2003 ACURA CL Complaints

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED MISSING SHIFTS INTO 3RD GEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN UNDER LOAD, LIKE GOING UP HILL. TWO WEEKS LATER IT WON'T SHIFT INTO 3RD AT ALL. DEALER SAYS I NEED TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. ONLY 62,000 MILES ON A VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF CAR. HONDA AGREED TO REPLACE SOME OF THESE MODEL YEAR TRANSMISSIONS, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM. ANECDOTAL INFORMATION, BUT IN SPEAKING WITH A NON ACURA RELATED TRANSMISSION SHOP, HE KNEW EXACTLY HOW MY PROBLEM MANIFESTED ITSELF, AND WHAT IT WAS, WITH ONLY THE MODEL YEAR. CLEARLY HONDA SHOULD BE FORCED TO EXTEND THEIR SERVICE COVERAGE TO AT LEAST THE BALANCE OF THE 2003 MODEL YEAR IF NOT BEYOND. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA 3.2CL. ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2008, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. THE CONTACT WANTED A SECOND OPINION AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE SECOND MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION); HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS DUE TO THE MILEAGE THAT WAS ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2004. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 124,000.

1) ROUGH SHIFTING. 2) GEAR WOULD NOT CHANGE, ERRATIC SHIFTING, AND THEN CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. 3) 01-SOME 03 CLS HAD MANY PROBLEM W/ TRANSMISSION SO TRANSMISSION WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 109K BUT I HAVE AN 03 THAT IS NOT COVERED AND TRANSMISSION BLEW. DEALER PAID FOR THE TRANSMISSION BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR LABOR. *TR

BRAKE CALIPER MOUNT/BRACKET DEVELOPED SUPERFICIAL CORROSION WHICH REDUCED THE TOLERANCE FOR THE BRAKE PAD,S MAKING THEM RESISTANT TO SLIDING--BOUND. BRAKE PADS ADHERED TO CHROME BEARING MATERIAL BETWEEN PAD AND CALIPER BRACKET, AND BEARING MATERIAL, ACTED LIKE A RETURN SPRING INCREASING THE TOLERANCES TO THE ROTOR WHEN BRAKE PRESSURE RELEASED. UPON EMERGENCY BRAKING, BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL WAS EXCESSIVE, AND AN ACCIDENT WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED. CORROSION WAS MACHINED FROM CALIPER MOUNT/BRACKET AND WEATHER RESISTANT LUBRICANT APPLIED. PADS AND SHIMS WERE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER PARTS. ACURA CL 2003. *AK

I BOUGHT THIS ACURA CL TYPE S 6-SPEED SATURDAY, JAN. 6, 2007. DEALER HAD PUT NEW TIRES ON VEHICLE AS PART OF AN ACURA CERTIFIED USED CAR PROGRAM. ON MONDAY FEB. 5, 2007, I WAS TRAVELING ON BUSINESS LEAVING FROM WORK WITH BAD WEATHER PENDING. CO-WORKER WAS TO DRIVE MY CAR TO MY HOME FOR ME, TO KEEP IN GARAGE. MY CO-WORKER CALLED LESS THAN A MILE FROM WORK INFORMING ME OF SIDEWALL BLOW OUT ON MY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE, HE HAD ONLY TRAVELED A SHORT DISTANCE WHEN CAR FELT ODD. HE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. MY CO-WORKER AND MY WIFE GOT THE CAR TO LINDSAY ACURA FOR SERVICE THAT NIGHT. THE NEXT DAY SERVICE CONSULTANT MATT CALLED TO INFORM ME OF TIRE AND RIM DAMAGE HE BELIEVES RESULTED FROM A POTHOLE IMPACT. (CUSTOMER DAMAGE) NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. THIS COST ME $350.63. I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE IS OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (FALKEN TIRE). *NM

