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Acura MDX Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • efrosterefroster Member Posts: 2
    How did you present your case to Acura to have them pay for transmission replacement? I have the same problem on my 2001 MDX at 108K mile. I like to have Acura to pay for the replacement as well. thanks.
  • yeah88yeah88 Member Posts: 1
    eforster, were you able to contact the Acura Client Service about your MDX transmission issue? Their # is 1-800-382-2238, give them your VIN#...and tell them the problem, most likely you will need to bring to car to the Acura Dealership for diagnostic..but should ask to open a good will case for you. Let us know how it goes.
  • EandOHEandOH Member Posts: 24
    Just had my torque converter replaced. Under slow acceleration, car was making a low pitched whining noise right at 35 MPH. MDX is an '05 with only 34,200 miles. I'm very surprised that it needed to be replaced with such low mileage. It was covered under warranty. Just wanted to make others aware of this potential problem.
  • tpulaktpulak Member Posts: 44
    Yeah, I am seeing a lot of people having these problems. But it seems to be happening not to everyone. I have a 2004 MDX, with 70k miles, and it doesn't seem to have any of the tranny problems.....

    For all the people out there, who have these tranny problems, don't think that Honda/Acura is irreliable. I know that these problems might seem disturbing, but this is merely a small bruise into Honda's excellent reputation. They have recalled this problem, so it is not unknown. It is just like toyota, when it had the engine oil sludge problem, it affected all cars with that same engine layout. But it is still considered to be reliable.

    EandOH,

    I am glad they replaced your transmission, like they are supposed to. Don't think of this problem as anything really bad against the Honda Company. I know the transmission problems might be discouraging, but every company has its faults.
  • dusty1959dusty1959 Member Posts: 11
    Ok here goes... we have a 2002 MDX that has had a rebuilt tranny installed March 2008 with 110,000 miles (or so). The reason why we took it in was bec the diff was leaking. We had ALL the ATF fld chgs done at dealer. I remember one other time we took it in the fld was down about 1 qt. But, being the faithful Honda owners that we are we chose to just take a "wait and see" approach. We bought the car at 60,000 and I had another Honda/Acura specialist (my sister runs the shop!) do the 60k service. I thought that maybe the tech who did the svc didn't fill the atf up all the way.

    I used to manage a Honda/Acura shop with the same co that my sis still works with for 10 yrs. So I am NO dummy when it comes to cars! Suffice it to say that I know more than my husband does about cars. When I worked as a manager/svc mgr I gained a whole new respect for the industry and KNOW that you can't just be a dumb redneck and work on today's complicated cars!

    No problems with the tranny until the weather got REALLY cold here in NC right before Christmas 2008 - 16 degrees. My husband noticed that car felt like it was in N after pulling away from a stopsign and barely going 30-40 ft. Took it into the dealer and they found that it was 1 qt low. They put dye in the system and we brought it back a week later to have it rechecked. They could not find a problem. (Are you surprised???)

    Since then, he has had a few times where it did the same thing, with the hesitation - only in cold weather (under 30 degrees).

    So last Sat 1/31/09, at 26,000 mi I told hubby that I felt we needed to get the ATF chgd (bec I am a FREAK about keeping the flds clean). I do the ATF every 15k on my 2002 Honda Accord.

    He said that on the way to the dealer on 1/31 the tranny hesitated again. Of course, they didn't find anything.

    I had to FIGHT to get the warranty on paper and even called Acura HQ and have a case#.

    The dealer tried to act clueless.

    At first, the dealer tried to tell me that we did NOT have a warranty. He read the notes and said that it stated R&R tranny to repl the rear main seal. I told him that I REQUESTED the rear main seal be repl while they had the tranny out bec you HAVE to take the tranny out to repl the seal anyway!

    Acura mgr said "OH!! I think we can make that fly. That way you WILL be cov under the warranty."

    I tell you... if I had been some dummy walking in off the street they would have just ripped me a new one!! I MADE the mgr create a dummy work order stating that we would be cov under the 36,000mi/3 yr warranty.

    I also stated that there are only 3 reasons WHY the ATF would be low:
    1. There was a leak (dye showed none)
    2. Their tech did not fill it up all the way when the tranny was replaced
    3. It is burning it.

    Well, this week (on Wed 2/4/09) hubby said that the hestitation happened again in the same manner but this time he told me that the D5 light was blinking. I just about FREAKED! I told him THAT was important to note.

