership on my letter to Acura since it is their service department who didn't want to do anything about it and just told me they would contact the local Acura Rep. with my complaint. Needless to say I am PO'd :3: |
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| craniotes |
This is completely ridiculous. By all means, post shots when you have the time, and please keep up updated with your progress -- or lack thereof, as the case may be.
Regards,
Adam |
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| blkmdx |
Gas cap. I can't believe they consider the top sticking out like that "within spec."
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| blkmdx |
Drivers side rear door.
It is kind of hard to get the right angle with a picture, but I think you can see the gap from the edge of the door to the rear fender.
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| craniotes |
Whoa! There's no way that can be considered to be "within spec". Heck, even 70's era Dodge Darts rolled off the assembly line with better panel fit than that. If this were my X, I'd be as peeved as you are, and I wouldn't rest until they fixed it. Keep after 'em.
Regards,
Adam |
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| blkmdx |
quote:
Originally posted by craniotes
Whoa! There's no way that can be considered to be "within spec". Heck, even 70's era Dodge Darts rolled off the assembly line with better panel fit than that. If this were my X, I'd be as peeved as you are, and I wouldn't rest until they fixed it. Keep after 'em.
Regards,
Adam
Thanks for your opinion. I plan to send pictures along with my letter to Acura Client Services, so if you can see the mis-alignment, then I'll send the same pictures to them. I'll let you know what happens. |
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| eujinc |
| The pictures really tell it all. The misaligned gas door would have drove me nuts. Totally unacceptable. |
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| Needsdecaf |
quote:
Originally posted by craniotes
Whoa! There's no way that can be considered to be "within spec". Heck, even 70's era Dodge Darts rolled off the assembly line with better panel fit than that. If this were my X, I'd be as peeved as you are, and I wouldn't rest until they fixed it. Keep after 'em.
Regards,
Adam
That door looks atrocious.
My gas cap is the same way. |
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| blkmdx |
quote:
Originally posted by Needsdecaf
That door looks atrocious.
My gas cap is the same way.
I have to admit, I have seen other gas doors that stick out at the top as well, although not as much as mine does. This to me is unacceptable, whether it is on mine or someone elses. I can't beleive Acura would put such a POS for a gas filler door on a vehicle. The thing seems to be made out of plastic......
I am really glad to hear others find the rear door to be unacceptable.
Do you guys have issues with the alignment of your rear spoiler to your roof line? On both sides of mine, the spoiler is about 1/4" lower than the roof line. Again, I would expect this to be flush with the roof, which mine is not. |
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| craniotes |
Unless I'm mistaken, I believe that the fuel-filler door is made out of plastic, which seems like an odd choice of materials to me. Mine fits flush, but out of the box it would stick. Sometimes it would take six or seven pushes of the release button to get it to open. It has since been fixed, however.
As for the spoiler, I believe that's how it's supposed to look, but again, I could be mistaken. My X was delivered with the spoiler a couple of millimeters or so lower on the left side, which they fixed for me. Now it's completely even, though on both sides it does appear to be a bit lower than the roofline, even though the center is flush. Perhaps someone else can chime in here. Mind you, this doesn't bother me, but it would still be nice to know if others are seeing the same thing on their vehicles.
Regards,
Adam |
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| blkmdx |
Since I had the camera handy, I took some pictures of both sides of my spoiler:
Drivers side:
Passengers side:
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| craniotes |
It's sort of hard to tell from the photos, but again, that seems to be a bit more than "within specs". On mine, it's barely noticeable.
Perhaps you can pull back a bit on the shots?
Regards,
Adam |
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| uncal |
quote:
Originally posted by theOldMan
The body pannels on my MDX are perfectly alligned. As a matter of fact, the fit and finsh of the car is excellent. I may not like the plastic wood on the dash, but everything is perfectly bolted together.
