copland007

Virtual drinks are on me

It's official, my car is a LEMON

Client services is getting me a new car

Rock Dog

Congratulations Copeland. I know exactly how you feel. I had to LEMON a 300M in 2000. It's a lot of work, and not for those who get can't handle the stress and hassle involved. But the system does work. It just takes a lot of time, and has to go through all kinds of lies and innuendo, until the truth can be heard.

Crongrats. You deserve this, what with all the hard work you put into this issue. Not just for yourself, but for other owners like myself.

Mad Props!

BLEXV6

Congratulations, and I am quite surprised Acura did not ignore you a bit longer and force you to go to further lengths to get the car "lemmoned". I have however gone up against Honda with regards to my V6 Accord, well past my warranty, and they paid for most of my tranny replacement, after some whining.

Now my 2002 TL may be a different story, and I have written a letter to Acura about my 3 trannys and have asked them to buy it back. We will see.

Rock Dog

Thanks

Don't be so worried about a "down payment" for a new vehicle. You are going to make out much better than you think if they buy it back, and even if the bill out has some usage quocient. One thing people over look, and it may be a little different in your state. They can only bill you for mileage up to the point of the first failure. If the first trans went out a 5K say. And you have 30K on it now. You are only responsible for that first 5k. And even with the usage factor they tie in, it's negligable compared to what you paid in down payment and monthly's.

When I did this with my Chrysler 300leMon... I had a final of 12,000 miles on it. Yet the first occurance of the problem was at 2,100 miles. Even with their BS usage calculation. I walked away with my down payment, all monthly payments, even the cost of the mods. Like windows tint. They had to reimburss for that as well. I think the whole thing ending up costing me $700 to drive that POS for 10 months.

ferizzo

Matt,

Congrats. Are you getting the CLS 6mt or a 2003 TLS? I am assuming that they are putting you in any Acura correct? I hope this one works out for you! Its good to know that Acura of Boston has taken care of you in this whole ordeal. Good Luck and let us know when you get your new car!

Fred

randomwalk101

Yup..grab your money and get a CL-S 6 speed or wait until the new 2004 TLS comes out. Heck I'd even consider Lexus LS 430 or SC430 or BMW etc...

do not buy another Honda AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION !!!!

copland007

The NHTSA is on the case! An official investigation has been opened! This is awesome!

I just had a wonderful talk with a gentlemen from their office who asked about the details of my case. I have pointed him here to be able to get the consolidated list of people with similar failures (the post with all the VINs) and also the acura-cl tranny forum since they have a wealth of info.

He said that normally transmission problems are not considered to be safety related problems, but since my report to them describing my loss of control swerving across lanes of traffic with no warning to other drivers as to why (no brake lights) that they took up interest in the case.

He said that these investigations typically take between 4 to 6 months to resolve. I will be very anxious to see the outcome.


Rock Dog:
It's always been about everyone's safety not just mine indeed. I am more than happy to be the 'squeaky wheel' that puts things in motion for the better of the group

Good points about the usage factor. My first failure happened at 25k miles, and the other three happened within the next 3k miles.


BLEXV6:
I was shocked also, I didn't say more than one line to Client Services, he just stated yup, we're getting you into a new car. I am glad that it wasn't a fight, and that I didn't have to resort to a lawyer (well, at least not yet)


ferizzo & randomwalk101:
I have decided to take a recently built 2003TLs. I couldn't get use to the fact of a two door car, and I would miss the body kit too much.

I would have loved to wait for 2004, but the car is dead now I'll plan on keeping the mileage low on this one and check out the 2004's when they come out. I want to see what they do to the styling, I have a bad feeling they are going to look ugly based on what they did to the new accord. So, instead of running with the money and maybe not even getting an '04, I'm gonna stick with the 2003TLs since there have been far fewer 2003 tranny problems.

As with anything in life, it is a gamble.

-copland007

baggsTLS

DAAAAAYYYYNG!! You got LEMONED?? Good for you, man. Hmmmm, after going through your pain, I'd be a little hesitant on buying another TLS. If it were me, I think I'd make a change. (Well, I know for a fact, if it were me, today, I'd go buy a G35 Coupe.)

Good luck. I hope this all happens very quickly for you.

~baggs

copland007

baggsTLS:
Thanx

Trust me I am hesitant, it was just the most logical solution I decided on. I am not ready to take a hit on getting a new car for another year or two. And I am finding it hard to locate a similar value car for the same price range as the TLs. And I really hate how the infinity's look. Everyone to their own, I just think they look nasty, hehe

Besides, we wouldn't want www.acurainspired.com to change to infinityinspired.com would we ??? hahaha, just kiddin'

-copland007

randomwalk101

So much for the line" THIS WILL BE THE ABSOLUTE LAST HONDA/ACURA PRODUCT...blah blah blah..."

copland007

I'm not buying the replacement though remember. When time rolls around to replace this one it won't be an Acura

fuggedaboutid

Yup, lol, get an RSX or cough, RL or S2000 or NSX

OR: Just maybe the New ACCORD V6 fully loaded w/NAVI!!!

V6 has a new 5spd tranny. Navi and other stuff and is actually bigger than the TL inside but not on the outside

Also, it comes with Curtain airbags (roof) as an option! IT looks good once you realize how nice the inside is.

recap: loaded up, the 2003 V6 Accord is about 28000US

copland007

I'm driving around a POS RSX now, and have before when in a loaner. I hate this car. It if full of cheap plastic inside, has more blindspots than driving on an elephant, and has no nutt. I'd rather have a civic, hehe.

