I bought a certified pre owned 2003 tl type s in 2006, was never notified by the dealership that the car was on a recall list of any sort. On 2.04.09 I left a stoplight accelerated to 40mph, transmission slipped, car dropped to 1st gear forcing me to pull over, engine emission light came on, vsa light came on. After stopping the car, the vsa warning cleared. Delivered the vehicle to the dealership the next day. Dealership ran diagnostics, received 2 transmission codes and stated the transmission must be placed at a cost of $3700. Dealership called corporate and the stated corporate would apply a $1200 credit on this vehicle. Dealership just inflated the price of a transmission replacement to cover costs, sounds like collusion to me. Interestingly aamco charges $2300 to replace the whole transmission. Called corporate again to file a complaint, no resolution, awaiting a return call. Did an internet search found multiple complaints of the same nature on this vehicle. Honda clearly knows this is a problem as they promptly offered a credit. Car remains at dealership.
2003 Acura TL transmission complaints
Page 6 of 9: complaints 131 to 160 of 246, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Driving my 2003 acura tl to work. No previous indication of a problem. Driving between 65-70 MPH. Without any warning the transmission dropped from 5th gear to what felt like 2nd gear. The front wheels practically locked up. My speed dropped from approx. 70 MPH to approx.30 MPH.(the engine revved over 6500 rpms) in just 1-2 seconds. The car shifted back to 5th gear after a few seconds. There were no warning lights (transmission or check engine) before or after the occurrence. Fortunately, I had my seatbelt on and no one hit me from behind. The sudden change in speed however, jerked my neck very hard which did result in a severe headache. The last several miles to work was a continuation of the initial incident. My speed was slower through town so the jerking was not as abrupt. I scheduled an appointment to have it checked at the honda dealer near work before driving home. The transmission was serviced. The flush lessened the jerking, but did not eliminate it. The next day, october 31, 2008, I was pulling into a parking space and there was a noise like a slipping clutch. The car would not engage in either forward or reverse. I had to call a tow truck. Currently december 27,2008 the car is still in the shop waiting for a replacement transmission. I am upset to find,via the internet, that this may be a common problem with this particular model transmission and no one at the dealership where I had the service done nor the dealership where I purchased the car in february 2008 told me about it when I asked. I checked the carfax report again just in case I missed it, but there is no mention of a transmission recall on this car. This is a severe safety issue. It should be widely address. If a driver does not have the experience to react correctly or be lucky enough(as I was) to be on a straight, dry road, this defect has the potential to be deadly.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. While driving 35 MPH, the contact attempted to shift gears, but the gear locked into neutral. He waited a few minutes and drove the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer found failure codes with the clutch and control module. The dealer is charging $2,400 to replace the transmission. A report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v176000 (power train: automatic transmission); therefore, they would not assist with the repair. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 82,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. In may of 2006, the was a class action suit against acura for the same problem. On december 8, 2008, the transmission failed and the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The dealer stated that the transmission was serviced on december 14, 2004 according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v176000 (power train: automatic transmission). A report was filed with the manufacturer. The manufacturer stated that the contact could take the vehicle to the dealer; however, he would be responsible for the repair costs. The current and failure mileages were 108,000. Updated 2/5/09 *cn the consumer stated the transmission began to act erractic and would slip from 5th gear. Updated 02/10/09.
