Nope, not exact same transmission models. Same share of design problems, and both are crappy, however, I believe 2000 fails little less often than 2001-2003.

These are the model numbers (url provided, and you can find this info from other sources)
2001-2003 uses BFGA/MFGA model
2000 uses M7WA

http://www.drivetrain.com/parts_cata...ssions.html#CL

 

Mine officially went yesterday before I had a chance to trade it in, limped it to the dealer as it violently slipped in every gear on upshift and downshift. I'm cracking open a case with Acura and will see how far I get. Dealer is already trying to put up a wall and tell me they haven't goodwilled an 01 in 2 years. Guess what, not every customer is a persistent, calling, letter-writing, PITA as I am; especially with this being my 2nd TL and 6th Honda product. We shall see. If I get nowhere, I'm getting an independent shop to do the rebuild; then will probably sell it. I will compromise and see if they will pay the part and I pay labor. I'm not going down without a fight.

I will definitely post my outcome. I see alot of members give up easily when they say Acura won't budge and pony up the $. I'd never spend $3500 on a car this old. If Acura doesn't help, get a $2k rebuild and get rid of it.

 

I bought a 2003 Acura TL and have been following these transmission posts closely. Per the recall notice (hxxp://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=573111), I checked the status of my car at the Acura site and it shows a status of 'fixed.' As I don't know who did the repair, can I assume that it was done by an Acura dealer as there is a status for my car, and can I assume the transmission was replaced or a fuel injector installed?

Transmission works fine...just looking for peace of mind.

Thanks!

Terry

 

i just brought my car in due to what I believed to be a tranny failure. I was right. but turns out that not all 2nd gen VINs are tied to the extended warranty. Mine wasn't. The dealer said it's a case by case as to whether or not they can help me out with some discounts. They know that it's a common issue with the tranny and I have low miles on mine as well. All I can do now is wait. I was quoted $5600. F me. if they tell me i'm screwed, am I better off going elsewhere?

 

I, as have others, have had the tranny rebuilt by independent shops within the $2K-3K range if you are lucky. You will have a lesser warranty, such as 1yr/12K or 2yr/24K as compared to the Acura 3yr/36K(?).

 

other than the warranty issue am I rolling the dice with rebuilding it vs replacing it? assuming that the dealer would be replacing it and not rebuilding it? Also assuming the transmission shop does quality work. I just got a phone quote of 2200-2800 from a place my friend recommended.

I really don't know much about transmissions. From what I could gather, if there is an inherent design flaw, rebuilding it only prolongs another eventual failure. is that correct?

 

Acura has their own subcontracted company to rebuild these things. They don't rebuild them at the dealer. They take your junked one, send it off to their rebuild people, and they are sent back to Acura's warehouse. You get the remanufactured unit. The only difference is basically them not rebuilding your same exact unit right there.

I had my case opened up with Acura today. They are waiting on a call from the district rep to see what can be done. Of course I'd want 100% coverage but I would be OK if they paid for the tranny and I paid about 600 in labor. I know the common one lately is the 50/50 issue, still sets me back $1700. I'm going to keep pushing as hard as I can on this one....01 with 72k, got me by time not by mileage, so maybe I have an advantage with the low miles. I also had the t-belt done and tranny drain/fill done at 60k (unfortunately by an independent Honda shop). They asked if it was done at the dealer. I told them no because I was tight on $ at the time. (true). If they use that against me, I will tell them that rather than put off or not do the maintenance, I found a qualified Honda reputable shop to do it at a price I could afford.

What they do will influence if I keep the car or not. If I don't get a 3/36 warranty, I'm leery to keep it. I kinda want an 04 RL. I hear they don't have any major issues. They just have alot of electronic stuff that can break.

 

I questioned my guy at my local acura dealer and he said they would be replacing the transmission with a new one with beefed up internals and not rebuilding it. he said they only reuse the case. i'm still waiting on whether or not I would be getting any goodwill.

 

My transmission went out last Spring at the stroke of 60k. I didn't have to fight much and got the whole thing fixed and installed for free. I didn't even have a history with that dealership which is really nice of them. Maybe because I called the 800 Acura number and told the woman no transmission should go out at 60k.

Anyway, I put on close to 15k on the new tranny and it's running fine. I'm taking it back to the dealer tomorrow for them to check it out and replace the tranny fluid for $99. During the process I'm going to offer McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts for the mechanics so I can butter them up to tell me some straight facts about these "improved" transmission models.