    I talked with sis and she said that in order to ck the light it MUST be ckd before the car is turned off. Well, I didn't know that until it was too late.

    Instead, I decided to go to my local AutoZone in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, there would be a code stored. NOPE!

    Note: It was 35 degrees this morning.

    On my way up to AuoZone I drove the car and tried to duplicate the hesitation problem. Nothing. However, when I got on the highway I noticed that the rpms were ONLY 1700 at 65 mph. Then at 55mph the rpms were 1500.

    I know that is WAY too low!! I drove my son's 95 Accord today to compare and at 65mph the rpms were about 2600. My 02 Accord is the same.

    Any suggestions here?

    I read some of the other posts and think that it MAY be the ATF temp sensor or possibly the torque converter (that was supposedly replaced in March 2008).

    Hubby has a friend who used to work at the Acura dealership as a tech (he now works at Lexus) so if that is something that is simple to try, maybe we should try that first. Anybody know the cost of the sensor? I read in a post here that it's a 15-30 min job (for someone who knows what they are doing).

    Needless to say, the MDX is at the dealer right now awaiting a Monday morning diagnosis.

    I am anxious to hear what they have to say.... we still have about $10,000 on the warranty. (hubby drives a lot)

    Any comments? Suggestions?
  • jkotlarjkotlar Member Posts: 15
    Dusty1959:

    I have an 05 MDX and drive the highway at 65mph (yes, I go the speed limit) almost every day. 1700 rpms is normal, at least for my MDX. In fact, I don't think my rpms are ever much higher than 2000 unless I am accelerating. Is your Accord a 4 cylinder? My 4 cylinder rice burner is at about 3000 (maybe a tad less) at 65 mph.

    Hope this helps! ;)
  • dusty1959dusty1959 Member Posts: 11
    I just found out today that I was dead WRONG about the rpms and boy am I embarrassed! I'm glad that part is dead on. Now we just have to wait for cold weather to get the hesitation from 2nd to 3rd gear (going 30-40mph) to reproduce.
    Thanks for the comment.
  • tpulaktpulak Member Posts: 44
    Yes....your rpm's match similarly to what my 2004 MDX gets....like around 1,700 to 1,800(traveling at 60 mph).....and 2,000-4,000 max during acceleration.....
  • dusty1959dusty1959 Member Posts: 11
    I did just speak with a former Honda/Acura service advisor and he said that the hesitation when it's super cold outside (under 30 degrees) is most likely that the transmission may be failing.

    We took it back 23,000 miles after the reman replacement and were told at that time that the fluid was about 1 qt low. My svc advisor friend said that since the transmission is a closed system, there is NO way for the fluid to burn. And since the dealer did not detect any leaks with the dye, the only conclusion we can come up with is that the ATF was not filled all the way. My friend said that if the MDX had the updated trans cooler line installed then the system would actually take MORE than normal ATF to completely fill the system. That makes sense.

    We have about 10,000 left on the warranty of the reman. I pray that we don't have any more problems. But my svc advisor friend told me that more than likely bec the car was run when it was low on ATF we would most likely need another trans.
    He said that the MDX trans tends to "act up" in extreme temps - either really hot or really cold.

    I guess we will see... thanks for the input.
  • joneyejoneye Member Posts: 1
    Well, here's another story. 2002 MDX base with tranny problem at 44,000 miles a few years ago. Acura dealer first had "no idea" of the problem then offered through Acura home office to repair at no cost to us as good will. Now at 98,000, a slightly different issue has arisen: drive gear selector light flasshing, engine light is on, and when warm, VTM-4 lock-in light goes on. Would you believe the hard down-shift is probably the car attempting to shift back into VTM-4 lock at 30 +/- mph. Dealer calls Acura and they offer to pay HALF, or $2,000 even though they have not been able to diagnose the problem. Amazing, I drop down $2 grand because I trust that the unit cannot be repaired, or that the issue might involve a $100 sensor problem.
    I have no clue yet what my choices are, if any.
  • lislis Member Posts: 2
    Update to my story from January 2009, where I initially wrote:

    My MDX has 95,000 miles on it and has the extended warranty to 100,000 miles. Three times in the last two weeks I've started the car in the morning and when it shifts to 2nd gear (going up a slight grade) it's like I put the car in neutral - no pwer but the rpms go way up. Twice it's caught and been fine, yesterday it didn't catch and I shifted down from drive to lowest gear before it would engage.

