Lou

Just bought a 2003 Tl-S with navi and Im just wondering if Acura addressed the problems with the trannies by offering new revised trannies.??? any info would be greatly appreciated

BJSTLS

I bought an '03 TLS April 1, 2002 and had my tranny replaced at 22,500 miles. The dealer told me that the tranny problem exists in approximately the firs 2000 cars in the '03 model year. Mine was around number 1850.

doopstr

Its supposed to be fixed. I don't recall anyone who recently picked one up complaining. Only time will tell.

EmuMessenger

My '03 tranny died at 4,000 and I am on order for number three at 8,800.

Before consenting for number three, the dealer replaced the throttle body, and a couple other things I forget at this time.

Number three is on the way.

nate'sCLS

Congrats on the 03 Tl-S Lou

Ruski

who else's 03 took a #2?

this is me

That was the day that i picked up my 03 also.
5800miles now and no problem yet.

Lou

This is really depressing me cause I recommended the Tl-s to my brother-in-law for my sister to drive around my little nephew. Im afraid the tranny will go on her car and my little nephew will be hurt and I really hope nothing happens cause I don't know what I will do if that happens.

asloudasitgets

i have a 03 tls and was wondering some of the 03 models dont have the tranny 7 year 100,000 mile warrenty?

LiQiCE

I have a '03 TL-S and when I log onto the Acura OwnerLink website it says that I do not qualify for the tranny warranty extension. I'm hoping that means that I won't have transmission problems (knocks on wood), but if I do, I think I might be able to argue the point since some '03s were included in the recall.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Mine was purchased and picked up on January 3rd, 2003. At 3,000 miles, the transmission is starting to hesitate from P-R-D. Especially bad when it's cold out. The dealership, at the time of signing the papers, informed me that my car did qualify for the extended transmission warranty. They also told me that my car comes with the updated and revised transmission. So... go figure. If the tranny goes, I'm gonna set up a tent right on their showroom floor and protest until they buy the car back from me.

this is me

i'm covered by the extended warranty.

koolpix

I have a 03 TLS purchased last August. I've just started getting some shuttering from the tranny when backing up and just driving away...then everything is fine.... should i worry.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

Doesn't sound that serious right now, but keep an eye on it.

SK2003TypeS

Where do you find out what number you are ? I've looked no where and I'm all out of ideas. :p

aquilles10

American Honda Extends Warranties on Select Automatic Transmissions

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 20, 2002 - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. announced today it will provide extended warranties on approximately 1.2 million Honda and Acura models equipped with automatic transmissions due to problems that may result in premature wear or failure. The extended warranty will cover affected transmissions for seven years or 100,000 miles.

The standard bumper-to-bumper warranty for Honda vehicles is three years or 36,000 miles, while Acura vehicles are covered for four years or 50,000 miles.



Vehicles covered by the extended warranty include:


2000 - 2001 Honda Accord, Odyssey and Prelude


2000 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 TL


2001 - 2002 and some 2003 Acura 3.2 CL



While only two percent of these vehicles have experienced these transmission problems, American Honda will provide extended transmission warranties on all potentially affected vehicles. "Our priorities are making sure our customers are taken care of and reassured they can continue to depend on their Honda or Acura automobile for a long time to come," said Tom Elliott, executive vice president for American Honda.

There is usually plenty of warning to the driver that the transmission is not operating properly, such as slow or erratic shifting, giving them ample time to take the vehicle in for service.

American Honda will notify all owners of eligible vehicles via mail in the coming weeks.
---
With that said, I think I have also heard that the first few months of the '03 production had transmission problems as well. I think any '03 purchased recently should not have the problems mentioned. Although I am keeping my fingers crossed...

2k3TLS

I bought my '03 TL-S in August of '02. So far no problems with the tranny. Got about 2500 miles on it. I checked the Acura owners link and says that I do not qualify for the extended warranty on the tranny. I hope this means that my tranny is not affected. So far it's been a great car (knock on wood)

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Remember one thing .. ignorance can be bliss.. The more you read about failures on this forum, the more worried you'll be. I know SEVERAL people who are not very computer literate (i.e. don't scope the internet forums too much) but they do own 2001 to 2003 TL and Cl Type S's. I have mentioned the tranny issue to them, and they were completely oblivious to it. However, I'm not gunna scare the buh-jeezus outta them by linking them to this forum or the cl-forum tranny section to scare them even more. At this point, I don't think MOST people who are driving type S's are at risk of their lives w/ defective transmissions. Therefore, drive it as you would any car you own and if something starts seeming odd, take it in.

best of luck.

ferizzo

I think the majority of people have some indication that the tranny is slipping before it actually goes. I have a 2003 TLS with almost 14k miles (turned 1 year yesterday - of ownership) and no tranny issues. I am covered under the warranty and I believe I fell somewhere under the 2000th model (I think I am 1641). I also drive the car hard (not abusive, but no grandma driving either). I use the SS often also.