My 2003 3.2 tl acura started to jerk so I took it to my dealership to have it fix they just said that I needed my oil changed and a tune up I got all of that done then it still continued to jerk again. It seemed that my car was having a hard time getting into gear. So I took it to get put on a machine and they said I just needed another tune up. Well two months after that my transmission light went off so I pulled on the side of the road and read my acura's manual book I read the instructions and followed them. Turned around and went back home the manual said wait and let the car cool off. The next day I drove it and my car broke down on the side of the road. I got it toad home and then I started to call around to try to get it fix. I did some research and found out that my 2003 3.2 tl acura's transmission had a recall that I was not informed by my dealership. Ever since I purchased this car I have been having problem. The dealership put my life at risk to sell me a lemon I really do not appreciate that. I have called acura corp. Numerous of times and my car still have not been fixed it has been over a month. I need my car I am a homehealth care assistant I have been missing work and I have lost two of my clients because lack of transportation.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. The contact stated that the transmission failed at 91,000 miles and needed to be replaced. On december 24, 2004, the contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission), honda recall number 222110. The vehicle was repaired with a kit instead of being replaced. The failure has recurred and the transmission needs to be replaced at the cost of $1,800, which is half of the repair cost at honda american. The vehicle was towed 100 miles away and she was informed to have the vehicle towed back to a local dealer for repair. Honda issued an extended warranty on the transmission; however, the contact did not receive one. The failure mileage was 91,000. Updated 01/23/09 *bf the consumer stated the transmission was slipping. Updated 01/23/09.
During my drive to work the other morning my car sudden jerked back and forth on the freeway. It was very sudden and it was very scary, I had not control over the vehicle. The tires were screeching during the jerks and I was afraid I was going to crash. A check engine light came on as well as a vsc light and my shifter like d5 was blinking. I made it to work and called my boyfriend to come look at the vehicle. He drove it around the block and noticed nothing wrong, better safe than sorry we switched cars. On his drive home he felt the same thing I did, very sudden jerk and uncontrollable car on the freeway. He mentioned it was like the transmission locking up and then the traction control grabbing. The car would not shift gears. He immediately drove it straight to acura and found somebody to look at it. The dealership said that it was a common problem with these cars and its a ticking time bomb and there was a recall and extended warranty issued out by acura, the dealership also said that the VIN number of my vehicle was out of the range of the warranty. They are offering to cover 60% of the cost for the transmission replacement and I pay 40%. I do not think its fair because while I was there, there was another vehicle exactly like mines and I curiously asked what that car was getting fixed and they told me the exact same problem but that car is being covered completely. This is unfair and not right that just because of the VIN being out of range I am out of luck. This is a common problem and acura should take of all not just some.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. While driving and initially accelerating at 10-20 MPH, the RPM's increase on the instrument panel. The vehicle does not respond immediately and then jerks into gear and goes the proper speed. The vehicle was previously repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission); however, the failure persists. The current mileage was 103,000 and failure mileage was 102,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. While driving less than 60 MPH, the vehicle downshifted into second gear from fifth gear. The vehicle is powered by an automatic transmission. The contact was able to maneuver the vehicle off the road. The vehicle would not go over 45 MPH. The dealer stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. There was a recall on the year, make, and model vehicle; however, the previous owner already had the recall repairs performed. The dealer stated that the transmission would be replaced at the estimated cost of $4,000. The failure and current mileages were 105,000. Updated 05/26/09 *bf the vehicle was shifting rough between second and third gear. The vehicle would not go over 40 MPH. Updated 05/28/09.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura tl. While driving approximately 55 MPH in fifth gear, the transmission automatically shifted into second gear without assistance. There were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the failure was related to the transmission. The VIN was not included in the recall, although the failures were identical. The vehicle has not been repaired. The federal safety agency campaign id number was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 105,722.
