Transmission Failure problems of the 2003 Acura TL - part 1

Transmission failure/transmission lock-up while driving at about 40 mph. Luckily I was able to avoid a very close call collision when the transmission locked up. Someone could have been severely hurt or even died due to this known issue. What is it going to take for Acura to issue a full recall? how many people need to experience this issue and how many people need to die? something needs to be done and an investigation needs to be opened. Acura and Honda are not standing behind their product, even with the fact that there is an open campaign. Extending the warranty does nothing for a car that is only driven a few miles to work daily. I have just over 80,000 miles on my 2003 Tl. I guess it is shame on me for not driving 15k miles a year. Had I been driving the national average the transmission would have seized up many years ago and it would have been covered by the extended warranty. What a scam. Thanks for nothing Honda/Acura.

The contact owns a 2003 Acura Tl. The contact stated that the transmission failed. The contact took the vehicle to their mechanic and was told that the failure occurred because there was no cooler in the transmission, which caused the transmission to run hot and seize. The contact mechanic stated that the transmission could not be repaired. The failure and current mileages were 125,000. The VIN was not available.

The first indication a problem maybe beginning, was the tcs light starting flashing for no reason. A couple of days later while coasting to a stop, the transmission locked up in second gear, but did work after the stop. Then the car started jerking when shifting from first into second gear. That is when I took it to muller Acura in hoffman estates, IL and was informed the transmission has failed. This car is one of the vehicles recalled for the transmission problems with the second gear and did have the remedial repair work completed as recommended by Acura. This vehicle was in the shop 32 times for a multitude of repair work the first couple of years I owned the car at fayetteville auto park, fayetteville, ar.

I was driving my car to the work on 10/19/11 in MA @ 50mph and suddenly the car slowed down even though I had my foot on the accelerator . I was lucky that all the drivers behind me were pro-active to apply the brakes to avoid a major pile up. I was told at the Acura service center that this was due to the transmission issue . I am trying to understand how can a cars transmission fail in 5 years . The same car was part of recall for transmission and was fixed in 2005 by Acura (this information was received from Acura corp ) . I have only 51,700 miles on this car and I am looking for answers on how nhtsb can allow a company to get away when there are so many complaints on this model on similar issue.

Sudden and premature transmission failure at highway speeds.

The contact owns a 2003 Acura 3. 2tl. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired for the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission). While driving approximately 65 mph, the transmission failed and the vehicle would no longer accelerate. The vehicle coasted to a stop and was towed to an authorized dealer. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 155,000.

Transmission failed with 60,000 miles . VIN number does not fall under recall . Pay out of pocket for repair.

The contact owns a 2003 Acura Tl. The contact stated that the transmission failed. The vehicle was repaired by the contact's personal mechanic; the transmission failed again. The contact called the dealer who offered no assistance. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current mileage was approximately 95,100. The failure mileage was 93,592.

Transmission failed while driving up a hill. Caused car to lose acceleration, nearly got rear ended while pulling off the road to safety. Initial transmission failed at 23,000 miles. This is the 2nd transmission failing with only 116,000 miles on it. Defective transmission.

1. The gears in my Acura 2003 Tl begin to slip between 2nd and 3rd gears on a Saturday morning at the end of a family beach trip and soon there after on the way back home which was over 200 miles away the check engine light came on. 2. About halfway home(100 or so miles), the transmission completely failed on the open highway, and my wife and I was left stranded in the rural north carolina with a 1 year old and a 5 year old. 3. After all this happened, I learned of a recall on the Acura Tl 2003 transmission. According to Acura. Com and the dealership, this defect was fixed by installing an oil jet kit or oil cooler return line to help lubricate the 2nd gear and keep the transmission from overheating. I do not think it was fixed because of the symptoms of my transmission failure. I have called the Honda\Acura corporate office, the nearest Acura dealership and the dealership of the original purchase of the vehicle. I have gotten the same answer from all of them, "there is nothing we can do". I think this is unacceptable and very frustrating. I have also become aware of a warranty extension that was made on 2003 Acura cl and Tl models because of a class action lawsuit filed against Honda of America. The extension was for 93 months or 114,000 miles. My car is under the 93 month extension but outside on the 114,000 miles.