If your sister drives conservatively (as I hope she would with a baby in the car) I don't think you'll have to worry because even if the tranny goes on the highway it will downshift and slow the car down (from my understanding). So if you are going sixty and the tranny craps then the car will downshift and probably jolt the car whereas if you are going 80+ and the tranny craps well now you are dropping gears and decelerating quickly due to 2nd gear only going upto about 60-70 mph (I think). Does that make sense? I am by no means downplaying the severity I just feel as if the faster you are going the more dangerous it becomes

I know its tough to think about but you should be fine. I agree with peteruber that ignorance is bliss but a little info for you sister could only help...such as letting her know that if she notices the RPMs just shoot up once without hard acceleration to talk to you are take the car to the dealer.

doopstr

Exactly. Ever think about how many problems were just waiting to happen in your old cars (before the internet)? If there was no Internet, 95% of the people here wouldn't even know about the problem and there would be no extended warrenty.

sundial2k

I just picked up an Anthracite '03 TL-S yesterday. I asked quite a few times if the tranny problem was fixed. They told me that since mine was very recently assembled, that the transmission should not have the same problems.

I guess I will have to wait and see.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I swear, as soon as I started frequenting this forum when i received my Tl-S .. i started hearing more squeeks and rattles... and all sorts of other things I read about online.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

They cannot explicitly state that there will be NO problems, or else they'd be liable. Therefore they'll walk around the point and try and assure you the problem has been resolved. It very well might have been, but transmission are going to fail anyway -- every manufactured line of automobiles has a certain percentage (by random chance) that will have tranny failures.

I would venture to say that Acura has spent a TON of time trying to resolve this issue -- it is very much in their favor to do so, and avoid and out and out recall of their product.

BJSTLS

last 4-6 digits of your VIN.

BJSTLS

I wish mine only had 5800 miles.....Mine just turned 33,000 miles today (and we bought ours on the same day!!!)

kimcheeone

Funny I don't drive the car hard. It was very rare that I get the engine in the high RPM's. My car seemed fine, the tranny died at 34,000 miles just a few days after I did all of my 30,000 mile service, the service rep told me that it is a common occurance for failed transmissions after they do the 30,000 mile service, after they change the transmission fluids. I was told, that there are cars with this problem and after they change the transmission fluid it usually exacerbates the problem...until failure.

Please tell me if I am wrong, but I have noticed a good percentage of failures after the 30,000 mile service.

My car has been serviced at Cerritos Acura, since day 1, I have never missed any of the services, always get an oil change at 3,000 miles and do every service they have. ( I think sometimes I am wasting my money doing that, like replacing the hepa filters).

I have no modifications what so ever. This transmission problem is not due to modifcations, but bad engineering. Hopefullly Honda now has the insight (no pun intended, to fix this problem.

Also does anyone know why they changed the ECU?

savhgal

I have a 2003 TLS that I bought the first of March 2003. I have already had it to the dealership two times because it keeps trying to downshift?? and the rpms drop. The dealership told me to drive it around town in D4 and use D5 for the highway and that would fix the problem. I am still having the problem. When I took it back for the same thing they said they didn't know what the problem could be because all the transmission problems in the previous year models were fixed. They told me not to worry about it. It makes me mad to think I spent alot of money on a vehicle that is going to continue to do this. Has anyone else had this problem? Have they told you anything different? The last time I was at the dealership, I felt like they were just brushing me off because they thought they were dealing with a female that didn't know what she was talking about. If anyone has had any problems like this, please let me know.

Lore

savhgal:

Take it into a different dealership for service. That sounds bogus that they would push you away -- If it's trying to downshift usually the RPM would increase as you're in a lower gear. (That's my understanding, anyway)

ColdFusionTL

I got my '03 TLS on September 2002 and tranny died in 2 weeks at 400 miles. Everything seems fine now that they replaced it. I wonder why they didn't send me an extended warranty thing

savhgal

Lore:

Maybe its not downshifting as much as just trying to search for another gear. As far as another Acura dealership goes, I am about 45 minutes from that one. (Any others would be alot farther.) One of the guys in the service department told me that his CL did that and he just "learned to live with it". Well, I didn't plan on spending $33000 on a car that I would just have to "live with". I guess I will just wait and see what happens. I don't know if I will ever buy another Honda/Acura again.

