2000 ACURA TL Complaints

I'M AN OWNER OF A 2000 ACURA TL3.2, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A DECADE OF BEING A TRUE LOYAL CUSTOMER OF ACURA/HONDA, I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING AN ACURA MADE VEHICLE DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE TRANMISSION. MY 2 PREVIOUS ACURAS WERE GREAT, BOTH HAD IN EXCESS OF 200K BEFORE I TRADED THEM IN AND HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THE TRANMISSION WHATSOEVER. BECAUSE OF COMPANY'S FIRST FAILED ATTEMPT AT MAKING A 5 SPEED TIPTRONIC TRANMISSION IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD ACT IRRESPONSIBLE AND ENDANGER ITS CUSTOMERS' LIVES IN THE PROCESS. WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, THE TRANMISSION IN MY VEHICLE GOT LOCKED UP FOR A GOOD 2 TO 3 SECONDS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT FELT LIKE I HIT THE BRAKE REALLY HARD WHEN IT WENT INTO LOCKUP, AND I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND SEVERAL TIMES. IN ADDITION, HAD IT BEEN RAINING AND THE SURFACE WAS SLIPPERY, I WOULD HAVE HYDROPLANED AND CRASHED MY CAR. AND YET AFTER EXPLAINING THE SITUATIONS TO AN AGENT AT AN ACURA DEALERSHIP, AND BEAR IN MIND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A RECALL ISSUED IN ADDITION TO THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, HE STILL REPLIED THAT MY TRANNY IS NOT COVERED BY EITHER ONE. BASICALLY, THE RECALL EFFORT WAS JUST A PUBLICITY STUNT THAT THE COMPANY ORCHESTRATED IN HOPE OF KEEPING THE CORPORATE IMAGE. THIS IS REALLY SAD BECAUSE THEY WILL LOOSE A LOT OF LOYAL CUSTOMERS FOR GOOD.*AK

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 2000 ACURA 3.2 TL WITH A 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH 87,000 MILES ON IT. MY TRANSMISSION HAD A BIG PAUSE WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, HARD, INCONSISTENT SHIFTING, AND IT WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY WHEN GOING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR (AROUND 25 MPH). WHEN THIS HAPPENED BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS, THE CAR WOULD JERK SEVERLY AND WOULD ONLY STOP IF I EITHER BRAKED OR PRESSED ON THE GAS. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC 2 WEEKS AGO, MY CAR STALLED AND THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST REAR-ENDED MY CAR, HOWEVER, MY CAR STARTED UP AGAIN AND I BROUGHT IT INTO WALKER ACURA IN METARIE, LA. THEY CONFIRMED THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING (ONLY 4 MONTHS AFTER I HAD BOUGHT THE CAR AND WITH 92,000 MILES ON IT) AND THAT IT WOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY ALONG WITH AN "AXLE STUCK IN THE TRANSMISSION". THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, MY NEW TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN IN MY CAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW (ONLY 500 MILES ON IT, IT'S ONLY WARRANTIED FOR 12,000) AND IT IS ALREADY SHOWING SIGNS OF FAILING - PAUSE WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, AND THE TRANSMISSION ALSO DOWNSHIFTS INTO A LOWER GEAR (EVEN IF IT DOESN'T NEED TO) AS SOON AS I TAKE MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL. MY NEW TRANSMISSION HAS ALSO MADE MY CAR ALOT SLOWER THAN IT WAS WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR, I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN IT BECAUSE OF MY PREVIOUS TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION AND MY BEGINNING PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAND-NEW ONE. I WOULD HAVE NOT BOUGHT THIS CAR IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, AND I WOULD HAVE NOT KNOWN ABOUT THEM IF IT WEREN'T FOR AN ONLINE FORUM FOR TL OWNERS. ACURA DID NOT SEND ME ANY TYPE OF NOTIFICATION ABOUT THEIR TRANSMISSION INSPECTION BEFORE MY TRANSMISSION FAILED. IF ACURA DOESN'T DO SOMETHING DRASTIC ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SOON, FATALITIES MAY OCCUR, AND REGARDLESS, I'M NEVER BUYING ANOTHER ACURA OR HONDA AGAIN. I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING A SAFE, DEPENDABLE CAR, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THAT IS THE FARTHEST THING FROM WHAT I ENDED UP WITH. *AK

