itpromike

So I've been thinking about buying an Acura TLX - I immediately didn't like the lanky 2 screen NAV system but everything else seemed very nice to me. I haven't had a test drive yet however I do have one scheduled for this Friday. That being said, in reading the NHTSA reports which led me hear as well I'm now very put off by the tranny issues being reported. I've read through several of the threads and it seems like there are 2 camps - the few who say this has to all be in peoples heads and they only noticed because someone pointed it out and then the other folks who are legitimately feeling the burn of this issue. I FEEL STUCK

The car is styled the way I like, but I'm not one of those people who will just make due with a bad tranny (even if it's barely noticeable on just SOME shifts) just because the seats feel nice.

That being said, here is my question:

Has this awful shifting happened to people only with AWD tranny's or does it happen with the FWD model as well?

If I don't get this car then I will just have to pay extra for a nicer car like a Lexus or Audi, but I am not paying premium dollar for a car with just an OK transmission. If the issue only happens on certain tranny types like just the AWD then I would consider the FWD model - if it's on all models then I won't bother. Thoughts?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

<p>you havent even test driven the damned thing yet.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>go get some seat time.</p>

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

<p>how can you make a solid decision if you havent even sat in the thing? Much less, driven it to see how the transmission acts.</p>

ulrblitzer

Every make/model will have it's annoyances. Sometimes, it'll be enough for the manufacturer to step up, other times, you got a lemon.

I remember everyone complained about 2nd/3rd gear grind on the 8th gen Si's ... made me a bit tentative, but I still got one, and never had the problem.

Like Justn said, go drive it, then report back.

itpromike

Yeah I hear what you're saying but here's the thing - I haven't once read that anyone who now has the issue, had it during their test drive. I HAVE however read that the test drive went fine and then after having the car a couple weeks the issue occurred.

To ulrblitzer I appreciate you taking the time out to respond however casually saying that sometimes issues are fixed and sometimes you get a lemon is a grossly disingenuous of the fact that $40K+ is not an insignificant amount of money to most. $40K+ down the drain on something that is broken/flawed isn't an "oh well you in some and you lose some" affair. Like I said if this issue has only been reported on one transmission model then I'll definitely consider buying the other model. However if it has been reported on both tranny types then I just can't see taking this for a test drive, having no issues, and then purchasing one and hoping for the next several months that you dodged a bullet and got one of the good ones... only to possibly find out you didn't and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Do both of you have the TLX and haven't experienced this problem at all?
Or have you experienced it but it hasn't been to a degree that others have claimed so it's no big deal and you get used to it?

Again thanks for taking the time to read and respond. I'm just here to get some additional info before my test drive and ultimate sit down with the sales rep. I want to be as informed as possible before making a decision with my families money.

Stew4HD

No everyone is experiencing the shifting issues.. as Justn said, just go drive one and see for yourself.

Most folks that did a test drive probably wasn't looking for shifting problems.. we get excited about the NEW THING.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

<p>also, dont do a stupid 5 min test drive.</p><p>it's a freakin $35-40k purchase. IT WOULD BEHOOVE YOU TO GIVE IT AN EXTENDED TEST DRIVE, longer than 5 mins.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>you should take it through your normal commute.</p>

itpromike

Sorry, just for clarification were you saying 'Not everyone is experiencing the issue' or 'No, everyone is experiencing the issue'?

Not trying to be obnoxious, just making sure I understand. Thanks for the reply!

Stew4HD

Sorry I wasn't clear.

Not everyone is having shifting issues. It seems that most people are not having any problems.

Quandry

Pretty well all owners who have taken the time to learn/experience the 2 screen features think that it is the perfect design. Buying a car is a compromise process unless you have unlimited funds, so make your trade offs.

There is a resounding testimonial from one of the members here who recently had their 9 month old TLX car written off. The replacement was an identical TLX.

If it has all the features you want at a good price then buy it.

weather

itpromike...I agree with Quandry, the fact that one of the member here has bought an identical car after it was totaled is a good sign.

Now, you do indicate that you are picky about how a car works and have little tolerance for odd shifting vehicles. You accurately stated that many have indicated that a test drive may not catch the hard shifting...for me, a single test drive was enough to notice the lag and that was all I needed to steer me away.