LiQiCE

If your dealership won't help you and another dealership brushes you off too, its time to call your regional corporate office. Tell them that you have a real problem and which dealerships are ignoring you and I am sure they will take care of it. If they don't then raise it up all the way to Corporate!

On the same note, in an effort to conserve fuel, the TL-S transmission does try to lockup the torque converter very quickly. When driving in D5 at ~40mph, the torque converter will lockup if you keep a steady speed. The problem with city driving is that you tend you speed up and slow down all the time, so if you speed up a little past 40 mph, all of a sudden the torque converter unlocks, you drop into 4th gear and the car feels very strange. Additionally if you suddenly slow down, the torque converter needs to unlock so you can drop into 4th gear as you slow down because rpms are too low and the car feels strange again. This is in an effort to conserve fuel, and if you have this problem then you honestly will need to learn to get used to it or drive in D4 for your city driving. There unfortunately is no way to get around this, but it is perfectly normal and has no ill effects on your car.

KCTLS

I bought an 03 last summer that WAS NOT covered by the extended warranty. It failed at 16K miles. I got new tranny and new ECU put in. Runs like new.

Ruski

you are just experiencing the "hickup". It does not seem to be related to the tranny failure. But it is annoying. Quite a few people here have reported the hickup and offered their theories as two what could be causing it (bad gas, ABS, traction control, funny tranny, grade logic)

I experience these hickups all the time in my 2002 TL-S. Usually at 45-5o mph. Once I had it at 80mph (scary).
Today I had it at 30mph, and it was a really long one. It felt like the car was stalling.

As soon as I get a new job I think I am looking for a new car.

Ruski

well it kind of feels like the result of downshifting. It also feels like there is no more fuel sent to the engine. I have seen with my own eyes how the RPMS drop ~500 during this hickup.

Ruski

yeah, but driving in D4 does not make it go away either. Maybe it does not happen as often but it still happens.

How come so many other fine cars out there manage to save fuel but don't have this annoying hickup?

Bear2Day

Bought my TLs, August of 02, born date of 8/02. 9000 Miles so far. Hard racing miles. I`ve been to 130 in it. I`m very hard and aggresive driver. I leave mine in D-4 in town, and D-5 on Interstate. Mine likes to hunt gears at 30 mph. But once it is warmed up, it settles down. My wifes 98 Silverado Does the same thing but worse,(Like a Dog Sxxxxxx Pits) till it warms up. When I say warms up, I`m talking about 1/4 - 1/2 mile. According to Acura, I`m not covered by the exented Warrenty, Yet! I`m not losing any sleep over it. But if it goes let it go big, My wife needs a new pair of shoes!

GOD`s Speed !

CoasterG

Just got mine the other day and it tends to Hiccup at 30-35mph like it can't decide what gear it wants to use.

Build date was 8/02 but I just bought it from the dealer new (and got a great deal too).

When I take it to get a few minor issues to work out I'm going to mention the hiccuping and see what they say/do.

BTW, here's a fun "issue" - my sunglass holder spring or the gearing that controls the raising lowering is so tight that it LAUNCHES my sunglasses across the car! Just pops right down and the glasses go flying! Might have to take some video of that before they fix it.

George

LiQiCE

Maybe its just me, but I don't feel this problem in D4. I do in D5 around 40mph from the torque converter.

In my opinion, there are so many positives about this car that the small problems associated with driving at 40mph outweigh it. You could also use sportshift and stop the tranny from 'thinking' too much for you.

Yes the tranny problem sucks, but if it weren't for the tranny problem I bet most people wouldn't be complaining about the car feeling weird, or might not even notice it at all ... Its more worrying about the tranny failing that makes us notice the problems. Thats just my opinion though.

Ruski

I have had hiccups in SportShift too


If you don't have any hiccups, maybe your tranny is going bad

lilirish

I swear with all these problems with the tranny, i'm seriously considering getting rid of it. On the sites for my civic i have read about a select few who have had tranny problems and the were all on the first year of the new design. but on the tl it seems like every year has the tranny problem and both models.