Just thuoght I would add my experience. I bought my 2001 TL w/ 48,000 miles on it. I brought it about a year later for the recall and they installed the oil jet and said it was fine. Recently with about 95,000 miles on it started slipping between 2nd and 3rd. I called the dealer and they were fantastic about it. They came and picked my car up at my office and left a 2007 TSX. Two days later they brought my car back with a new tranny and had completely cleaned and vacuumed it.

As happy as I am with the service and I still love this car I think I am probably going to trade it in before it goes out of drive train warranty. I am looking at a 2005 TL now that I might go for.

 

Joining the illustrious and irked tranny failure club. Thought I had made it under the radar as my mileage was 101469 and it hadn't happened yet. BUT....halfway through my drive down to Houston last saturday, transmission crapped out on me. Tally so far is $3172 for trans and labor plus 582 or something like that for towing from Huntsville to Arlington. Mmmmm...all those aftermarket parts that could've been bought.

 

I see from your other posts that you have one of the 2003 TLs in the VIN number group that is not covered by the extended warranty. Did you try to get "good will" coverage through your dealer or,failing that, by calling Acura's national Customer Care group?

There have been a number of non-covered 2003 TLs that have been offered partial or even full coverage repairs. And the towing costs might even be covered. It's worth a shot!

Bob

 

Ok-- I'm sort of a noob, but since I haven't bought the car yet, I might not be around long.

Here's my question:

I'm looking at a 2001 TL with 98000 on it. The transmission was replaced at 78000 (per Acura CS) in July of 2005. I've read about 15 pages of this forum so far looking for information, and it would seem to suggest that I'd :

a) Be covered until 109,000 by Acura

and

b) Most likely have gotten the post-2/2005 Transmission which is 'fixed'

Sorry to be asking what I'm pretty sure is monumentally repeated question, but better safe than sorry when you're spending so much money.

Also, I had planned to purchase a 36k additional warranty through General Electric Automotive Warranty Services that would cover the transmission as well as pretty much everything else mechanical.

Should I be worried about being stuck with a big repair bill at some point? I'll be a law student for the next three years, and i'm upgrading from my 1993 Honda Accord which finally bit the dust with 192,000 on the clock. I like the idea of the TL, but I can't afford to get clobbered.

Thanks

 

You've done your research well. You are correct on both a) and b).

The coverage may also expire before reaching 109,000 miles if the car hits the 93 month limit first. The warranty hasThis year many 1999 TLs have already hit that time limit. Some of those cars were well under the 109,000 mile limit. Two years from now the same will be true for the 2001 TLs.

Out of curiousity, what failed on your Accord to cause its demise?

Bob

 

the accord is dying of a combination of old age and being rear-ended in December (I was rear ended by a Suburban). Luckily, I ended up getting $1500 from State Farm for the damage, which was more than the car was worth on any market I know of in that condition.

As it happens, the car wasnt worth much on principle (they rust in predictable places, mostly around the rear quarter panels, and this one was no exception). It had been leaking oil for a few years, so I'd just gotten into the habit of checking it after every tank of gas. Getting a new car became a little more urgent last week when the muffler of the Accord fell off.

 

Thanks for the information on your Accord.

As for buying a TL, the transmission represents the biggest risk for a big ticket repair. If you need a car that will make through the next three years without a problem, a TL would be a good choice as long as you have some sort of warranty on the transmission. If you don't have a warranty, a new transmission can run $3,000 or more.

Or you can gamble that Acura did, in fact, correct the transmission reliability issues with the improvements made in Feb 05 and select a car with the updated transmission already installed.

If you really wanted something that would be more bullet-proof from a reliability standpoint, I'd look for something like a low mileage 2000-2002 Accord with a 5-speed manual transmission. That's what I was looking for before I bought a 1999 TL. (I love the TL.)

Good luck with whatever you buy!

Bob

 

99tl is a great car....BUT....at 96000 my first tranny went, and now at 185,000 number two is dead. No coverage for the second one and repair is listed at $4300. And I have gone through a couple of C. Converters @ $1000+ each.

dont get me wrong....I love my car....soooo comfortable...no minor repairs ever....but these big ones are killers. Do you throw $5k at a car with 185,000

 

Bob--

Just to let you know what I ended up doing-- I found a Certified 2003 Honda Accord Ex at a dealer nearby that had pretty much everything the TL had except the heated and Leather seats. Oh yea, and it had a 5-Speed Manual. So I replaced my 1993 with a 2003.