Test drive it and see for yourself but I am more hesitant before endorsing an Acura product as of late

ConradValmont

I'm on Day 26 with over 1K miles on a SH-AWD Tech. I've read every post regarding the ZF 9HP transmission ever since TLX made its debut. I also knew I most likely would not experience the undesirable shifting during the test drive. To this day, I still have not experienced any harsh, hesitation, lag or bad shifting.

quantum7

To the OP: I have test driven each of the TLX models several times and for the most part have not felt poor shifts....at least not much different from my current 3G TL. One of the things that troubles me is that most people have reported having the transmission issue after buying the car and getting some miles on it.

I did experience the funky "lunge" on a test drive with the V6 SH-AWD as I slowed down to a stop sign. It was strange and perhaps somewhat dangerous if you have cars in front of you and you are not expecting it....I had no one in front of me.

My biggest complaint while on the test drive however was the delay when accelerating (not from rest), but while merging onto the highway. While going maybe 40 mph and seeing a gap for the merge, I step on the gas and the car just refused to accelerate for a couple of seconds. That was very unnerving since I obviously was trying to get into a lane moving at highway speeds. I spend about 2 hours per day on the highway with many merges and passes, so I need a car with immediate response.

I am hopeful that Acura can find the software patch to make this car right. I suspect that the delay that I am referring to is related to the hardware of the dog-clutch or the throttle response of the car. My knowledge of the inner workings of modern transmissions and engines is nowhere near many of the members on this forum, but I do know what I like and do not like when I drive for my commute.

As others have suggested, do an extended test drive, and if possible drive the car on your daily route. I asked for a specific loaner when I had my 3G in for service and was able to drive my commute to see how the car would behave or me on a daily basis.

I love Acura and would love to buy this car, but for me and my drive I am waiting for these issues to be resolved. If it is the nature of the car as Acura has told many, then Honda Accord with the reliable 6 speed may be an option...or Lexus.

Good luck

wreak

Personally I'd steer clear of the TLX until they get that transmission sorted out. The funny thing is the moment I heard them announce they would be moving to the new 9 speed and 8 speed transmissions I told myself they can't even get the 6 speed auto right and now they're going to take on 2 and 3 more gears...

Quandry

Out of general interest how/when will you know that has happened, e.g.,
- when no recent '15 TLX buyers make a real or false complaint (what was the latest build date of a reported problem)
- no complaints from any '16 TLX owners (that would make it a perfect transmission)
- no complaints from MDX owners
- no
- no complaints from owners of other brands that also have 9ZF
- 5 years down the line when there are no reports of transmission failures
- other

Stew4HD

Good questions. That was why I was trying to be clear that not everyone is experiencing problems. As per normal, people not experiencing transmission trouble do not come here to report that info.. only when something isn't right.

Do you suspect there are false complaints?

Quandry

In general no, but when it is their first and only post with a scathing rant it makes you wonder.

TacoBello

It's funny to see how much hate the TLX gets here on AZ.

On the NSX forum, the car gets nothing but praise from several NSX owners

9SpeedTran

We love ours. LOVE it. It has had a few quirks but nothing the dealership couldn't take care of.

CPR

LOVE mine!

Sandie

Bought my TLX in February, it has 4,500 miles. It just quit on me Sunday. They said the fuel pump had liquid around it, not letting gas get through, found the wire harness connector had melted! So not only dangerous that it just quit it could have started on fire. It should be re-engineered and become a recall. I can't even get a loaner!!!! The case manager has yet to call me back. I have been without a car since Sunday. Any thoughts??? Please help!

quantum7

^^^^ Did you do this to prove that people post fake complaints.

Sandie
Actually if this is real I feel badly for you. Why can't dealer get you a loaner....or pay for a rental. This is one reason that I buy Acura is so I know that I have a car when something goes wrong.

Sandie

the story I told is true. I can't get a loaner as I live in MT and we do not have an Acura dealer here. I bought the car in AZ in Feb. I used to own an RL and loved it, no problems. I loved this car until this problem, 5 months into owning it. Very scary.
The rest of you should worry it could happen to you. All the system lights came on when the car quit.

quantum7

well thank you for posting, and good luck

Quandry

It's like saying that you saw a UFO, then all of a sudden everyone is seeing strange lights. Watch for all the new reports!