I was really considering selling my TL this Spring and use the money as a down payment on a '08 Type S 6spd (these models are sexy as hell) so I wouldn't have to worry anymore. But because I rather save my money for a down payment on a mortgage, I figured that if I bring my car to the same dealer for an inspection and fluid every 15-30k they would cover some or most of the cost if it goes out again. My TL-S has a lot to go (only 74k on it) and can save me a lot of money if I drive it until oblivion. I will keep updating my story on this thread as time goes.

 

Wondering if it would be hard getting goodwill assistance if the tranny blew & you've only owned the car a short time? I'm trying to go through this thread to find out this info but it's 2600 posts long!

 

I bought my '03 TL-S in October of 2008 with 52k on the odo. Spring of 2009 tranny blew at 60k. I got 100% goodwill.

 

So I brought my car in today to the Acura of Bedford Hills for a check up on my new tranny. They changed the fluid and gave the courtesy wash and vaccuum for $100.

After the service I asked to speak with the tech. I asked him if the tranny that was installed last Spring contained the 3rd gear clutch pack made with better materials. He said yes and that this batch has the oil line running internally rather than externally as in the past (faulty) models. This makes sense to me because it sounds more efficient to lubricate the gears with an internal line that would be less exposed to elements (salt and shit). I could tell he wasn't bullshitting me because he knew I knew my stuff. I talked earlier about my exhaust setup which he and others were quite fond of. I should have told him that I attend the University of Acurazine lol.

Anyways, as long as I bring my TL-S every 20-30k for a change in fluid and check up I think I'll be fine. I'm also going to baby it 90% of the time. You gotta rip it with a setup like mine in nice weather!!!! Peace of mind at last!!!!

 

But you're sure it was goodwill & not the 100k/7year extended warranty? An '03 at 60k in 2009 seems like it would be covered by the extended warranty by both facets [mileage/age], assuming it fell in the covered VIN range.

If the warranty didn't cover you, what arguments did you make, if any, to fight for goodwill since you were such a new owner at the time?

The TL I have is out on mileage & age, with regards to the extended warranty, and I'm getting bad tranny signs. The problem is I just got it & haven't even put 5k miles on it yet- seems goodwill might be hard to get.

 

When I punched in my VIN on the website it said it wasn't covered by the extended warranty. At first the dealership wanted me to pay the full $4,000. Then I called the 800 number and filed a case. I told the woman I love Acura and that no transmission should blow at only 60k miles.

The case must have made its way to the dealership's service manager because the very next time we spoke he said that my car is a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) and thus covered for the repair. The funny thing is that I bought my car from a private dealer, meaning there is no way my car is a CPO. He said I just have to cover the cost of the engine mounts which is a few hundred bucks and I agreed of course. But then the next time he called me he screwed himself, he must have forgotten I agreed to pay for the mounts because I asked about the exact total with labor and he stated Acura is paying for everything. After an awkward silence I said okay and dropped it off the next day. New tranny, $0. Guess I'm part ambitious and part lucky.

 

That's great news! I was supposed to hear back on mine yesterday but didn't. They have a call in to the district rep. If they say no assistance or anything up to 50/50. I'm going to have them call him back to go for more...100% first. If not, then I pay labor, they pay for the tranny and warranty the thing. If they're unsuccessful at that, then I will call Acura Care once again. If unsuccessful, I will call the dealer owner whom I bought it from (where the car is) and see if he will call the district rep.

I don't travel for work for about 4 more weeks, and I have my old 90 Taurus SHO that I can drive until it's fixed....so I have a little time to play the game and argue my case. We shall see the outcome.

 

Not getting very far yet. The SM has a call into the district manager. He told me that the district manager will go no more than 50/50 of $4700, which he said I needed a PCM and a fuel regulator....PCM ok...fuel regulator---BS.

How come a regular shop doesn't have to do a PCM? I hear it just makes the tranny shift better? If I wind up getting a halfass fix, I will sell the car then.

I called Acura Client Svcs back and got nowhere--have to wait for the district manager's decision. I told the SM about the 60 page thread on this and that others have gotten 100%, 50/50, or they pay labor and Acura pays the part. I even said, I'll make you a deal...you get Acura to cover their defective parts and I will pay labor. He said the district mgr would not go for it. I said see what you can do. I told him I'd have a few phone calls to make.