    When I took it in, they say they can't replicate the problem so can't turn it in as a transmission problem as they don't think there is one. They will charge me $120 every time I bring it in but they can't find anything wrong with it - so I guess I won't be bringing it in every week like I'm tempted to. Any suggestions on how to get this to replicate so I can get it fixed


    Also, something I didn't mention before, the torque converter had been replaced at 76,000 miles. This time, at 95,000 miles they told me it was an imput sensor and replaced that. Shifting is still rough, but it doesn't slip like before. However, at 98,600 miles all the lights came on again - AB, VSA, VMT-4, brake, etc. When I took it in, they said that it was due to a bad cell in the battery and recommended that I have my transmission flushed as the fluid looked "burned". I said that was odd since they'd replaced the fluid when they'd replaced the torque converter, and just changed the transmission fluid at 93,550 miles and that I was taking it to an independent dealer to have them look at the fluid and transmission. They then agreed to contact the Acura care and see if they could get them to agree to replace the tranmission. Today they said that they would replace the transmission under the 100,000 mile warranty.
  • jyao888jyao888 Member Posts: 32
    Hi thebouncer1,
    Have you find out the jerky issue response from your dealership/
    I had experiencing the same issue since I get my brand new car.
    I am not familar w/ sport seadan concept but feel like you mentioned that someone s on brake and the speed suddenly reduced. It's really bother me all the times druing the low speed. I don't think we should keep step on accelerator to waste more gasoline, right?
  • jyao888jyao888 Member Posts: 32
    Hi thebouncer1,
    I did bring in my 09MDX for technician to test drive regarding the transmission issue you have and I experience the same at first 4-500mi when I got my car.
    This "jerk" issue had been less and less. I had 1300mi now and feel the transmission change gear when I slow down and speed up. Tenician siad it's normal. The harder you step the accelerator the transmission take more time to shift gear. The soft you step the quicker gear changes. It's the way to design to protect engine for damages due to suddenly speed changes. I am very gentle driver and not sure about this concept.
  • orange5orange5 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 Acura MDX that has about 97,000 on it. I have kept it up to date on its services, oil changes, etc...About two months ago, I started noticing at different speeds my car felt like it shifted into neutral and would take a couple of seconds to let me accelerate again. It only happened every once in a while. About a couple of weeks ago it became more frequent and it developed a funny noise. I brought it to my mechanic who said that the transmission was failing and I would need another. Before sinking another $3,000 I started looking at other cars very disappointed that I car I bought because I was told it would last forever needed a new transmission. As I went searching, I met other customers with 2002 Acura MDX's with similar problems. I called the dealership asking if they knew of this and they said they couldn't help me because I hadn't serviced my car there for a couple of years. I told them that I had still been servicing my car but at my mechanics because I was not happy with their service. I started wondering if this was a problem and found out by taking my MDX to the dealer that some of the 2002 MDX's had problems with the torque converter. Needless to say, mine was one of them and it need a new torque that would cost me over $2,000. The dealer told me my warranty was up and I would have to pay for it. I then called Acura back who said I should ask my dealer to contact the district manager to see if they will replace it on goodwill. I called the dealer who was not happy and said that I need to bring them all my receipts from the mechanic and then they would submit it to the warranty manager. Acura told me if they will not help me then they will assign me a case manager to investigate. My question to Acura was how do I know there are no other defects once I fix this problem. Why was there no recall? Why do I have to pay for something that was a know defect? I also found out the TL's had a class action law suit which caused Acura to extend warranties. Any suggestions on how I should proceed?
  • rcross1rcross1 Member Posts: 1
    I had problems with my 04 MDX Transmission. On the way back from a road trip from TN, the transmission went in Roanoke VA. Mind you, I live in NJ. Granted, my MDX had 153000 miles on but I service the transmission three times since I purchased at 62000 miles ( so that's 90000 miles I had it with three transmission service done by Acura).

    I did contact Acura Care and all they said is that my Warranty has ended. I sent it to Duncan Acura in Roanoke for them to check it out and see if I qualified for a "Good Will" Repair... they cam back with something about Acura is willing to supply a transmission and pay 1%(?????) Not sure what that meant but all in all, I am $3500 less in my bank account.