I bought a 2003 acura 3.2tl approximately 2 months ago from a small used car dealer (k&s auto sales, 600 w. St. Georges ave., linden, nj 07036; 908‑925‑4411). They represented this car as being in excellent condition with no problems whatsoever. We paid $10,270. Cash for this vehicle. Not even 5 weeks after the purchase, the transmission went on the car. When approached to look into the necessary repairs to the car, they vehemently denied any wrong doing and refused to even look at the car. They would only honor new jerseys 30 day warranty that they must do anyway. They never mentioned any trouble with the trans nor the fact that the car had been in an accident prior to us purchasing the car and front fender, door, etc has been replaced. It has now been 4 weeks that the car has been in a transmission repair shop as honda/acura keeps sending the shop the wrong parts to fix the problems (clutch pack failure, 2nd gear shaft locking up, I don't know what else they have to repair) since there was a recall on this vehicle for the same transmission problems, is the car still covered? I don't know if the car was repaired when the recall was first initiated, and even if it was, it is now a recurring problem. It took all the money we had to pay for the car in the first place, now we have had to rent a car for 3-4 weeks while the car is being repaired, and it is supposed to cost anywhere from $2500-$3500 to repair. Is there any way that honda/acura of america can help with the cost of the repairs/replacement since this was a the federal safety agency recall that was obviously not fixed properly in the first place, if at all. I feel the dealer knew there was a problem, but being a mother/daughter buyer, was just interested in the sale. Not honesty. Please, is there anything you can do to help defray the costs we are now faced with? Any help your corporation can give at this point would be a huge help as I feel the huge expense to repair this car should not have to be paid by us. Thank you
2003 acura 3.2tl recall notice. Consumer wants to be reimbursed for the recall since car was within the warranty and a recall had been issued. *nj the consumer stated the RPM's would get high and the transmission slipped and banged into gear.
I purchased my 2003 acura tls brand new. I had to have my first transmission replaced two years ago when driving at 40 mphs, the car slipped into first. Just three months ago, I had problems with the car surging and the dealer replaced the transmission again. Just last week (3 months after the last transmission was installed), a third transmission was installed because the car would not accelerate while trying to merge onto the freeway (pretty scary). I purchased an extended warranty when I bought the car even then my car is covered under the recall. My car has 83,000 miles on it and I'm not thrilled about having to buy another car. I sure don't want to sell this to anyone knowing it has a problem that can't be fixed or may possibly kill someone.
I have a 2003 acura tl type s. I bought it used in 2004 with 22,000 miles on it. Shortly after honda issued a recall for the transmission. The solution was to take it to the dealership and have them check for a damaged 2nd gear and if there was no visible sign of damage they would install a jet kit to keep the 2nd gear cooler. My car at this time had about 35,000 miles on it. The dealership installed a jet kit my car and reported no damage. Around 50,000 miles I noticed my car slipping while accelerating. I took my vehicle back to the dealership. They replaced my transmission stating that the jet kit did not work and that the transmission was damaged. I thought that everything was fixed. Around 95,000 I noticed that my transmission was starting to shift hard and slip a little. I took it to the dealership. They said that the transmission was fine and checked good. At 105000 miles I recently took my car down to charlestion sc and was returning home on i95 in nc. I pulled off an exit to get gas and noticed my car was jerking real bad and was having problems staying in gear. Soon after I started to smell something burning and my check engine light came on. I pulled into a auto tune shop and had the technicians read the engine code. The code came back as a transmission controller fail. I towed my vehicle to the nearest dealership about 50 miles away. They checked the car and reported that the transmission need to be replaced. This would be my third factory transmission! What if my vehicle had seized up while on i95 where vehicles are traveling at 70 MPH. Why does a car need three transmission at 105,000 miles! Something is wrong! Please look into it!
My automatic transmission has failed and scared both myself and my wife. At first the car suddenly downshifted when the brake was pressed at a speed of about 35 MPH. Later the transmission would not shift properly at all, but worked after the check engine, tcs, and blinking d5 light came on. The select shift no longer works. I don't plan to confront the dealer over a transmission that was previously recalled because acura stated the car was no longer under warranty.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura tl. While driving approximately 35 MPH with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle stopped and surged forward without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 104,000. Updated 7/3/08 *cn the consumer stated the transmission had been replaced previously. Updated 07/03/08
Traveling at freeway speed car suddenly downshifted to 2nd gear causing rapid deceleration and lockup of the seatbelt. Took to dealership diagnosed as transmission failure.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura tl. While driving at any speed, the gear shift becomes stuck. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer. The cost to repair the vehicle is $2,500. The federal safety agency campaign id number 04v176000 (power train: automatic transmission) was referenced. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura tl. While driving 60 MPH, the "check engine" and "tcs" warning lights illuminated. The transmission slammed into gear and caused the vehicle to jerk for approximately 30 seconds. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and was towed to the dealer. The dealer stated that the transmission failed due to gear breakage. The transmission was replaced in the summer of 2004 as part of a recall. No campaign id number was found for the recall. The current and failure mileages were 95,000. Updated 04/03/08. *lj the consumer stated the replacement transmission exhibited the problems.
