tl-s4now

My 2003 TL-s with 69k miles (I bought new in Aug 02) started shifting hard and slipping over the past few months. While driving on the highway last week, the VSA, exclamation and engine malfunction lights came on. My buddy plugged in a scanner and it gave a code for the torque convertor. I dropped it off at the dealer today and they said I need a new tranny and Acura will cover 50% leaving me with a $1800 bill. This includes a 3 yr/36k warranty. I tried to negotiate and was told I was lucky to get 50%. Do I have any options? Can I contact Acura myself and try to negotiate the price down?

While it's there, I'm also getting the timing and drive belts, antifreeze and water pump done. They are also replacing some modules and parts under warranty to shut off the SRS light. And in the past month I have replaced the tires, pads and rotors at all 4 corners, flushed the brake fluid and got an alignment.

I really hope this is the end of repairs for a long while

01tl4tl

must be `out of vin range` for the special extended warranty
Dealer already talked to corp to get 50 percent
Goodwill comes from customer loyalty to brand and dealer service history of that car- you need a good story with the service manager

Negotiation does come into play, especially if willing to overpay the dealer for timing belt!

depending on situation, some have got 100 percent covered,, up to 2500 their part
Acura doesnt have to do anything- but you can work with them in most cases

Talk to SERVICE MANAGER in person about some MORE goodwill, since you want to spend money with them on other repairs they do make big money on- like the timing belt

dudeinaTL

iTrader: (1)

If you're gonna drop that much $$$ on the timing & drive belts, I'm surprised they offered any goodwill on the tranny.

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

time for a 6-speed swap.

tl-s4now

They suggested the timing belt service when I dropped off the car. I said I would do it if they got Acura to cover the tranny. They originally told me my vin was out of range and the tranny was $4000. When he called back to say Acura was covering 50% and I was responsible for $1800 including tax, I tried to negotiate for more. He said I was very lucky to get what I did because Acura wasn't covering much any more.

I'm a little pissed right now after staying up till 5 this morning reading the tranny failure thread. One guy had an 03 TL-S like me out of vin range and only paid $500.

Does Acura still ask you to rate the dealer when you bring in your car for service? I'm feeling like the SM didn't do enough in my case and he could have gotten me a better deal. I car with 69k miles should not have a bad tranny. PERIOD My 09 TL w/nav loaner is awesome but I will never buy another Acura.

tl-s4now

Would be nice but it's the car my wife drives the kiddies around in. I have a 5 speed in my 325ic

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

wifey can learn how to drive a stick

but yeah kinda depends on the vin of the car if they will cover it or not
even then iirc you would be out of the warrenty anyways due to the time limit place on said warrenty

NJ Aegean 03

Interesting... I bought my 03 ABP TLS in Aug 2002 brand new as well and my VIN was covered. My first trans went out at 37k miles (locked up on the freeway doing 75), they replaced that without question. The 2nd one just recently went out at 120k miles (slipping and whining noise while cold) and my dealer contacted Acura and worked out a deal where they would cover 75% and I would cover 25%. So a new dealer installed trans cost me ~$950 out the door.

They quoted me $4400 for a brand new trans installed at the dealer, which I wasn't going to pay since I felt my car is worth about that much. It was either work out a deal with Acura or junk the car. I'm actually glad that we worked out a deal

KITT2000

2 questions:

1. what is the "Vin Range" acura will cover all or partial cost for tranny?

2. Has acura still not fixed the tanny issue to date? I mean if someone is getting a tanny put in today is it safe to say that that they fixed the kinks or is it still considerd a ticking time bomb?

NJ Aegean 03

The trannys were never "fixed". The only thing Acura did was to extend the warranty on the trans to 100k miles for those that were affected. If you get a new trans, its only a matter of time before it fails again. However, my replacement trans last roughly 80k miles, twice more than my original trans had on it when it failed.

tl-s4now

What dealership did you bring it to?

Tosh1

Call corporate direct and find out the VIN range. Tell them I would hate for my tranny to go out on me while im in the car with my kids, when you knowingly have an extended warranty on a lot of these transmissions for several years to cover this problem. To say mine isn't covered is amazing. Did they all of a sudden fix the problem during the assembly line?

Call corp. and see what they can do!!!

NJ Aegean 03

Bridgewater Acura..... they had to call Acura numerous times though to agree to pay 75% of it. It wasn't done on one phonecall. I guess persistence does help in the end. That dealer is the only reason why I would even buy another Acura because their service department has been nothing short of stellar in every way possible.

tl-s4now

That's who I bought the car from and has it now for the service. How long ago did they get you the 75/25 deal?

NJ Aegean 03

Jan/Feb of this year. Literally, less than 5k miles ago. I told them to do it because i already had my timing belt done there. I did my brakes and got new tires, so the car is essentially "new".

I would ask them to contact Acura again, that there have been instances where a deal was worked out where Acura would cover 75% and the customer would cover 25%. Maybe something has changed since then, who knows. But my car was there for over a week and during that time, they kept telling me it was 100% my responsibility. It was when I kept asking them to call Acura did they agree to it.