1. The gears in my Acura begin to slip on a Saturday morning at the end of a family beach trip and soon there after on the way back home which was over 200 miles ways the check engine light came on. 2. About halfway home(100 or so miles), the transmission completely family on the open highway, and my wife and I was left stranded in the rural north carolina with a 1 year old and a 5 year old. 3. After all this happen, I learned of a recall on the Acura Tl 2003 transmission. According the Acura. Com and the dealership, this defect was fixed. I do not think it was fixed because of the symptoms of my transmission failure. I have called the Honda\Acura corporate office, the nearest Acura dealership and the dealership of the original purchase of the vehicle. I have gotten the same answer from all of them, "there is nothing we can do". I think this is unacceptable and very frustrating.

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) Acura 2003 3. 2tl common transmission failure codes po740 and po730. Shifts erratically like millions of others. VIN # is not on the list. We have learned this is the 2nd time in. Honda city in wisconsin - dealer scammed us. Carfax did not list the repair!!! dealer is telling us to drive it in and risk our lives!!! !!! the dealer should drive it himself. Honda corporate is not taking any action. 1-800-422-2872 amanda case # [xxx] . Why is the government not taking action !!!.

There was a sudden downshift in gears while driving in the vehicle and changing freeways late at night. The car, as a result, decelerated quickly in fast moving traffic almost causing an accident. The car was pulled over to the side of the freeway and was rendered inoperable due to transmission failure. The car was part of the Acura 00-04 cl & Tl a/t recall (automatic transmission second gear inspection). As part of the recall, if the car was over 15,000 miles, the dealer would inspect the gear for heat discoloration. If they found discoloration, a new transmission would be installed. The car was over 15,000 miles at the time but the dealer reported no discoloration. As a result, only an oil jet kit was installed only. Due to a large number of cases of transmission problems with the Tl and a class action lawsuit, Acura extended their transmission warranty for model years 1999-2002 and included only some 2003 depending on VIN number. My vehicle is a 2003 model, but did not fall within the VIN number cutoff. Therefore, my car does not qualify for the transmission extended warranty. I have a found a large number of other complaints on this website, as well as others, regarding 2003 Acura Tls that did not make the VIN number cutoff but still suffered from transmission failure. Obviously, there is a safety issue regarding these cars and their transmissions that was not addressed in the initial recall. (the appropriate repairs were not made). The second recall, with the extended warranty, also does not appear to cover all vehicles effected by this transmission problem.

I own a 2003 Acura 3. 2tl, the transmission failed while I was driving it home the other day. I almost caused a major accident on the highway I was traveling on. If it wasn't for the other driver on the road I would have been in a serious accident. After finding thousands of Acura Tl owners all across the country who have experienced the same. I think it only fair to have this mater investigated by your company. Acura needs to accept that they designed a poorly functional transmission that should be replaced regardless of vehicle mileage.

Purchased used Acura Tl3. 2 Feb. 1, 2010. Transmission failed. Slippage in 2nd and 5th gear. Car unsafe to drive because in traffic would not accelerate because of slippage. Contacted dealership where car was sold originally. Refused any assistance. Called Acura hot line and refused any assistance. Contacted 12 reliable sources regarding replacement. Contacted 6 reliable mechanics and paid for installation of rebuilt transmission. Sent letter to president of customer service and telephone call placed to me advising no assistance. Inferred because used car not purchased from Acura dealer and installation of new rebuilt transmission not done by Acura dealership would not offer any good faith assistance. Believe recall should be done on this vehicle. Already did one on 2nd gear and added something regarding oil and reheating. Also timing belt recall. Recall on 2nd gear obviously did not work. Would advise anyone not to purchase this model vehicle!! previously owned Honda accord and Acura integra excellent vehicles. 3,. 2 Tl not excellent vehicle manufacturer needs to recall vehicles and reimburse customers for cost of transmissions.

2003 Acura Tl transmission suddenly failed car had 99,500 miles ,was towed to Acura dealer , told $4300for new transmission because I didn't fall with-in VIN # for 105,000 mi free replacement (early 2003) I feel problem was not fixed in mid 2003 and I should be covered.

2003 Acura Tl transmission failure with out warning. Upon traveling at 50 mph my vehicle dropped gears causing it to decelerate at rapid rate. The car tacked up to approx 5000 rpm. The failure caused the transmission to down shift rapidly and loose speed and could possibly cause driver to loose control. I was able to pull over without incident. There have been many transmission failure admitted by Acura causing them to extend warranty on some models but they are not admitting to the total problem and potential hazards.