    Just wanted to let everyone know that get rid of your 04 MDX before you hit 153000. I have a couple of more payments myself and I will be venturing over to Lexus or Infiniti after its paid off.

    I really don't think my transmission should have went so quickly, especially when I took care of it....And I have a 05 TL and a 90 Legend...check this,,no issues with my 90 Legend at all, runs like a champ with 97000 miles on it...
  • mos6mos6 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 MDX as well with 115k on it and have the exact same issue you are describing in your positng. I also took it to my mechanic who said I should contact the dealer and let them know I was not happy with a $40K car that needed a transmission at 100K. Was there any resolution with the case manager in your situation? Taking mine into the dealer tomorrow to see what they say. Any new advice to pass on?

    Thanks
  • signguy2signguy2 Member Posts: 7
    Yes, the dealers are well aware of this problem. they were willing to repair
    the trans. for $1000.00, its a $3800. job here in new york, so I had it repaired
    from what I've read on the net, that's the going rate for this repair, I can't afford
    to replace the vehicle so I had it repaired, I had 90,000 miles on it at the time and now have 98,000 its been 10 months now and no problems,
    remember to get in writing the three year warranty which is mostly what you'll be paying for.
    Best of Luck Bob
  • chicagoechicagoe Member Posts: 2
    I hear ya. I have a 2001 MDX and I had a similar problem @ 65K. I took it in and they were going to see what "codes" it was giving off. They didn't see any codes in the system but did notice that my trans needed a flush/service. So, I did it and thought I was on my way. Well, for the past 2 mos I have been in traffic and it "slips" loses "grip" and I wait for the R's to come down and then goose it to make it catch. Sometinmes it does and it'll HIT real hard and off we go...but more often lately...it won't catch and I'll wait for the R's to come down and shift down a gear and we're good to go. Nevertheless, I explained it to them and they've had it since Saturday. (It currently has 75K)
    Acura called me today and said that it's giving code P1740 (it relates to a "pressure switch" and 4th gear). Also, my two motor mounts (front & right) are cracked. They cannot replicate the slippage and there are no codes to verify anything. Nevertheless they obviously reccomed a new trans and new motor mounts. They want $5,200 ($4,560 p/l for trans and $690 p/l for motor mounts + tax)! I then read these posts and are PO'd. I am going to ask the service manager to hear my case and pass my concerns to the district field representative.
    Finally, I decided to "shop" the job with another Acura within the area and they're quoting me $3,979 ($3,654 p/l trans and $325 p/l motor mounts). So, it may be worth shopping the job around.
    Thanks!
    ChicagoE
  • mohotravelermohotraveler Member Posts: 1
    Just purchased a used 2001 MDX with 180,000 miles. The car was a one owner car which we purchased from a dealer. The car is in very good condition with a very clean interior and the engine is very smooth. We noticed after we brought the car home that there is a whine that sounds like the transmission. We took the car back to the dealer the next day and asked that they check it out. They said that it is normal for a car with that many miles and said nothing about transmission problems with the 2001 - 2002 year MDX's. I know that we should have done our homework a little better but after the fact we really like the car and want the problem resolved. Could this be a recall issue that was never fixed?
  • mos6mos6 Member Posts: 2
    So here is how my 2002 MDX transmission issue resovled itself. Took it into the dealer and sure enough they confirmed that I had to have tranmission replaced. As a reminder I have 115K miles on it and have kept it serviced on schedule. My mechanic that I went to (not dealer) confirmed that it was a transmission and that I should go back to the dealer and let them know that a $40k car should not need a transmission at 100K. Having done a little investigatin I came across this board and read that the 2001 and 2002 MDX's had transmission issues. Knowing that, I went into the dealer and described my situation. I then asked the service consultant if the 2002 had transmission issues Reluctantly she confirmed that there had been an issue. She said she would see what the issue was and if it was the transmission she would call Honda USA and see what they would do. Sure enough I got a call and she confirmed a transmission. She mentioned the cost would be $4800 l/p and 36 mnth/36,000 mile warranty on the part. Honda agreed to split the cost with me. Still out a substantial amount but not as bad as could have been. Having a little bit of information and letting the service consultant know I was aware of the issue I beleive helped. Squeaky wheel gets the grease I guess. Good luck
  • pejppejp Member Posts: 2
    Bought '09 MDX two weeks ago. On way home from dealership with only 11 miles on odometer, went gently over speed tables through my neighborhood and heard and felt a grinding sound after going over table and as I started to accelerate at about 25 mph. Only happens on some, and only on speed tables (not humps or bumps). Also, the yellow exclamation dash light flashes on when this happens, but does not stay on. Dealership says this is not a problem. Could not reproduce sound with technician in car with me since at that time I did not realize it was speed tables only and we tried speed bumps. It is loud enough for any passenger in the car to say "what was that?" I don't think I should have to live with "what was that?"given that I can't even leave my neighborhood without going over a few of these tables. After reading the posts, I am afraid I am in for a long fight, but maybe I will get more attention with a car that now has just 300 miles on it!
  • jyao888jyao888 Member Posts: 32
    I am still feeling the issue of "jerk" a few people discussed.
    I have 1900 mi on my 09 MDX and still have this issue today.
    It is the feeling the speed suddenly reduced like someone step the brake when your foot off the gas paddle. Anyone have this experience? Tecnican can't dupicate it when I bring back to check last month.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Also, the yellow exclamation dash light flashes on when this happens, but does not stay on.