MANUAL TRANS/CLUTCH - LOOSES HYDRAULIC PRESSURE IN LOW AIR TEMPS AND WHEN CAR IS SITTING ON A HILL. HARD TO SHIFT ONLY IN 1ST INTO 2ND GEAR. THERE WERE VERY FEW ACURA 2002/2003 CL 3.2 TYPE SS MADE, SO EVEN A COUPLE COMPLAINTS SHOULD WARRANT A REVIEW. I FOUND NUMEROUS FORUMS WITH OWNERS COMPLAINING AND ASKING FOR HELP FROM OTHERS ON THIS PROBLEM. I'VE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANS CARS AND TRUCKS FOR 22 YRS TO INCLUDE ONE HONDA THAT STILL HAD THE ORIGINAL CLUTCH AT 225K MILES, SO IT IS NOT A DRIVER RELATED PROBLEM. ALL THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THE AUTO TRANSMISSIONS FOR THIS CAR...THAT FAILED. ACURA HAS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GET SERIOUSLY HURT, WHEN THEY TRY TO SHIFT INTO SECOND WHEN CROSSING A BUSY STREET AND CANT. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND I JUST GOT LUCKY. *NM

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 60,000 MILES. AFTER HEARING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL OF MY VEHICLE FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, I CALLED ACURA. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL DID NOT AFFECT MY VEHICLE (ACCORDING TO THE VIN #). THEY AGREED TO CHECK TO SEE WHETHER IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL BUT THE PROCESS THEY SUGGESTED WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD COVER THE PROBLEM. I HAD MY VEHICLE REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. I NOW SEE THE VIN #'S THAT WERE AFFECTED AND IT LOOKS LIKE MY VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE RECALL. *JB

MY 2003 ACURA CL-TYPE S MANUAL 6 SPEED IS ALSO HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AS THE OTHER OWNERS WITH CHANGE IN PEDAL PRESSURE AND DIFFICULTY SHIFTING IN COLD WEATHER, SOMETIMES WITH GEARS GRINDING AND IT IS UNAVOIDABLE UNLESS YOU PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND START FROM 1ST GEAR AGAIN,REVERSE IS ALSO A ISSUE, SOMETIMES IT WONT GO IN AT ALL, I HAVE BEEN TO THE ACURA DEALERSHIPS TO PURCHASE THE NEW TRANNY SENSORS WHICH ARE NOT CHEAP BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL, NOTHING UNUSUAL AND MY TRANSMISSION TOTALLY LOCKED ON 3RD GEAR, LUCKILY I OR ANYBODY ELSE WAS HURT. MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FENDER WAS DAMAGED BECAUSE I HAD TO MANEUVER VEHICLE OUT OF FREEWAY TRAFFIC TO AVOID A MAJOR COLLISION. ALSO FRONT BUMPER NEEDS SOME REPAIR AND REPAINTING. *JB

ISSUE WITH 6 SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION. WHILE COLD DIFFICULTY UPSHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR WITH OCCASIONAL GEAR GRINDING. CLUTCH AND 2ND GEAR SYNCROS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. ACURA MAINTAINS THAT THIS DIFFICULTY IS NORMAL PERFORMANCE. *JB

2003 ACURA 3.2CL TYPE S - 75,000 MILES - MANUAL TRANSMISSION (MT) IS HARD TO SHIFT INTO SECOND AND REVERSE GEARS. ALSO NOTICED THAT AFTER HOLDING THE CLUTCH PEDAL IN WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, SITTING IN TRAFFIC, ETC., THE PRESSURE CHANGES WHILE LETTING THE PEDAL OUT AND DOESN'T ENGAGE/CATCH WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT. MUST PUSH PEDAL DOWN AGAIN AND TRY TO SHIFT AGAIN. THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES THIS HAPPENED, I SHIFTED FROM FIRST INTO SECOND GEAR AND THE GEAR GRINDED AND CAR JERKED. THE PEDAL PRESSURE ALMOST FEEL LIKE A BRAKE PEDAL DOES WHEN COMPRESSED AND THERE IS AIR IN THE LINE. AT OTHER TIMES, IT FEELS LIKE I'M PUSHING IN MY 1978 Z-28 MANUAL CLUTCH PEDAL....HEAVY! SERVICE DEPT IS EXCELLENT AT DEALER LOCATION. COMPLAINT BEING FILED TO ENSURE THAT A PROBLEM IS NOTED WITH THE MT IF OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES; WHICH COULD LEAD TO A RECALL. *NM