Two problems related to transmission stuck in gear have been reported for the 2001 Acura CL. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2001 Acura CL based on all problems reported for the 2001 CL.
Transmission started slipping and got progressively worse for several weeks. The day before it failed, I was driving along at a steady speed of about 45 mph when the transmission decided it wanted to be in first gear. The car jerked violently and slowed down very quickly while pulling me to the left (nearly losing control with the front wheels locked) until it shifted back out of first gear. It felt as if I had slammed on the brakes and if someone was behind me, I would have been rear ended. This happened again shortly after but not as violently. When the transmission finally failed, it would take several seconds to shift gears and would rev up high (as if in neutral) while between shifts. When it did shift it shifted hard. Then, as pulling away from a stop light, several of the lights on the dash lit up including the check engine, vsa, and d5 lights and was stuck in second gear. Also, the car would not shift into reverse. I understand from the dealer that this is not an uncommon problem and most people report symptoms similar to mine. I find this scary because I could have been killed had I been in different circumstances when the transmission shifted into first and caused me to slow down and swerve all over the road until I got it under control. The dealer Claims that they think they know what the problem is and have fixed it but I've heard from people that are on their third transmission and are again having problems.
While driving dashboard lights came on and vehicle was stuck in one gear. Transmission went out. Had transmission replaced, but problem happened again within 4000 miles. They replaced wiring transimission, and it went again.