Honda/Acura to offer 100k Warranty for CL/TL trannys

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Old 09-23-2002, 10:00 AM
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Exclamation

Originally posted by garylee55
Too little too late...

And Juniorbean, I was traveling 75-80 mph on the highway when my tranny failed both times...I just hope no one gets killed from this. It's obvious Honda is willing to take the risk...I suppose they figured the risk of a resulting wrongful death lawsuit costs less then a recall...
Ouch.. that's brutal. Well, I said it was isolated... so I know it happens.

I think the problem is that there have been no injuries from this (thankfully). I guess once that happens and Honda gets sued... you'll see a recall. Sucks it has to be that way.... but I think we all know that's the road they'll take.
Old 09-23-2002, 03:20 PM
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I'm very happy to hear that they are finally taking some responsibility .......... peace of mind!
Old 09-23-2002, 04:22 PM
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Originally posted by garylee55
Too little too late...

And Juniorbean, I was traveling 75-80 mph on the highway when my tranny failed both times...I just hope no one gets killed from this. It's obvious Honda is willing to take the risk...I suppose they figured the risk of a resulting wrongful death lawsuit costs less then a recall...
This is a fact. Just ask Ford, with their Explorer, that they did nothing about it until they were forced to.
Old 09-23-2002, 07:09 PM
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Some 2003s. Does this mean they've definitively fixed the transmission problem as of some date in 2003? Or does it mean they're still doling out defective transmissions?
Old 09-23-2002, 11:03 PM
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damn i just got extended warranty like a month ago.. does that mean i just lost out on like 2 grand?
Old 09-23-2002, 11:43 PM
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Originally posted by TL-S Man
Honda has done the right thing for both the customer and for its reputation as well. It will compensate the customers with the tranny problems and give those of us who own them a little peace of mind... but this is not over just yet. It will surely end up a full-blown recall...
I too am glad to see them doing this. It does give me some peace of mind and at least now we have the ability to re-think our intention of an automatic turn-in at the end of the lease because of the tranny failures. My heart felt thanks to everyone who has been working so hard on this and have been so good at keeping everyone informed.
Old 09-24-2002, 11:32 AM
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For those of you who've asked what the failure was... here is an excerpt from USA Today:

"The problem varies with each model, but Antonius says the culprit is a bearing inside the transmission that could break apart or premature wear of a third-gear clutch part that could scatter metal bits inside the transmission case."

I design machines that clean these things for a living... the cleaniless requirements for transmissions is extremely tight, although easily acheivable because aluminum is easy to clean. However... nothing in there holds up to well to chips, hence why the insides are destroyed on a failed transmission.
Old 09-27-2002, 12:48 AM
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I have just been informed by a Canadian Honda dealer that the warranty extension also applies to Canada. The bulletin came out last week for all Canadian dealers. This includes Acura and Honda dealers.

Old 09-27-2002, 12:50 AM
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Originally posted by LiQiCE


No the manufacture date is written down somewhere on the car... it was either under the hood or on the driver's side door ... I forget which one.
Passenger side. Open the passenger side fusebox cover, you'll see it there.
Old 09-28-2002, 02:34 PM
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Another way to put this into perspective is to consider that Hyundai already has a 10 year, 100K mile warranty on their powertrain...
Old 09-29-2002, 04:12 PM
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Originally posted by garylee55
Another way to put this into perspective is to consider that Hyundai already has a 10 year, 100K mile warranty on their powertrain...
Good one Gary, by the way, take the G35 in for that recall yet???
Old 09-30-2002, 12:38 PM
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Originally posted by Mr Hyde


Good one Gary, by the way, take the G35 in for that recall yet???
Hey, sure did! Thanks! I am so relieved that Infiniti is actually concerned for the safety of its customers!
Old 09-30-2002, 03:24 PM
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Originally posted by garylee55


Hey, sure did! Thanks! I am so relieved that Infiniti is actually concerned for the safety of its customers!
That ones even better, I am sure that the NHTSA's concerns about 100% of G35's out there toasting their owners had nothing to do with the recall.
Old 10-01-2002, 11:54 AM
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Originally posted by Mr Hyde


