While driving on the highway at 65mph, my car suddenly slipped out of gear, engine revving and smoke pouring from under the hood. I had gotten no warning at all.the check engine light never came on and the car had no prior instances of gear problems. Had to get it towed home where it sits in my driveway because I can't afford a new transmission.
Acura CL transmission failure problems
116 of the 586 owner complaints about the Acura CL describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2001 model year.
- owner complaints
- 116
- worst model year
- 2001
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,700
- typical mileage
- 52,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Slipping 25Jerking 7Check engine light 6Won't shift 5Stalling 3Loss of power 3
What owners say
Transmission failed prematurely. Transmission was rebuilt. Transmission failed again years later unexpectedly on the highway.
I was riding on the highway when the engine went into high RPM's and the car was slowing down. The automatic transmission went out. I barely got to the side of the road without power. The car only has 77,248 miles on it. There was acura service bulletin 02-027 feb 5, 2008, about tranmission problems. Very scarey!
Transmission failed despite the car having the factory recommended service for the transmission being performed at 60k and 89k. The transmission dropped into 2nd while on the highway at 65mph. Upon investigating it was found the car was part of a class action due to transmission failure, but I was not eligible since the car was out of the extended warranty period.
Transmission failure. This is a safety hazard as the transmission stalls and then slams into gear. I no longer feel safe to drive this car. I had to pay a great amount of money to fix my defective transmission.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura cl. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the transmission failed causing a reduction in acceleration. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 107,000.
I was driving down interstate 19, when the transmission started to fail, there was heavy traffic and my car going up and down on speed limit, 65-35 miles per hour. Almost had cars behind me rear end my acura cl, so I pulled over to avoid a sudden accident, the vehicle had just been in the acura dealership for a minor inspection of a sudden noise in the transmission area. They advised me that it was starting to miss and did not mention not to drive it. A new transmission costs $4700.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura cl. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle emitted smoke from under the hood. The contact was able to coast the vehicle onto the shoulder where the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic. The failure was located at the transmission. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced at 85,000 miles under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v176000 (power train: automatic transmission) but the failure was not corrected. The vehicle was repaired and the local mechanic replaced the transmission. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000 and the current mileage was 174,458.
2001 acura 3.2 cl. Consumer writes in regards to transmission problems *tgw the consumer stated the transmission would slip at times while driving. When the consumer contacted acura, he was informed their records indicated the transmission was replaced on or about april 12, 2004. The consumer stated he has no record of the transmission being replaced. The consumer stated his wife did take the vehicle to the dealer on march 29,2004 because she was experiencing problems with the transmission, but the service report read no problem found.
When entering highway vehicle failed to change gears and nearly causing a rear end crash. Transmission failed.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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. Owners of the accord vehicles will start receiving letters on june 28, 2004, and on june 29, 2004, for owners of the tl and cl vehicles. Owners should contact honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009 or acura at 1‑800‑382‑2238.
Recall number 04V176000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles (honda accord sedans manufactured from september 18, 1997 to january 10, 1998; coupes manufactured december 11, december 15, 1997, and january 5, 1998; acura 2.3cl manufactured october 22, 1997 through january 7, 1998). During manufacturing, the casting die caused an irregularity in the right-side transmission cover. This irregularity can limit the movement of the parking pawl actuation level and prevent adequate engagement of the parking gear pawl. This does not comply with fmvs no. 114, "theft protection."
- Risk
- This condition can cause the vehicle to roll down an incline when the transmission is locked in "park," increasing the risk of personal injury and/or property damage.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a collar on the transmission parking pawl to ensure proper movement of the actuation lever.
Recall number 98V018000 · Recall details
Questions about the Acura CL transmission failure
Which Acura CL years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2001 (76 complaints), 2003 (12 complaints) and 2002 (11 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Acura CL?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,700 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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