    I think that is to be expected. The (upside down) exclamation indicates a problem with tire pressure. A speed table will cause rapid compression and decompression of the air in the tires depending on how fast you approach the table and thay may trigger the tire pressure monitor.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • roblawroblaw Member Posts: 17
    From what you describe it also sounds like you are seeing your traction control work, which is normal. Often times when you go over a hump at any speed the tires will temporarily lose contact with the road. The traction control does its job and the light will go on. If this is the only place it happens (maybe on very rough roads as well?), this may be the normal functioning of the traction control.
  • chicagoechicagoe Member Posts: 2
    Gotcha Hoss! Good job. I did the same. I took the info I had and explained it to the service manager. I also asked if he could get Acura USA involved and he actually offered it to me before it could get off of my tongue. He called me back within a few hours and agreed to split it 50/50! Not a bad deal. Yeah, it's still $2,500 + tax (and that's nuthin to sneeze at) but it's definitely better than 5G's! Nevertheless, I believe that if you present your case in a civilized manner and have a bit of a track record with a particular dealer...you may get some consideration and assistance. I've always owned Acura's and intend on always doing so...kinda biased but it is what it is. Good luck everyone!
    ChicagoE
  • pejppejp Member Posts: 2
    I was finally able to reproduce the sound today for an Acura technician over a speed table. He had predicted it was the ABS and when he heard it, he immediately said that is what it is. The wheel speeds are not in synch at that point causing the ABS to be briefly activated due to the overly sensitive sensors - ("overly" being my addition here) The upside down exclamation dash light is simply being activated that it is working but is not staying lit to say there is a problem. Perhaps I am too trusting, but I had a very good feel about it after spending 10 minutes with the technician who gave me the brief history of trans probs in the MDXs and a few other issues that he sees more frequently. Time will tell of course, but for now I am satisfied with the ABS explanation.
  • rehan1rehan1 Member Posts: 1
    signguy2,

