Acura TL Transmission Questions

smarty666 · September 2010

agree completely, plus he has post in multiple threads on edmunds his repeat whinning complaints about a 10yr old Acura TL that had its transmission go after the warranty period was over!

unfortunately, with any car you get, no matter what manufacturer, once your out of warranty, you are at their mercy and they technically don't have to do anything for you!

For anyone else, don't let him deter you from getting an Acura or Honda product! If you look at CR reliability history chart for the TL, the last model year for widespread transmission issues was 2004. Since then, they have gotten above avg or much above avg scores for their transmissions! they are no longer a problem

I have had a 2006 TL and now a 2008 and I have had no transmission issues with almost 90k combined miles on those cars nor do I know of anyone of my countless friends and family members who have Honda and Acura products have transmission issues

He likes to complain about Acura day and night, but what he doesn't tell you is that, I have had the same exact trouble with Infiniti that he has had with Acura, just regarding a different issue. All the manufacturers treat you like dirt, and there is no brand loyalty with any of them. I've found that out the hard way over the years. Nissan has had terrible trouble with the 1st Gen CVT which is one of the reasons why they extended the warranty to 10yrs/120k miles on the CVT and connecting parts to the transmission. They also did it to avoid lawsuits b/c people were having their transmissions blow out at 50k, 60k, and 70k+ miles and having to spend $5-10k out of pocket for replacements which Nissan would not reimbursed. Nissan is still giving people trouble who had their transmissions go out before they extended the warranty coverage and needing tons of papers which the customer does not have and not reimbursing them still. Thankfully, the 2nd Gen CVT from 2009+ has thus far seen much much fewer CVT issues and less intensity compared to the 1st Gen. That is why I waited to get the Maxima until 2010 once I saw how the 2nd Gen CVT faired. So far, after 12k miles, it has performed flawlessly and no problems what so ever yet.

Kirstie_H · September 2010

Let's knock off the comments about other members and focus on the comments themselves, please. It's easy enough to respond to the points in the post rather than making personally-directed remarks about the person posting the points, and that's what we expect.

smarty666 · September 2010

I was just trying to put things into perspective since he has gone on multiple threads warning people that an entire car brand is bad b/c of his one bad experience. My point was that multiple brands, besides Acura and Honda, have had transmission issues and it kind of is a chance thing whether you will or will not have a problem.

I'm agreeing it was a terrible experience to have to go through but I don't think it is appropriate to tell people that an entire car brand is terrible. I had a terrible problem with brake/rotor issues on my Infiniti FX, but I don't go on the Infiniti threads and tell people not to buy their products and that all Infiniti's are bad and should not be bought b/c I had one negative experience with my vehicle.

I did not curse or personally attack him. I think I did pretty well addressing his warnings and problems with Honda/Acura transmission and staying at the transmission issues at hand. I have both Acura and Infiniti vehicles so I think I can offer a good perspective on the issue.

2233 · September 2010

You apparently didn't read in my posts that I repeatedly asked for a new transmission at around 60,000, 70,000 and repeatedly afterwards when the transmission constantly slipped in and out of gear. This was well within the 100,000 k warranty.

Acura took 11 days to notify me of their decision. Very inconsiderate.

Don't worry - they are rid of me and my extended family. Their actions cost them 3 sales in the past month with more to come.

Please post and let us know if you still have a working transmission in a year or two.
I'll wager that your "D5" light will be flashing soon.

Good luck - you'll need it.

2233 · September 2010

Smarty,

I never referred to your rants about your Infiniti as whining as you did with me. Please by civil and professional to other members. Show some class.

Hopefully you'll never go through what I experienced with Acura. They could have called me two days after my request and inform me in a reasonable manner why they did not wish to contribute more to the repair of the transmission. 11 days is what it took for a decision.

As I previously posted, this car was totally nervewracking to drive from around 60k to the end. I flushed it regularly. I brought this transmission to their attention and went on record of the problem at 60K plus. The constant daily slipping had my daughter wonder is the D-5 light going to flash today? Is today the day the transmission goes out? She drove to her college and her special education assignments each day about 40 miles and was fearful of being stranded somewhere.

Acura never did anything. It was like just wait for the other shoe to drop.

My family had 3 transmissions go out on MDX, TL and an Accord. I don't call that "whining" my man - I call that "facts."