On Thursday 7/23/09 as I was on my way home from work, my transmission completely failed. I was pulling out onto a busy road and was almost involved in a very bad collision when my transmission quit working. It lurched me forward into moving traffic however would not accelerate fast enough to get me moving. Luckily, the oncoming semi truck was able to slam on it's brakes and turn to avoid a collision. I could have easily been killed if the driver had not been alert and paying attention. There is already a recall on this transmission (NHTSA #04v176000) which according to Honda was already done on my car however it obviously was not done properly. It may not lock up as stated in the original recall however a complete failure to move is also extremely dangerous. Checking around online, many many other people are making this same complaint on my year and model. Acura needs to completely resolve these problems or people may be seriously injured or even killed.

While traveling on the pennsylvania turnpike in a 2003 Acura 3. 2tl, the vehicle experienced a total loss of power due to complete failure of the transmission (automatic). The vehicle was traveling with cruise control engaged at 65 mph. Engine rpm began to climb. Cruise control was secured. Within 1-2 minutes all clutch engagement in the transmission was lost with a corresponding total loss of power (engine was still operating, but no forward or reverse gears/power to the wheels). With family members in the car, and no power, the car was coasted to the side of the turnpike. Acura dealer said that codes on vehicle indicated total transmission failure, no cause provided. I view this failure as a defect, related to prior transmission problems found on 1999-2003 Acura 3. 2 Tls that resulted in a class action suit, with corresponding extension of warranty on the transmissions, but the vehicles included in the group covered by the suit did not include my vehicle.

The contact owns a 2003 Acura 3. 2tl. In may of 2006, the was a class action suit against Acura for the same problem. On December 8, 2008, the transmission failed and the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The dealer stated that the transmission was serviced on December 14, 2004 according to NHTSA campaign id number 04v176000 (power train: automatic transmission). A report was filed with the manufacturer. The manufacturer stated that the contact could take the vehicle to the dealer; however, he would be responsible for the repair costs. The current and failure mileages were 108,000. Updated 2/5/09 the consumer stated the transmission began to act erractic and would slip from 5th gear. Updated 02/10/09.

I have a 2003 Acura Tl type s. I bought it used in 2004 with 22,000 miles on it. Shortly after Honda issued a recall for the transmission. The solution was to take it to the dealership and have them check for a damaged 2nd gear and if there was no visible sign of damage they would install a jet kit to keep the 2nd gear cooler. My car at this time had about 35,000 miles on it. The dealership installed a jet kit my car and reported no damage. Around 50,000 miles I noticed my car slipping while accelerating. I took my vehicle back to the dealership. They replaced my transmission stating that the jet kit did not work and that the transmission was damaged. I thought that everything was fixed. Around 95,000 I noticed that my transmission was starting to shift hard and slip a little. I took it to the dealership. They said that the transmission was fine and checked good. At 105000 miles I recently took my car down to charlestion SC and was returning home on i95 in nc. I pulled off an exit to get gas and noticed my car was jerking real bad and was having problems staying in gear. Soon after I started to smell something burning and my check engine light came on. I pulled into a auto tune shop and had the technicians read the engine code. The code came back as a transmission controller fail. I towed my vehicle to the nearest dealership about 50 miles away. They checked the car and reported that the transmission need to be replaced. This would be my third factory transmission! what if my vehicle had seized up while on i95 where vehicles are traveling at 70 mph. Why does a car need three transmission at 105,000 miles! something is wrong! please look into it!.

My automatic transmission has failed and scared both myself and my wife. At first the car suddenly downshifted when the brake was pressed at a speed of about 35 mph. Later the transmission would not shift properly at all, but worked after the check engine, tcs, and blinking d5 light came on. The select shift no longer works. I don't plan to confront the dealer over a transmission that was previously recalled because Acura stated the car was no longer under warranty.

Traveling at freeway speed car suddenly downshifted to 2nd gear causing rapid deceleration and lockup of the seatbelt. Took to dealership diagnosed as transmission failure.

Transmission failure.

The contact owns a 2003 Acura 3. 2tl. The contact has been experiencing transmission failure for a few weeks. While driving approximately 50 mph, the transmission surged and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a shop and the mechanic stated that nothing could be done. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence. Through research, he found a recall for the transmission. He called the manufacturer and was informed that his vehicle had already been checked for that recall in 2004 and they found no failures at that time. The manufacturer refused to repair the vehicle under the recall. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 69,000.

