Best year RL between 2005-2008
 

I am looking to buy a 2005 to 2008 rl. I have read that 05 had tranny problems. Was this fixed in all 06 models. Or is all this about the tranny a myth?

I've never heard of any tranny issues in the RL. The 2004-05's and some 2006 TL's had tranny problems, which was remedied in 2007 by using the RL tranny.

I'd look for 2006-2008 RL's mainly because 2005 was the first model year. But all in all, the 2G RL was equally reliable accross all model years. They are solid vehicles.

Personally, I'd be more concerned of lack of maintenance or electrical problems than anything.

I have 2006 and did exactly the same research before jumping into RL - what year to get or better, what not to get :)
I agree 06-08 is definitely to go for, if anything you may want to look for 07 or 08 - but only for the reason of getting backup camera installed (where tires are non-PAX) so at least that option is there.
I miss camera on my RL after I drive my wife's TL - definitely comes in handy to spare you turning around in your seat old fashioned way :)

Not sure where you got that information, but I'm like 99.999% positive the 2007 RL transmission had exactly zero chance of fitting in a 2004-2006 TL.

I've read probably a dozen times that the 2007-08 TL 3.2 and 3.5 engines had modified how it pairs to the transmission in order to use the RL transmission and stop using the old 5AT in the 2004-2006 TL that was prone to failure.

(I've discovered this though members here on AZ)

Source : https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...ura-tl-773160/

Nothing in that thread says an AWD transmission from a 2007 RL will even remotely work in a 2004-2006 TL (or any 3G TL for that matter).

I'm under the impression that Acura used the internals and some other components to create a special transmission for the 2007-08 TL.

I think it's an RL transmission with the AWD removed, maybe a few other things too.

I am no technician and cannot attest to any of this personally, but I've read this many times, and I can say the 2007-08 TL AT has some realation with the RL transmission, and this was done for durability.


Either way, OP should feel comfortable knowing that the RL's had no know transmission failures outside of neglect and abuse.

Not the same transmision, but internally, the components were based off the RL transmission for the 07-08 TL. I think that's what he's getting at. Obviously, they are not interchangeable. haha

Thanks! :)

Mystery, I don't think this is accurate.

The forum you're quoting is a TL forum. What they're saying is that the TL Type-S had a more dependable drivetrain than other Gen 3 TL's because it used the RL's engine and transmission. All 2005+ five-speed RL's used a reliable heavy-duty transmission. There is no indication that there's any history of chronic transmission trouble with the RL five-speed as there was with TL's and V6 Accords.

Now, there are some other reliability issues that make a 2005 RL a riskier bet than 2006 and up: carbon fiber driveshaft noise, touch-activated door locks and some other bugs that were largely straightened out by '06 or '07. But the engines and transmissions were largely bulletproof from the get-go.

You basically posted what I was trying to explain...

I 100% aggree with you... But the TypeS and base used the same tranny (internally) vs the 2004-06. This explains why an 07 tranny won't fit an 06. This also explains why the starter sounds different for 2007. Because it's the RL starter, and the old 2004-06 starter mounted differently...

No, that in no way explains why an RL tranny will not fit a 2004-2006 (or 2007-2008 for that matter) TL. The AWD elements are the issue.

That's not what I'm trying to say... The internals are from the RL, that's why the 07-08 TL transmission is more reliable than the 04-06 TL. The housing, output shafts and so on, are completely different...

I'm not saying they're interchangeable, but I am saying that an 07-08 TL tranny is closer to an 05-08 RL tranny, vs an 04-06 TL tranny...


That's why the 04-06 TL's work best using an 06-07 AV6 tranny, as does the 2G TL...


On the bright side... All of these cars are excellent... I think it's still super cool that we're arguing over 15 year old Hondas!!! :)

I know I may not be completely right, but I'm glad to be here... And I still believe what I'm trying to say is true on some level... I wish an Acura tech would come and settle it... I just want to know the truth... Is what I believe correct, or not....

Midnight, I think I see what you're saying.

Thank you! :)


I easily get too far into the details and confuse everyone with unorganized information... It makes it hard for me to make sense, sometimes...

To get back on subject, I would avoid '05 and some '06s. '07 and '08 are fairly trouble free years.

Curious to hear your thoughts as to why would you avoid some '06s?

I haven't heard any issues with 06+ RLs and I did a ton of research but couldn't find anything on them. I just recently picked up a 1-owner '06.

Hmmm, my 05 got 255,000 on it never had any problems , Just regular maintenance.

