2003 ACURA TL Complaints

DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. CLUTCH DOESN'T ENGAGE SOMETIMES. TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A COMPLETE STOP AND THE CAR WON'T MOVE. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, D5 LIGHT HAS STARTED BLINKING AND THE TCS LIGHT IS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY NOW. TOOK IT TO AN ACURA DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY AND THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AND IT HAD A SLIGHT MISS IN IT BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION UNTIL THE LAST FEW DAYS WHEN IT STARTED SLIPPING SO BACK AND NOT EVEN ENGAGING. THEN STARTED LOOKING ONLINE FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND THIS PARTICULAR YEAR AND MODEL OF CAR, THERE ARE HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED ACURA AND THEY DON'T PLAN TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE IT AS A SAFETY HAZARD, BUT IT CLEARLY IS IF YOU READ THE REPORTS OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD VERY BAD EXPERIENCES, SOME TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND THE CAR IS OUT OF CONTROL. A TRANSMISSION ON A VEHICLE SHOULD NEVER GO BAD THIS SOON. ACURA DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AS IT IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION AND PEOPLE (LIKE ME) DON'T HAVE $3,000 - $4,000 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR 3 MONTHS AGO FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP WHO ONLY OFFERED A 30 DAY WARRANTY AND THEY AREN'T WILLING TO PAY FOR IT EITHER. *TR

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK. WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT MY CAR STARTED JUMPING. WHEN I PULLED OFF FROM THE LIGHT I NOTICED THE ENGINE WOULD RACE BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 30 MPH. ONCE I GOT TO THE NEXT LIGHT I TRIED TO PULL OFF BUT THE CAR JUST STALLED AND WOULD NOT MOVE ANY FURTHER. I BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR ANY FAILURE LIGHTS SHOWING. THE CAR JUST STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT WARNING EVEN THOUGH IT'S HAD ALL IT'S REQUIRED MAINTENANCE. ACURA RECALLED THE TRANSMISSION ONCE AND IT WAS REPLACED AT APPROX. 47K MILES. I'VE PUT APPROX. 97K MILES ON THE CAR AND THE TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETELY GONE FOR THE SECOND TIME. I'VE CALLED SEVERAL LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS FOR ESTIMATES AND ONE SHOP TOLD ME THAT HAVE REPLACED TRANSMISSIONS IN 34 OTHER 2003 ACURA TL'S IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE. AND, ALL OF THESE WERE TRANSMISSIONS THAT WERE INITIALLY REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THEY PUT IN MY CAR IS DEFECTIVE. I WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT IT WAS WARRANTIED UP TO 100K MILES. WHEN I CALLED IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE NEW TRANSMISSION WAS ONE FOR 50K BY ONE DEALER AND THEN A SECOND DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS ONLY FOR 36K. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH AN ACURA TL 2003 REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FROM THE HONDA MOTOR CO. (ACURA) WITH THIS ISSUE. ACURA HAS DONE NOTHING TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED WHICH CAUSED BOTH FRONT WHEELS TO LOCK AND THE VEHICLE TO SKID. THE CONTACT MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE UNTIL IT RESET ITSELF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 106,000. UPDATED 02/10/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED A TEAR DOWN OF THE TRANSMISSION REVEALED PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE 3RD GEAR CLUTCH PACK. THE FAILURE APPEARED TO BE EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM LACK OF LUBRICATION SIMILAR TO THE 2ND GEAR BREAKAGE PROBLEM. THE DEBRIS FROM THE FAILED CLUTCH PACK WAS FOUND CLOGGING THE FILTER AND VALVE BODY WHICH CAUSED ERRATIC UNINTENDED DOWN SHIFTING AND POSSIBLY MULTIPLE GEAR ENGAGEMENT. UPDATED 04.22.11

