Hi Folks, I have skimmed this subject but could not get a definitive answer to the following... I am considering purchasing a used 2003 TL with 51,000 miles. I called the dealership and found that the transmission was replaced 5 months and 7,000 miles ago. The dealer told me that this new transmission is only warranted for 12 months or 12,000 miles. If this trans fails after the 12 months or 12,000 miles but less than 7 years and 109,000 miles, am I screwed? Have any other folks with trannies replaced in '06 or '07 had thiers blown again?

 

your warranty ends in 7 months or 5,000 miles.... take a pass on any 00-03 TL, they are not worth the aggravation ---at any price!!!

 

I have an 03 TL Type S. For the last month or so, I notice that my car shifted very hard going from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd gear. Took it into dealership and yup, they said the transmission was bad. Unfortunately, my car's VIN did not fall under those that came with the 100k tranny warranty. In any event, the dealership said they will cover the part and only charged me for the labor. The labor was around $800. This was 2 weeks ago. When I got the car back, it was smooth for the 1st week or so, but earlier this week, I notice that the shifting was a bit rough once again going from 1st to 2nd gear. Earlier, I stepped on the gas pedal as hard as I could to test out the tranny's response time. It went to 700k to 800k rpm all within the 1st gear then the Check Engine light started to flash Did it a second time and same thing again with the check engine light.

Anyone here care to chime in on this one? I am getting it looked at again tomorrow. I'm now worried if it's the tranny that's causing the issue or if it's the engine. If so, is it possible for them to deem that it's an engine failure and end up trying to charge me for it? I can't believe I'm going through this on an ACURA! Very disappointed and I was planning on keeping this car for another 200k miles!

 

The good news is that you have 12m/12k mi to get the tranny resolved.... The bad news is the tranny's basic design prevents it from ever being reliable.

 

Agent
So the RPM went up 700-800 or to 7000? Was this WOT or just normal driving? Flashing CEL is a misfire. If the trans was slipping it could be causing that. Can you elaborate a little on the circumstances that caused it?

 

dont be hard revving the new trans- give it 500-1000 miles to get broken in

Then- the questions fsttyms ask- we need exact details or just call the SERVICE MANAGER not the writer, say you have a newly installed unit being strange.
He will say bring it right in Sir

There are occassional bad days for the guy rebuilding them, or a bad shipment of whatever internal part or you are just unlucky or.....

Its about getting enough oil flow to 2nd-3rd gear clutches- its way better with the rebuilts but not perfect
You can bitch about Acura or buy a bimmer and spend spend spend on its maitenance

 

Hey guys, sorry for the late reply. Been busy over the weekend. First, let me start off by saying that I know almost nothing about cars. So, I'll try my best to describe what happened:

First, this all started last Wed. when I was driving the other day and felt that my newly-installed-rebuilt-transmission was not shifting as smooth as I thought it should be especially when I was trying to accelerate. Thus, not knowing that I should put about 500 - 1000 miles on the new tranny prior on reving it up, I stepped on it as hard as I could on an open road. (Prior on doing this, my car was going about 10 - 15mph) The gauge to the left of my speedometer went up to 7 - 8 (I am assuming that is 7000 or 8000 rpm?), and while it was doing that, the checking engine light started flashing. Seeing this, I quickly let go of the gas pedal prior on letting the tranny shifting into second gear. Moments later, I tried duplicating the problem again and same thing occurred. I immediately called the dealership and made an appointment for a mechanic to look at it.

Second, I have had the dealership who put in the new tranny look at it, and they concluded that nothing was wrong with the car. They were not able to duplicate the problem, and their computer was not able to pull up any error code that was supposed to be recorded when my check engine light was flashing. The Assistant Service Manager said for me to drive it with confidence and come back if there are other issues. By the way, the warranty of the re-manufactured tranny is actually 36,000 miles, so I'm very happy with the way Acura handled my old-defective tranny. I'm intending on keeping this car for a long time. I'm just worried about how much $ it will cost me in the long run to maintain it.