Hopefully you never see the dreaded "D5" flash.

smarty666 · September 2010

Oh I do agree, that Acura treated you badly on the customer service front and that I was surprise of that b/c I have had the opposite experience and in fact have had problems of them being up my butt and constantly calling to see if my service experience, recall, warranty fix, etc has worked or not and what they could do for me.

What you went through with Acura is exactly how Infiniti and Nissan have treated me so I can understand how you feel with being treated like that, just with a different brand obviously.

I hope your happy with your new vehicles and they are problem free for you!

jspargo · November 2010

I have a question with respect to the cost of a transmission replacement. I have a 2002 TL with 51,000 miles on it. The well-known transmission slippage problem started occurring a few months ago and I took it into my local repair shop (where I get all my service done). They identified the transmission problem and gave me a copy of the service bulleting and warranty extension (02-027). They said they could do the work, but advised me to talk to the nearest Acura dealer to see if warranty accommodation could be made, which might get me a lower bill than what they (the independent shop) would charge. They advised me not to be confrontational and not to demand full free replacement.

So I did as they advised and just got the estimate from the dealer. They said that a full transmission replacement was advised, and with a full replacement the ECU would also have to be replaced because the shift points will all be different for a new transmission. The estimated total cost is $6100. They have talked to the district manager and have authorization to do the replacement for a cost to me of $2100.

Except-- My independent shop gave me an (admittedly off-the-cuff) estimate of about $2000 for the job. This is a major disconnect, and I think the actions of the independent shop in pointing me to a dealer instead of just quoting a replacement speaks to their integrity. I'm also a little suspicious that the reduced cost I'm getting is just about dead on what my independent shop quoted.

So my question is: Is $6100 in the ballpark of replacement of transmission and ECU for an 02 TL (so maybe my independent repair guy just didn't take into account into account) and is it really necessary to replace the ECU?

I could use some informed opinions. Thanks

Mr_Shiftright · November 2010

Are these quotes for the same thing? The dealer's quote suggests that this is a new or factory reman transmission, while the shop's quote suggests an in-house rebuild of yours. Maybe you need to clarify this before you make a decision. Also carefully compare warranties from each of the two outlets.

jspargo · November 2010

I just spoke to the dealer service rep and the unit will be a reman from Honda. He told me that the transmission cost alone is $2900. The labor and ECU are on top of that. Unfortunately, my independent service shop is closed Mondays, so I can't call and get his opinion. The "quote" was a response to my question about what a ballpark figure would be for the repair so I would have something to judge the dealer's response against. He didn't do any calculations or consult anything, just responded with a range that topped out at around $2 K. I had expected to get a higher starting number from the dealer, but 3X surprised me.

I decided to just go with the dealer's offer. The cost is comparable to what I was led to expect by my service guy, so it isn't like I'll save money going to them.

I just have this sneaking suspicion that the highball quote allows the dealer to look generous while getting me to pay for all or most of the repair. If this is the case, I'd like to know in order to decide where to make my next purchase (which may be soon). If the deal is more or less square, I want to weigh that into my choice of dealers for my next. If it's not, well that will carry weight as well.

Mr_Shiftright · November 2010

Lemme check on that price.....

Yeah that's about the price for a reman----$2900---but that includes the torque converter. Are you getting that, too.

The labor (with replace torque converter, flushing the lines, etc) is about 12 hours.

The Torque converter, if not replaced, would be about an $850 deduct.

Where I live, 12 hours labor is around $1500, so this sounds like a fair deal to me if you're paying $2100 total.

jspargo · November 2010

I'll check on the torque converter. So with the ECU and labor on that, it might be in the ballpark of the total estimate? In that case, it's a pretty good deal from the dealer compared to some I've seen on forums. I guess I look well off and the car is getting to the point that its more trouble than I want to deal with, so I see a new car in my future. The dealer probably does too.

rkling01 · December 2010

I have a 2007 TL with about 38K miles on it. I have noticed occasionally what feels like a bit of a shaking that I can feel at around 20 miles per hour when I don't accelerate fast. When I accelerate quickly it never seems to happen. I'm trying to identify what it is and what to do about it or if I should be concerned. It doesn't happen consistently and of course when I took it in to the dealership they couldn't recreate it.

Would anyone have any suggestions as to what this might be or how to go about having it diagnosed correctly?

