2002 ACURA MDX Complaints

I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE NALLEY ACURA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT FOR SERVICING. THE SERVICE PERSONNEL TOLD ME AFTER CHECKING THE VEHICLE THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE SECOND GEAR WAS WORN OUT. MY WIFE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AFTER THIS FACT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SECOND GEAR BREAKAGE IN THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE 2001-2002 MDX. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT MY VEHICLE BEING REPAIRED UNDER THIS RECALL, AND THEY WILL NOT AGREE TO PAY FULL COST OF $4000 FOR THE NEW TRANSMISSION, BUT STATED NOTHING OF THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED TO PAY HALF THE COST. AS STATED BELOW THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FULL REPAIRS AS MY VEHICLE HAS OVER 15,000 MILES AND OTHER REASONS AS STATED BELOW. I HAVE TRIED WORKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER ON THIS SITUATION FOR OVER A MONTH WITH STILL NO RESOLUTION. I WOULD APPRECIATE ASSISTANCE FROM YOU ALL CONCERNING MY VEHICLE BEING REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER PAYING IN FULL. THANK YOU. ON SOME MINI VANS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR BREAKAGE. CONSEQUENCE: GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. REMEDY: ON VEHICLES WITH 15,000 MILES OR LESS, THE DEALER WILL UPDATE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A SIMPLE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE TO INCREASE LUBRICATION TO THE SECOND GEAR. ON VEHICLES WITH MORE THAN 15,000 MILES, THE DEALER WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION TO IDENTIFY GEARS THAT HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED DISCOLORATION DUE TO OVERHEATING. IF DISCOLORATION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED IF DISCOLORATION IS NOT PRESENT, THE DEALER WILL PERFORM THE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 21, 2004, FOR PILOT, ODYSSEY, AND MDX OWNERS. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FREQUENTLY HESITATES AND MAKES LOUD GRINDING NOISE. THIS HAPPENS ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS (5MPH TO 45MPH). *TR

MY 2002 ACURA MDX HAS APPROXIMATELY 94,000 MI ON IT AND RECENTLY THE TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED SLIPPAGE WHEN IT WOULD TRY TO ADJUST TO 2ND GEAR. AN INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON RECENTLY AND I HAD MY MECHANIC PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON IT. IT WAS REVEALED THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION CODE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL ACURA DEALER (45 MINS AWAY) AND THEY DETERMINED THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY UPFRONT SAID THEY WOULD OFFER TO COVER 50% OF THE COST FOR PARTS & LABOR AS A GOODWILL GESTURE AND GAVE ME A FREE RENTAL CAR WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED. I THEN WENT ON NHTSA.GOV AND NOTED THERE WAS A VEHICLE RECALL IN 2004 ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LINES FOR 2002 ACURA MDX'S. I BROUGHT THIS ISSUE UP WITH MY SERVICE REP AND THEY SAID THAT IN 2004 THEY HAD MADE THE PROPER REVISION TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM DUE TO THE RECALL. (MADE A REVISION ON THE OIL COOLER LINE). I THEN CALLED ACURA CLIENT SERVICES AND SPOKE WITH A CASE MANAGER TO TELL HIM THAT I THINK THIS PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSMISSION WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE VEHICLE RECALL FROM 2004 AND USED THE ANALOGY THAT ACURA SIMPLY PUT A BAND AID OVER A GAPING WOUND TO TEMPORARILY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. HE SAID HE WOULD SEE IF HE COULD DO ANYTHING AND AS IT TURNS OUT, HE CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING BETTER HE COULD OFFER ME THAN 50/50 SPLIT OF THE COSTS. ACURA DID REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION THIS TIME, HOWEVER THEY CHARGED ME 50% OF THE SERVICE COST (~$1700). I FEEL THAT I HAVE GOTTEN THE SHORT END OF THE STICK AND THAT HAD PROPER PRECAUTIONS BEEN TAKEN IN 2004 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, I WOULDN'T HAVE TO TAKE IT IN THE SHORTS NOW FOR $1,700. I BELIEVE THE ACURA RECALL WAS P31. *TR

CLIP ON THE FRONT BRAKE PAD KEEP LOOSENING EVEN AFTER NEW PADS WHERE REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 ACURA MDX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY SWITCH GEARS AND THE RPMS WOULD INCREASE TO THE NEXT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY ADDED AN OIL COOLER RETURN LINE, WHICH INCREASED LUBRICATION TO THE SECOND GEAR. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN NEED OF A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,400 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

TRANSMISSION CAME OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING. GEAR SELECTOR WAS NOT MOVED. DEALER PERFORMED OUT OF WARRANTY REPLACEMENT OR TRANSMISSION FOR THE SECOND TIME. FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS JUNE 2007. PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FIRST REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WERE DISMISSED BY DEALER PERSONNEL. *JB

DURING ROUTINE SERVICE VISIT, DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE FRONT AND SIDE ENGINE MOUNTS ARE WORN AND NEED REPLACEMENT. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 60K MILES, NO ACCIDENTS AND DEALER SERVICED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON (NHTSA COMPLAINT # 10186944) PROBLEM WITH THE MDX AND NUMEROUS ISSUES NOTED BY OWNERS ON TOPIX.COM. ACURA SAYS THEY HAVE NO TSB ON THIS ISSUE. *TR

REAR FAN STOPPED WORKING FOR A/C & HEAT. MECHANIC ASSUMED IT WAS A BAD FAN MOTOR, BUT LATER DISCOVERED IT WAS A FAULTY R&R POWER TRANSISTOR. HE SAID THEY'VE SEEN A FEW OF THESE ON THE MDX'S. WE REPLACED THE OLD ONE WITH A NEW PART AND IT WORKS CORRECTLY NOW. *TR

TWO MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS BROKEN (1) OR CRACKED (1). THESE ARE THE RIGHT AND FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS ON AN ACURA MDX 2002. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 61,000 MILES ON IT. BASED ON AN INTERNET SEARCH AND CHECK OF THE CONSUMER REPORTS WEB SITE, THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE ACURA MDX. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 ACURA MDX. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT ALL FOUR MICHELIN CROSS-TERRAIN TIRES ROTTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE THREADS WERE CRACKED, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE. ALSO, THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE NORMAL THREAD COUNT WAS 1132 ,AND THE TIRES CURRENTLY HAD A THREAD COUNT OF 832. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 38500. *AK UPDATED 04/12/07. *JB