Thanks for the advice; I feel a lot more comfortable with this car than I think I would have with the TL.

 

Well, I had my transmission replaced about a thousand miles ago, and just today I pulled out of a gas station and my replacement tranny started slipping just like the one I had just replaced. I turned around at a light and proceeded to limp the car home and I almost didn't make it. I have slipping between 2nd and 3rd and intermittent clunking.

Does anyone have any advise as to what my next step should be? Will the dealer consider replacing the tranny if it's not entirely dead yet, and will I have to pay for this replacement out of my pocket?

 

If it was done at teh dealer its covered. Id bring it back and say it failed.

 

When I hear about these 1000 mile failures on a replacement unit, It leads me to believe that the dealer did a fluid change to your original tranny and called it fixed---- I can't believe a properly repaired tranny could breakdown in 1000 miles.... At any rate, I assume the replacement tranny is at least 12mo/12k mi waranty..
Good Luck

 

I guess I'm the newest member to this growing club....I always wondered when my day would come lol

So I dropped my TL off at the dealership to have a detail done on it after a paving company sprayed it with tar in the parking lot of my work (I couldn't pass up the fact they called it "the Spa" and shared it with the Lambo dealership next door), the service rep told me I had an open recall, the oil jet kit was never installed which I guess went unnoticed for 2 years of going to a dealership in Florida, even having them check out my tranny once....

Well he just called me after about to install it and told me second gear is too burnt up, the oil jet kit would be absolutely pointless and he said its only a matter of time until 2nd gear starts slipping....So new tranny for me!

 

Well good thing they replaced it while still under warranty. Now you can have a post 02/05 tranny. How many miles were on the car?

 

Well, my supposedly post 02, 2005 replacement transmission is toast at one month of easy highway driving (mostly a 600 mile trip from N. Illinois to N. Wisconsin) and 1,000 miles (if they did actually replace it). I think another possibilitty, is that the dealerships only replace the burnt out 2nd gear and other replaceable parts, and that they don't actually replace the transmission as required by Acura USA. When I look under my hood, I see a shiny tranny mount bracket, but that'a about it. I understand that the replacements are rebuilds, but I'd think that it would look a little cleaner and newer than it currently appears.

Anyhow, I called Acura USA today to see if I could bring it to a different dealership than the one that did my faulty and failing replacement, and they said I could. Unfortunately, I called the dealer and the soonest they can look at it is next week. I asked the service manager if it was safe to drive it with my check engine light on until then, with the tranny slipping and clunking and he said, "I don't know". I guess both the dealers in my area are cut from the same cloth... I bet this place won't give me a loaner car either. I guess I'll just have to take it in the pants this time too.

 

^ That is not very encouraging. I have put about 1300 miles on my :new" tranny. It still seems fine. I have started checking the fluid every so often, though.

 

Dealers arent allowed to open up the trans and do repairs. And it doesnt sound like they replaced it. It sounds like they just changed the fluid.

 

I bet you're right then. I explained it all to Acura USA, so they have it noted and this dealer hopefully will not get away with doing this to anyone else. I'm sure that they aren't too happy with paying the dealer for parts and labor for a fake tranny replacement.

After some calling around, I found a dealer that'll look at it tomorrow morning; it's a lot further from my house than the lousy dealer, so hopefully it won't die on the way there. I should just pay to have it towed to Appleton to your dealership! I have relatives in Thorp.

 

are the new TLs safe? Looking at the 2007 and assuming that the problems for the new models has been fixed...any word???

 

I only had just under 55,000 miles....kind of happy they found 2nd gear burnt out, I kind of wanted to get a new tranny before my 7 years was up, which is coming up next March

 

Hey guys!
I looked through about the first 20 pages of this thread, but didn't see the answer for my question, and I am kinda running out of time today, so here it is ...

It is 2003 TLs ~92,000 miles, I'm the second owner, registred it with owners link, it says there that my tranny was previously "fixed", not sure if they just changed the fluid or replaced the whole thing, no info on where and when it was done. Just noticed some slippage between 2nd and 3rd yesterday.
Called Davis Acura today, gave them my VIN , and of course NO `extentended waranty` on my 2003. I'm guessing they should of extend it anyway after they fixed it the first time, but the guy on the phone said NO, not till 92000 miles.

