hello. i am really pissed off and want to see if anyone can give me some advice on what to do. ive had my 03 tls for like half a year. i got it from a friend and he told me it was a rebuilt title. acura informed me that the warranty was void since the car was in an accident. so i was a little bothered by that part, but no big deal. at least the tranny is covered. (or so i thought) as lucky as i am my tranny started acting up at 37,000mi. it was slipping from 2-3 and 3-4. i brought it in to acura hoping they would give me a replacement.

when i come back they say "we did the oil jet kit and 2nd gear was not worn out or burned." and they would not do a trany replacement. what'???? i immediately got sick to my stomach. he told me that it was another problem and i would need a new tranny and that I WOULD HAVE TO PAY. this is ridiculous! i was speechless, i just walked out quietly but inside i was burning up. on the way home the VSA , check engine, and Transmission light were on (they werent on when i brought it in). and while driving the gear drops from 4th to 2nd and the engine revs up D5 starts flashing and i pull over.

i assume from reading the threads that my tranny is shot. i had to limp the car home.

i dont understand why i am not able to get a replacement when they know that this is a known problem and is inevitable. every thread vie read explains the same symptoms before failure that my car had. the dealership refused to help me out. they offered me a price to replace. what a crock! i called acura customer service and they told me just about the same thing. i am so disgusted with this horrible customer service. if any of u guys can offer me some help please do. im stuck without a car and not in any position to shell out 5 grand to fix it.

 

well they dont have to honor cars with salvaged titles, which it sounds like from your description you have. unfortunatly there isnt any thing you can do. thats teh down side to buying a car with a salvaged title.

also know that teh oil jet kit DOES not fix the major problem we all have. the TL has 2 problems with its tranny. 1 for the oil jet, and teh 2nd one was the reasoning behind the 100k warranty (but still no true fix)

 

They don't have to cover you under your salvage title. The dealership probably won't be reimbursed by Acura for doing the replacement even out of "good will."

Nothing you can do other than buy a new transmission.

 

but why doesnt acura acknowledge that the problem for failure is the clutch pack? all the stories i read about the failed trannies are with the thing slipping and nothing about 2nd gear

 

Its both issues, 2nd gear and the clutch packs. My transmission failed in November of 2003 from the 2nd gear breaking many teeth off the gear.

They don't have to cover it because technically your warranty is void due to your title. Its a measure for Acura to cover themselves against paying for repairs to a vehicle that is in for a warranty repair when actually it is damage from a collision.

 

I dont know of any manufacturer who would honor a warranty claim on a car with a salvage title. Sorry, but thats the trade off for the money you save compared to a non-salvaged car. Thats one big reason for the savings.

 

yes but this doesnt have anything to do with an accident. why only cover the 2nd gear when the main problem is the clutch pack. i guess the 2nd gear issue is less prominent. cheap bastards.

how much is a replacement? do you think they would at least go half on it?

 

a whole transmission replacement will go for thousands.. im sorry that this happened to you. damn, i feel really bad that they wont even do your transmission just because of a salvage title.. its still a problem in the tranny that exists in every 00-03 TL..

 

think about the bright side. you can do a 6mt conversion.

 

Ugh... for around $10,000, plus it probably wouldn't ever run correctly.

You can have 3+ 5AT transmissions installed for that price.

 

You can contact Speed Distributors for a built-aftermarket transmission that will be much stronger (carbon-kevlar clutch packs). Their stage 1 transmission was $2500 last time I checked. Stage 2 upgrades the torque converter for higher horsepower applications. They are located in Orlando.

 

Geez, I'm sorry to hear that, man. But it's really not horrible customer service. They don't have to honor warranty on salvage-titled cars.

 

WOW COOL ONLY 2500. i live in south orlando. i heard they were in altamonte springs area which isnt that far. whats the dofference between stage 1 and 2? i dont trust the acura tranny. its gona go anyways why pay thousands for a ticking time bomb

 

It is an Acura transmission, just with hardened internals and upgraded clutch packs. Contact DeansblackCLS (he's an official vendor on Acurazine) for details. I believe it is a rebuilt transmission, not a brand new one. But many of the replacement transmissions Acura installs are rebuilds.

 

You give them too much credit, all Acura replacement trannies are remanufactured.

 

Proof?

 

because they tell you when u go through all the trannys in the world lol, all of mine were remanfactured.

 

I have been sent many NEW transmission to install from Acura.
The paper work states if it is new or reman.
I think most remans are build not by Acura but by Howards or what used to be Howards Transmissions.
The oil jet kit is a recall an can be done by the dealership even if it's a salvage title. The trans is a bulletin. I would keep trying to get them to replace it, just a drop in a hat for em if they do.
Recalls can be done anytime or any mileage.

 

Try different dealers. This worked for me and many other peopel regarding warranty issues. Different Dealers will honor interpret warranty issued differently so dont take no for an answer until you've tried all the dealers you can possibly try. Also how do they know that your car has a salvage title? I guess by punching in your VIN?

BUt ne wayz can't stress it enuff, try other DEALERS!! GLUCK!

 

i will do that in the morning. it just give you a shitty feeling inside that these people dont give a shit about you if its gona cost them money. even though you spend money on their product.

 

The dealer here in Oakland charged me 25% of their cost for a transmission. 3500 was their cost. It was the clutch as someone stated before. It did not happen until they did the warranty work. It was about 3 days later that the clutch went out.

 

I thought rebuilt and remanufactured were the same thing?

 

they are. but teh pronblem with rebuilt trannies is you arent sure if they replace every componont or just the ones that appear to be bad.

some of the replacement trannies are rebuilt, some are New. i had a new and a rebuilt in mine already

 

i talked to ed that does the built transmissions. he told me he can redo my tranny with all the good stuff (kevlar cluches, and a bunch of other stuff for around 3400$ thats kinda steep, but i would hate to make a big stink and get another tranny from acura and have it die on me again. man how do these big companies get away with this fraud!

 

What do you expect? They're not exactly the Salvation Army or any other charitable organization. They are out to make money just like you and I.

 

what fraud is some one getting away with?

3400 isnt bad for a built tranny that wont have the issues. when my 3rd died thats what i was looking at for rebuilts from tranny rebuilders and they were putting in the same spec parts that honda calls for. there were no updated parts to help fix the issues no nothing! (believe me i looked. i spent about 1 month searching for answers, cause i wasnt going to fork out that type of money for it to more than likely fail on me again)

 

i was talking about honda and their shitty engineering. i will give my money to a non honda facility any day over honda. especially if they are cheaper and will use better materials.

 

Some newbie questions here:
Is the transmission light when the D5 starts flashing?
also when i shift from 2-3 the tach drops suddenly and i can really feel the shift, but from 3-4 its smooth as butter. are these symtoms??

 

thats just it. only the speciality shops use better parts. none of the 5 major tranny rebuild shops in the us have any different or updated parts. they still use teh same spec as honda.

you think this is bad. honda great. try owining a chrystler product. they have the worst trannies in the us. and they never extended ther trannies warranty! honda atleast steped up to the platee by offering a extended warranty. my friend had to pay for his on his lexus!

 

True that! My friend's mom had a chrysler town and country and the tranny crapped out at 50k miles and they told her that she is shit outta luck