Same here. |
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| bigpecs1 |
| this is making me paranoid...:runaway: |
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| kingmdx |
| From your photos I can see what you mean ....the left side seems lower ..it looks like somethings wrong there for sure...I checked mine and it's lined up perfect also ...so it has to be someones not re-installing it right. |
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| blkmdx |
Well yesterday I took my X to another dealers service center. The service advisor and service manager were very nice and although I didn't purchase my vehicle from their dealership, were more than willing to take a look at my vehicle. The service manager said that the fuel door seems to be pulling away from the internal mechanism and the only fix would be to order a new door and mechanism. For the rear door, he agreed that it didn't fit flush like the passengers side and they would do whatever they could to adjust it to make the gap less visible. Although he didn't gaurantee they could get it to fit as perfect as the passenger door. So we'll see what happens. They'll call me when the fuel door/mechanism comes in and take a look at both items then. My fingers are crossed.
In the meantime I did call Acura Client Services yesterday and filed my complaint. I do have to say though, I was less than impressed with the reaction I got (and maybe it was just the person on the other end of the line I was not impressed with). When I asked what the next step would be, the person just told me they would log my complaint and use it for evaluating the dealer I purchased the vehicle from. I asked if I could expect a call from the dealership or from Acura directly and they said not necessary. So I asked what the point of Acura Client Services was, and was told that they take the feedback of Acura customers and use it rate their dealerships. Maybe I don't get their purpose, but I thought I would at least be told someone from Acura would be contacting me with my complaint. At any rate, I intend to send my letter, along with the same pictures I have posted here to Acura Client Services as well as the dealership I purchased the vehicle from. Although I am not exactly sure that will do anything for me. |
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| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by blkmdx
Well yesterday I took my X to another dealers service center. The service advisor and service manager were very nice and although I didn't purchase my vehicle from their dealership, were more than willing to take a look at my vehicle. The service manager said that the fuel door seems to be pulling away from the internal mechanism and the only fix would be to order a new door and mechanism. For the rear door, he agreed that it didn't fit flush like the passengers side and they would do whatever they could to adjust it to make the gap less visible. Although he didn't gaurantee they could get it to fit as perfect as the passenger door. So we'll see what happens. They'll call me when the fuel door/mechanism comes in and take a look at both items then. My fingers are crossed.
In the meantime I did call Acura Client Services yesterday and filed my complaint. I do have to say though, I was less than impressed with the reaction I got (and maybe it was just the person on the other end of the line I was not impressed with). When I asked what the next step would be, the person just told me they would log my complaint and use it for evaluating the dealer I purchased the vehicle from. I asked if I could expect a call from the dealership or from Acura directly and they said not necessary. So I asked what the point of Acura Client Services was, and was told that they take the feedback of Acura customers and use it rate their dealerships. Maybe I don't get their purpose, but I thought I would at least be told someone from Acura would be contacting me with my complaint. At any rate, I intend to send my letter, along with the same pictures I have posted here to Acura Client Services as well as the dealership I purchased the vehicle from. Although I am not exactly sure that will do anything for me.
Acura client services is really just a call center to log compliants as you found out. The person who evaluates questionable claims and authorizes spending $ to fix them is the local Acura rep. Acura does use a system where they compare the defect to other vehicles and, if they are found to have the same defect, it is declared a "characteristic of the vehicle". A lazy dealer will try and make you go away with that same answer. If you are not happy with the dealers answer, the most effective direct route to a resolution is to request that they schedule a mtg with the local rep the next time that they are at the dealership. Since you found another reasonable dealer, you don't need to do that. Usually the meeting with the rep will get you beyond that "characteristic of the vehicle" BS. I went through something similiar with a lousy dealer, however, in the end, the rep essentially agreed to repaint as much of the vehicle as I felt necessary to resolve my complaint. Her exact words were that "Acura has a huge budget to resolve after delivery issues". Good luck with it! |
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| eggri |
I have a similar gap on my rear driver's side door. I'm not surprised that, if they let mine go out this way that others slipped by too.
Overall, I have been very unimpressed with the fit and finish of my new vehicle.
Please let us know the resolution. I'm tempted to go ask that the door be replaced and/or realigned.