Have no will to spend 4K for something that's not my fault.
Anyhow, suggestions on my next move would be greatly appreciated, or if someone could provide me with some good Acura dealerships in Philadelphia area, where the "Acura's good will" is most likely to be found.

Thanks for your help!

 

Call Acura USA and check with them. Have your VIN ready. Don't believe the dealers when they tell you that it isn't under warranty. A month ago I had my tranny replaced and the dealer lied to me that it was not covered, but they would replace it on the house to be nice. They refused me a rental/loaner car because they said they had too much money out of pocket on the repair, and couldn't absorb the expense of a loaner.

Today I brought it in (to a different dealer) because my car was nearly inoperable with slippage between 2nd and 3rd gears, and huge clunking when it downshifted when I slowed the car to stops. This dealer told me within 15 minutes of my being there that my replacement tranny was shot (after only 1,000 miles and after one month of driving). The manager brought me out to a running '06 TL loaner and I was on my way. The moral of the story is don't believe what the dealers tell you; call Acura USA. 1-800-382-2238 and press option 5. Believe me, I just went through this yesterday...

 

Thanks!
Just called them, they confirmed that there is no extention on my warranty, but told me to call back after I take it to the dealership.

*crossed fingers*

 

ok, I feel stupid now. I just checked my tans. liquid and found out that its almost empty and what ever is left is BLACK and thick. So may be I just need a transmission flush?

 

Do not I repeat DO NOT get a flush. If you are going to replace the fuild do a drain and fill. Flushes have been known to kill our tranny so do not do that. However it does sound like your fuild needs replacing so I suggest a drain and fill and there is plenty of DIYs on this board if you want to do it yourself.

 

Dont get a SHOP type flush
We drain the fluid = 3qts, refill and drive 5 minutes, drain 3 qts refill repaet 3 times
capacity is approx 1o quarts and this is the best way to "flush" not power flush
the trans fluid
use HONDA fluid not generic atf- special stuff Honda dealer will have and know what you want

 

I really appreciate your help guys! I was about to do a flush tomorrow, but now Im knowledgeable.
So, do you think the shortage of liquid could be the reason for my slippage? I added 1qt of Honda atf tonight just in case those guys at the dealership try to say it was my fault beacause I didn't check the fluid often enough.
I did not notice any slippage after I added more liquid, but cant be sure of how long it will last.
Anyways going to the dealership on Monday, will be glad to share my experience.

 

It could be but you do know to check the fuild after you been driving the car for awhile or else it will show up low correct? However though black is diffenently not a good color so something is diffenently wrong.

 

How do you check or add trans oil once the jet-kit is installed??????

 

My transmission on my 03-type-S gave out at about 96k. Luckily Acura replaced the transmission since the vehicle had under 100k miles, and the transmission problem is a factory defect. My warning signs were slipping of the tranny like you mentioned. It will fail eventually, it is inevitable.

 

First off, some background: My 2000 Acura TL was subject to the 2004 recall ... we promptly took it in (it had 84,000 miles on it at the time) and the dealer chose to install the oil jet kit rather than replace the transmission. We thought the problem was resolved. We've not had any other issues with this vehicle.

Lately I had noticed some occasional slipping during shifts. Well, two days ago, both my check engine light and TCS light came on ... after re-starting the car a couple of times, the TCS light disappeared, but check engine has stayed on. I took it to my local mechanic who hooked it up and received code P0740A, which my research reveals usually means a transmission replacement. My mechanic said the codes indicated a "torque converter solenoid problem & automatic transmission problem."

Unfortunately, we just returned from a trip to Key West, which put our mileage over the 109,000 extended warranty. We are now at 112,000 miles. We called Acura Customer Care, explained the situation, and they opened a case file. Apparently they are willing to "work with us," though as my husband says, the fact that this should have been fixed the first time, and clearly wasn't, should have them scrambling to replace the transmission.