Sperry

iTrader: (1)

The local Acura service dept claims about 1% of the transmissions fail, and there is no predictable use pattern to the failure. It could be the old lady driving once a week to church with the failed transmission, while the spirited teenage driver has perfect performance.

And only when a failure rate reaches 5% does Acura consider a complete recall.

muasboi

i bought mine, almost a year now, at 48k miles and the tranny started going out. i ended up paying 50% like you because my vin wasn't covered. i was pretty pissed too, but i still love my tl

kriz2fer

What i thought the had a different case design in feb of 05? i thought that the trannys replaced after feb of 2005 had less chance of failing...

tl-s4now

Car is done. New tranny is in. SRS light is fixed. Needed a engine mount (charging me $189 for part and no labor). Timing belt and water pump is done. Total is over $3,000 that I have to pay.

I tried real hard to get 75% of the tranny covered but was unsuccessfull. I was again told I was very lucky to get the 50% I did and that the District Manager could have given me nothing at all since my VIN is out of the recall range and I really havn't done much out of pocket repairs/maintaince at the dealer. The DM's decision really annoys me because I bought the car new from the dealer, bought the trunk spoiler, body kit, trunk tray and plate frame from them, did a tranny fluid change there, rear brakes and rotors machined and I bought all my oil, air and cabin filters there. I think the service guys I dealt with (Tom, George and John) tried the best they could but I'm still disappointed.

I will be sending a letter to Acura (American Honda) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I don't expect anything from them but I want them to know I will never own a Honda/Acura product again. It really is a shame because I was contemplating trading the car in for a CPO TL after driving around in the 09 TL loaner. BUT...my transmission died with under 70,000 miles on it on a 0 mod, adult driven car. That should not happen and it should have been covered 100%. My VIN out of range is bullshit! I had all the same symptoms (noise, slipping, hard shifts and dash lights) as all of the ones they warranteed.

01tl4tl

if you guys read the main `Tranny Failure` thread it has the vin range or you can google for it or call acura care or dealer service can look it up
early in the production year are covered

it was a big court case to extend the warranty- many of the trans were dieing at 51- right after warranty and no coverage- enough got pissed, took it to court and got 7 year -100 k miles- later extended to 7yr+ 9 months or 109 whichever first
thats for usa ,canada differs

the vin cutoff was essentially the last car made the day of settlement (my guess-could have been the day before)- they needed a number to close the case-
not a fix-
then warranty repairs and refunds could begin
acura knows it was not fixed
gen3 and other car makes with same or similar trans experience failure after 50 all the time--no warranty-

in 2005 a new case on warranty units came out with improved oil passages- it HELPS but cannot solve the prob in original design and lack of space
new cars in 06 got a different design internally and case and its better

to acura these cars are old gone and forgotten..you paying some is reasonable, you want a $4000 retail job on a car thats at least 7 years old,,for free
why the amount changes is unknown
Service WRITERS are not the person with ability to call district warranty rep
they tell a `good story` to make you feel good about the effing you are about to take!
notice the name of the job ~WRITER~ see:creates illusion

dudeinaTL

iTrader: (1)

Regarding the 2005 case redesign, where's the hard proof that it was actually redesigned? I have been unsuccessful in locating a reliable source.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

look at the number of fail trannies after that date, fewer then pre 2005 but they are still out there though


and hell my origional tranny is still working good for now at least at 112K, but not with it's share of problems before though (the death light has come on before, but still going strong like 20K later , has not come back yet )

NJ Aegean 03

I understand your frustration, trust me I do. Even though my bill for the trans was just under 1k (my VIN was covered), these things shouldn't happen. My car is completely bone stock down to the paper filter it comes with and I drive it everyday. Maybe I'm just used to my Supra being nearly bulletproof in every aspect which only further pisses me off when I compare the Acura trans to "honda reliability". I also loved the 09 TL they gave me, car was beautiful and I was definitely considering trading mine in for it, but I didn't pull the trigger. I guess I'm enjoying the life of no car payments.... but in the next year or 2, I'll be car hunting and will be looking at cars other than Acura.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

but the trans is still cheaper then a monthly car payment though


and about your supra, is it a 6-speed maual, cause it looks to be at least turbo, cause that is completely a different story then an auto trans (and iirc toyota has was having issues with their trans in like 07 or so on camry's and such, and replacing them under warrenty also)

NJ Aegean 03

You're right, but at least I don't have to fork over 4k + every few years on a new trans. I guess what pointed me towards Acura/Honda when I first bought this car were their reliability and value. The reliability of the motor is great... the trans is the other story. So at this point, I wouldn't mind another car payment as I'd probably buy my next car outright.

As for the Supra, yes it's a 6 speed turbo. I know that the manuals are completely different, but once you get used to throwing 700rwhp at a car and it takes it without question, 260hp on a stock Acura shouldn't be a problem for an auto. I guess that's my point. As for the problem with the auto trannies with the later model Toyotas, not sure to be honest. I wouldn't own any other toyota other than the one I have..lol.