--
Jeff |
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| blkmdx |
| I took the X into the dealership (not the dealership I purchased from, but one closer to my home and who was willing to try to make things right) yesterday to have the gas door replaced and have the rear drivers side door aligned. So we'll see what happens. I was tempted to just live with both the way they were since I hate taking my vehicles to the dealership since they usually screw something else up. I'll update everyone once I get the vehicle back. If there are still issues, then the next step will be to get a hold of the local Acura rep. |
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| adr5 |
| Funny, I recently noticed my gas door was also not sitting just right. In fact it is not centered in the opening. I'm going to look at the door and see if there are any adjustments I can make on my own before I have the dealer look at it. I didn't notice the fit of the doors, or any other panel, being way off. I only drive the car on weekends, but I am sure I would have noticed that. Panel alignment is not really a big deal if you have the right tools, so I wonder why the dealer would balk. Unless the body parts are way out of spec and can't be aligned. But if that is the problem, they should be replacing the parts. |
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| blkmdx |
| Well I got my X back from the dealer today and am happy to report the rear drivers side door and gas door look much better. The rear door is almost perfect now (after the service dept. at the dealer where I bought the car told me it was within spec. and the gas filler door is very close to flush. I am very happy with the service that John (service advisor) and Mark (service manager) gave me at Muller's Acura in Schaumburg, IL. I really felt like they cared that I wasn't happy with the original fit of both panels and wanted to make me happy even though I didn't purchase the vehicle from their dealership. |
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| eggri |
| Did they explain what they did to fix the fit of the door or explain how it ended up that way? As you can imagine, I'm a little reluctant to ask for mine to be fixed...some times things get worse if you know what I mean. |
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| cFoo |
This is a sad thing for me to say but one of the concerns that I have about the X is that it's made in Canada. Yes, I'm Canadian. But sadly years of watching how badly cars are built in North America left me with nothing but negative vibes. This thread isn't helping :(
We had a Legend back in the days that lasted 8yrs before we traded in for the last generation TL - made in the US. It was nothing but troubles and there were fit problems all around the car. They sure don't build Acura/Honda like they used to any more. If there's no J in the VIN I have reservations about it. |
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| blkmdx |
quote:
Originally posted by eggri
Did they explain what they did to fix the fit of the door or explain how it ended up that way? As you can imagine, I'm a little reluctant to ask for mine to be fixed...some times things get worse if you know what I mean.
Yes, for the rear drivers side door, he said they just needed to get some longer door adjusting bolts and with those they were able to get the door to match up with the rear fender. I too was skepticle, as I didn't want them to make it worse. But I couldn't live with the door the way it was, so I took the chance and it worked out.
On the gas door he said they replaced the internal mechanism (the plastic piece that actually opens the door) and put the same filler door on the new mechanism. Again, I was skeptical, but it is a much better fit than before.
The way both panels are aligned now is what I would have expected from the factory. I frankly can't believe Acura let's vehicle out the door with panels aligned the way mine were. |
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| blkmdx |
quote:
Originally posted by cFoo
This is a sad thing for me to say but one of the concerns that I have about the X is that it's made in Canada. Yes, I'm Canadian. But sadly years of watching how badly cars are built in North America left me with nothing but negative vibes. This thread isn't helping :(
We had a Legend back in the days that lasted 8yrs before we traded in for the last generation TL - made in the US. It was nothing but troubles and there were fit problems all around the car. They sure don't build Acura/Honda like they used to any more. If there's no J in the VIN I have reservations about it.
My '01 MDX came from Japan, now the fit and finish was excellent, but there was the transmission problems with the '01's (mine made the low RPM, 40MPH rumbling sound since 60K miles until I traded it at 115K), so I guess you never know what you are going to get.
I have a '05 TL, made in the US, has excellent fit and finish, and knock on wood, I have had 0 problems. I would say the best vehicle I have owned.
But I would agree with you, if Acura is going to stay a contender in the luxury car arena, they have some work to do. |
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| cFoo |
quote:
Originally posted by blkmdx
But I would agree with you, if Acura is going to stay a contender in the luxury car arena, they have some work to do.
They say in marketing brochures and press releases that they are a contender. But that's all talk. I just wish they would just suck it up and put out a real product without trying to put out the cheapest product. They have the Honda Pilot to market the values part of the company. It's like they can't make up their mind whether they want Acura to be a real high end brand or just another competitor to its own Honda brand. :bonk: |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by blkmdx
My '01 MDX came from Japan,
Really?? I thought ALL MDXs were manufactured in Canada from the beginning.:confused: |
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| SDosMil |
I test drove and took a look at some MDXs this weekend, and as a Honda/Acura enthusiast I was quite disappointed by the fit and finish. All the MDxs on the lot had the gas cap either misaligned, or not fitting properly (the piece of plastic is shaped differently from the body!).