Transmission failure.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. The contact has been experiencing transmission failure for a few weeks. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the transmission surged and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a shop and the mechanic stated that nothing could be done. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence. Through research, he found a recall for the transmission. He called the manufacturer and was informed that his vehicle had already been checked for that recall in 2004 and they found no failures at that time. The manufacturer refused to repair the vehicle under the recall. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 69,000.
My automatic transmission was slipping into 3rd gear on my 2003 tl-s. I had it rebuilt at 73,900 miles. The torque converter had failed and was loosing hydraulic pressure & overheating. I bought this car new in 2003. It's a late 2003 VIN and acura would not cover it under warranty. My dealership wanted $3,750 plus tax to replace it. An independent shop did the work for $2,600 incl tax with a 12 month 12,000 mile warranty.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. While driving 40 MPH, the contact experienced difficulty when shifting gears. The vehicle would also automatically brake while his foot was depressing the accelerator pedal. He has to drive with the hazard lights activated in order to prevent a rear end crash. He took the vehicle to the dealer when the traction control indicator light illuminated. The light gave no indication as to whether or not the feature would disengage. The dealer stated that they could not inspect the vehicle due to warranty issues. The dealer stated that this was a common failure and the contact would be able to drive the vehicle. While driving to his residence, the vehicle would not exceed 40 MPH. The vehicle then began to gradually downshift to 20, 15, and finally 10 MPH until it automatically braked. He returned to the dealer and was informed of the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission) and the federal safety agency action number pe02081, in which his VIN and warranty were not included. The dealer also stated that they would provide him with a rental car due to incorrectly informing him that the vehicle could be driven home. The failure and current mileages were 72,000.
2003 acura tl transmission failure. I felt a lurch in the vehicle one day and was told the next day by the acura dealership that the transmission need to be replaced. I researched on line and determine that there was a recall on "some" 2003 acura tl's but mine was not included in the recall .
2003 acura tl transmission locked during driving. Car is non operational need of a new transmission,car has only 30,000 miles.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura tl. While driving about 0-35mph the vehicle began shaking and making a continuous loud noise. When the vehicle came to a stop, he had to restart the vehicle and it began shaking rapidly on three occasions. The reverse gear box and the transmission failed. He was able to drive to the dealer. The current and failure mileage on the vehicle was 96,400. The purchase date was unavailable. Updated 01-11-08. *kb the dealer stated vibration when braking. Updated 12/12/07
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura tl. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced four times, including once when it was recalled. The last time the vehicle was taken to the dealer they worked on the transmission and stated that they would no longer warranty the repairs. The powertrain was unknown. The failure mileage was 90,795 and there is no current mileage because the vehicle has been sold.
My '03 acura tl is having the transmission replaced at 50,000 miles. Also the rotors are defective and warp causing me to have them resurfaced all the time.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. While driving 60 MPH, the transmission locked up. The transmission was repaired under warranty. More recently, while driving 70 MPH, the transmission came apart and spilled transmission fluid. Smoke was present. The contact pulled over and all the passengers exited the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they informed him that the transmission needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 81,000. Updated 01-16-08. *kb the transmission was replaced again as a goodwill gesture. Updated
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 acura 3.2tl. While driving 55 MPH, the gear shift indicator shifted into neutral without warning. The dealer replaced the transmission gear shift. Approximately two years later, while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer stated that there was a failure in the transmission. As of august 16, 2007, the dealer has not repaired the vehicle. The federal safety agency campaign number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission) was referenced. The failure mileage was 2,000 and current mileage was 51,000.
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