Automatic Transmission Torque Converter problems of the 2004 Acura MDX

Torque converter issues. Looks like the widely known complaint about the torque converter and transmission issue in Honda pilots and Acura Mdx. My Acura Mdx 2004 clearly has the grinding sound (intermittent) when driving 35-40 mph. The issue was known by Acura in Apr 2004 (recall), we bought the car new in may 2004 and were never told. We now have 150k miles on it but we have had the issue for a while - when asking the dealer they said they could not hear it (it is intermittent) and ignored it - yes, it is commonly known to car owners but not the dealerships. I now have my kids driving this car but as of today I will take it back and give them my other car. Not safe for them to drive it. I know I have a lot of miles on mine, but the issue has been known by Acura officially since 2004. It is all about the money. What to do - recall is closed, class action in CA is closed, dealers and Acura/Honda ignoring it. Help please.

On the highway going 65 mph when the acceleration suddenly froze up, rpms shot up to 4000 -5000, the car started shaking and I had to quickly pull to the side of the highway to avoid being crashed into by other cars. After I pulled over, I turned off the engine, then re-started, so I resumed driving but after driving two miles my car did the same thing once it hit 2500 rpms. Again I pulled over. I restarted my car again and slowly drove my car home. The next day, I called an Acura dealership, explained the situation to a service provider. They said they couldn't diagnosis over the phone and said they did not know about a relevant recall. I then had my car towed to a nearby repair shop where they told me that the car would not reverse or accelerate. The service man said he thinks the transmission is broken. I'm now reading how this is very common problem with the '04 Mdx. My mother called Acura to say that I have read that this issue seems to be a very common occurrence with '04 Mdxs but was told that they would not help and were not aware of this make/model having issues with anything other than the rear differential torque converter. The woman she spoke with was very rude and very dismissive. Said my car was too old for Acura to be responsible for any mechanical issues and that I had never had the car serviced (which I have. ) she was very condescending in her speech to my mother despite the fact that this is a known common problem and which almost killed me. They should make people aware that the torque converter problem is only the "tip of the iceberg" within a potentially much broader scope problem. Had I known, I sure would have addressed this before almost getting killed!! how many people didn't get their torque converter replaced because they did not know the big picture??.

There is a shudder and vibration between gears 4 and 5 when driving 40-50 mph. This is very commonly reported problem on several blogs and problems are ascribed to torque converter. The frequency of such occurence is high and the cost of repair close to 2000 usd is alos quite burdensome for such an expensive car. There is an Acura TSB 05-024 for this problem that applies to earlier model years 2002, but Acura tells me that for 2004 it does not apply. It seems very clear that this problem has persisted in 2004 my. I am requesting the Acura be required to fix this problem as they have in earlier models.

I had noticed a shuddering at 1200-1400 rpm. Dealer said it was likely the torque converter. Recommended not doing anything at this time. In the past month, I've had two occasions while in drive from a stop, when I stepped on the gas the car did not move; the engine just revved. The first time I put the car into park, shut off the car. I restarted and all was well. This next time I was going around a curve at about 10-15 mph, when the car revvedin response to my pressing the gas pedal, but did not accelerate. As if it had shifted into neutral. I switched into neutral and back into drive, and it re-engaged. Lots of similar concerns on my investigation on the internet. If this is a known problem to Acura/Honda, why has there not been a recall or a fix?.

My car makes a grinding noise while accelerating at around 30 - 40 mph. I showed to the Acura dealer and they said that this is due to a bad torque converter. They also said that this has to repaired with my on my expense as I am out of warranty. I noticed that this is a common issue with most of the Mdxs and various online forums have mentioned this.

I have had to replace the torque converter twice on my 2004 Mdx, with a third time being needed now. The replacement failed within 2500 miles and the new replacement is failing as well. I have also had to replace the engine mounts when the torque converter failed the first time. Three times is entirely too many. I am not replacing due to dealer requiring me pay. All service performed as required at the same dealer that I purchased the vehicle from as new. The current milage is 132000.

