2003 ACURA TL Complaints

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2003 ACURA 3.2TL TYPE S HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND IS GOING BACK IN ON MONDAY FOR ANOTHER CHECK.*AK

WHILE HAVING AN OIL CHANGE PERFORMED, THE DEALERSHIP NOTICED AN OIL LEAK. THE OIL WAS LEAKING THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION CASING. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE CASING WAS FAULTY AND REPLACED IT WITH A PREVIOUS MANUFACTURED PART. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE VEHICLES. *AK 20% OF THE CAST TRANSMISSION CASING WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT HE DID NOT NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WITH LESS THAN 3K MILES. THE CONSUMERS EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS EXCLUDED. *SC *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 30,000 MILES IN MY 2003 ACURA TL-S, LEAVING ME GOING 30MPH TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A FREEWAY.*AK

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH SUDDEN HARSH JERK. TRANSMISSION IS ON ITS SECOND REPLACEMENT ALSO FRONT BRAKE CALIPER BOLT SHEARED OFF AT 75 MILES PER HOUR RESULTING TIN THE FRONT TIRE LOCKING UP. VENTILATION PROBLEMS WITH MOLD IN THE RECIRCULATION SYSTEM.*AK

CONSUMER FELT THAT THE TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE WERE NOT THE PROPER SIZE. CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE FIVE FRONT TIRES DUE TO BLOW OUTS AT THE SIDEWALLS. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING FLUID. DEALER REPLACED IT WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION , CONSUMER ASKED WHY TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT AND NOT BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED GEARS. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO DRIVE HOME AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB

MY 2003 ACURA TL CURRENTLY HAS 3500 MILES ON IT. THE OTHER DAY IT STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE - NO NOISE WAS PRESENT PRIOR - TURNS OUT THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE BAD (THE FRONT ONES WERE FINE). *AK

MY WIFE WAS IN A COLLISION ON 12/12/03 WHICH INVOLVED ANOTHER VEHICHLE THAT RAN A STOP SIGN AND MY WIFE'S NEW 2003 ACURA TL HIT THE VEHICLE AT FAULT IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. I HAVE INCLUDED PICTURES OF THE PROPERTY DAMAGE INCURRED. THE FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO THE ACURA DEALER IN FORT WALTON BEACH IMMEDIATELY THAT I PURCHASED THIS FROM AND GAVE THEM A CHANCE TO TEST THE AIRBAGS BEFORE THE CAR WAS FIXED. THEY DECLINED AND INFORMED ME THEY WOULD TEST THE AIRBAG SYSTEM ONCE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE CASE FILE# WITH THE DEALER WAS B012003-12-1601041. EVERYBODY THAT I SPOKE WITH REGARDING THIS WAS AMAZED THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPOY ON A FRONT END CRASH THAT CAUSED $7183 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE. THE CORE SUPPORT OF THE CAR HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER ACURA FAILURES FOR FRONT AIRBAGS AND WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. THE DEALER WAS NOT THAT HELPFUL. MR. KIRK PERKS THE DISTRICT MANAGER DID AGREE TO MEET WITH ME TO DISCUSS AND THE DEALER PERFORMED AN AIRBAG TEST , HOWEVER THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP STATED TO ME THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO ACCURATELY TEST THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. MY CONCERN NOW IS OBVIOUSLY IF THESE AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY ON ANY FUTURE INCIDENTS.*AK

2003 ACURA 3.2 TL PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT FROM 5TH GEAR TO 2ND GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE INSPECTED BY GETTEL ACURA IN SARASOTA, FL. TOLD "CANNOT REPRODUCE PROBLEM SO HONDA/ACURA WILL NOT AUTHORIZE ANY REPAIRS". VEHICLE IS STILL AT DEALER, THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO REPRODUCE PROBLEM. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ACURA CUSTOMER CARE THAT MY VEHICLE IS "OUTSIDE THE VIN NUMBER SERIES COVERED BY PREVIOUS NHTSA INVESTIGATIONS" AND MY VEHICLE IS NOT A CANDIDATE FOR REPAIR, DESPITE THE 7 YEAR, 100K MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY. WAS TOLD "WE BELIEVE YOU, BUT IF WE CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO...WHY SHOULD WE DUMP THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PARTS INTO YOUR CAR IF WE CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG?" I EXPLAINED THEIR LIABILIY AND THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD, AS, THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED FROM 5TH GEAR TO 2ND, TWICE IN LAST 5 DAYS. ACURA/HONDA APPEARS TO BE STONEWALLING, AND I WILL HAVE TO SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL IN ORDER TO COMPEL THEM TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THE EXTENDED TRANSMISSION WARRANTY...BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSES AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY TO MYSELF OR MY FAMILY. ACURA INSISTS THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WERE "FIXED" BEFORE THE CAR WAS BUILT, SO THERE IS NO WAY I COULD BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS, AND I WAS CHASTIZED FOR QUOTING INFORMATION FROM NHTSA INVESTIGATION RESULTS...THEY TOLD ME "YOU AREN'T A MECHANIC, AND TRYING TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE YOU READ SOMETHING ON THE WEB DOEN'T MEAN YOUR CAR HAS A PROBLEM". THIS WAS COURTESY OF "ROBIN" AT ACURA CUSTOMER CARE DEPARTMENT ON 2/24/04. . THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TODAY, STATED IT WAS RAINING, SO THEY COULDN'T TAKE MY CAR OUT TO RUN DIAGNOSTICS..AND THEY'LL TRY AGAIN "TOMORROW". IF THEY FIND NOTHING WRONG, THEY PLAN ON RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO ME, UNREPAIRED. . I AM MOST CERTAINLY SCARED TO GET BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THIS VEHICLE, DUE TO THE TWO SUDDEN DOWNSHIFTS THAT NEARLY CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. . ACURA IS NOT COMPLYING WITH IT'S AGREEMENT WITH NHTSA.*AK