01tl4tl

yea those toyotas get you there fast,,sometimes much faster than you planned~
and then wont stop on arrival- oh yeah thats a great car!

anyone who owns a gen2 and is surprised by trans prob didnt use the internet before purchase

dudeinaTL

iTrader: (1)

This Toyota bashing gets old really quick! Heck, anyone can pull up the recall list for a car and poke fun at each fault!

And your second comment...guess you can say the Toyota will at least get you to your destination! Can't say the same about our TLs....

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

lol


and the toyota thing, i think it is a software issue or something, not a f***ing gas pedal or hardware (how many times does Windows F*** up :scratchhead: [along with updates to so call fix it], but the hardware is alright)

even then how often do you hear about it now, since people seem to know what to do now, instead of just freaking out
and all that shit was dramatized by the media too, cause how many recalls do the domestics have again, that are that large just here in the USA (or at least in the million of vehicles) again

all it means is that i can get a better deal on one instead

01tl4tl

Im concerned the electronics problem may be in many new cars--all being made by the cheapest parts bidder

`fly by wire` has taken on a new meaning~

acura trans probs are no different than many makers- if we belong to audi or vw forums there are trans failures after 50 with similar trans to ours

dudeinaTL

iTrader: (1)

Nah, it's not software/hardware - I say blame the mechanical engineers.

PS: I'm in the software/hardware business so I'm biased

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

and some of those trans especially in the Audi's, are like $5K+ JUST for the trans, plus freight (of like a 350 lb tranny) to and from the east coast iirc


but yeah every manufacture has their f*** ups, just that some have more frequent ones, and some get a lot more publicized then others, it's not like a car is a simple thing to make, you are talking about ten of thousands of parts into each car, that could potentually break or go wrong

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

or do you mean the electrical engineers

brawl

I can understand your frustration as well. My '02 CL auto trans just died and they wanted me to pay 65/35, me picking up the larger. It was a bitch to get them to work with me but I had a bit more leverage than most, since i had $1000 deposit on an '07 RDX for the mrs. After explaining i'd yank my deposit and go buy an X3, they agreed to fix my trans for $500 total. I can finally get my CL back, but like most, i'll be getting rid of this car soon. These transmissions are truly shit and getting Acura to own up to their faulty mistake is like pulling teeth.

brawl

As another MKIV owner, it is a little unnerving when dealing with this. My Sup's actually auto and considering i'm around 138k on the trans and it still shifts like day one, it gets even more frustrating. But these are 2 completely different tiers of vehicles and it shows.

dudeinaTL

iTrader: (1)

No, I mean blame the mechanical engineers for the car's shortcomings. Us software/hardware/electrical engineers have nothing to do with it.

01tl4tl

acura did own up to the mistake in court-
the prob is the cutoff vin used to settle the case and get on with warranty replacements etc effed the later 03s and even 04s

There are ways to get help- have to know them in advance is the key, having a fluid service at least once at dealer helps big time, and of course I think the `treats for goodwill` from you go a long way

they tried to stick 5 gears in the case made to fit 4 and increase power/torque--and things went wrong...
You cant expect coverage 10 years after the fact--which is what acura seems to consider all gen2 as 00 models as far as design/manufacture--
in their mind your warranty time is past~ time for a new car

tl-s4now

My prior tranny fluid service, rear brake job and my box of Dunkin Donuts got me the 50/50 deal. Car only has 69k on it

tlzib

My question is if the 109k cutoff, is that mileage of the car or the tranny? Cause my tranny is out and i have 130k miles on my car but the tranny itself has 70k since it was last replaced and its 99. Anyone have ideas on how to go about this or am i on my own on this one. I mean i sure as hell dont have thousands of dollars laying around to fix it, its just sitting in the driveway with a blown tranny and a dead inspection FML.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

109k on the car itself, but the tranny itself may have a 3 year or 36,000 mile warrenty on it too (if you paid some towards it, otherwise only a 12 month/12,000k mile warrenty)(from when it was replaced, so if it had been replaced at say 100k, it would have been covered till 136k)

so sorry kinda outta luck how ever you look at it, but a dealership is not mandatory though, you can still go to an independent shop, and have them put in a "rebuilt" tranny from acura/honda, for probably at least a $1K less then the dealer would (but you are still talking $3k to $3.5k at least though

and iirc the 99's never got covered by the extended warrenty anyways

01tl4tl

on warranty units it has 12/12 from its install, even if that puts it past 109
and if that doesnt get to 109- you still have 7.9/109 coverage

`out of warranty/customer partial pays`- you can BUY a 3/36 trans warranty from date its installed for $300

some 99s were included- but you are way past that- two trans last 60 70 each--pretty normal

what did the trans die of?- slipping into 2nd and 3rd? have you tried to revive it at all?
How does the fluid smell- burnt?

private shop or name brand place can rebuild for about $1800-2500,
the 4 speeds cost less to do and are more reliable than later 5 speeds