What Are Tire Certificates?
*** NOTE: All NSX tire certificates expired in September 1999 ***
This FAQ entry is only being left in place to answer questions about what the certificates were.
[KS, LCT, KP] A class action suit against Honda was filed a couple of years after the introduction of the NSX by some owners who felt they had been misled about the tire wear on the car. See Judical Council Coordination Proceeding. No. 3014. Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Diego. Honda Acura Cases. Included Actions: Hamburg v. American Honda, LASC No. BC101375, Difilippo v. American Honda, SDSC No. 675830, Busby v. American Honda, SDSC No. 675956
Honda settled the suit by sending three tire certificates to all original owners of cars sold prior to September 1, 1994. Each certificate is valid for:
a) A pair of rear (not front) OEM tires installed and a rear-wheel alignment (’93+ specs) OR
b) $500 off a new Acura OR
c) $166.67 cash
If you use the certificate for rear tires, you can get either the 16" or 17" rear tires, regardless of what your car originally came with. Many dealers are not aware of this. Though the certificates are reportedly only really good for Yokohama A022H, many people have been able to get Bridgestones RE010 (the other OEM NSX tire) instead. This may be because they are the same price and the dealer just restocks their Bridgestones with the Yokos from the certificate.
If used for a discount on the purchase price of a new car, up to SIX certificates can be combined for a total discount of $3,000.
The certificates are transferable, which is why they are occasionally offered for sale through the NSX e-mail list or included with the sale of a used NSX. The "going price" is currently between $270 and $300 per certificate.
Many dealers don’t fully understand how tire certificates work. If you or your dealer have questions Acura Customer Service.
Important: Lease Exception
[SB] Despite my protestations, Acura Client Services (in their infinite business wisdom) still claim that a lease is NOT a purchase and thus I cannot use the rebate clause of the tire certs towards my recent NSX lease. Even knowing that I had purchased every one of the 6 that I was submitting, as consolation they offered that the certs were freely transferable (as if this was news to me!).
By this reasoning then, one must assume that what they would rather I do is resell the certs to someone else who can THEN redeem them for tires, mounting,and alignment. For all practical purposes, this will end up being terribly close to the amount they would have had to pay me. And when you consider the company’s operating budget, any such difference becomes miniscule and irrelevant. So the only REAL difference is that they have created a HUGE amount of ill will with a first time Acura, former Lexus customer – not to mention a customer of their flagship car.
Questioning the nameplate and beancounters, but NEVER the car – or the men who dreamed, designed or built it.
Expiration
All NSX tire certificates expired in September 1999. They are now worthless.
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