2003 Acura Tl transmission failure. I felt a lurch in the vehicle one day and was told the next day by the Acura dealership that the transmission need to be replaced. I researched on line and determine that there was a recall on "some" 2003 Acura Tl's but mine was not included in the recall .

With 17,014 miles on my garage kept 2003 Acura 3. 2tl type s the transmission failed leaving me stranded on the side of the road at night. The dealer replaced it but I a still having trouble with it shifting improperly I cannot trust my car on a long trip or at night. The dealer will not extend my warranty.

I had my 2003 Acura Tl transmission fail. While traviling at highway speed the car suddenly downshifted very hard. This occured no less than 3 times before getting the vehicle to a place where it could be towed. I see that NHTSA has opened and closed an investigation about these transmission failures. My car was not included in the 7year/100,000 mile extended transmission. The mileage at time of failure was 34500 miles. I called Acura customer service to ask that my car be covered by the extended warranty, and at first was told I would have to purchase an extended warranty because my VIN was not covered under the extended warranty. I stated that I was not going to pay for Acura's problem and asked to be contacted by a supervisior. I was called back by a service rep who told me Acura would grant me the extended warranty, but because I live in florida I would have to sign a waiver that excludes me for persuing any lemon law violations against Acura for the transmission failure. I have lost faith in the safety of my car, and know of many owners who have had multiple replacement transmissions installed on the same vehicle. Installing a rebuilt transmission does not seem to cure this issue. Acura/Honda needs to address this failure with a widespread recall to fix this problem once and for all.

Transmission failure at 45,747 mi no previous problems transmission was replaced.

'recall campaign' issued for 2003 Acura Tl transmission failure. The consumer is upset that the dealer knowingly sold him a vehicle that had a recall and did not disclose the information, however the dealer stated they did not find out about the recall until Nov 2004. The consumer contacted Acura client service and was told the dealer knew about the recall 2 months prior to the consumer purchasing the vehicle. (recall 04v176000). The consumer requested reimbursement for the out of pocket expenses for improvements, interest and payments.

While going through an intersection, pausing to let another vehicle pass. Then, transmission failed. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and was told that transmission failed.

The transmission on my 2003 Acura Tl type s failed at approximately 38000 miles. The transmission was recently serviced pursuant to a notice by Acura. This is the third Acura that I have owned that has had transmission failure. The first vehicle (2002) was replaced within two weeks. The second vehicle had two failures and was eventually replaced with a 2003 model after negotiation with their mediation group. It is very apparent that the transmissions are in fact defective, given the fact that Honda motor CO. Ltd did finally issue a recall notice. Based on my personal experience I am very concerned as to the safety of the vehicle, even with another transmission. I also fear for my safety as well as my family?s safety when operating the vehicle. This is amended information provided over the phone.

I took my Acura Tl-s 2003 in for the 30,000 mile service on October 27, 2004. At this time I was informed that the automatic transmission would be examined for damage due to incorrect lubrication. I was not aware of the recall before this. The examination was done, and I was told that the transmission looked fine and they had installed an oil jet kit. On november4, 2004 my transmission failed as I was driving in traffic home. The transmission appeared to lock causing a sudden deceleration then alternated between slipping and locking. Luckily I was not on the highway where if this had happened, I am convinced I would have had a bad accident. As it was I nearly was rear ended by an unsuspecting motorist behind me (it was dark outside and of course my brake lights did not alert that motorist). The check engine light also came on, and the traction control system vsa off light lit up. I had the vehicle towed to Acura where they "condemned" the transmission. They told me they will be putting a refurbished transmission in the vehicle. This is very concerning since they looked at my previous one, made the changes that they believe will fix the problem, and then my transmission still failed. Someone is going to get killed by this problem, sooner or later!.

Recall was found on the internet. After contacting the manufacturer about not receiving recall letter, consumer was told they could not send him the letter again, their obligation was fulfilled with recall 04-v176000 concening transmission failure. However, transmission was still defective.

Car was driven on the interstate highway and sudden transmission failure. Car surge and transmission went out, no shifting in any gear at all. Mil check engine light comes on. Owned to the dealership and diagnosis show tranny failure. New transmission is replaced.