With all of the above said, what are you guys' opinions on this one? Sorry for the long reply. I wanted to be thorough. Thanks

 

Was the car accelerating during this or did the tach climb but the car didnt gain any speed? If all it was was the cel flashing it was just a misfire code. Does it still do it when you do it?

 

Um, I think it's the latter. The best way I can describe is......It's like peeling out from a spot and all the sudden when the car is redlining and ready to bolt out....The check engine light starts to flash and I then proceed to lightly let go of the gas pedal. Therefore, it accelerated but not as strongly as it would if I let my foot on the peddle. I was honestly afraid that the trainny was going to blow.

I will try it again sometime this weekend. I'm now thinking if I should put about 1k mile on the new replacement trainny before I try it again as suggested by 01tl4tl.

Quick question: You mentioned misfire code twice. Is this something I need to worry about ? Is it a sign of bad things to come? Or it's just one of those mishaps that happen randomly for no reason?

 

Sounds like you were doing this a slippery surface and activating the TCS traction control-
as if you were doing a burnout, and it applies brake to the speeding side
Only works up to 16mph then stops

look at the dash with key on for the TCS light- was that what you saw?
it flashes when activated and if you disable the system with the switch- the yellow TCS light stays ON to remind you

If you paid partial for the trans they up the warranty period- did you share any cost or have the gotten generous?

Misfire codes and other codes are stored in the computer for the tech to pull.
Sometimes a slipping trans will give a code of engine overspeed for example- even though thats not the real problem- its a hint to a problem

 

Your TL will go well past 200 as long as you do some basic maitenance and fix things the last owner didnt know about
Tune up- seafoam and a fresh free trans= nearly new TL, what a score!!!

 

I read this thread because my 01 TL has 97K on it and my tranny is giving me a very slight hesitation when I turn a corner and start up a hill. I know, weird. But thats the case. But I also paid a guy 300 bucks to flush the tranny at 85K and when I took it in for an oil change at Meineke they told me my tranny fluid was so ugly that were afraid to drive it off the rack. I talked to the manager and he swears its never been changed. (So the last guy lost my business, but am I starting that slide into a tranny change)?

 

You should never flush a 2nd gen transmission. Drain and fill only. And $300 for a transmission flush is a rip-off. (Of course, it's even more of a rip-off if he didn't actually flush it.)

Also, be sure to bring your TL into an Acura dealer before you hit the 109,000 mile extended warranty limit. If they find problems you'll get a new and improved transmission.

 

Bob,

Just WOW. I had the tranny supposedly flushed because a friend who is a master mechanic on Hondas for 30 years said it was very important. (I trusted him. And he didn't beenfit from the advice.) I think the book says to have it flushed as well, somewhere in the 60k to 90k mileage range. Am I wrong? Anyway, may I ask why you would say to NEVER have it flushed for 2nd generation? With all the tranny issues it seems kind of important. And I am definitely taking your advice about visiting the dealer soon.

Pepe

 

Bob,

Just WOW. I had the tranny supposedly flushed because a friend who is a master mechanic on Hondas for 30 years said it was very important. (I trusted him. And he didn't beenfit from the advice.) I think the book says to have it flushed as well, somewhere in the 60k to 90k mileage range. Am I wrong? Anyway, may I ask why you would say to NEVER have it flushed for 2nd generation? With all the tranny issues it seems kind of important. And I am definitely taking your advice about visiting the dealer soon.

I was thinking of doing the same thing. My '03 TL has about 52K miles and I'm sure that the previous owner has never had the transmission fluid change. The fluid is brownish and low. So is it too late for me to flush it? or should I just do a drain and refill? Thanks.

 

Pepe, you are new here. But after you've been through all the various tranny failure threads and especially the one in the 2nd gen. CL forum, then you'll know all about 2nd gen. tranny failures. A couple years back when the 2nd gen. tranny failures were mounting, many owners started to report that their trannies were starting to fail after the dealership flushed the trannies as a scheduled maintenance work to prevent tranny failures - what an irony. Nobody knew what was going on, and rebuild trannies continued to be shipped to dealerships in truckloads at that period. Hope this info helps.