When driving at speeds about 30-50 mph. The car shudders, rumbles, and makes a grinding noise when I accelerate. I need to take my foot off the accelerator to make it stop. It happen all the time and has been happening for a couple of years now and has gotten worse. Acura/Honda are aware of the issue which is caused by torque converter, pcm and sometimes the whole transmission needs to be replaced. There are numerous complaints about this and it's odd that it has not been recalled yet, which can be fatal if the transmission fails on the road.

Major issues with my transmission shuddering and vibrating on my 2004 Acura Mdx. Had Honda review the vehicle was told I needed to replace transmission and torque converter and that this was a known issue . Called Acura and now I'm here. . . . . .

Torque converter failed due to faulty equipment. This caused a total transmission replacement per Acura.

I have an Acura 2004 Mdx. 111,000 miles. Serviced as directed. Just replaced the transmission and the torque converter. This is an issue that is clearly a problem. Acura had recalls but claimed to have "fixed" the issue. There is no way a properly maintained car should have to have a complete transmission overhaul done. The mainshaft had to be replaced as well. The mechanics that did the work are ex Acura mechanics. They confirmed that this was the exact kins of problem they replaced for years on Mdx's. I had to have an entire new transmission with main shaft and torque converter replaced. This cost me $3,558. 02. This is wrong. A car, especially a high end car like Acura, should not have to have an entire transmission replaced at 111k miles. It was unethical of Acura to not advise me of this history before purchasing the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2004 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle made a shuttering vibration noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the torque converter was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 90,000.

A rattling/shuddering/grinding is occuring when accelerating, and only when accelerating, between 30 and 42 mph. It is a result of a failing torque converter. Problem only occurs while in d5.

Vehicle develops vibration and shutter in transmission/drivetrain at approximately 30mph along with fluctuations in rpms. Also, torque converter feels semi-locked at idle when in drive shortly after starting causing rough idle and stalls, and hesitation upon initial acceleration.

Driving home after purchasing used 2004 Acura Mdx the vehicle was making a noticeable shutter/grinding noise between 30-45 mph under light acceleration. Dealership diagnosed faulty torque converter and replaced at no cost. No approximately 11,000 miles later, the problem has came back with bad torque converter. Internet search reveals this problem is common with these vehicles. Would not have purchased if known issues before. These is an obvious design flaw in the power train.

The best way to describe the incident is that our vehicle just started to lose power as we were traveling on the highway. Then, it just froze. The car would not move. Then, it seemed to be allright but it would freeze up again. It was very frightening because there were cars on the highway going 60-65 mph. We were able to make it home and had the car towed to a local repair shop and then to Acura garage a day later. We were given no warning of a problem. There was no light to indicate a problem. We were told that the transmission and torque converter needed replaced. We learned that this is an ongoing problem with the Acura Mdx. We filed a claim with Acura. We had a service bulletin. Apparently, Honda/Acura knows of this problem but refuses to do anything about it. We bought our 2004 Mdx new. We had all necessary maintenance done on the vehicle. Acura wanted our documentation which we provided. They offered to pay half of the repairs. Our expense was $2000. I feel that a recall is in order. Again, Honda/Acura knows about this problem with not just the Acura but the pilot and the odyssey, as well. Our car had 79,000 miles on it when this occured.

The contact owns a 2004 Acura Mdx. The contact took the vehicle in for inspection and was told that the transmission was slipping. The failure was within the rear differential torque converter. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that this was a known failure that Acura had been handling on a case by case basis. The contact spoke with the manufacturer and was told that the transmission was not under warranty and they would not receive any assistance because the contact was not the original owner. The failure mileage was 63,000 and the current mileage was 65,000.

I have a 2004 Acura Mdx, recently, the torque converter failed (mileage 65000) and this will lead to the transmission failure. I found numerous Mdx owners complain this problems. So Acura should have a recall for this and extend the warranty.

2004 Acura Mdx torque converter failed at 70k miles and replaced. At 80 k the vehicle shudders or vibrates between 35 and 40 mph indicating torque converter failure again. . . . .

My 2004 accura Mdx has been diagnosed with a torque converter problem at 71,000 miles. When we are at low speeds, 35 - 45 mph the transmission starts to vibrate as if we are going over railroad tracks. Over the past few months the gas miiage has dropped significantly to the point that we are have to fill up twice a week to drive roughly 150 miles. I have read hundreds of complaints from other 2004-2006 Mdx owners with this same complaint. Some 2004 models have been recalled but not mine. How can they only recall specific VIN's and not the entire model year. This is a financial and safety concern, one because the vehicles gas mileage has dropped significantly and the transmission could lock-up or overheat at anytime.