That ones even better, I am sure that the NHTSA's concerns about 100% of G35's out there toasting their owners had nothing to do with the recall.
The recall covers approx 18,300 G35s...Acura has 'admitted' to 16,000 tranny failures (hmmmm)...now why the NHTSA hasn't thought that having your tranny die in the middle of the highway isn't a safety issue is beyond me...perhaps the Honda America lobby in Washington could shed some light on that! Oh, and I really do hope it doesn't happen to you; especially on a crowded highway like it did for me. I really didn't enjoy being in the fast lane up against a concrete median wondering if the TL-S was going to find a gear before my a$$ was run over...not once...but TWICE!
Old 10-01-2002, 12:13 PM
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Not to add wood to the fire, but actually in a follow up story honda surveyed again and they admitted the number was 2%, around 26,000

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/business/1584413
Old 10-01-2002, 01:51 PM
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Originally posted by copland007
Not to add wood to the fire, but actually in a follow up story honda surveyed again and they admitted the number was 2%, around 26,000

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/business/1584413
Well, there ya go...we will probably never know the actual numbers.
Old 10-01-2002, 06:56 PM
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Tranny Warranty Letter?

Anybody get the letter yet? I haven't.
Old 10-07-2002, 10:20 AM
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October 2002

Automatic Transmission Warranty Extension

Dear 3.2TL and 3.2CL Owners:


American Honda is announcing a warranty extension for the automatic transmission on all 2000-02 3.2TLs, all 2001-02 3.2CLs, and some 2003 3.2TLs and 3.2CLs. The automatic transmission and torque converter are now covered for a total of 7 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the date of original sale. We are providing this warranty extension because a higher than normal number of automatic transmissions in certain vehicles may have problems due to defects in material or workmanship beyond the 4-year, 50,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty.

How do I know if there is a problem with my vehicle's automatic transmission?
If you think your vehicle has a transmission problem, refer to the operating characteristics below. Understanding these characteristics can help you decide if you need to call your Acura dealer.

*These characteristics are normal; they should not require you to call your Acura dealer*

- Quick downshifts. The transmission has a computerized control system called grade logic. When going down a hill, even a light touch of the brake pedal can cause grade lobic to downshift to the next lower gear. Downshifting helps to slow the vehicle through engine braking.

- Does not always shift through the full range of gears. This can also be caused by the grade logic system keeping the transmission in the optimum gear for different driving conditions.

- Mechanical noise when selecting a forward or reverse gear. It's normal to hear a slight mechanical noise when moving the shift lever from one gear to another. This noise can sound abnormally loud if any of the windows are down and you are parked next to a wall or another vehicle.

- Vehicle may not hold its position when stopped on an incline in gear (may roll backward when the brake pedal is released). This can occur on most Acura-made vehicles. It is one of the measures used to improve fuel economy.

- Hard shifts before the engine warms up. By design, the transmission shifts a little harder when the engine is cold. It returns to smoother shifting when the engine warms up.

*These characteristics are not normal; if you experience any of them, call your Acura dealer*

- While driving, the D5 indicator on the instrument panel flashes.
- An abnormally loud noise from the transmission.
- Extremely slow or delayed gear engagement, upshifts, or downshifts.
- Abnormal gear slippage during upshifts or downshifts.
- Erratic or excessively harsh shifting.
- Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) leaks.

In the next few weeks, owners of potentially affected vehicles will be sent a copy of this letter along with reimbursement instructions in case they previously paid to have the transmission repaired or replaced.

It's important to maintain your vehicle's transmission according to the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. Not maintaining the transmission properly can void the warranty coverage.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,

AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
Acura Automobile Division
Old 10-07-2002, 10:23 AM
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That letter above was taken, I believe, from Honda's website. It was posted by Nashua Night Hawk (Beiruty here) on the CL board and by copland in a topic on this board, so I figured I'd post it here for everyone to read and to keep it with the other stuff.
Old 10-07-2002, 12:26 PM
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Thumbs up

Thank you for posting the letter on this site.
Old 10-07-2002, 05:37 PM
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Interesting....
The letter says ALL 2002 models are covered, yet my owners link says:
Your 2002 Acura TL is not included in the Transmission Warranty Extension. For more information, please see the Press Release.

