2002 ACURA MDX Complaints

MY MDX HAS 85K MILES ON IT, AND THE TRANNY STARTED THE INFAMOUS GOING INTO NEUTRAL AT 30-40 MPH ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS...I'VE DONE ALL THE VARIOUS OIL SENDING UNIT AND EGR VALVE FIXES BUT STARTED HAVING THE ABOVE PROBLEM ABOUT 7K AGO, BUT WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY GAVE THE OLD HMMM, IF WE CAN'T REPEAT IT, WE REALLY CAN'T REPLACE IT.... THEN, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I MADE AN APPT WITH THE DEALER (PLEASANTON ACURA), THEY GAVE ME A $69 A DAY RENTAL AND SAID THEY WOULD CHECK IT OUT. THEY DID, AND CONFIRMED THE ENGINE CODE WAS TIED TO THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. I ONLY HAD THE STANDARD WARRANTY (50K, 4 YR) . I RECEIVED A CALL BACK THE SAME DAY SAYING ACURA HAS AGREED TO PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR...$1,100. I THINK ACURA SHOULD HAVE TO ANNOUNCE AND SUPPORT A TOTAL RECALL. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SPEND $1,100 ON A TRANSMISSION FOR A 2002 ACURA MDX WITH AN OUT THE DOOR PRICE OF ~$47,000 - UNBELIEVABLE! I POSTED THE ABOVE ON THE ACURAMDX.ORG WEBSITE AFTER DOING A GOOGLE SEARCH ON MDX TRANSMISSIONS AND FINDING HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM CAR OWNERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, ALL HAVING THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON 2002 MDX. APPARENTLY, ACURA EXTENDED THE TRANSMISSION WARRANTY ON THEIR 2002 TL'S WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM BUT FOR SOME REASON HAVE AVOIDED ADDRESSING THE MDX WITH A FORMAL RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW AND THE PUBLIC ALL KNOW THE TRANSMISSION WAS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND REALLY POSES A SAFETY RISK FOR HUNDREDS OF MDX OWNERS AND OTHERS THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED WHEN THE MDX TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE WHEN MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY WITH A SEMI-TRUCK THAT DOESN'T KNOW YOU'RE HAVING A TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHICH CAUSES YOUR TRANSMISSION TO SLIP AND LOSE ENGINE DRIVE POWER. THIS IS ONE BLATANT SAFETY ISSUE THAT ACURA SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND EXTEND THE WARRANTY AND REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE MDX 2002 TRANSMISSIONS. *NM

DRIVING AT APPROX. 40 MPG. DURING ACCELERATION THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND AND THEN LURCHED FORWARD. THE SECOND TIME THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND DURING ACCELERATION GOING UP A HILL AND I STARTED TO LOSE MOMENTUM. ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON AFTER APPROX 10 SECONDS. I WAS STUCK ON THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. DEALER CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NO HELP IN SUBSIDIZING FIX AS VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *NM

2002 ACURA MDX AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE OCCURRED AT 77K MILES. SYMPTOMS INCLUDED UP-SHIFT HESITATION BETWEEN 2-3 DRIVE GEARS, HARD AND JERKY TRANSMISSION CHANGES IN BOTH DRIVE AND REVERSE. THE SYMPTOMS STARTED TO GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND MORE FREQUENT. I TOOK THIS MDX TO A LOCAL AAA-APPROVED, INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE SHOP'S REPAIR TECHNICIAN AND A TRANSMISSIONS SPECIALIST TEST DROVE THE MDX AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME TYPE OF SYMPTOMS. THEY RETURNED AND REPORTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS INDEED FAILING. I HAD THE MDX TOWED TO THE ACURA DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED COMPLETELY. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT UNIT BY THE ACURA SERVICE DEPARTMENT. A HISTORICAL NOTE: BACK IN THE FALL OF 2004, I RECEIVED NOTICE OF A MDX TRANSMISSION RECALL FROM ACURA. SHORTLY UPON RECEIVING THIS NOTICE I DID TAKE THIS MDX TO AN ACURA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION RECALL SERVICE DONE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING ON THE VEHICLE. THERE IS AN NHTSA RECALL, #04V176000 CONCERNING THE POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; HOWEVER THE RECALL DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WAS NOT FAILING AT THE TIME OF THE RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE RECALL REPAIR SHOULD CONSIST OF INSTALLING AN OIL JET KIT. THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON AUGUST 12, 2004. THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME WAS 64,111. IN AUGUST 2005, THE CONTACT NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING UPON ACCELERATION INTO SECOND GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. IN JANUARY 2006, THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION WA SREPLACED AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE. A SAFETY CONCERN EXISTED AS ACKNOWLEDGED BY HONDA WHEN THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT PREVENTED TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THEREFORE, CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT HAD RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED FOR NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID 05V385000 CONCERNING THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS. AFTERWARDS, HE NOTICED VIBRATION IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THAT PERFORMED THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE DEALER PERFORMED A FRONT ALIGNMENT AND THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK UPDATED 1/23/2006 - *NM

CONSUMER CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL DESIGN PROBLEM WITH HONDA & ACURA VEHICLES RE TOWING VEHICLE BEHIND A MOTORHOME, 2002 ACURA MDX BROKE LOOSE FM MOTORHOME AT THE UNIBODY FRAME.*MR

CONSUMER CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL DESIGN PROBLEM WITH HONDA & ACURA VEHICLES RE TOWING VEHICLE BEHIND A MOTORHOME, 2002 ACURA MDX BROKE LOOSE FM MOTORHOME AT THE UNIBODY FRAME.*MR

CONCERN REGARDING TOWING HONDA AUTOMOBILES BEHIND A MOTOR HOME.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BROKE AWAY FROM THE MOTOR HOME AT THE UNIBODY FRAME AT 89-9 MPH AND T-BONED A LIGHT STANDARD AND ROLLED INTO THE DESERT. THE VEHICLE HAD A BREAK AWAY SYSTEM ON THE VEHICLE WITH A REGULAR BRAKE SYSTEM THAT OPERATES FROM THE MOTOR HOME BRAKE SYSTEM, BUT NEITHER OF THEM WORKED. *JB

2002 MDX TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE SWAY BARS CRACKED SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND IT TOOK 4 MONTHS TO GET IT FIXED. *JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2002 ACURA MDX ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN THE CAR LOCKED UP LIKE THE BRAKES WERE SLAMMED ON. CAR WAS IMMOBILE AND COULD NOT BE PUSHED OFF THE ROADWAY UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF A TOW TRUCK. DEALER NOW HAS THE CAR AND SAYS IT WAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SYMTOMS ARE THE SAME AS DISCRIBED AS FAILURES IN A RECALL OF THIS VEHICLE. RECALL WORK WAS DONE ABOUT 5000 MILES AGO IN WHICH AN OILING DEVICE WAS INSTALLED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. FAILURE OCCURED ANYWAY AFTER THE CORRECTION. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THE REQUIRED INSPECTION OF THE GEARS WAS NOT PERFORMED CORRECTLY AND THE "FIX" WAS PERFORMED INSTEAD. THE DEALER SAYS I MAY BE LIABLE FOR 4500 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE IT HAS 101000 MILES ON IT AND THEY ONLY WARRENTY IT TO 100000. IF THE PROBLEM WAS RECOGNIZED AT 96000 WHEN THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE, I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS PREDICAMENT- THANKS