MY TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME ABOUT A "SILENT WARRANTY" THAT ACURA HAD ON '03 TL MODELS THAT WAS EXTENDED 7 YRS OR 100K MILES. WHEW! I'M IN LUCK, I THOUGHT, I'M IN THE 7TH YEAR AND I HAVE LESS THAN 100K MILES! I TOOK IT TO ACURA WHO SAID THAT MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T COVERED WHEN ACURA ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. ACURA SAID THEY'D PAY FOR HALF OF MY TRANSMISSION AS GOODWILL, BUT WE'D BE OUT OF POCKET $1750!!! UNACCEPTABLE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. THE MORE I'VE LOOKED INTO THIS ISSUE THE MORE I REALIZE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE WHO HAVE THIS SAME MODEL YEAR AND HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE SINCE ACURA ADMITS FAULT WITH THE MODEL. I NOW HAVE A LUXURY HONDA PAPERWEIGHT SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. CAN'T SELL IT, CAN'T TRADE IT IN AND REFUSE TO PAY THE MONEY TO GET IT FIXED. BAD FORM ACURA, BAD FORM!! I WON'T BE BUYING ANYMORE ACURA OR HONDA PRODUCTS THAT'S FOR SURE. *TR

ON SEPT 3 2010 I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY 2003 ACURA TL TYPE S. I WAS TRAVELING AROUND 45 MPH GETTING ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM THE SERVICE ROAD WHEN SOMEONE CAME FROM THE FAR LEFT AND HIT ME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT - FRONT LEFT FENDER AND FRONT LIGHT, AND BUMPER WERE DAMAGED. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WENT OFF - NOTE THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF AS WELL AS THE RESTRAINT DID NOT HOLD ME BACK ON IMPACT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, MY CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. AFTER TAKING MY CAR TO GET LOOKED AT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MY TRANSMISSION NO LONGER WORKED. AFTERWARDS, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA 3.2TL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST TRANSMISSION POWER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING UP A HILL WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MOVE BACKWARD. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 86,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA 3.2TL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE ANY FURTHER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO DISPLAY A HIGH LEVEL OF RPMS AND THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 118,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL. CAUSED CAR TO LOSE ACCELERATION, NEARLY GOT REAR ENDED WHILE PULLING OFF THE ROAD TO SAFETY. INITIAL TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 23,000 MILES. THIS IS THE 2ND TRANSMISSION FAILING WITH ONLY 116,000 MILES ON IT. DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. *TR

1. THE GEARS IN MY ACURA 2003 TL BEGIN TO SLIP BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS ON A SATURDAY MORNING AT THE END OF A FAMILY BEACH TRIP AND SOON THERE AFTER ON THE WAY BACK HOME WHICH WAS OVER 200 MILES AWAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. 2. ABOUT HALFWAY HOME(100 OR SO MILES), THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED ON THE OPEN HIGHWAY, AND MY WIFE AND I WAS LEFT STRANDED IN THE RURAL NORTH CAROLINA WITH A 1 YEAR OLD AND A 5 YEAR OLD. 3. AFTER ALL THIS HAPPENED, I LEARNED OF A RECALL ON THE ACURA TL 2003 TRANSMISSION. ACCORDING TO ACURA.COM AND THE DEALERSHIP, THIS DEFECT WAS FIXED BY INSTALLING AN 'OIL JET KIT' OR 'OIL COOLER RETURN LINE' TO HELP LUBRICATE THE 2ND GEAR AND KEEP THE TRANSMISSION FROM OVERHEATING. I DO NOT THINK IT WAS FIXED BECAUSE OF THE SYMPTOMS OF MY TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAVE CALLED THE HONDA\ACURA CORPORATE OFFICE, THE NEAREST ACURA DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERSHIP OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME ANSWER FROM ALL OF THEM, "THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO". I THINK THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND VERY FRUSTRATING. I HAVE ALSO BECOME AWARE OF A WARRANTY EXTENSION THAT WAS MADE ON 2003 ACURA CL AND TL MODELS BECAUSE OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST HONDA OF AMERICA. THE EXTENSION WAS FOR 93 MONTHS OR 114,000 MILES. MY CAR IS UNDER THE 93 MONTH EXTENSION BUT OUTSIDE ON THE 114,000 MILES. *TR