I will ride out mine probably until 2017 cars hit then may go,looking to get out of my TLX about halfway through the lease. I don't care what Acura has in store with a MMC Type-S I will look elsewhere.

 

I started doing this after getting tired of the car bouncing when I put it into park. Yes, it's probably best to do so anyway, but I've never had to do it in any of my other cars that I can recall.

 

I lose around 12000 if i decided to do it but im waiting on Acura canada to offer to take back the car then get me into a 2016.

 

Yeah I know its not that big of a deal. I never had to do it for any of my other cars so sometimes I forget. Its just annoying to have the car bounce like that after going into park, especially when parked on a slight incline.

 

I'm in the same boat. I'll see what happens for the 2017 model and then decide whether to stick or go "down the street".

You people will laugh, but I'm going to seriously look at the Kia Optima. Go with the top trim level for only $36k and you get every option on the market, from cooled seats to heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, around-view camera, wireless charger for your phone, Harmon Kardon sound, pano sunroof, brake hold, paddle shifters, backup sensors, intelligent cruise control, etc,. etc., etc.

You cannot beat it for content and value, and I think it looks sharp. And Kia has rocketed to the top of the J D Power list. (Can't say that about Acura!)

My only question is about the 2.0 liter turbo engine. Don't know how it drives, but it gets good reviews. I'll give it a try before long.

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I don't blame you, Kia actually listens to what buyers want. Will be trading in my TLX once I decide on which car I want. Will likely come down to a '14 TL or a new Silverado LTZ

 

I am not laughing, the new Optima is sweet loaded with great features, all around camera, and all the tech. And by 2017 I was not referring to Acura, I want to see all the other brands model 2017 cars, the Type-S would have to be new infotainment, tranny and even then I would not trust Acura at this point.

 

My son has a 2013 Hyundai Elantra (bought in May 2012) that he loves and hasn't had a second of problems with the car. Hyundai owns Kia and they've made huge strides in design and quality. The 10 year power train warranty is nothing to laugh at either.

I bought my TLX thinking Acura and Honda were top notch for quality and was rudely awakened, so I'm not laughing at any other brands.

 

I think current Hyundai/Kia quality rivals the best anyone has to offer right now, and you can't deny the value for the dollar. I think as a brand, they both need to get over the fact they both started out as bargain-basement offerings and that's the impression most people still hold in their mind (if you are like me, who was around when Hyundai started in the late 80's and the quality was industry-worst).

I think it was a mistake for Hyundai to make the Genesis line under Hyundai. They should have created a luxury brand offshoot (like Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus) to offer their upper-tier cars. $60K for an Equus is a rough sell in a brand that also offers $18K economy offerings.

All that said I'd still have both brands on the consider list.

 

Since some mentioned delays in responsiveness earlier, does anyone experience a few moments of delay when shifting into Reverse from Drive and vice versa?

A few moments meaning -- enough time to lift off the brake pedal onto the accelerator at a normal pace from the time you push D or R on the shifter panel. I find that the car sometimes takes abnormally long causing the car to move in the opposite direction of the gear selected in the amount of time it takes my foot going from brake to accelerator after the button push has occurred. It's not a great feeling with the car moving in the opposite direction of the selected gear position.

 

Tonight's the night: SM emailed me that the vehicle is ready, & PERFECT!
Can't wait for the test drive later tonight; we'll see
Report back tomorrow
BTW: My Sales Manager called me last night to tell me that service made her aware of the transmission replacement.
She swore I'm the ONLY 9 Speed SH-AWD 2015 customer who's complained
Am I just unlucky, or are people just idiots?

 

My service advisor said the same thing to me. Obviously bullshit when articles all over the net complain about the tlx tranny. Nhtsa alone sa lots of complaints on how the tranny is shitty.

 

Yeah, it's amazing how these service advisors look at you funny and say they haven't gotten any other complaints about the tranny.

Sorry, but I can't believe that. My dealer sells enough TLX's that there's no way they haven't heard complaints. Acura must have told them to act surprised and deny it.