I got off the phone with him and called the dealer owner and spoke to his asst., whom I remember when I worked there. She's looking into it and will get back with me.

I will NOT back down or go away easily. I am going to ride their ass to the end.

 

Thanks for the info in this thread. But guys I need help. I literally just got this car & the trans is now bad. I'm under mileage, but over time. The dealer requested goodwill but it was denied. Then I called Client Services & they still told me they couldn't do anything. Am I just SOL?

The thing is I traded in a perfectly working car to get the same car that I had before the trade-in (e.g. A-B-A). Now the transmission is shot & if I replace it, that's money I could've spent in getting a newer car with less mileage.

If client services tells you "no" on the first call, would calling back be just an annoyance to them?

Would going to another dealership do any good either?

 

See my post below. I would talk to the service manager himself and ask. Client Services can't really do much. If the SM says no, ask to make an appt. or to speak with the district service rep. Explain the 60 page thread of these problems and get him to explain why others have been given 50/50 or a percentage or full coverage for theirs. If you bought it from the dealer that you're taking it to, call the owner. Sure you might not get anywhere but what do you have to lose? Be polite at first as being an ass gets you nowhere. If they keep trying to brush you off, escalate it up the chain. Let them know you won't back down.

I'm going to bug the living hell out of the service dept to get coverage. I don't care if they get pissed off. Eventually they will just give in, I hope.

 

they might not, be prepared they will say no. remember that there is no obligation from their side to do ANYTHING for you. Don't forget that your car is almost 10 years old, do you expect any other manufacture to cover ANYTHING? its just another old car....

 

Because a regular shop doesnt know about or have the ability to change the ecu mapping. Its not BS. It does shift different which was part of it not causing it to wear out as fast.

 

In my case, the service manager has already been involved. I thought that the dealership is not the one who can say if you get goodwill assistance. Are you implying that if Acura/Honda USA says no to the service manager, the service manager is in a position to rebut that decision?

 

The service manager can do additional; however, whatever he gives away that Acura doesn't comes off his shop ticket (or is on the dealer). If you bought the car that the dealer and/or had it serviced there, he might be inclined to take a hit for you but given that the business is slow, they're not giving much away.

So basically if they tell me 0 coverage or a small portion, I either nut it up and pay $3k plus to have Acura do it; otherwise, take it to the independent shop, let em' do a $2300-$2500 rebuild then dump the car? In other words, if I want to keep the car at all I should let Acura do it no matter what the cost is? Ouch...I'm not paying that. I don't want a car payment but $3k-$4700 depending on if they offer anything is as much as another small used car.

If they provide 0 assistance, I guess that makes the decision--have it towed to an independent shop and get it halfass done and sell it, OR take a monster hit on it and just tell the sales dept to give me what they'll give me for it as it sits and let them have it; then start over fresh with another NON ACURA car.

This sucks. I can't say I haven't been warned or that I didn't know better though.

 

Gotcha. He did already say he'd give me a discount but it's pretty negligible compared to the cost of the whole job (trans & pcm). I have no history with this dealership at all, it was the first time I visited them and I've put <5k miles on the car since purchasing (from a non-Acura dealership). Only history I have with Acura is that I used to own this exact same car but was luckier when that trans failed.

 

I have one of the big shots OVER the SM dealing dealing with Acura now. The district manager said NO assistance! WTF That's not acceptable. The big shot is going to call Acura now and see what they'll do AND he's going to try to work on getting me a discount on their end. The dealer is being nice and trying to help. Either way I'm ditching this car, I think---unless I'm out of pocket under $2k and they give me a 3/36 warranty.

Taking it to an independent shop to save $, I found, isn't great. They can't update the PCM per fsttyms, so I get a halfass rebuild on a tranny that will wear out again...and only get a 1 yr. warranty.

I am going to see what they come up with. I have the used car manager going to appraise the car as it sits. If Acura can't come up with anything good, I'm taking a hit on the car, and I'll go clean my junk out of it and they can have it for whatever they give me. Then I'm washing my hands of Acura and going to buy an 05-06 ES 330.

 

Well this sucks. After going up the ladder to the owner's office, they convinced Acura to pay about 25%. The total bill for the PCM, tranny, and fuel pressure regulator (supposedly also needed) will be about $3580. Not sure if that's plus tax or not. That's too much $ to spend on a $5500 car.

