CarComplaints.com Notes: The 1999-2003 Acura TL has a known & widespread defect with the transmission.
Honda fixed some vehicles with a recall in 2004 by changing the oil cooler return line. To settle a class action lawsuit in 2006, Honda extended the transmission warranty on some of these Acura TL's to 93 months / 109,000 miles.
Now these vehicles are past the warranty limit, so buyer beware.
My complaint is the very high cost $269 + tax of this ballast/inverter part from Acura. They are in very high demand used and obviously, poorly designed. From 13.5 volts the inverter produces 85V at 35W at 400HZ for the HID low beams, and is hermetically sealed with a couple of pigtail connectors at each end of a small metal box made by Matsushita. It should not cost that much to produce a switching power supply. I would guess about 30 to 50 USD. Replacement is difficult and requires removing the front bumper and removing the three connectors and the whole headlamp lens, as the inverter is mounted on the bottom with 3 screws.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My complaint is the very high cost $269 + tax of this ballast/inverter part from Acura. They are in very high demand used and obviously, poorly designed. From 13.5 volts the inverter produces 85V at 35W at 400HZ for the HID low beams, and is hermetically sealed with a couple of pigtail connectors at each end of a small metal box made by Matsushita. It should not cost that much to produce a switching power supply. I would guess about 30 to 50 USD. Replacement is difficult and requires removing the front bumper and removing the three connectors and the whole headlamp lens, as the inverter is mounted on the bottom with 3 screws.
- rjj100, Boulder, CO, US