2003 ACURA MDX Complaints

WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND THE CAR WON'T MOVE ANYMORE. ME AND MY FAMILY WERE TRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION AND WERE ALMOST HIT BY A TRUCK BECAUSE OF OUR UNEXPECTED STOP. WE ARE LUCKY THAT THE TRUCK MISSED US. I CAN'T IMAGINE IF THIS HAPPENS ON A RAILROAD CROSSING. THIS PROBLEM KEEPS HAPPENING FROM TIME TO TIME, ALL IN LOW SPEED LIKE COASTING TO A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT, ALSO ON HIGHWAYS WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR TRAFFIC, THEN THE VEHICLE WON'T MOVE ANYMORE. I HEARD THAT THE ACURA/HONDA TRANSMISSIONS HAVE SERIOUS DEFECTS, FROM LUBRICATION TO MATERIAL USED TO MAKE GEARS. ESPECIALLY THE MATERIAL USED FOR 1ST GEAR, WHICH FAILS PREMATURELY AND CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO MALFUNCTION. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT COULD ENDANGER NOT ONLY THE PASSENGERS' LIVES, BUT ALSO A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

IGNITION CAN BE TURNED OFF IN ANY GEAR AND KEY REMOVED. THIS SHOULD ONLY BE POSSIBLE WHILE IN PARK FOR SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. VEHICLE WILL COAST IF ON A GRADE. *TR

CAR JUST DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. ENDED UP STOPPING IN A DANGEROUS SPOT. TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED OUT OF FRONT OF CAR. NO WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. *TR

TORQUE CONVERTER AND TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 99600 MILES, NOT TO MENTION TWO MOTOR MOUNTS. THESE REPAIRS ARE BETWEEN $6-7K. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A HIGHER END CAR. CAR WOULD VIBRATE AND SHUDDER AROUND 40 MPH A FEW YEARS AGO WITH ONLY 35K MILES ON THE CAR, AND OF COURSE ACURA COULD NOT REPLICATE. NOW THAT IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY HEAR IT. THIS CAR IS A TOTAL LEMON- PLEASE HELP PROTECT CONSUMERS- HONDA/ACURA GREED HAS STOPPED THEM FROM STEPPING FORWARD AND OWNING A PROBLEM THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT ALL ALONG. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR ACURA'S FLAWED DESIGN, THAT SHOULD BE COMING STRAIGHT OUT OF THEIR PROFITS. *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65MPH AND CAR GOES INTO NEUTRAL. HAD TOWED AND IT WAS A TRANNY. CAR HAD 97K MILES. ACURA SAID IT WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME 6K TO REPAIR. I HAD IT TAKEN TO A LOCAL SHOP AND REPAIR COST ME 4K. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FURTHER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS, BUT THE VEHICLE STALLED INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 155,000.

MY 2003 ACURA MDX HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 44,000 MILES. AROUND 80,000 MILES I NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION FAILING AGAIN. SPECIFICALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER MAKING THE SHUDDER AND VIBRATION AGAIN. I LET ME DEALER KNOW, BUT THEY DID NOT DETECT AN ISSUE. NOW AT 102,000 MILES AND AFTER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED ACURA IS EXPECTING ME TO PAY FOR 60% OF THE REPAIR OF A CLEAR DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS YEAR OF THE CAR. SO FAR IT HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, BUT I AM AFRAID TO KEEP DRIVING WITHOUT PERFORMING THE REPLACEMENT. *TR

MY CAR ALONG WITH MANY OTHER ACURAS BETWEEN 2001-2005 HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A VERY SIGNIFICANT SHUDDER VIBRATION THAT LASTS A FEW SECS, USUALLY AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 35-40. IF YOU READ THE BLOGS YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS OF OTHER CONSUMERS SAY THE SAME THING: ACURA SAYS THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE NOISE. WHEN THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEN SUDDENLY THEY CAN REPLICATE IT AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE TO REPLACE EITHER THE TORQUE CONVERTER OR THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION, CHARGING $2000 +. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL, PLEASE HELP US HOLD ACURA ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM! THESE CARS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SUCH A BIG PROBLEM SO EARLY ON.

1. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AT A BUSY 4-WAY INTERSECTION, MY ACURA MDX REFUSED TO GO INTO GEAR OR ACCELERATE. THIS CAUSED ME TO OBSTRUCT TRAFFIC IN THE INTERSECTION, AND COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT. 2. THE CAR HAS INTERMITTENTLY REFUSED TO GO INTO FIRST GEAR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. MANUALLY SHIFTING IT INTO GEAR WOULD TEMPORARILY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. 23. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO RON TONKIN ACURA OF PORTLAND. THE SERVICE ADVISER INFORMED US THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND HE HAD CONTACTED ACURA TO REQUEST A "GOODWILL" REPAIR. 24 HOURS LATER, HE CALLED TO INFORM US THAT ACURA REFUSED HIS REQUEST DUE TO THE VEHICLE MILEAGE. (120,000). APPARENTLY ACURA'S POSITION IS THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD ONLY LAST FOR 120K MILES BEFORE NEEDING REPLACEMENT. *TR

PURCHASED A USED 03 ACURA MDX FROM A DEALER ON 4/22/11. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A TOLL ROAD (TX 121) AND WAS TRAVELING AT AROUND 65MPH. CAR STARTED DECELERATING AND WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. ALMOST HAD COUPLE OF ACCIDENTS AS THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE DRIVETRAIN. CARS TRAVELING BEHIND ME AT 65MPH+ WERE BRAKING HARD TO AVOID ME. VEHICLE TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY ADVISED THAT IT WAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CALLED ACURA CUSTOMER CARE AND CONTACTED THEM ALSO VIA TWITTER. THEY PRETENDED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW OF ISSUES WITH TRANSMISSION DESPITE MY RESEARCH WHICH POINTS TO NUMEROUS DEFECTS IN THEIR TRANSMISSION. ACURA INDICATED INITIAL INTENT TO CONSIDER COMPENSATE FOR THE COST OF TRANSMISSION REPAIR. AFTER SUBMITTING ALL REPAIR AND TOWING DETAILS/INVOICES, ACURA REPRESENTATIVE - SERGIO RAMOS - INDICATES THAT HE WILL NOT CONSIDER ANY REIMBURSEMENT. ACURA MANUFACTURED AND SOLD A VEHICLE THAT IS KNOWN FOR FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS THAT HAVE ENDANGERED MY SAFETY. I HAVE TRIED WORKING WITH ACURA TO AMICABLY SOLVE THIS ISSUE TO NO AVAIL. ACURA MDX IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND POTENTIAL DEADLY VEHICLE WHICH ACURA FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND FIX. *TR