What does this all mean?!
Old 10-07-2002, 10:21 PM
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So do you guys think it's same to buy 03's not covered by the extened warranty? I'v been looking at silver tl-s with navi, and check on the oweners link if it qualified for the extened warrenty and it does'nt so I'm thinking it's got a good tranny but wanted to get input from everyone here...
Old 10-07-2002, 11:36 PM
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A funny thing happened to me on the highway yesterday...

MY TRANNY DIED.

So, I lookin the New York Newsday, and see an interesting article on HONDA\ACURA Warranty extentions due to Tranny Problems. I wondered to myself..."Hmm, thank god its not mine..."
Talk about luck.... driving on the LIE at like 90, and all of a sudden, it downshifts from 5 to 4, or so thats what the LED said... (although i think it dropped to 3)...

After that, the tranny wouldnt catch gear properly, and when it did, u would know, cuz it would make a lound POPPING noise

Didnt really lose control, jus slowed down a lot, and that not good when u have people behind u goin just as fast...

Anyway, Took it to RALLYE ACURA...
said they have seen "a couple, not many like this"..
Whutever, but their service was pretty good...

Said they will have the tranny shipped in by WED.
Put it in on THURS.---> have me back in it by FRIDAY

Even got me a loaner from enterprise, all within the hour...
FORD FOCUS....yukk, no CD PLayer either
Woulda loved to beat the sh*t out of an integra...

Anyway, just a heads up for those of u in LI...
RALLYE seems to have pretty quick service...

btw...its a 2002 TYPE S
Bought it JAN 2002 --> has 14,400 miles on it...
Old 10-08-2002, 08:45 AM
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Originally posted by eswartz
For those of you who've asked what the failure was... here is an excerpt from USA Today:

"The problem varies with each model, but Antonius says the culprit is a bearing inside the transmission that could break apart or premature wear of a third-gear clutch part that could scatter metal bits inside the transmission case."

I design machines that clean these things for a living... the cleaniless requirements for transmissions is extremely tight, although easily acheivable because aluminum is easy to clean. However... nothing in there holds up to well to chips, hence why the insides are destroyed on a failed transmission.

This is true, I also read in the Wall Street Journal that there used to be a plastic part involved with the Sport-Shift mechanism. If it fragmented, it could lead to the problems that USA Today reported. In some sense, use of the Sport-Shift could cause the failure - but at the same time if it fails and they have redesigned the transmission not to include the plastic part, this should not be an issue anymore. Like many others said, at least Honda is standing behind their product.
Old 10-08-2002, 08:53 AM
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Originally posted by volkracing
Interesting....
The letter says ALL 2002 models are covered, yet my owners link says:
Your 2002 Acura TL is not included in the Transmission Warranty Extension. For more information, please see the Press Release.

What does this all mean?!


It means you are lucky and have received the modified transmission and should not experience the problems the rest of us may face. Hopefully, the fix works or Acura/Honda will have another announcement in the future recalling your car as well!
Old 10-09-2002, 02:34 PM
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Originally posted by AcuraT




It means you are lucky and have received the modified transmission and should not experience the problems the rest of us may face. Hopefully, the fix works or Acura/Honda will have another announcement in the future recalling your car as well!
Hmm...could they have possibly outfitted my car w/ a modified tranny even though I bought my car in April of 2001?
Old 10-10-2002, 03:01 AM
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Have you had one already replaced? I can't see why your car would be exempt from the extended warranty? In fact, that era seemed to be the months that had the most reported failures. (Feb, March, April 2001 production dates)

I'd give Acura a call and see what they say about your exclusion.??? Maybe you are lucky and your box was built at a different plant, but it does seem weird...
Old 10-10-2002, 06:36 AM
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Originally posted by volkracing


Hmm...could they have possibly outfitted my car w/ a modified tranny even though I bought my car in April of 2001?
I'm with Southbound on this one. Unless you have gotten a replaced tranny in the last 3 or so months you can not have the updated 3rd gear clutch pack and torque converter. Call customer care and specifically ask about those two upgrades and make sure they add you to the warrantee list.

Good luck!

-copland007
Old 10-10-2002, 10:39 AM
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I cannot imagine that Acura would exclude those cars that had their tranny replaced. If they did then they would have to do that for any car that has one replaced from the date of the letter forward. Let's say that you get the letter stating that your warranty is extended, then you have the tranny replaced, will the warranty extension suddenly end short of the 100k ?