Thanks!

killa2000 · December 2010

I have the same issue but it happens between 20 and 40 mph. If I just let the car run with a touch on the throttle the car start to vibrate like an engine issue. :surprise:
PLEASE HELP!!!! I was afraid to pay to have it looked at and have the same thing happen just as rkling01. I know for one thing it's the same exact issue!!!! :sick:

trailhiker · December 2010

I have experienced a very similar problem with my older Acura Legend. The repair shop first thought it was the torque converter and replaced it and did not entirely fix the problem, the problem did not occur as often but was still there. Talking to several transmission shops, based on my description of the problem (and of course the problem could not be duplicated on a test drive) based on their experience with this type of problem, recommended a very thorough flushing of the transmission using ONLY Honda transmission fluid. That resolved the problem. The recommendation from the transmission shops was to flush the transmission every 2 years with only Honda transmission fluid. The shop said other brands of transmission fluid could cause that problem as well as fluid that was contaminated or the fluid properties had just broken down from use. The same is true for the Power Steering fluid. Flushing the transmission is not that expensive and even if it does not fix the problem, it is good preventative maintenance and should be done if the transmission has not been flushed in several years.

mmtong · January 2011

I have a 2001 TL with 79k and in need of transmission replacement for the same reason. Happened to see your post and hoping I could get the same (or close) deal. I was advised to take it to a local deal and talk the service manager who will take my case to district manager then decide if I'm getting any discount or break. I'm in VA metro area and just wondering what area are you in if you don't mind telling. Thanks!!

jspargo · January 2011

I'm in LA (South Bay). My independent repair guy whio advised me on this said the deal I ended up with (estimated $2100 share of a $6000 job, turned out I paid $1700) was probably a good deal. He said in the distant past, they would have just done the job as a warranty job for customer relations, but then Honda went through a period when they wouldn't give any breaks at all. Now they've loosened up a bit and its a case by case decision.

His advice to me was to call the dealer and let them know that I understood they weren't obligated to anything, but ask whether there was some sort of accomodation possible, indicating that I was willing to share a reasonable portion of the expense. Don't be confrontational and don't demand a given split. It doens't hurt to let them know that you might be thinking about a new car sometime soon. His advice worked out for me (IMHO).

mmtong · January 2011

Thanks for the info. Too bad I had already agreed to dealer's quote $2,400 ($2,500 w/ tax) before getting your reply. Like you said, it's 'case by case' and I couldn't argue or complaint, so say I'm not as lucky as you. Felt being lucky to get some 'break' but at the same time.....felt unlucky getting this 'defective' model. Just hope our transmission is going to last for a LONG time.

cody35 · January 2011

I dropped my 2007 TL off (43K iles) yesterday for service and mentioned the same problem...slight vibration and sluggish at 20mph+ when accelerating. When I described the problem to the Asst. Service Mgr. she looked concerned and said she was going to check it right away.

They are putting in a new transmission on Friday. Sounds like a common problem. Some of the posts I have seen on these types of boards said that the transmission problem has been fixed in 05 and newer TLs. Not the case with mine. I also have a 2003 with 140,000 miles. No problems with that. Love both cars.

killa2000 · January 2011

Hi I wanted to know if you had to pay for it, because I have the 04 model and I think that the transmission issue was a recall for my year. Is it possible to ask since your car is at the dealer.

cdfwife · February 2011

I am having the same issue with my 2008 TL. Taking it in Monday under warranty. My gut feeling is the transmission. I'll post after I get the scoop. Many years ago I was able to get Honda to pay for an out-of-warranty transmission failure by calling the corporate office. They paid for it because they had a massive failure with the product. Crossing my fingers.

aclover · February 2011

Wow!! That is certainly what I did not want to hear, my 99 has been having problems for close to a year now but only when the temperature drops below 50 dgress, during the summer the car runs like a dream. I have had to replace the tranny once under warranty and now can get no help from Acura( I currently have 153k miles). The TCS light stays on until the car warms up and then will go out and the car runs normally. Is this indicative of a transmission problem or a computer problem which I have been told is a possibility?

calnew · February 2011

I have a 2007 Acura TL s type .59,800 miles. Owned it for 4 months and very disappointed. Major issue is with transmission
The transmission approaches its first shift point (from 1 to 2) at 1500-1750rpm, 2nd gear is engaged with a jerk and the car feels as if it lurched forward. Noticeable more when accelerating slowly, frequent shifting between 1st and 2nd gear becomes a When the car is decelerating and transmission downshifts from a higher gear into 2nd a similar event occurs, there is slight jerk.

