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Acura recalling 43k MDX and RLX models over seatbelt issue

If you've ever lived in a wintery climate, you may have noticed something strange: no, not the perilously enticing sparkle of cold metal in the sunlight or the way your warm breath suddenly becomes visible in the frigid air, but the way your seatbelt seems increasingly reluctant to retract as the temperature drops. Acura, however, has found the problem more serious than a minor inconvenience, and is recalling some 43,000 vehicles across the United States to address the issue.
The recall in question affects about 7,000 RLX sedans (from the 2014 model year) and another 36,000 MDX crossovers (covering the 2014 and 2015 model years) to have their front seatbelts replaced. In the affected vehicles and in very low temperatures, Acura has found that "the driver's and front passenger's seatbelts may not release from the retracted position." Needless to say, seatbelts that can't be used don't offer any protection in the event of an accident, so the Japanese automaker is notifying owners and dealers to hook up to have those seatbelts replaced.

Acura TSX Sport Wagon on the way out?

With Acura widely expected to consolidate its TSX and TL sedans into one model line in the near future, the fate of the TSX Sport Wagon is unsurprisingly in doubt. The long-rumored one-for-two sedan replacement is said to be dubbed TLX, and will sit above the Honda Civic-derived ILX, a model that already encroaches on the TSX's pricing and size. According to Ward's Auto, Acura officials are refusing to confirm that today's TSX wagon - effectively a re-schnozzed European-market Accord estate - is facing extinction. Reading the tea leaves, however, things certainly don't look good - the European Accord itself is said to be on the bubble and may not be replaced.
The TSX Sport Wagon was brought to the US as a niche play for the 2011 model year, with Acura of Canada taking a pass on the bodystyle. Officials said at the time that it hoped to shift 4,000 units per annum, roughly a 10-percent sliver of US TSX sales. And while Acura doesn't normally break out the wagon in its sales reports, Autoblog was able to obtain the model's totals for the last two years: the company sold 3,210 Sport Wagons in 2011, improving to 4,234 units last year. The current 2013 model began trickling into showrooms in December, but some dealers are still looking to clear out remaining 2012 models at handsome discounts.

Acura recalls some 2022 TLXs for potential slashed tires

Acura has issued a recall that applies to less than 20 units of the 2022 TLX sedan. The cars included in the campaign were manufactured with tires that may have been damaged by part of a robotic arm while being sorted and stored at a Bridgestone facility in Tennessee. Assigned recall number 22V-950 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the campaign includes 19 units of the TLX built on September 1, 2022, and Acura estimates that 95% of them may have been built with damaged tires. The company explains that the tires fitted to these vehicles could have sustained cuts and/or tears because a protective plastic shoe located at the base of a robotic arm used to unstack tires exposed a sharp edge by rotating out of position. Damaging a tire's bead area can cause it to gradually lose air; the problem can also manifest itself through unusual noises or vibrations. The tire pressure monitoring system could warn the driver of an issue. The tires in question are Bridgestone's 235/50R18 Turanza EL440. Acura states that it's not aware of warranty claims, field reports, injuries or crashes related to the issue, and Bridgestone says that human workers are now tasked with loading and unloading tires in its facility. Owners of affected cars will receive details about the recall campaign by mail starting on January 30, 2023. They'll be asked to take their TLX to a dealership to get the tires inspected; new tires will be installed free of charge if the ones on the car fall within the affected date range. Drivers who experienced a problem related to this recall and paid to get new tires installed will be eligible to ask Acura for a refund. Related video: