You got one with good miles so acrua should cover you till 100k, but we usually expect better reliability from Honda. My tranny went out at about 45k and has lasted to 75k so far with out the fluid turning brown. If the fluid is or turns brown it's gone and you will know when the crazy shifting starts.
good luck!

 

Hey ACLURA, is it just for auto trannies or stick also? When you said when it starts shifting crazy as in how, auto manual or stick or when its on auto by itself? Sorry but can you explain I`m not really into cars like that.

 

My 01 did it from d4 or d5, but I didn't try it from stick. Some have posted that they drove theirs in 2 or 3 which might get you to the dealer. I had mine towed because it will rip the motor mounts out if it is driven with the "crazy shifting", and can cause a wreck in traffic.

 

I recently purchased a 01 CL-s w/ 75k mi. on it. It feels fine but i have to ask.....are there any CL's that AREN'T having this trans problem or should i abandon ship all together? I'm extremely concerned about this so some positive feedback(if there is any) would be greatly appreciated!

 

Regarding tranny and performance and such...

I just bought my 01 CLS with 75k. The transmission was completely replaced at 63k. I asked a service rep at the dealer if they changed or fiddled with the PCM/ECU, he said "I don't think we would have when replacing the transmission." Guess my dyno results were just a coincidence then when after one 3rd gear run, whp went from 200 to 180, wtq went from 180 to 170! After letting the car cool for several minutes, same results. After one "low" run, turned the car off then on and immediately ran again. Suprise, initial numbers are back! Also, 200/180 stock seems to be underacheiving even for the auto. Loss of 60hp from the crank? That is 20-25% drivetrain loss! Could this be the ECU/PCM trying protect the tranny? Note that this dyno was done on a mustang dyno, I have heard these get slightly lower numbers than others such as dynojet? Is the abrupt 2nd gear tip in normal as well? Between 2500-3500 in 2nd the car can't decide whether it wants 1st or 2nd, and to stay in second gear you almost have to have 0 throttle. Speculations on this?

EDIT: According to consumer reports, 15% are affected by tranny issues (01) - 1 in 6 people...

 

 

I jus bought a 01 CL Type S. The tranny has already bee replaced back in 04. Everything seems to be fine now...

 

I actually got a brand new TL with 1000 miles on it for 4 days. I didn't want to give it back. Sucks driving my CL again, it feels like shit compared to the Loaner TL the dealer gave me.

 

I am the newest member of the F'ed up tranny club. I had my first(to my knowledge) replacement tranny put in 600miles ago(91,000) @ Fountain Acura of Orlando. I can already tell you that this tranny is equally, if not more, f'ed up than the last one. I am close to the 100,000 marker. Does anyone know if there is a warranty for the replacement trannies that extends beyond 100k if applicable? something like 2yrs 24k? Thanks guys.

 

For the record, there's one guy who hasn't ever changed his tranny fluid and he's on his 1st tranny @ a little over 176,000. I'm on my 4th tranny @ 196,000. 3 have been new and the 1 I'm on now is a re-build. I've spent more fixing the tranny than I spent buying the car - I want a Lexus.

 

I hate mines im on my second at about 10k and i feel it dieing on me now arghhhhhh

 

FUCK FUCK ARGH!G!H!G!G, kick hondas face
so we established the transmission is made from glass - is anyone interested in CleanCL's quest with the dr.evil 5speed?...

 

I've had my 01 CLS for close to 1 year now, and can feel it slip in and out of gear around 3rd, 4th gear. This is on an off and on basis.

Judging by the fact that it's made it almost 100k and it's not too incredibly bad (yet), I'm almost scared to have it replaced after reading all of these horror stories of 'replacement' trannies lasting 10k or less.

What do you think?

 

I will be in this club soon

trans is slowly getting worse......and I expect to have it replaced sometime in January at this rate......

 

"Hello my name is Chris and I am a new 01 CL owner"

"welcome Chris and we share your pain"

I just bought a 01 CL one month ago and am now learning about all of these tranny issues. My CL is slipping between 1 to 2nd, RPM start to race. It is intermittten, only twice. Should I take it in now or wait?

 

Take it in. Don't wait.

 

Mine just started to get the problem 147,000Km or approx 92,000 miles. i called the dealer and they asked me to bring it in to check if I qualify for a replacement because only certain VINs apply. Anyone know if this is accurate and what the range of VINs should be?

 

I had mine changed at 46K and now I am at 74 and mine got stuck in second gear while passing a car. Mine is going to the dealer on Thrusday of this week.

 

Thinking of buying a 2001 CL Base model with 88,000 miles on it but after reading some of these tranny horror stories I'm alittle hesitant. Beautiful car though!

Can someone Please help with a little info

 

Can anyone tell me if these cars are even worth Buying with high miles (80-100k) due to the consistant transmittion problems or is it just a specific year.

 

Transmission problems applies to all 2001 CLs........

 

I have had one since 3/00 and I would tell you to look at something else.

 

Dealer replacement is 3000 to 3500. You need to buy it 4500 under book price!

 

Anyone having any issues with the 05-06 Tranny replacements?

Also does Acura warrant the replacement tranny?

 

First Tranny died at 68,000 miles (7/16/2005) 100,000 mile free warranty replacement, 2nd (improved unit) died at 117,000 (3/12/2007) Acura volunteered to pick up 75% of the cost of the third unit. ($900 Out of Pocket)

Drove the first unit hard, drove the second unit very conservatively.

First unit died suddenly with no warning. Time from blinking D5 light to point where vehicle would not move was 3 miles.

Second unit died by refusing to shift until RPM was > 5000. Manual shifting of unit worked to get vehicle to dealer. No warning lights.

Would like to get 3rd Tranny to take car 83,000 more miles. Am going to try replacing ATF every 15,000 miles, and drive as I please to enjoy the remaining life of the vehicle. Any advice appreciated.

Cheers & Beers,
Robert Cook

 

The official company policy is that if you paid for part or all of the repair the new tranny comes with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. If you don't pay for the repair, then your warranty officially ends at 109,000 miles.

 

well my tranny already had been replaced, with 25,987 miles on it...i think that it's starting to give out on me. So can someone give me some advice on what should i do. I have been told to replaced the filter by my uncle who worked on cars before. But it's not the same when "we" all have the same car on here. Maybe some recent experience can help.

 

My latest one was replaced at about 122k miles and its not a "rebuilt" supposedly it's "re-engineered, meaning they took out the crap that keeps breaking and put in new guts. It certainly is not the same as the previous transmissions (slower) but at least it runs good. I just took a 2500 mile road trip to Colorado for some snowboarding and was a bit concerned, but it was fine. I'm hoping to get up to about 200k from this car and then hopefully i'll get some out of it?? I'm looking at the new Honda Accord Coupe, anyone heard anything bad about that car yet? haha.
Anyone that has transmission issues, go DIRECTLY to your dealer, do NOT let anyone else touch it or it will mess up the warranty! they are covered until 100k, and anything over that is negotiable. I haven't paid for one yet, because they know it's a POS. The rest of my car is FABULOUS! still looks new and runs great! I hope I'm not jynxing myself....
Anyone interested in a sweet black/black 2001 CL hit me up, it really does look new and the interior is PERFECT! keturahkat@hotmail.com

 

ketrah thats good to hear. and I guess I made the right choice getting a 6spd.. but my friend just bought one with the transmission and ecu replaced about 3 weeks ago.. I'm wondering if anyone who has the transmission replaced as of lately has had any issues like the owners I've seen on the previous pages?

I've also heard that transmission taking a crap is an result of using the sport shift often?

 

i just hit 111k on the original no probs (crossing fingers over 109k). in the middle of a 1500 mile trip and no probs at all. Seems these are hit or miss.

 

lol lets make that 2008 before trans was replaced. Took the car in today and yeppers, she's done...only 70K on the car

 

Tranny #2 going going . . . less than 40k on it and the 1st one made it 23k, so better, but not good enough.

FYI - the replacement got the new PCM.

Ruf

02 WDP TLS Black Interior w/ Black Grill Inserts
**1/4mile 14.46 @96.07MPH
(**pre headers, CAT, IMMs & BBTBs)
17x7 Konig Appeals SMF -
P225/45ZR-17 Bridgestone RE960 AS
(used Ziex 512s track only)
CT Icebox, RamAir, Sways & Springs
3nd Gen Innovative Motor Mounts
BBTBs, Mugen Cooling Mods & Thermoblok
XS Headers - Ceramic Coated & Random-Tech CAT
NEO Anti Freeze & 5w-20 oil

 

My car is at World transmissions in Clifton NJ getting its 4th tranny put in..
I bought a 2001 CL-s in june of 2000 new.
I had my first tranny go in 2002 with 35k miles
I had my second tranny go june of 2005 at 99k miles .. And I saked the specificly am I gonna keep having this problem cuz i will sell it if so...They assured me that this is Redesigned and I WILL not have a problem...
SO i was cautious and changed the fluid every 20K at the DLR at 120K miles , at 140K miles and I did a 2x3 at 60K miles about 9 months ago...
Tranny shifed fine and on my way to work thursday me car threw a code P0740 torque converter soleniod circuit but car still shifted fine so i though it was a soleniod so on friday i was gonna go to the dlr by the 2 soleniods I needed and im good right..NO WAY on friday on my way to buy the soleniods my car downshifed from 80-30 on route 80 and started grinding BAD.. so i barely made it to the dlr..
At that point i didnt think it was a soleniod and the DLR open road acura said they can tell me if its the soleniod or the whole tranny..they gave me a RDX loaner..
they call me later saying that its the tranny and ACURA corperate will help me with 10% and the tranny #4 was gonna cost me $4100 + tax so i called acura corperate myself and put a claim in .. they said the will get back to me by monday...
In the meantime i went on the website ATRA auto tranny rebuilders assaciation and called like 5 places around me .. $2500-$3500 to rebuild it and they all said they where familiar with this 5 speed most are still in buesness becuz this tranny!
So monday acura called me back and said im responsible STILL for 90% so no deal..
I had it towed to world tranny in clifton cuz the guy seemed to know his stuff and when i stopped there he was working on a odessey and MDX so he rebuilt 2 of the same right B4 mine.. he said he installs a external cooler (which alot of rebuilders said was a prob with this tranny) and he used Sonnax "O" ring end plug kit and better clutch material and some other up-grades.. He is also using AMSOIL syntetic tranny fluid (which I had to provide, stuff is impossible to find local) and he is giving me a 3/36 warrenty parts and labor where most the other places only can offer 12/12 or 12/ unlimited miles.
He said it will be done monday or tuesday the latest so I will let u guys know..

BUT NO this tranny IS NOT FIXED!!
And ACURA is doing nuttin to help anymore..

Most the tranny rebuilders where amazed i got 68K out of this tranny and some said the refuse to give more then 12 month warrenty cuz they rebuild to acura specs and it is a faulty POS tranny...

I am so upset at ACURA right now, this was my first car i ever bough when i was 20 in 2000 and I bought it cuz I though it was reliable...and i put 7500 down and paid 505 a/month for 5 years and for a 20 year old it was alot and i paid it all myself no rich parents that helped me but thats ok i learned to appreciate it more that i paid for it!

Funny thing was I was gonna dump it last year cuz i need alot of stuff done but my girl said she will buy mr the shocks springs so i would hold on to it cuz we are buing a condo and it would rally help us buy not having a car payment, I should have just dumped it!

since then I sank like 2-3K into it, shocks/lowering springs/progress rear sway bar/mood sway bar links/outlaw TB and IM spacers/OBX headers/ CAI , after my girl got me the shocks/springs I got the modding itch and had to scartch it, WHY WHY did I have to scratch!!!

Sorry for all the ranting but its sad that I bought a car that tranny only lasts 60K miles if you chang the ATF every 20K and there is no way around it!
__________________


LIKE I SAID B4 SOME TRANNY REBUILDERS SAID THEY DID NOT WANT TO TOUCH THIS TRANNY CUZ IT WILL JUST BREAK AGAIN, THAT IS WHY MOST WILL ONLY GIVE 12/12 WARRENTY CUZ THEY KNOW IF THEY REBUILD IT TO ACURA SPECS IT WILL BREAK AGAIN!!

If u are thinking of buying this car or the CL or any car with a 5 speed tranny built before 2005 be prepared to pay $3k to rebuild it, so tack of 3K on what u would be paying cuz u will need a tranny

 

I am totally stock here and i got 18K on the rebuild and it is already killing the fluid

 

3 trannys every 95k miles

 

[QUOTE=RUF87;10189776]Tranny #2 going going . . . less than 40k on it and the 1st one made it 23k, so better, but not good enough.

FYI - the replacement got the new PCM.

Ruf

Well . . . I'm back, and that's not a good thing. The 3rd tranny with all the tweaks that Honda has made didn't work in the end. Although this time it managed to go a few more miles (37k the most per tanny), but still a worthless piece of engineering junk. Maybe Honda should outsource their automatics from a 3rd party.

Not sure what I'll do right now as the bogus warranty period is over. Can't see spending good money on another junk tranny that'll go out in 2 years or so. Maybe if they cost $199 I might consider it. Checking on rebuild costs, but the 6spd is a strong possibility.

Ruf

 

I don't wanna sound like an ass, but it really surprises me how many ppl buy this car used and don't even do their research to figure out the tranny issue. They just assume they are getting a great car for a cheap price, but the reason they are cheap is because of the tranny issues.

Do extensive research before you buy something and these headaches can be avoided. Like stated before swap in a 6 speed or a odyssey/tl tranny. Don't just keep swapping in the defective ones.

 

^ I bought my car nearly 6 years ago and at that time information was not like it is now......a lot of us have had our cars for a very long time.

 

I bought it new, never crossed my mind that Acura could have a problem with transmission.

 

it's suck to own a cl... my acura dealer charge me 3300 for the replacement and computer (don't know what it is but that's what we called)