2004 Acura Mdx torque converter issue. I can feel/hear the vibration/shudder/grinding between 20-50 mph while maintaining the steady speed with light load. The same issue happened once when the vehicle was at around 45000 miles. The dealer replaced the torque converter under warranty. However, the same issue came back at around 75000 miles until now at 93000 miles. It was only noticeable at around 30 mph, but now can be noticed between 20 and 50 mph.

2004 Acura Mdx failed torque converter, grinding at low speed 10mph-20mph. Repairs ongoing car has been at dealer for two weeks. Purchased extended warranty from Acura and is supposed to be covered but warranty company dragging their feet. Current mileage 90k no warning or previous problem. Also rear main seal on engine being replaced which is immediately adjacent to converter. Estimated cost to repair $3,500.

I bought an used Acura from a dealer almost two years ago but 3 month ago the vehicle shudders or vibrates between 35 and 40 mph, as per diagnose of Acura, they stated torque converter is faulty. However because car is not under warranty they don't want to cover problem no matter of the number of complaints of several people on several websites.

Transmission/torque converter vibration at 35-45mph. Started at 70,000 miles. Forced to replace transmission, Acura should be responsible for this failure.

Acura 2004 Mdx torque converter shudder or vibration.

My 2004 Acura Mdx has been making a grinding noise (as if going over rumble strips) when driving above 35 mph especially when driving on a curve. The pohanka Acura dealership states that the torque converter is faulty. This particular problem is listed numerous times online for the 2004 Mdx. Acura has not placed a recall apparently because they do not see it as a safety issue. They will not admit to have used a faulty part in building this particular model. Highly disappointed with this type of business practice. Where is the customer service they rave about? they are asking for over $3k to replace the faulty part. I am going to research some other avenues before I make my final decision.

2004 Acura Mdx torque converter issue (vibration/ shudder / grinding between 30-50 mph while accelerating. Nothing has been done to repair yet waiting until it becomes a bigger problem.

Reproducibly at automatic transmission shifting speeds between 20-25mph, 30-35mph and 40-45mph there is an audible and palpable shudder as the transmission hesitates prior to shifting. Have brought vehicle to Acura dealer 3 times over the past 5 years, every time stating the same complaint, and every time referencing a convincing multitude of Acura Mdx owners noting a similar problem. Every time Acura service states they could not reproduce the problem and nothing is wrong with the vehicle. The last time I even drove the car with their chief mechanic, who verified the problem and stated it must be the torque convertor, but Acura only performed an automatic transmission flush and reset the transmission computer settings that they charged me for, and neither solved the problem. This is a serious dangerous problem and eventually someone is going to get seriously hurt. . Read more...

My complaint is about my 2004 Acura Mdx the torque converter makes the grinding noise that most owners are dealing with I feel that Acura has not accept responsibility for this defect.

2004 Acura Mdx, started to shudder/vibrate/grinding noise noticed just after 50k miles. The problem occurs when driving between 25 to 45 miles, trying to coast or decelerate. Also observed the sudden hesitation of the vehicle when the shudder occurs. If I put it in d4 (instead of d5) then it doesn't seem to be making the grinding noise/vibration. I have reported the issue around 50k+ mileage to the dealer but dealer said they can't reproduce/identify it. I have complained about the same problem in 2 other visits to the Acura dealership, every time they denied the problem. Now, at 90k miles I complained about the problem and this time they were able to hear and observe the sound, exactly the same as I have been reporting since it had 50k+ mileage. Acura dealer is saying the whole transmission (torque converter) has to be replaced. For a vehicle that costs $40k having transmission issues at 50k mileage is unacceptable. I don't drive it rough and don't neglect the maintenance. There are so many complaints in the online forums on this exact transmission problems. Acura/Honda customer service is very poor or non-existing, they should be ashamed of such a problematic component in a luxury vehicle.

Torque converter failed, causing a total need for transmission replacement.