    Would you please tell me what dealership you went to for the repair?
    does anyone has similar experience in New Jersey and can recommend a dealership?
    Thanks much
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You might find some recommendations if you click the Local Services tab at the top right too.
  • madmommy3madmommy3 Member Posts: 28
    Our 2001 had only 75K miles on it. serviced regularly (through our mechanic not Acura). We found out when it went out about all of the problems. We had it towed to the dealer in hopes of having them help in good faith (out of warranty) and told them how aware we were of all of the issues. They acknowledged the problems. It took almost one week for them to make us an offer: $3500 to replace it....saying it was really a $4800 job but out of good faith we would get 25% paid for. Any tranny shop around can do the same job for $3500. Acura said they had to replace the ECU (the brains), that they do it on all tranny jobs regardless. Our mechanic said that since this is a mechanical and not electrical failure, they didnt' see the need. We went to pick up a loaner (the car won't run so we were stuck) and they had the nerve to tell us if we wanted the tranny sealed, it would be another $175, otherwise the tranny would leak all over the place in about 3 months. I couldn't believe my ears. I am in the process of pulling together alot of info on this and writing acura. we also own our 2nd Odessey (ate dirt with the run flat tires on the first touring) and all in all have owned 4 Honda/Acura products. We are so disgusted by this that we will probably never buy another Honda product again. The dealership did very little to help us and we tried being nice, regular, begging, etc. I don't know what else to do except eat the fix, hope it stays for another year or 2 and then try and ditch the car. and write lots of letters. The also told me "we would be looked badly upon because we didn't service it at an Acura dealer". What? Can someone shed some light here?
  • signguy2signguy2 Member Posts: 7
    Don't let them get away with it. My Dealer on Long Island paid 75% and we paid 25%.
    That seems to be the way most dealers work the repair. Good Luck
  • madmommy3madmommy3 Member Posts: 28
    so they were going to stick it to us. when we went to get the loaner they had the nerve to tell us that in addition to the fix, they would charge another $175 to seal the rear something or other so the transmission woudln't leak. they also said they always replace the ECU (the brains) even if there is nothing wrong with that component...oh and the fix is $800 of the total. I called a local reputable tranny shop and we are getting it fixed for $2400. I had my car towed on Friday afternoon and told Acura they were a ripoff. I still intend to write letters and I won't walk into another Acura dealer again. And I will happily rate the dealership on line. What an exercise in frustration. The dealership really didn't care or they wouldn't have done that last maneouver of the $175.
  • jroadsin818jroadsin818 Member Posts: 7
    It's typical of other dealerships I've dealt with, certainly not specific to Acura. But for their prices, you'd hope they would try harder than some of the cheaper brands out there.
  • acuramdx02acuramdx02 Member Posts: 1
    Can you please tell what acura dealership you went to?
  • madmommy3madmommy3 Member Posts: 28
    it was in north central texas, why do you ask? i am trying to get another acura dealership to fix my warrantied SRS sensor (I have the letter) and they won't return any of my calls. called twice. I am a bit put out with all of them.
  • kobbekobbe Member Posts: 4
    Hi all. I own a 2006 acura mdx with funny sounds coming from drivetrain area. If u decelerate to 30-40 mph, then slightly accelerate, there is a vibrating/shuttering sound followed by a clunking sound as attempts to shift gears.

    Local dealer says it needs a new torque converter and an updated pcm module, total bill $2,500. Problem is... with 75,000 miles, the car is just out of the warranty period, so dealer says the repair bill is all my responsibility. Car has never been used for towing,etc. All normal maintenance done by me, with my own notes in manual. Transmission fluid has never been changed.

    Called Acura (national) with an appeal for assistance. Still waiting to hear their decision as to if/how much they would be willing to assist me with.

    Really curious, Is there anyone else out there with 2006 mdx with similar problems or experiences to share?? Thanks much, kobbe.
  • orange5orange5 Member Posts: 2
    I wrote back in the summer about problems I was having with my Acura MDX 2002. Acura finally agreed to share the cost of replacing the torque converter. I had all the work done including a seven year check up. About a month after I had it back from the dealer it started doing the same thing again. What is happening is from time to time when I am driving (it is not speed dependent) the car shifts itself into neutral and then shifts out. There is no rhyme or reason to it, it just happens and I never know when it will. I have taken it back to the dealer three times now and they can't get it to repeat or come up with a signal on their monitors for the transmission. Then about a week and a half ago I was driving when all of a sudden my radio went dead and lights on my dashboard came on. This happened about 4 times like a power surge and then it stopped. I had the battery checked and everything checked out fine. The dealer took the car for a few days and had the mechanic drive it home every day to see if it would repeat itself. Of course it never did. However, I drive at least 40 miles a day and they only put on about 10 each day. They gave it back to me and basically said oh well! Then, my SRS light came on. They now have the car because my seat belt and front air bags went. I am at my wits end! I don't feel safe driving the car with my kids in it but no one can figure out the problem. I feel like I need a camera in my car to prove that I my speedometer could be at 35 and my rpm's are at 6! Any one with similar experience? I can't really afford a new car but feel that I need one for the safety issue. I would love any suggestions. Thanks.
  • lynslawlynslaw Member Posts: 2
    NHTSA can initiate a recall of the 2003 MDX based on numerous consumer complaints. I just checked the NHTSA complaint list and only 14 of us filed complaints!! Yet, there are hundreds of blog comments complaining about the transmission. This does not make sense!! If we are serious about getting this vehicle recalled SO WE EITHER DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OR IF WE PAID FOR THE REPAIR, GET OUR MONEY BACK,then we need to follow the instructions provided by NHTSA in the following link, which explains the recall process:

    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallprocess.cfm

    or call the NHTSA toll-free number to make a REAL complaint!