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Fully agree, but Hyundai is fixing that partially, they are spinning Genesis brand off, but will still sell them in upscale Hyundai dealers. I understand they wanted to minimize risk as spinning it as a total separate brand was a multi-billion dollar gamble. The Equus was not good enough, the new G90 will be. Also they made the original Genesis sedan spread too far, so having an entry $33K sedan that went to mid $50K left no room for a smaller alternative. As a separate brand they will have the G70 which hopefully will be a great TLX A4 C-Class competitor. I honestly would have gotten a Genesis sedan last year if a few things:

- car is too heavy and plows into hard turns
- Their 16's were not out in time
- the V6 DRLs should be LED, the V8 has LED fogs

 

I agree with you Keith im on a lease as well but hopefully Acura Canada can do something if not i might go lease a Subaru BRZ. btw when i had the 2016 ILX it was a fun car to drive I liked it more than the TLX.. when i got back into the TLX it just felt heavier tranny sucks..

 

My TLX SH-AWD/Tech is REBORN! the new 2016 transmission is smooth as silk; no more lag, parachuting, hesitation, or anything else. What a difference; told the wife it's like a brand new car. This is the Acura I've known and loved for 18 years; (6 cars).GREAT job by Acura of Brooklyn service;Heather Fornino & Rich Durgin, get all the credit. Acura district manager wanted me to wait for an additional SW upgrade; Durgin fought on my behalf, & installed the tranny, & then did the SW upgrade. Smooth power, & great acceleration, like a 290 HP engine should be. 17 months later, I'm an Acura true believer, once again!

 

CPR,
Glad you car is reborn. Mine is not bad enough to waste the time fighting with Acura. Clearly if they cared they would proactively do something. I wrote them a letter and they car me lip service. I do not have the time to play games at the dealer for them to repeatedly tell me it is normal. What Acura does not realize is that for those of us that they are not dealing with we fester in the car eager to get out and not likely to return. Too many options out there and I will speak with my wallet on my next car as it will not be an Acura.

 

Everyone who got your transmissions replaced, did the dealer tell you if your TLX's computer was giving off error codes? My dealership is saying it's going to be a hard battle with corporate since my car isn't giving off any error codes/messages.

 

Don't believe it; my Dealer's Director of Operations, overruled the Acura District Manager, after 3 SW upgrades. They wanted me to wait for another upgrade; luckily for me, the final upgrade was performed, after they installed the new 2016 transmission.
No B.S., this car ROCKS with the 2016 tranny
I waited 17 months for the replacement, but my patience paid off
Acura Corporate is a total waste of energy; the dealer will either do the right thing or not
good luck!

 

And I had the same exact problem with an early build TLX. Followed up with dealership, ACR and finally got to meet the district case manager yesterday.
He followed the same stuff and sales man tactics and called everything 'normal'. Looks like he drives a R32 as well so I am pretty surprised he called this garbage normal!! he also mentioned that due to fuel efficiency and stuff acura and zf actually build a car that is not very aggressive and behaves a certain way. but was caught way off guard when I mentioned the new ones doesnt have these problems.. he tried to drive a car that was earlier build than mine to show things are normal. when I asked him for a later build, he bluffed the dealership dint have one.

clearly acura knows this issue and is sending these fancy salesmen to make sure they hush it up.. At this point after being with honda for decades, never again!!

ACR still wants to pursue the case when I tweeted, but I am done! the next Acrua car reveal should be on a Acura-Con kind of event!!

 

Just picked up my car drives and shifts better for now but was just a short drive home from the dealership. My invoice has a different part number than what others have posted here earlier. I have 06200-5L9-A71RM. Any other SH-AWD get this part number for a tranny swap? I've seen A80RM and 70RM posted by others but not 71RM? Any thoughts?

 

No codes were mentioned regarding ours and the dealer told us the same. It came down to ACR and the district rep who made the call on replacement. Keep battling and don't let that discourage you.

 

Have an early (vin 07667) build TLX Advanced V6 9at FWD AWS. I have been stalking this site (this thread in particular) since January 2015. Have been to the dealer 4 times for most of the problems that have been discussed throughout this thread: Rough/delayed 2-3, sometimes 1-2, occasional 3-4; vibrations around 1450 rpm; slow throttle response; downshift sensation of acceleration, and loss of power on right hand uphill sweeping corner. Had all the appropriate software up dates over the 16 month that, as we all know, only (half assed) worked and only temporarily. So Last week I fire another letter to the ACR detailing the history and asking that the transmission be replaced, then called to get my case # (historic). Had to reactivate (previous ACR closed it out). Got a call from the regional ARC said take it in again. Did that yesterday, test drove car with service manager (Pete) at Nalley Acura in Marietta GA, demonstrated problems, he said new tranny to be ordered but up to "Head Quarters" for final say. ARC called today, New Tranny next week. From what I can tell this is the trick to a enjoyable ride worth the price I paid. Will update next week. Hoping for an advantageous statistical anomaly.