I also noticed that regardless of outside temperature or whether transmission is warmed up, when picking up speed or at moderate highway speed, 3rd (and sometimes 4th) gear is engaged with a sensation of pull and shift is always noticeable, occasionally there is a jerk as if some kind of mechanical friction prevented normal operation. On occasion when accelerating between city blocks through gears 1,2 and 3 with approximately 40-45mph and then decelerating - transmission would downshift with a jerk. Given the age and mileage of the vehicle, I would expect the transmission to operate seamlessly
I have taken this car to the dealer 3 times.
1st time they flushed the transmission. (220.00)
2nd time they changed EGR valve and cleaned out system think this had something to do with hesitation.(350.00)
3rd time they just wanted me to go way

The problem is still there. At this point my dealer says they cant find anything wrong with car. Its very frustrating

Any ideas ???????

I will be out of warranty in 10,000 miles

tigger17 · April 2011

Acura should have to fix the tranny problem instead of denying it exists and what about the windshield it streaks wipers in the rain make it worse and they have scratched my windshield
the electrical problem is really the mind boggler you have a computerized car with an electrical problem mine needs to be reset because of this

cdfwife · June 2011

My 08 TL had a major transmission shudder at light throttle/ low rpms, between 1200-1700, which was getting progressively worse. After taking it to Acura 3 times, it was finally resolved. On the first 2 visits they kept telling me the car was fine. On the 3rd visit I kindly put my foot down and pled my case with all my Edmund's info. I told them it would be much easier on them if they just listened to me.

Luckily, this was resolved, and all is well. The problem turned out to be the torque converter. They ordered and replaced it. Dealer had to consult Acura to completely diagnose. My experience has been that I have to play hardball to get them to listen to me. But it's all good now.

08 TL w/ Nav 41k miles.

kingfox · July 2011

My Acura is currently in shop to have transmission replaced. I have complained at my last 4 scheduled maintenances that something was wrong - surging on hills, rough shifting (automatic), etc. They never found anything wrong. When I took it in and they told me new trans. needed, I told them I had never had a recall notice. They said I didn't get one because they had installed "an oil squirter to lube the part that was causing problems - it didn't work"
They also told me how each of them had had to replace their transmissions, one 3 times. This is not right. However, it sounds like there is no recourse - any ideas?

dece207 · September 2011

Did you ever resolve this matter? I know it's an old post but just curious.

calnew · September 2011

Never got it resolved. Tried everything, just think it's a bad trans design.

chicagoguy24 · September 2011

This is the same issue i'm having with my car, I love the car, I just purchased an 2007 TL, took it to the dealer, its like when i'm in the city driving in stop and go traffic it does the jerking. The dealership said they couldn't replicate the problem. Its so funny you said ur car has almost 60k on it, My car has 61k on it, the service manager said just drive it, if it continues to do it, just bring the car back it has a warranty up until 100k. That did give me some relief, but the jerking is kinda irritating.

Did u ever get some assistance with ur car. I'm thinking i'll get the tranny flushed next.

dece207 · September 2011

Yes. Actually I'm dropping it off tomorrow (thurs) a.m. and Acura is replacing transmission. Tech took car home to his house overnight and back next morn with computer hooked up and it produced what they call a "snapshot" of problem. Once he had this it was no problem pushing warranty claim through. Mine slipped twice and was shuddering 25-45 mph. We have two 08's we bought on same day in July plus an MDX we bought 16 months ago new. They love us down there. TL's are certified with extended Acura warranties. Good luck. Let me know what's up. What about trans switches?

tllowmileage · October 2011

My 2000TL appears to be showing transmission problems for the first time in the 11 years I have owned it. It has had several recent incidents of "revving" without accelerating while in gear on the highway or while merging. The car also vibrates and shimmies badly when I brake at any speed over 30,000, which I was thinking was a brake issue, but after reading some blogs, wonder if it is related. The car has low mileage-- 62,000. I am bringing it in early next week, but now I wonder if it is best to try to salvage what I can in trade rather than replace the transmission. It sounds like Acura will refuse to carry any cost given the model year. I would appreciate any thoughts you all have, or references to resources.

drewztl · November 2011

Having the same problem like yours. Love my TL, but I now wish they came in a manual transmission. It's now in the shop. Just makes me want to just sell it after it gets fixed.