The dealer offered $2k for it as it sits. Now I get to see if I want to haul it somewhere else, rebuilt it on the cheap, fix it, and sell it and hope to net more than $2k profit...OR wash my hands of the car and Acura and let them keep the car and move on.

 

Ok here's my story: 2003 TL Type S 49,000 mi. original owner, always dealer serviced at same dealership. Trans started slipping in 2nd gear yesterday. Took to dealer today and was quoted over $5,000 for trans and computer. 5 months out of warranty but very low mileage for an 8 year old car. Service advisor is calling corp to see what they can do. Any comments? Thx. MLG

 

Dealer just called. Honda is covering 90%. My end is $500. Took the deal.

 

That's crazy! Acura screwed me! I got a crappy offer. I should call and talk to the district rep myself. I'm done with this thing. $1800 rebuild patch up (yes I found a shop to do it for that), throw on some used tires, and sell this bad boy on craigslist. Who cares about the updated PCM...I'm selling this sucker anyway.

 

So based on my discussions with Client Services, these things get you points:
- Being the original owner
- Buying the car from an Acura dealership
- Very low mileage for its age (e.g., under 12k/year)
- Having a service history with that Acura dealership
- That particular car being serviced at Acura dealerships
- Having more than one Acura-made vehicle at the same time
- Only surpassing the extended warranty limits by small amounts

and I probably don't have to say it, but having a nice attitude.

I lost out on all points. What I thought would give me points did not:
- Previously owning a 2nd gen TL
- That previously owned TL being bought at an Acura dealership (used)
- Giving up a perfectly good non-Acura car that you were sinking too much money into to buy another TL...only to discover you now have to sink money into that TL

 

For what it's worth, the dealership I went to said the PCM wasn't really necessary, but I was throwing a code so it was just a rec. But at least you got a 25% offer.

 

I drove both an 05 ES330 and an 04 RL tonight (what I'm aiming for next). I liked both cars alot but holy hell, there's nothing like driving the old body style RL. The car is simply amazing. Too bad Acura put a bad taste in my mouth. I will probably go with an ES330. The particular RL I drove was not what I wanted because it had more miles...103k (my car has almost 73k), it was an ugly color combo...gray on tan, blah...and the body was beat up. It was also a Northern car, which means the undercarriage was probably rusty.

I REALLY want an 04 RL but I just don't know if I can get over the issue with mine. Plus for dealer only stuff, I'm back dealing with the same people.

I'm not the typical 28 yr old. I'm not into mods and all that sport stuff. I'm just an old man--I want a smooth riding, quiet, classy, conservative luxury car. That's why I'm shooting for these vehicles.

 

I called the SM back this morning and asked if he could do the whole thing for $2000 since I got a quote from a shop for $1800. I figure since Acura came off on their end, he could help on his end. He laughed and said no. He asked what the shop was going to do for $1800, which I told him just rebuild it. He said to be careful with those as they've had problems with cars coming in with rebuilds. I told him I was selling the car ASAP once it's fixed and didn't really care that it wouldn't be my problem. So I paid $97 for them to tell me what I already knew and got nowhere with them, even after starting out nice and persistent.

Now, since I won't be able to get the updated PCM, can an independent shop reflash the current PCM? That's not something I have to go hang my head and take to the dealer to have done is it?

 

Yeah I guess it's really a hit or miss. Fact of the matter is that they're obligated to comply if you're inside the extended warranty period/mileage, but if you're outside the coverage, they really don't have to do anything. I would've taken the 25% Acura offered and then see if the dealer can knock off 5-10 percent off. If I'm buying your car and you're upfront with me, I'd be more confident in the car with a tranny that came from Acura or whoever Acura might contract out to for their rebuilds.

Maybe I just don't know about the PCM stuff, but if they suggested a physically new PCM, I doubt your current PCM can be reflashed with the new firmware, unless they're just upselling.

 

that's right, our PCMs are not re-programmable. In order to get new software they need to replace the whole thing. All the new cars come with reprogrammable PCMs so they can load updates.

 

I got an offer from someone (a mechanic) needing a nice car to fix up. He wants to buy my car as it sits. I tried to get my payoff ($4200 or so) but can't. Even my dad's wholesaler friend says that will be tight, which he's correct. This car with low miles is bringing $6k at the auction. I could sell it myself for 6-7k MAYBE after it has been fixed.