If it was just that I would give it a pass. But then I saw general mis-aligned bumpers, an ill-fitting passenger door, and in two instances the same bulging plastic in the hidden dash area where the door closes. All this was with a quick look around without being intimate with the car.
Also very cheap feeling door handles - why can't they make it like the ones in the TL? Going inside a TSX in the show-room made me feel like I was in luxury heaven.
In summary, this has put me off quite a bit from buying the MDX. It drives nice, etc. but I would not expect these issues from any car manufacturer. I'd rather go with a simpler car than one that pretends to be luxurious but is not well assembled. |
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| ductman |
I guess you have to ask yourself, would you pay an additional 10k
to resolve these "issues", mine is not perfect either, but only I know, plus I spent approx 36k on my base, what other vehicle is
better for the money, performance wise or feature wise. Mercedes
Bmw, Lexus might have "better" materials and body fit, take a look at the forums, transmission hesitation complaints, etc. |
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| craniotes |
I'm the first to say that the issues faced by the OP were ridiculous, as was his dealer's response. However, it should be noted that they were fixed to his satisfaction by another dealer, and that not every X is thusly afflicted. And while I will admit to having a sticking gas cap, it was fixed under warranty and now works perfectly (it's perfectly aligned as well). In addition, all of my body panels fit, and the interior is as tight as a drum, so I wouldn't be so quick to paint every X with the same brush as the ones viewed on the dealer's lot.
And, as has been pointed out already, you'll find that each SUV in this segment has its own set of warts. Go hang out on an ML, RX, X5, or Touareg forum and see for yourself). In the end, I saved a bundle vs. the Germans, and wound up with an SUV that can compete with them on pretty much every level, and surpasses them on others. Now this isn't to say that I wouldn't trade my X in a heartbeat for a loaded GL550, but $85K is a bit too rich for my blood...
Regards,
Adam |
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| SDosMil |
Justifying faults in the Acura for being cheaper is not the right solution either. I don't care about the sense-deprivation Lexus and their $10K marketing tax, and I am not fond of the german offerings either, not just because of their inflated price.
That's the thing that bothers me: the MDX (along with most of line-up) is a fantastic proposition with great mechanicals, handling, and electronics. It's just missing that last touch: you don't need fancy commercials or big consultants to fix your image; the company needs to get the basics right, which is assembly in this particular case. Charge 5% extra ($2K) and put that extra QC gate. |
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| 2008SilverMDX |
I have exactly the same problem with my 2008 Acura MDX as blkmdx and others have - very poor body panel fit and finish.
1. Rear door on drivers side is not flush (identical to blkmdx pics)
2. Gas cap is not flush (identical to blkmdx pics)
2. Hood is not aligned, with too much space on right side vs. left side and it is lower than fender so you can see it from the windshield
3. Rear hatch would not close without being slammed shut
4. interior plastic trim on door sills has a gap so it looks like it needs to be glued down
5. leather on the seats is sagging in small bubbles and looks terrible (headrest, drivers seat)
I called Acura Client Services and showed them a video but noone is calling me back. My dealer tried to make repairs with some improvements but still looks bad.
Who was I kidding, Acura is not even close to Lexus or BMW build quality and in a couple of months I will strongly consider trading my 2008 MDX in for a 2009 Lexus RX 350 and publish the videos on You Tube and on this forum so others can make an informed choice before going with an MDX
Gas mileage is 15mpg in the city - quite a bit lower than EPA rating...the mileage calculator is not accurate either.
On the positive side of the equation, I love driving the MDX. Driving position, road feel, engine responsiveness, etc. |
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| SDosMil |
Well, even though I complained about some of the build issues, I ended-up getting a white MDX this weekend. I went over three identical ones, and picked the one that looked the best. Yes, it does have the sticking gas cap but the rest of the car seems fine.
It drives excellent and so far it is very solid. I'm happy. |
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| SDosMil |
quote:
Originally posted by 2008SilverMDX
Gas mileage is 15mpg in the city - quite a bit lower than EPA rating...
Well, the MDX is rated at 15 mpg for city driving, so that would be spot on. |
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