So we were advised to take it to the dealership, which we're doing this afternoon. Acura Care said they can't really tell us anything more until it's looked at. However, the service manager I talked to yesterday basically said, sorry, lady, your mileage makes the warranty invalid. So I said, "Even if the original problem wasn't fixed, as it should have been 20,000-odd miles ago?" And he kept going back to the fact that the car was at 112,000 miles. He did say they would look at it and "see what they could do." We've had a horrible experience with this dealership since the minute we bought the car, so I wasn't surprised. Hopefully the higher-ups at Acura will force their hand a bit.

We are expecting our first child in two months, and after reading all the horror stories posted on this forum, we are thinking of selling once this issue is resolved. We were up for a new car next year anyway. I'm not comfortable with the idea that my transmission could lock up on me -- and since I drive curvy mountainous roads every day, it's even more disturbing.

All that background to say, has anyone had the oil jet kit installed, only to have the transmission go bad later on? Have you been able to get the transmission replaced based on the fact that the kit didn't fix the problem (maybe the kit just prolongs the inevitable ...)? I would really appreciate any feedback! Thanks in advance!!!!

 

You can sign your car up at https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=acura it should tell you if its had the recall done.

 

Sounds like to me you should just try another deal if that one is not treating you right. I also say use the theory you catch more flys with honey. Try to be as nice as possible and explain how you really like acuras and one day hope to have another and dont want this to ruin it for you and stuff like that.

 

The oil jet recall addresses a different transmission problem. The cause of the majority of the failures is, apparently, due to problems with the 3rd gear clutch pack.

So installation of the oil jet kit does nothing to prevent the the serious transmission reliability issues. There have been many reports of transmission failures with the oil jet installed.

Now Acura did make some changes to the transmission in February of 2005 that may have corrected the major reliability issues. There is cautious optimism about this among many forum members.

As far as the transmission locking up and causing a safety issue, I just haven't seen many reports of that. More typically, the transmission will just slip and give you some warning before failing altogether.

Good luck with getting coverage for the repair. Many forum members have reported out-of-warranty "good will" repairs. Even if they won't cover the entire cost of the repair they might offer partial coverage.

Bob

 

If you have join this forum a couple years earlier, you would have seen members posting telling us horror experiences of losing control of the car while travelling at highway speed when the tranny suddenly dropped from 5th to 2nd without warning. Honda admitted that this would happen when the tranny oil strainer was so clotted up with the 3rd gear clutch pack debris that oil pressure could no longer be maintained. However, this is the original OEM tranny failing in most cases.

When the tranny drops from 5th to 2nd at highway speed, the front wheels will automatically lock up, and not even ABS/VSA can save the sliding or spining car.

 

Thanks for the insight into the earlier reports.

Bob

 

You can check it with your orange dipstick, and you will have to take a 12mm bolt out to put some in.

And thats what happened to me today. Tranny locked up on me while I was on a highway. Thanks God I wasn't going too fast. It took only two days from the first slippage to the total failure...
No 3rd or reverse now...

 

so on thursday im driving next to some beat up car and dumpster truck and i hear a thud... i thought it was the dumpster truck but as i pass it up and approach the beat up car i hear the thud again but louder... so i think to myself its just that beat up car and i proceed to pass it up. then a hear a Loud thud and im thinking wtf . i stop at a red light and my engine and tcs light turn on. i thought pleeaaassseee no. the light turns green and i go but notice that its not changing gears.. it goes up to 5000 rpms then finally shifts hard to 2nd. i get up to 40 and im still in 2nd. since its not shifting right i switch over to ss mode but it shifts kinda hard. it killed my whole mood for the day. just when i listed my car for sale the tranny craps out on me.

something i completely forgot about was that the previous owner had the tranny replaced by aamco right before i bought it and got a 1 yr warranty. good thing im still covered

there goes the myth that 99's transmission is better than the rest

 

I was at the dealer to get an oil change on my new (2001) tl. I had mentioned that it was rough when shifting, and long story short I shouldn't worry about it. Then he proceeds to tell me that the tranny has a warranty of 7 yrs AND 9 months. I have never heard of the the 9 months part. My warranty would expire in august if it was only 7 years, so is he just trying to keep me quiet?

 

Statistically, the 4-speed transmission is more reliable that the 5-speed transmission used in the 2000-2003 TLs. But it still has worse than average reliability.

The original transmission in my 1999 TL made it to 173,000 miles before failing.

Bob