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE FROM 50 MPH OR MORE IN AN EMERGENCY OR SUDDEN STOP SITUATION VEHICLE SHOOK SEVERELY OUT OF CONTROL. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER 10 TIMES OR MORE. DEALER CONTINUOUSLY TURNED THE FRONT ROTORS OR REPLACED THEM EVERY 10,000 - 12,000 MILES. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO GIVE REASON FOR THIS CONDITION. *AK *TS

I HAVE A 2000 ACURA TL. WHILE DRIVING ON THE DELWAY MEMORIAL BRIDGE DOING ABOUT 70 MPH I NOTICED SMOKE IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR, THEN THE CAR STARTED REVING AND NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I PULLED OVER AND NOTICED TRANMISSION FLUID AT THE SIDE OF THE CAR BEHIND THE CAR AND UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO A GAS STATION ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT ITS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN THE TRANSMISSION MUST HAVE OVERHEATED AND EXPLODED BECAUSE THE GUY COULD NOT FIND A LEAK NOWHERE. WHEN HE OPENED THE BOLT ON THE TRANSMISSION IT SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING BURNING AND SMOKE CAME OUT. I CAN RECALL ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM CHECK OUT THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE DRIVE FIVE LIGHT, THE HARD JERK FROM PARK TO REVERSE AND THE THUMP FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ON. ALL THEY DID WAS REPLACE SOME SENSOR. NOW I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THEM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAVE AN INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IT HAD 80K MILES ON IT, THIS WAS LAST MAY. WHEN I TOOK IT TO ACURA IT HAD 95K NOW IT HAS 139K ON IT AND IT CONSTANTLY JUMPS, JERKS, REV'S AND STALLS ON A REGULAR BASIS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT GETS HOT. *AK

WHEN THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS ON RECALL. THE MECHANIC TOLD THE CONSUMER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT APART OF THE RECALL. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAG FRONTAL SENSOR / CONTROL MODULE.*MR *JB DEALER REPLACED OPDS UNIT AND DRIVER'S SEAT BELT. *MJJ

MY 2000 ACURA TL HAD A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION SO I TOOK IT IN TO BE REPLACED. IT HAD BEEN TWO MONTHS AND THE CAR IS BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP IN THE SHOP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION ERATICALLY SHIFTS AND IT IS DANGEROUS FOR ME TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS ONGOING PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT, AND VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *AK

2000 ACURA TL 3.2 WITH 3 TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS SINCE PURCHASE. ACURA HAS ADMITTED THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WY THE FAILURES CONTINUE AND THAT IS WHY THE HAVE EXTENDED THE WARANTEE TO 100,000 MILES. PROBLEMS STILL EXIST DUE TO THEM REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS EVERY 30,000 MILES OR SO. NOW, AT 119,000 MILES, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ARE RESURFACING AGAIN. MAY OTHER HONDA MADE PRODUCTS SUCH AS ODYSSEY, MDX, HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECALLED FOR SAME PROBLEMS. THESE VEHICLES USE THE SAME TRANSMISSIONS AS THE TL'S IN QUESTION. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACEMENT ON MY 2000 ACURA TL AT 93000 MILES. FORTUNATELY, ACURA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 100000 MILES, BUT FROM WHAT I'VE READ, THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIONS ARE NO BETTER AND THE TRANSMISSION CAN GO OUT AT ANY TIME, CAUSING THE CAR TO BE COMPLETELY UNSAFE. HONDA HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON OTHER MODELS USING THE SAME TRANSMISSION, BUT NOT THE TL. I THINK THIS IS GROSS NEGLIGENCE AND IS PUTTING THE PUBLIC IN DANGER.*AK