 

The problem here is the BOOK says flush- but the description of the procedure in the book is drain and refill 3 qts 3 times
The modern interpetation of the word FLUSH as used by quick lube places is a machine powered suction device or similar method
That will trash a TL trans for a number of reasons

The ONLY way for us to change the fluid fully is drain and refill- the trans only gives up 3 of its 7 qts at a time- so thats why we do it 3 times with 5 minute drive between drains, to circulate the fluid - our version of a flush as approved by Acura

The book also says at 60k miles its ready for that treatment
Use ONLY Honda ATF fluid

If your car has funky trans feelings- get it to the dealer right away.
Even if not total failure yet- you have documented the problem with them
They know all the symptoms and most dealers do 1-4 of these warranty replacements trans per week!
If your service writer says otherwise go to another dealer

 

I'd love to get one of those new trannies, but since mine was just replaced for the 4th time, I'm presuming that I'm still getting the old rebuilt ones. Mine has been replaced at:

13,642
45,584
76,026
81,998

All replacements were handled under warranty at my Acura dealer, but it's getting a little tiring going back and forth to the dealer........

 

Were any of the recent replacements done after February of 2005? That's when Acura made some changes that may have resolved the major reliability issues.

If your latest transmission was installed by Acura, it should have all of the latest design improvements.

 

So. I'm doing this 3x3 transmission fluid method. But my mechanic can only do it once a day. I just had it done earlier today. I guess it's ok to to it once a day for 3 days in a row? That still count as 3 times, plus I don't drive much.

 

So...my tranny appears toasted, as it did the requisite going nowhere fast slippage thingie - revs like mad, hesitates and then eventually kicks into gear. The D5 light flashes green, won't allow switch to SS, and of course the CEL and TCS lights go solid.

Save for a battery issue and brakes, I've had little to no problems with this car. I even managed a cross-country trip last year due to a move, and my 2002 TL performed admirably. So, no, I don't hate my car or anything...but it seriously freaked me out when it decelerated so rapidly. I also felt that with all the jerking and spinning, I should have had hydraulics, neon and a ridiculously expensive sound system installed...and of course, the fuzzy dice.

I've read up on the posts, so I know this is a common occurrence and how to resolve it; I used to get my work done at the local dealership in CT (there weren't a whole lot of other choices), but when I checked on the Owner Link, it doesn't show much of anything done. Since moving to Phoenix, I've used a local shop in Glendale to get my fixes done (at considerable savings without any BS).

That said, is there a chance they're going to give me crap about my 88,000 miles for a replacement tranny, or just smile and nod and pass me the keys to a loaner?

I'll be calling in the morning to Acura Care, and then off to the dealership. I hope they'll just tow rather than make me drive 10+ miles to the nearest shop.

So much for the "But it's behaving so beautifully, I never have any problems with it", comment yesterday. Geesh, talk about jinxing myself.

So welcome me to the club. Do I get a free beer...or even a bottle holder?

-Kev

 

Its an 02 with regular title- not salvage vehicle right?
The warranty is 7 years+9 months or 109k miles- you are fine

Call the dealer and ask for the tow truck- trans is too dangerous to drive that way.
Amazing how they go overnight like that!!!

They may not have any loaners in the morning, but once its diagnosed, a car will appear for you

 

You should have no problem.

 

Just called Acura of Peoria and they were very professional about it. "Have it towed here, we'll take care of it." Although Acura Roadside Assistance gave me some difficulty (will that be mastercard or visa?), Deidre in Service immediately gave me a local towing company's name and stated they'll take care of the bill directly rather than require reimbursement.

So I'm now waiting on the tow truck for the 20 mile ride to the dealership...and now the only question is, "Do I take a TL or an RL for a loaner?" (I'm siding with the 2k7 RL.)

(And yes, I'm trying to maintain my humor throughout this process.)