    ONLINE: Select the "Begin Form" button to the right.
    BY PHONE: Call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at
    (888) 327-4236 , TTY: (800) 424-9153.
  • upstatedocupstatedoc Member Posts: 710
    " Transmission fluid has never been changed. "

    Huh? At 75,000 miles it should have been changed at least once, I had our '04 changed @ 50,000 because I have been so paranoid that something was going to happen to the tranny.
  • kobbekobbe Member Posts: 4
    yeah, I know upstatedoc, my bad....bad kobbe. I've done my own maintenance for many, many years and been sorta ignoring the trannys, at least up until recent years when I started driving acuras and hearing/reading about tranny problems with them. The 2003 I owned (before I bought current 2006) that my daughter now drives has 120,000 miles, still going strong, also never changed atf. Maybe just lucky on that one, huh?

    Interesting the differences out there re changing atf....Crysler minivan manual calls for atf change at 120,000 miles (normal driving conditions). Neighbor's BMW manual calls for atf change every 100,000. Believe GM also 100,000 miles. Yet acura says at 45,000, then every 30,000 after that. Go figure???

    Reading over past threads in this forum re those with mdx owners with tranny problems, doesn't seem to make a difference whether maintenance schedule has been followed religiously or not. I'd be interested in hearing from others on this issue. Along same lines, do tranny problems develop only on cars driven hard/trailering etc. or on those babied as well???
  • gugy68gugy68 Member Posts: 6
    Hi,
    I think I am the latest victim of this transmission issue with Acura. My 2003 MDX has 88k miles and I took today to the dealer and they said I need a new transmission and they offer to charge me $3600 for it as being "nice". They said they would charge me only the cost of it I had repair warranty. I have to say that now learning this issue is so common they looked and sounded awfully suspicious to me.
    I read several posts here but I am still confused. Is there a possibility to have this repaired for free or at least much cheaper than $3,600 because of the several transmission issues with this car? My warranty expired at 50k, so I no longer have it.
    Is any good contacting Acura North America? Would they be any help?
    How some of you approach the dealers regarding this?
    My dealer is Kearny Mesa Acura in San Diego.
    I appreciate with any of you can give me any guidance on this headache. Thank you very much!
  • madmommy3madmommy3 Member Posts: 28
    Gugy68, good luck. We ended up going to a local tranny shop and changing it for $2500 for 3 year/3K warranty. when they opened it up, there was metal or something in the radiator so that needed to go as well for another $350. They tried and tried flushing to no avail.
    The dealership knows all about it and yet they smile and deny. But, the fact that they made a good will offer shows the issue is clear. Let me save you some frustration. First, we declined Acura's "offer" to fix at an inflated price. They put on the paperwork "customer declined goodwill offer" to cover themselves. And, they did not put in our paperwork for a customer service survery afterwards like all dealership do. I had to fix the SRS sensor the next week and took it to a 2nd dealer. i told them they needed to fix it and not report other "issues" they somehow stumbled upon while fixing the SRS. The service manager called and i explained the entire issue with the other dealership and tranny. She said I was mishandled and told me to file a complaint with Acura in CA. Acura in CA said that it was a dealership issue since they are owned and operation independently of Acura. She said she would not my complaints in a file/complaint to the dealerhsip and that (after much prodding) it would basically amount to nothing and I would not get any feedback or closure. I told her why waste my breath and blood pressure. I gave up. You can ask to speak to the regional director who is over your dealership for the area. You may be able to talk him into more but don't hold your breath.
    I guess many traded their cars just to get out from under the problem. If Acura does the repair, don't be surprised if other things crop up while they attempt to fix it. And get maximum warranty if you are keeping the car. The new tranny doesn't fix the old tranny design issues. some are on their 3rd tranny. Good luck!
    To the person who asked if the cars had been babied or not, mine was babied. it took some road trips from TX to FL but never hauled anything and has been our 2nd car and garaged 85% of the time. It is treated better than me! So, it doesn't matter. they have issues and we are stuck with it.
  • lynslawlynslaw Member Posts: 2
    Please file a complaint with NHTSA (National Transportation Safety Administration)so that they can get enough complaints to start a recall. If the vehicle is recalled, we either do not have to pay for the repair or can get our money back for repairs made. It is easy to file complaint and you might be able to get something out of it.
  • jmceneanyjmceneany Member Posts: 2
    My car was experiencing an unusual grinding sound while accelerating slowly to about 40MPH. It has about 75,000 miles on it but the noise was noticed much earlier than this but could not be detected by the dealership until now. I was told that the torque converter needed to be replaced. Fortunately I have a warranty that was purchased at the time of the sale and so I did not incur any expense. It was replaced last week and then the D2 light started blinking while driving. I called for service again and was told that the 4th gear pressure switch needed to be replaced. Supposedly this was replaced last week when the torque converter was put in but the part must have been defective. It was replaced yesterday and so far the light has not come back on. My concern, after reading these blogs, is that my trasnsmission might go. Any advice?
  • gugy68gugy68 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the advice.
    I will take my car to an independent shop to double check the transmission. I just have a really bad feeling about the dealer.
    I did contact Acura Care and they said only the dealer could help me, so they were not of much help at all. I mentioned that I heard many Acura's were recalled due the transmission issue and they denied my 2003 being part of the ones with this issue.
    Then the dealer did contact me back and offered reducing the transmission job to $2500 and if I decide to fix my brake pads plus rotors they would do the whole thing for $3k.
    I am not sure if I am going to do this. Since I lost a lot of confidence on the Acura brand. I just do not want to be in the vicious cycle of fixing one thing and another problems waiting to happen in a car with expired warranty.
    I am weighting my options at this time but I feel I should move on sell the car and buy another brand WITH warranty. We'll see.