As it sits, I can dump it for $3700 (I've been back and forth with the guy trying to get every dime I can)--I'll pay up the $500 or so deficit and move on. I had $4200 from my tax refund which I was going to use to pay it off anyway. Trade in on my car in good working condition is around $4600, so if he buys me out of it for $3700, I'll just take it. That's the equivalent of me putting $1800 in it for a halfass rebuild w/o a new PCM and selling it for $5500. Sure I might can get $6000 or better....but I can be done with it now for that price.

Basically I'll take that $3700, put a little $ with it and have a nice down payment on a new car, or I'll pay cash for an older car like an 00 Civic or Corolla to stay car payment free. If I opt to get into a payment, I'll be looking at an 05 Lexus ES 330.

I think I want to be done with Acura for now. I still see others getting better deals. When you're out of warranty, you're out. If I can't get in on the good deals others can get, then I'm done with them.

Even if I get an 04 RL, chances are any dealer only stuff I'll be back dealing with these same jackasses. I'll just go with an older paid off car or go Toyota. At least they fix their design flaws free.

 

here's my follow up. I got super lucky with good will. 86k and over 7yrs on my 2nd gen TL-s. basically the service guy, Tony, that was handling my case threw down for me. the manager that approves good will cases did not think my case qualified. Tony told me he called in all his favors to change the decision and instead of me paying 5600 for a new tranny... it got reduced to 500 on good will. I'm planning on writing to his manager what stellar customer service I received.

 

01 CL-S Tranny #3

I just recently replaced my Transmission.. No problems on shifting, everything smooth.

2 days ago, my Cel & TSC came on. I ran the scanner and it showed 2 codes. ( P0740/P0714 ). This was the same codes I had when tranny #2 Died, but atleast that tranny had the symptoms.

I replaced the Linear Solenoid, but the codes keeps coming on. This is what freaks me out. It only comes on when im on 5th gear cruising. I can drive all day long on local roads and it never comes on, as soon as I hit the expressway, after a short while on 5th it lights up.

Any ideas, or this normal?

I'm just frustrated at this moment and will try anything at this point.

 

was it replaced by acura dealer? if yes, why you don't go to them, it should have warranty.

 

Well I haven't heard back from the guy that wanted my car for $3700 as it sits broken. I'm tired of waiting. I'm having the car removed from the Acura dealer today and getting it towed to an independent shop. My dad's friend is a wholesaler and can get it done for his price of $1800; it comes with the standard 1 yr/12k warranty. I am just going to fix it and then sell the car within the next year. I will have the 1 yr tranny warranty and can sell it anytime within the next year w/o worries of paying for another repair. I fought with Acura Client Services, the SM, and upper mgmt at the dealer. The best they could do for everything was $3580..or right around $3600 for a replacement tranny, PCM, and fuel pressure regulator. I'm not paying that much to fix this car. I like it but it's not worth it.

I'm not too concerned with the updated PCM for now since I'll be selling the car. I have a year warranty, so if it tears up again, it'll get rebuilt for free. These folks all get the same updated internals as Acura does. They come from Transtar. The kits include the updated materials for the internals. You just don't get the updated PCM. I've called around a few shops and asked alot of questions.

This will buy me some time to fix the car and sell it. Tons of AZ members have opted to say "screw the dealer" and have done fine. If you plan on keeping the car long term, it's always better to get the Acura tranny; but if you're like me and could care less--go for the cheaper option and move on with life.

 

The plot thickens. I specifically asked this tranny shop if my existing PCM was REQUIRED to be replaced and/or reflashed. They said no. I knew this. Now she calls and says I need the updated PCM for $900 or $475 for a used one. I said forget it, remember it's not REQUIRED. No sir, but it will affect your warranty (i.e. we can't warranty it as long). I said, hell, you didn't tell me this before. I'm back to almost $3k since you quoted me $1800-2000 for a rebuild. I could have done it at the dealer correctly and got a 3/36 warranty! I said I want it patched up as cheap as possible with a warranty and I'm selling it. She said if I refused the PCM they would note it on the work order so that if I sold it the buyer couldn't come back at them. I said I don't care--used cars are sold as-is. They're tearing it down now to give me an exact quote.

I'm ready to burn this car to the ground!