Think they will give me a NSX as a lemon swap? hehe I wish!

copland007

Seems like Acura is putting up a stink about my case. Latest story from dealership is that they believe Acura should "help out with the cost of a new car", because my car "has depreciated and they can't just give me a new car"

well well well......................

Lemon law doesn't state that f*ck nutts!!

I am giving them a few more days to see if they can resolve it to my satisfaction, if not I told them they will be hearing from my attorney!!!

-copland007

BLEXV6

I hate to say it Copland, but thats more the Acura I expected. I was surprised when they said they would give you a new car. Its just not like them to be that generous. I am quite sure the courts would allow them to provide you with a depreciated value.

In any event just be a PIA, and best of luck to you.

slyborg

Man, I haven't been following this since copland was featured in the LA Times, I'm stunned that Acura didn't rip a tranny out of the newest TL they had to make sure he didn't have another problem. copland, you should shoot the LA Times guy an email with your continuing travails, they love it when the story is still burning a few months later.

I'd say it's unlikely NHTSA will do anything at this time, because, i hate to say, nobody has died yet (that we know of). As I noted in another thread, something like 50 people were killed in Explorers before there was a recall. And I'm not sure that was NHTSA mandated, actually, it was just that it was on 60 Minutes and that cost them $100M in bad publicity in one go, and they had to stop the bleeding.

It's all numbers. When it hits Honda harder in the pocket not to recall than to recall, they will. And that will be hard to do - it would cost upwards of a billion dollars to replace the transmissions on a million cars.

It's really stunning to me, Honda having had such a stellar rep for quality, and now, somehow, apparently unable to get a handle on fixing this one thing.

copland007

I've been getting mixed signals from the dealership about a "cost of getting a new car". The district manager is meeting with the dealership GM on Thursday to go over my case and "figure out the cost of getting me into a new car".

I don't like how that sounds at all!!!!

And let's top this off with a case manager from client services that has neglected to return my multiple phone calls.

I feel like my relationship with Acura already had the brakes slammed on it, and now the brakes are starting to give out and we are hurtling towards a cliff.

Thursday will be a long day. If they try to pin any cost on me they will loose more than a customer. I'm not sure if I should show up with a lawyer Thursday or still play it cool and see what they offer to do.

-copland007

ngcreese

Guys, since me first post near the beginning of this thread, my tranny has died again! Now I'm on my third tranny after only 3000 miles. BTW, I did get a tranny cooler installed. While the tranny oil didn't look brown, it still smelled burnt.

The only thing I'm starting to be pretty sure of is that there will probably be a forth and fifth tranny before I turn this sucker in. :yack:

Is there anyway that LA times news paper could launch an inpedent investigation to have the tranny disected?

I sure hope BMW fixed those electrical probablems cause that's where I'm headed after this mess...

copland007

ngcreese I know exactly how you feel. Sorry to hear that you and so many others are going through this sh*t.

copland007

**snif**snif** I smell a 2003 TLs coming, more news in a few days

fortunate

Any word yet?

copland007

Transaction will be finalized first of next week. Just waiting for delivery and one day more for them to move mods! I can't wait to get out of this RSX!!

fortunate

Glad to hear that. BTW, I'm getting ready to take my TLS in this weekend. Rearview mirror broke, so it's hanging by the wires. Plus I've been feeling the tranny slip ever so slightly while accelerating on 4th. It sorta stutters once, and feels like the engine is trying to brake, but then I start forward again.

BLEXV6

So whats the deal, are they giving you a 2003 with no cost. Do tell as I am interested due to my tranny problems.

TYPE-CPD

ANYONE HEAR ABOUT TRANNY PROBLEMS FOR THE 03' TL-S? I GOT ABOUT 10000 MILES ON MINE WITHOUT ANY COMPLAINTS. I BEAT ON IT A LOT, MAXXED IT OUT AT 153 MPH.

BLEXV6

There has already been reports here about the trannys for the 2003s failing.

typeSmaximum

I'm out of my TL-S now, tranny was about to fail for the second time. Good luck to everyone that has or may go through this, I lost a taste for Acura now, though I will keep an eye on how this goes, and future sedan models. I'm a little more upset by the fact that it was an Acura, and they were suposed to be above stuff like this.

RedLined

So, does this mean that Acura/Honda really hasn't figured out what is wrong with the tranny?

I think mine is about to go -- This will be my 4th tranny also (3rd replacement). I got the first "hiccup" at 3:07 pm on 11/22. Since then it has been holding onto 2nd a little longer then usual.

I think I will definitely pursue a lemon and get myself into the new G35 Coupe. I love my TLS but I must say that I've really lost faith in Honda/Acura.

garylee55

The 4th tranny? Where is Acura getting these things from, Wal-Mart?

fuggedaboutid

How could you insult Wal-Mart like that ?

fuggedaboutid

Acura/Honda NEEDs to have a CLASS ACTION SUIT launched against them because, their transmisison, wherever they are outsourced from are taking away from the enjoyment of the product!!!

Also, after the 1st rebuild, I'd be powing people!! This is rediculous and is turning into a GAME!!!!

BLEXV6

garylee55, I have often criticized you for continually whining about your transmission, but no more as I am on my 3rd.

Acura sent me a letter saying the replaced trannys have the problem solved. That is total BS and if my tranny goes again I will be all over them, quoting this letter.

I will have to hold onto my car for now as it has depreciated too much to trade now.