    Thanks for the feedback!
  • kobbekobbe Member Posts: 4
    OK, so what's different with acura's trannys that they require atf change at 45,000 miles, then every 30,000 ??? Or is it a CYA (cover your ---) strategy? Most of the others I checked on are good for at least 100,000 miles. Any comments or opinions out there? Thanks....
  • mdx_cpamdx_cpa Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2002 MDX and experienced transmission problems around 50,000 and kept getting various codes until around 70,000 I finally went to Norris Acura in Ellicott City, MD. Their wonderful staff worked with me and contacted Acura North America who agreed to give me a new transmission. I still had to pay the labor to install (around $650) but at least I have a new transmission. Now at 110,000 miles my front-end is loose and starting to make clunking noises when I make a hard turn. I've realigned and balanced but the car still has a shake to it. Anybody know what that could be? Also anybody have issues with the SRS light? Mine has just turned on but I haven't made a trip to the dealer yet.
  • madmommy3madmommy3 Member Posts: 28
    you are lucky you got a new tranny and they weren't jerks like they were to me. the SRS light had a recall a few years back. Call your dealer and check. I just had mine fixed. The light means you have no side air bag in a crash so you will want to fix it. The dealer told me there are about 8 or so reasons for the SRS light failure, only one of them covered under warranty. Mine wasn't covered but because I told them how sensitive I was to the transmission issue and how another dealership treated the issue, they needed to tread carefully. So, they called and said it was a "grey area" but would fix it at no charge. You can google and find the SRS recall on line. Can't help on the other clunking issue. Good luck!
  • gugy68gugy68 Member Posts: 6
    Yeah,
    Acura won't budge, they are basically saying they would take care of my transmission for $2500. I asked for a better deal, since I am appalled that a premium brand car with less than 100k miles need a total transmission replacement. They seem not to care.

    I guess, I will just move on and trade it and say bye, bye to Acura brand forever.
  • kobbekobbe Member Posts: 4
    Did your new torque converter come with a warranty?? If so, how much, how long? Thanks
  • bbaer1bbaer1 Member Posts: 1
    At 56000 miles my Transmission went out for the first time on my 2002 MDX. At this time, the dealer was able to get the factory to "goodwill" the repair. Great right? No. Here I am 23k miles later and the transmission they replaced is now toast. I went to the dealer and they told me that since the last repair was covered for free, it wasn't under any sort of a warranty and I should be thanking them that they are only charging me half price this time. Unbelievable! How can you look at me straight faced and tell me that I would need to pay to fix the work that you did poorly just 23k miles ago? I have never been this angry with any other company in my life. I will never buy an Acura again.
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