2002 Acura 1.7 EL EL from North America - Comments

Nothing has gone wrong with the car as of yet. All so far has been scheduled maintenance.

-Smooth and quiet running.

-Good on gas.

-Reliable.

-Great handling.

-It isn't really a fun car to drive, for transportation/comfort is definitely does the job.

-A little pricey for what you get, but if it keeps itself out of trouble it's well worth it (2+ years and still going well)

I actually own an 2003 1.7 EL, and I purchased it brand new back in 2003. I noticed the fuel gauge did not read properly and was faulty. I reported the problem and it was a defect; a needle/needles were missing in the gas gauge. They were replaced, but the problem reoccurred months later. They then replaced the entire gas gauge, resetting my odometer to zero when in actuality it was at 30,000 (they had to do this because they had to replace the cluster).

A few months later the same problem reoccurred; I would park and the gauge would be at half a tank full. I would return to the car hours later and start the car, only to find the gas indicator at Empty and the gas tank light on! Or; I would be driving and all of a sudden within the span of half a block (in about one second), the gas gauge would drop from above half a tank full to Empty, leaving me no time to find a gas station. I again reported this problem to my dealer, (whom did not care) and told me to track mileage. If I wanted to track the mileage I wouldn't have bought a new car in the first place. Despite this fact, I did it anyway and even after tracking it, I got stranded! Being a young woman, this is extremely dangerous, because the 'Empty' indication can come on at any given time, not leaving me much time to find a gas station. The night I got stranded it was fairly late at night; I was all alone, with no cell phone with me, and only a quarter (25 cents) with me, which I used to call a cab (that did not show up). I had to flag someone down on the highway to take me to a gas station (which is beyond dangerous).

I reported the problem to the Acura dealer again this year; they proceeded to replace the gas gauge without my authorization, resetting it from 38,000 km to 0. When I asked them why they did this without my permission, they stated; "Sell it now, you will get more money." I said, "This is an illegal action as it is deceptive." They stated; "No-one will find out." This was the Acura dealer Sales Manager whom stated this!

The problem reoccurred again within one month, and I reported the problem to Acura Canada Customer Service, who stated that they would perform several tests on the car, and provide me with a rental (car) of the same level during the time required. I was provided with a Hyundai Accent, and the tests took a month and a half. Relieved over the fact that I thought this problem had been resolved, and thinking it was worth driving a lower level car for the time period to get my car fixed, I was thankful. However, the results of the tests showed that nothing was wrong; this led me to wonder if they had even performed any tests on the car. They promised to take the car back if any problems occurred after this.

Ten days later the problem reoccurred. I was driving in a town about an hour away from my house, when in the span of half a block the gas gauge dropped from above half a tank to Empty, within the span of seconds, leaving me no time to find a gas station. Thankfully it was daytime, and I immediately called Acura, remembering what they had said; however, they completely recanted their previous words, and stated there was nothing they could do.

Less than one week later I followed up with the Acura customer service, and asked to speak with a supervisor; they dismissed me and told me to talk to the local dealership whom I had been dealing with. I called the local dealership and they stated, "I don't care, we have washed our hands clean of this."

BUYERS; BEWARE of this problem, and of the lack of support from ACURA CANADA! If you want to contact me or follow up regarding this story, please email me at jboga@canada.com

Thanks, I have invoices from Acura, friends, and other witnesses who have seen this problem occur firsthand!