czr · June 2012

I have a 2008 TL AT and had some hard shifting at 40k miles with some clunking between some gears, Reverse to Drive, some 2-3, 3-4 lurching and hard shifting. Complained at the dealer and they recommended a AT fluid change which I was hesitant to do because its recommended to change it in the owners manual at 60k miles and the maintenance minder did not go off and the dealer wanted to charge me $250 for something that may not fix the problem. I lived with the problem and complained again at a different visit and again nothing. Closer to 60k miles, I decided to spend the money and buy Redline AT fluid that meets Honda fluid which is considerably more expensive per quart but had good experience with the brand for my other car easing shifting problems. Changed out the fluid but the problem came back within 2k miles. Went back to the dealer and complained and they just told me that they are putting in a new transmission. Not sure if its any better but hopefully this one doesnt break. I love the car otherwise and am happy they decided on a doing the right thing with this remedy but Im concerned about the long-term quality. Ill see how this one goes and report back.

cshellsic · June 2012

I have an automatic 2005 TL with 137K. Never had transmission problems. and changed the timing belt at 100K. Today I am driving local and it has trouble shifting into 3rd - it takes a long time. After the the next stop sign same thing. This has NEVER happened before. I call to my dealer and tell them my issue I drive over there right away. They tell me me 3rd gear is fried. They give me a loaner and call me a few hours later and tell me Acura will pick up 75% of the bill but I will still be responsible for about $1300. They are giving me a factory rebuilt tranny. Now I know nothing about car just that I love driving my TL and that it has been great to me til now.

-Should ALL the work be covered? It isn't a 2004 with the tranny recall. But I do not recall my warranty that is now in the black book in my car in their Acura parking lot.

What coverage/warranty should I expect they will give me on the rebuilt?

Should I ask about the torque converter? Not sure what it is but it was spoken about in an earlier post.

Thanks for any help.

trisheeey · June 2012

I just found out my 01 TL transmission is failing and it's too far gone to do anything about it. I recently noticed that I could tell that the car was shifting. I have almost 141K miles on it and unfortunately, thought my mechanic was checking the auto transmission fluid with my regular oil changes. I also had some major engine work (cam seals, crank seals and spark plugs) completed in Feb 2012 @ 136,800 miles. I certainly thought they were checking. Now the fluid is dark and I've been told by both the mechanic and I confirmed with the dealer that there's nothing that can be done. Flushing the system will apparently cause more problems. It's really disappointing because other than this major issue, the car has been well cared for mechanically and is in excellent interior and exterior condition.

My question is, does anyone have experience with a failing transmission? I couldn't get a straight answer (and maybe there isn't one) as to how long I have to buy a new car. As I mentioned, I can feel the car shifting but it's not very noticeable. Will the problem continue to deteriorate or will it just stop?

Thanks for any help and advice.

dece207 · June 2012

What do you mean by "feeling the car shifting"? It's normal to feel it shift. Is it a rough abrupt shift or long delayed shift? Could be tough for anyone based on the information to give you a timeframe for when it may fail. Sometimes you can limp along on these things for a while.

ralph69 · October 2012

I have what seemed like a mint condition 2003 Acura TLS, until my tranny gave out. Great! only $2000 for a rebuilt. Could be worse I guess. I'm going to continue to enjoy the car afterwards, I hope. Maybe the "check engine " light is just screwing with me, eh? naaaa, I think not. But in passing, to me the trans was shifting just fine and strong. Oh well.

mike824 · October 2013

Have developed strange brief "whining" sound on shift from 1st to 2nd in 04 TL. Tends to occur only after sitting for few hours (cold). Shifts smooth however and no jerking or lag.
My mechanic does not think it is tranny problem (?).

tkm215 · December 2013

I am having the same problem with my 2005 TL. I have been arguing with Acura about this for days, explaining that I bought an Acura with the expectation of a quality car and a manufacturer that stands by its products. My transmission is fried at 130K and they refuse to acknowledge the known transmission issue and provide any coverage for me. Now I'm expected to pay $4000 that I don't have for a new transmission. I cited your case and all they say is that they can't trust what people write on the internet. Is there any way you could help me by providing some details of your case, such as VIN and date it happened? I would be so grateful to you if you could help. My private email is tkm215@tkm215@gmail.com Thanks so much for any help you could offer.

Sincerely,
Tim

Acura TL Transmission Questions

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