 

I bought my TLX at Nalley and went through the same drill a few months ago. Had my tranny swapped and got new tires to address the vibrations. Got to know Pete a little over that time, as well as the dealership GM. Pete seems like a straight shooter.

I originally dealt with Al but if you want anything done, Pete is your man.

PM me if you want to get more details or have questions.

 

UPDATE to 2016 NEW Transmission:
After testing it over the weekend, I'm IMPRESSED! Never thought I'd say that. In SPORT mode, all the kinks have been removed, & it finally shifts like a 290 HP Acura. My car is re-born! Just wish Acura Corporate would admit, the 2015, was somewhat defective. I know that due to astronomical cost, it'll never recall all of them, unless ordered by the NHTSA. Still, I believe that anyone who can show the defects, like I did, after 3 SW upgrades, should be granted the 2016 version. What a difference; smooth power, & no hesitation in downshifting. Anyway, glad to say, I'm extremely satisfied, that after 17 months, my 2015 SH-AWD/Tech/TLX, drives the way it was intended; HALLELUJAH!

 

AWESOME!! I'm glad to hear that

 

We value you as an Acura client and we appreciate the opportunity of responding to your concern.

Your concern has been documented with Acura. All feedback is used in developing and improving products. While product updates are regularly released, many times they are not compatible with already produced vehicles. At this time it has been determined that your vehicle is operating within all guidelines that were laid out by Acura at the time of production, and currently for vehicles produced at that time. Because the vehicle is operating as designed we are unable to modify the vehicle.

Our Client Relations team is also available via telephone by calling #800-382-2238, option #7, weekdays, 6 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

Any point pursuing further or anyone has this company CEO email? 😏

 

I wonder what is different about the dealer, your vehicle, or how you approached the issue.

Not saying anything is "your fault" and I do not believe there is a grand conspiracy at Acura where they're deliberately denying transmission replacement, even when needed. Given many of us have been approved and had transmissions replaced, I believe there is a set of specific steps and gates to get through, and the dealer plays a large part in getting you through them. If they're not motivated to get a replacement done, then I tend to think more than anything that's the issue.

The other possibility is that your vehicle is not exhibiting the same issues as those that had replacements approved. Many of the vehicles approved for replacement are early builds from 2014 or early 2015, and (in my case at least) the 2 to 3 shift was very bad and all of the software upgrades and relearn processes were ineffective. The tech spent many hours and found error codes after working with the tech line. Then the district rep drove the car with the service manager and approved replacement.

ACR seemed like more of a coordinator during this process, rather than the approver. You really need your dealer, the tech, and the service manager to work with their tech line and exhaust the troubleshooting steps. Once they do that, if the issue remains, then they need to push for replacement.

 

I'm not as enthusiastic about the car, but I generally share your sentiments.

 

Yes. After they spent many hours trying other things such as software and relearn procedures.

 

I actually believe there is a conspiracy to deny replacement transmissions. Its obvious Acura knows the score, and yet they are still spewing this same bullshit. Most of the owners/lessors in this thread that got their transmissions replaced got it done with persistence, and very few were lucky enough to get a new tranny on the first try.

Acura is dragging this out in hopes that people will go away and live with it. It's a HORRIBLE business model, and it will cost them down the road, because as has been demonstrated in this thread, most people don't just own one Acura. They usually have at least two Acuras/Hondas, as well as family members with the same history, and they are risking all of this over replacing a crappy transmission. Good luck with that.

I'm waiting to hear back from my dealership on my second attempt, and if it does not go well, come next February I will NOT be looking at Acura to replace my RDX, and then a year later I will NOT be looking at Acura to replace my TLX. It's just that simple.

 

Clearly, they way the district rep here in AZ knew it from beginning that there is an issue. He chose to drive another vehicle, built much earlier, possibly with the same issue. Apparently the dealership had no new vehicles to drive!!
He acknowledged that there was a problem with zf early build (mine was oct 14) and it was resolved later on and went so far to say it could be fixed much later on and probably a v2 version of chip came out later that year. but still refused to fix my car.
he did test drive my car, like a granny to call things normal. clearly, look on his face told the story otherwise but this poor guy was getting a bonus or something declining my replacement!