 

i say got for the RL

 

The funny part is when they find the bad front motor mount and try to charge you $400 instead of the $150 it cost with trans removed

I should have been more specific about asking the dealer service dept for the tow- not acuracare
=sorry

Wait- your not smiling- no, it really is 150 for a motor mount for a TL- no kidding

 

When you car is all done and you feel the dealer took care of you, write a letter to Acura naming indivuals and thanking them
Send a letter to the owner-manager of the dealership with same info
Complete the acura survey for them - anything less than perfect 10s is a failing grade to corp. when they review the surveys, and the results get emailed to service manager.
Bonus pay or lack thereof, is based on the customer survey results

A box of donuts is always a nice thank you to the service dept.

 

Thought I might miss the fun, but alas, mine only made it to 91k.

Pohanka Acura in Centreville, VA is handling the replacement. Very professional, no charge, TSX loaner. No complaints.

Good luck to all!

 

'00 TLP with 100,400 miles and 3 months outside the extended warranty period. Experienced 2nd-3rd slipping. Dealer duplicated the problem after one day of usage and they found a way to warranty it.

Props to Cerritos Acura. But this is the last Acura/Honda for me.

 

Your post is a good reminder to owners of 2000 TLs that they may already have reached the 7 year 9 month limit on the extended warranty. So if you have a 2000 TL, check your car's original in-service date.

But why rule out buying another Acura or Honda? What are you going to buy that's more reliable? How many other manufacturers would replace a transmission that's out of warranty?

While I'm certainly disappointed with the transmission reliability issues with the second generation TLs, I won't rule out the purchase of another Honda or Acura.

Also, Acura may well have corrected the major reliability issues with the TL transmission. So your replacement transmission may last a very long time.

 

How about Lexus or Toyota (if you cant swing a Lexus)???? I assure you, this TL will be my last Acura.

 

Because they have had trans issues as well. Not to mention boring cars to drive

 

The transmission is only one of the many issues I had with this car. The other well documented issues include brake rotor warping, windows trim peeling, door panels separating, interior rattles.

I've owned $15k cars with less problems than the TL. Until Honda makes a car with 400hp and sell it for $20k, I'm shopping somewhere else.

 

BTW, I don't understand why some are still loyal to Acura/Honda while being screwed so badly by the company selling poorly designed products.

Yes, we got replacement transmissions. But we lost thousands in the resale value of this POS.

 

Same tranny problems a few years back and now a CD player that on and off hisses strange static and getting worse.
Not to mention the rear view mirror dimmer that is going bad and way too many OEM rotor vibration repairs ( I finally fixed with Brembo rotors).

Guess mine was a bad year ('02).

 

Strange.... I am not aware of any Lexus/Toyota with a 4 year run of bad transmissions and total of 6 years to correct the problem.

 

They have engine problem in which the engine will sludge up even with regular oil changes.

 

Yes, as a matter of fact, my 02 TL has had a window trim peel up on the rear driver's side door where big window widow is separated from the little window....that is almost $400 to fix from Acura, and I just had my rotors resurfaced because of warping.

 

FYI. Resurfacing the rotor won't fix the issue. The vibration will come back within 10k miles. You will need new rotors, and not the factory ones.

Like I said, this car has multiple design and material issues and it's not worth sinking more money into it. It has also ruined the reputation for Acura/Honda.

I have friends that works at American Honda Motors who vowed not to buy another Honda. Now that says a lot...

 

Come on - Toyotas have issues. How about the sludge motors - the 6 cylinder. I have one in my daughter's 2000 Camry. Or the bad design head gaskets on the 6's in the mid '90's? Also check out Consumer Reports, they just downgraded the new Camry, a Lexus (or 2) and the new big Toyota truck due to numerous problems with their new 6 speed tranny. All automakers have issues from time to time. Is the '00 - '03 tranny probelm a big issue? Yes, but I have been well taken care of by my dealer, 1st replacement at 80K for free and a nice new loaner, second replacement at 165K for $1200 and another nice, new loaner. I now have 176K on the car and all I have ever done is the timing belt at 110K and the aforementioned trans replacements. I drive my TL hard, and it has been bulletproof (save for the trans ). I would definitely buy another Acura/Honda, just as reliable as a Toyota/Lexus and a lot more fun to drive.

FYI - The Audi/Volkswagon 1.8 Turbo is another notorious sludge motor. The Germans make cars that are great to drive and are very safe, but the reliability leaves something to be desired.