If there is an updated tranny (seems like there may be) then the part numbers must be different in order for Acura to tell the difference. Anyone ever notice while changing the fluid if there are any part numbers visable ?
Old 10-10-2002, 12:27 PM
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ok....uh.... LoL

Sorry guys
I typed my vin # in wrong on my owners link...stupid thing still took it even though it wasn't valid
oh well
but now it's updated and I am included LoL
Old 10-11-2002, 01:09 PM
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My vin shows up on owners link and I am part of the extended tranny warranty program, my car was make in March 2001 and I am on Tranny number 3. Interesting note, I had my dealer look up the tranny part numbers for me and all three are identical. The latest is this month, so clearly there is a different way for Acura to tell the differene between some models. Those part numbers also matched a 2003 TL-S.

He has no clue how only some 2003s will be covered. Unless Acura knew which third party sub contractor was found to be the blame and they stopped installing their trannys as of a certain date. This could also explain why a recall is not possible, Acura has no way of telling which trannys are bad. They should have had a much better inventory/tracking system of third party products.
Old 10-11-2002, 11:38 PM
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roadman:
I hear ya on that note. When I got into a lengthy fight about why they can't recall because they don't know which ones, this is what they said...

-Dealership takes tranny out and ships to factory.
-Factory is like black box, they take in a bunch of trannies, do the work and send out remanufactured ones.

He said they don't track individual trannys, or even groups of trannys. They have no idea what happens to trannys once it hits the factory.

I told him that process was unacceptable IMO, and he pretty much agreed.

Some day they might learn
Old 10-12-2002, 08:26 AM
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Copland007,

I'm glad that they gave the same story to someone else, I could not believe what I was hearing. Honda obviously does not have a Quality Control dept, or if they do that dept head should be fired.

I mean we are not talking about a knob on the radio, we are talking about a huge component of the car. How can you not have a tracking system to identify which ones you know are faulty.

As to the impact to the dealer who gets stuck swapping out the bad with the new, well Acura pays him for all of the labor, so it is a win for the local guy, he has never changes so many trannys in his life !!
Old 10-20-2002, 02:15 AM
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I just checked with acura owner link--My new 2003 TL-S isn't covered. However, it really shifts fast and hard, similar to my last Honda; a 1993 Accord SE (wonderfully reliable!)
the Vin number is 39--- (Don't have it on me)
Anyone have an 03 and is covered?
Old 10-21-2002, 01:44 PM
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Originally posted by Daimler560
I just checked with acura owner link--My new 2003 TL-S isn't covered. However, it really shifts fast and hard, similar to my last Honda; a 1993 Accord SE (wonderfully reliable!)
the Vin number is 39--- (Don't have it on me)
Anyone have an 03 and is covered?
From what I've been reading it seems that not all '03's are covered.. only the early '03's from earlier this year....
Old 10-21-2002, 03:22 PM
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Yep, my 2003 TL-S is covered by the extended transmission warranty. I haven't decided yet if that's good or bad news!

Rusty
Old 10-23-2002, 09:49 PM
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Hey guys I have a 2002 TL type S and I do not notice anything with the tranny, but should I bring it in just to check? I am really confused by this and no one else Iknow has a TL that I could test out compare. Please respond with thought on what you are doing. Thanks
Old 10-24-2002, 08:52 AM
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Originally posted by Kingming
Hey guys I have a 2002 TL type S and I do not notice anything with the tranny, but should I bring it in just to check? I am really confused by this and no one else Iknow has a TL that I could test out compare. Please respond with thought on what you are doing. Thanks
Bringing it in to check won't do any good. This is one of those things where nothing can be done until it breaks. If you have a 2002 the odds are you're covered by the warranty. It doesn't mean that your tranny is going to fail, but it has the potential to. If you go through this topic and read the letter from Acura at the top of this page (posted by me) it tells you what to look for. Basically, you'll know when your tranny is going, but there's nothing that you can do in the meantime. Your tranny may never go... so don't worry about it and just enjoy your car!!
Old 10-27-2002, 02:19 PM
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Thanks, I just wanted another opinion.
Old 10-28-2002, 08:26 AM
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No problem


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