Now, Why would I not think this is not a conspiracy by Acura again?

The dealership I have been to have been supportive.

So, would this mean the end of the road for me or are there other routes to go with?

 

Well, guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

I got my replacement relatively quickly after working through the dealer and the tech and Service Mgr working through the Acura channels. Coming from an engineering and an IT background, I can identify with the support mantra of working through one level and escalating.

If there was an institutional conspiracy to deny transmission replacements across the board, why was it relatively easy for me to get mine replaced? Why have others gotten replacements, while some get denied? I really do think it has more to do with whom you talk to, and how much the dealer does and how hard they push.

I'm just not a conspiracy theory guy. Plus, I got a new transmission, new tires, and a cash settlement that brought my cost for the car equivalent with a used one. All from Acura without getting any lawyers involved.

I think it's about how and to whom you speak, and what you say to them. But hey...maybe I'm wrong.

 

we are from the same fraternity! and neither am I a firm believer that corporates conspire time to time to maximize profits. If dealership had to push, I believe they did push. the DCM was, as told, the final authority and he declined to do anything here. I believe I went trou' the right channels till I met the DCM and then downhill after that!
anyways, really given up on this stupid car now. just want to make sure my family and friends never ever get another Acura/Honda product.

 

Add me to the list of those contacting ACR about the transmission.

I spoke today to a somber guy named Chris at ACR and told him what all the car is doing that it shouldn't. He told me he would assign a number and refer my complaints to a case rep (my terminology), who would contact me tomorrow.

I was at the dealer today, and they wrote another work order, but apparently they've done all they can do in terms of updates and relearns. I told the Service Rep that I was going to call Acura, so he is in the loop.

We'll see what - if anything - happens next.

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This is why I am not bothering. My tranny is not bad enough to keep fighting with ACR and the dealer to have them keep telling me this crappy thing is normal. I will vote with my wallet when the lease is up. I am so happy I leased because I know this bad experience has an end date.

 

My experience is that you really need the dealer in your corner to support your case. For me it wasn't that painful of a process. The service manager told me that he was the one that pushed the district rep to green light the tranny swap and that ACR is pretty much just a facilitator in this process. i personally only had 2 calls with ACR. Once to get a case number and the second was them calling me to let me know that my case was being passed on to a technician. I had no conversations with any field reps nor did I require any test drives to demonstrate behavior. I had the service manager in my corner and I honestly believe that he was the one to make it happen.
Don't get me wrong the dealership made a nice buck too since they got reimbursed for the labor/man hours so a double win for them, a happy customer and billing for labor on a warranty job.

Bottom line get the service manager to fully back you and support your case.

On another note, I've had the car for a few days and it is noticeably better with 2-3 shifting way smoother than before. Car drives significantly better, HOWEVER, I also have a 2016 in the family and the 2016 is still superior. Maybe it's just in my head, but the '16 drives better than my '15 and in my opinion shifts are completely smooth 100% of the time and completely unnoticeable whereas the '15 has slightly more harshness (comparable to the normal shifting in a standard 6 speed).

 

Lucky You!! I will probably take the hit and go Subaru WRX..

Good Info. I don't think its worth my energy going at Acura anymore..

 

It is not just current TLX owners that Honda/Acura is losing as customers. I have been driving only Honda/Acura cars for over 30 years, and I am now looking at Toyotas and BMWs due to the way Honda is handling the TLX problems.

 

I don't think it has much to do with you talk to or now cooperative your dealership is (IMHO). This is being driven by engineering data and test results IMO. They have some kind of test they run and if you meet certain criteria you get a new one, if not you get the "operating as designed" message. I asked ACR directly what that criteria was and they of course were silent on the topic.

Where they draw that line is driven by their projection of how many replacement the line generates and their assessment of risk. They've figured out that if the results are "X" bad they may have to replace 500. If its "X+1" bad they replace 5000. So they go with X and screw everyone with X+1. I think that line also has to do with Acura's assessment of liability - below the line presents some kind of liability risk to them so they replace. Above the line they feel like they can stand behind the decision, which will be the nonsense about "operating as designed".