Sandie

Acura is letting me rent a car and they will reimburse me. Also, they will send my car back to me. I am starting to feel good about the company. they are also very concerned about this problem and having the 2 master techs figure it out. I really like kyle at Spokane Autonation Acura.

chris03tl

With a safety issue like that, they better be concerned. They are mostly CYA-ing....imagine if the car burnt down and you were injured (or worse).

Now if they were that concerned about transmission shift quality, THAT would mean something.

Rocketsfan

This is funny.... some people can't stand the shifting because of the clunky 2-3 shift... other people say they've never felt the problem... my service advisor says "that's just how the transmission is". I wonder which one he's talking about?

ConradValmont

What the service advisor & Acura engineers really think: They're just driving it wrong.

Rocket_man

You seem to be the first person reporting this.

The fuel pump is in the fuel tank. I don't know what you mean by "had liquid around it not letting gas get through" They are meant to be submerged in gas. Maybe you misunderstood what the service guy said, or may he misunderstood the tech. Anyway, there is usually a short wire harness from the fuel pump to the plate that it is attached to that forms a part of the fuel tank. Then there is a harness from the outside of the tank. Which harness connector melted? If it melted it was probably from an electrical short. A short could have been caused by the harness getting pinched and over time that broke down the insulation and the short occurred. That should have blown the fuse. I don't think there was much threat of a fire. If the short was in the external harness there would be no gas there to catch fire. That is assuming the fuse doesn't blow and the wire gets so hot it combusts. If the short was in the internal harness, it still is very unlikely to cause a fire. First the fuse would blow before that happened, but secondly, and this is counter intuitive, pure gas doesn't burn. It needs the right mixture of gas and oxygen. Even if the tank were partially empty the fuel/air mixture is probably not right to support combustion.

So this seems like a one-off issue with your car. Maybe an assembly line issue. Please report back what the root cause was.

TLXVanquish

FWIW, I have a 2.4, don't have any transmission problems. Love the car and purchase decision

Sandie

I may have misunderstood the Master Tech with Fuel pump explanation and pics, but they are the ones that said, that could have possibly caused a fire. Someone commented on here that all their electronic systems went crazy and they had the tlx towed, mine did the same thing. He wrote back and said his service advisor told him this has happened to 4 cars. Now 5. My techs are going to look at that, too, on Monday. they did say i need a whole new wire harness.

mapleloaf

And I would steer clear of advice from people with 0 experience with the car, no matter how well intentioned. Love my TLX, but as has been pointed out by many, test drive it extensively so that you are satisfied before possibly purchasing.

If I was cheeky, I might add that the best answer to your question about how to make the decision is to avoid reading this forum. There are problems and then there are problems that become larger than life because a few folks take them very seriously. Remember, that Acura sells about 3-4k TLXs a month, so this forum is a very small sample size.

Best of luck with your decision.

Sandie

The techs at the Spokane Acura have decided that I had a faulty fuel pump. They are 99% certain this is all it was. I found another site where someone said this happened (also with the dash going crazy and they fixed the car and it happened again. The tech said it has 2 chambers and it was not being vacuumed into the 2nd chamber so the car thought it was out of gas. They do not know why the electronics on the dash all went crazy and said fail. I previously owned an Acura RL and loved it, the best car I ever owned and I am 58. I love the TLX and really miss it. I have been without it for 2 weeks. I feel they are doing all they can. The company would not overnight a fuel pump from Ohio, that is why the long wait. They said they will check it out very well once they replace the fuel pump. they are also sending the bad one back for heavy research as they don't know why this happened. They also said the wire harness connector was NOT melted. So we will see.

srajeev28

I've had the car for about 3 months now (TLX V-6 AWD - ELITE). Its a good car and don't have any transmission problems and/or shifting issues. My only issue is that the car shakes when I go over 100 km/hr. I've had this issue since day 1 I got the car and its got about 10,000 km on it now. Balanced all 4 tires, thinking that it may be a balancing issue. Still has the problem. Some times worse than the others. Its a light shake but yet noticeable which annoys me the most and takes away the fun of driving this car. Have to bring it in to the dealer to get it checked out.

Mcj270

I would most certainly stay away from this car. The fact that Acura put this car on the road with the amount of problems it has is madness. My car vibrates very badly and it takes all of the enjoyment out of driving it. If I had to do it again I would not purchase. You were warned.

Good Luck