I would think the latest model year would be the most reliable because it would incorporate all the changes and rolling changes done at the factory to fix little problems. It's well documented at the 05 seems to have the most problems, but again not a surprise given brand new model and tons of new tech that no other Acura or Honda had previously had.

agreed


Same reason why I bought an 08 3rd gen TL.. the last of the best :biggrin:

I just stick to buying AT LEAST the second model year after an FMC. The only exception for me was my 99 TL which had the old 4-sp auto. Turns out that was very reliable compared to the "fragile as glass" 5-speeds that came in 2000 and beyond. If you're buying used this rule may not apply as long as all the TSBs and problem parts have been replaced. I've only bought new cars.

Seriously? The 4-Speed automatic in the 1999 TL was as crappy as the 5-Speed unit which came after it, probably crappier.

I've heard that 99 TL's were pretty good cars...

When I had my 99 TL I scanned the 2nd gen TL forums quite often and the vast majority of transmission failures were the 5 speeds. Acura even had a TSB for the 5 speed's 3rd gear to instal something to help it better move transmission fluid around. I remember many people would be replacing a 5 speed every 100k miles. I can't recall even one post of someone with a 4 speed having to replace it. It was pretty well known that the 4 speeds were far more reliable. I had an original 4 speed transmission run for 270k miles and then I sold the car.

The vast majority of failures was because the 4-Speed was only in one year, the 5-Speed was in three years. The 4-Speed had numerous TSBs, a recall, and warranty extensions all due to how fragile they were.

I never said it wasn't a good car, just that it had an equally bad transmission.

Hmm. I was pretty active on the TL forums back then and I don't remember the 4 speeds being that bad. Maybe I just got lucky. I know a lot of the folks on that forum were the 2nd or 3rd owners of their TL, and much younger than me so they were into modding and probably driving their car hard. I drove mine pretty gently in the 18 years I owned it and didn't abuse it. I had assumed because the 4 speed was around for a while already in various Honda cars, that it was more reliable. I believe the 5 speed in the 2000 TL was a brand new transmission.

The 4-Speed unit was the same as the one used in the Gen 6 V6 Accords; I owned one of them and am well versed in the HUGE percentage of failures. I don't have the numbers available, but I'd say it is an odds on bet the 4-Speed unit failed at a much higher rate than the 5-Speed units; hence the warranty extension necessary to get the NTSB off of Honda's back.

So all rl 05-08 trannys are the same and bulletproof. I am debating on buying an acura mdx 2004-2007 models. Tranny issues scare me on any car with more than 100k miles. I want the 4wd or awd though. I have read that these awd trannies are bulletproof and even used in tl and mdx in 08 and beyond. Are they the exact same trannys or were there design flaws initially?

2001-03 MDX - Avoid

2004-05 MDX - so so

2006 MDX - not that bad

2007-09 MDX - pretty reliable

2010-13 MDX - awesome outside of being prone to oil consumption

Different trannies in those years. Not what i asked at all. And that is an mdx. It is ok to not know. YOu don't have to post the first thing that comes into your head just so you can have thousands of posts. Some trannies were junk in initial production. Some were just junk from that start. Some got some simple modifications and were great and long lasting. Honda/Acura trannies vary greatly on reliability. They design and produce their own trannies also. Toyota does not. They use aisin trannies. Most car manufacturers nowadays i believe use 3rd party for trannies or collaborate with other makers. I think the 08 mdx and tl got the same exact tranny as 05-08 rl. Anyone know if there were any small redesigns cause of unreliability or different generation tranny used in different years. And how long you think they would last. More than 250k or 300k?

I guess I got lucky with mine lasting 270k+ miles.

Sounds like it. I presume lots of highway miles and not much time idling while in gear.

Yes, a lot of highway miles and also I drove it gently. I avoided driving in a manner which would make the transmission jerk and have to downshift really harshly. As time went on I treated the transmission as if it were made of glass by babying it. I drive all my cars pretty gently which is one reason why they last a long time and people think after 10+ years it's a new car.

I had a 2001 V6 Accord with the same 4-Speed auto and while I never had an issue with my transmission, I know a lot who did. I'm thinking it was probably my good fortune to have a daily commute which is 3 miles on a lightly traveled two-lane highway, 20 miles on an interstate (reverse commuting), and then a couple of lights to the office. By and large, the bulk of the 4-Speed failures were in cars which spent a lot of time idling in gear (if memory serves, one of the most pervasive issues was lubrication, or lack thereof, of the second gear assembly when stopped in gear).

For what it's worth, I bought my 06 with 66k nearly 2 years ago and now it has like 98k miles on it. Last winter, when I was driving through a blizzard, I did hear the propeller shaft whine. Other than that, I haven't had any issues. Just been replacing wear/tear parts like belts, motor mounts, shocks, etc. and maintenance.

On a side note, how did you like the car? I live the 6G Accord! Despite the tranny issues, they're still one of my favorite cars :)