2001 Acura Tl

MY ACURA 3.2 TL TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 5 YEARS. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE FIRST TIME 2 YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. AFTER ANOTHER 70,000 MILES, IT HAS FAILED AGAIN AND REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION COSTS APPROXIMATELY $5000.00. AS A CONSUMER OF A SUPPOSEDLY HIGH QUALITY VEHICLE, THIS IS JUST WRONG. *TR

IN MARCH 2007 I PURCHASED A 2001 ACURA 3.2TL, AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS I NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL ACURA DEALER TO FIND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER DOING SOME INVESTIGATING I FOUND ACURA HAD RECALLS ON THE TRANSMISSIONS, MINE WAS CONSIDERED OUT OF WARRANTY BECAUSE THE MILES EXCEEDED THE RECALL. (THIS OCCURED IN MAY 2007) IN MAY OF 2008 MY TRANSMISSION WENT COMPLETELY, DURING THIS TIME FRAME THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP, DOWN SHIFT ETC WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEATH WITH MY FAMILY AND ME. I CONTACTED ACURA HQ AND WAS GIVEN A CASE MANAGER, WHO ASKED ME TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER REPAIR SHOP, THEY WOULD INSPECT IT AND CONTACT ME TO SEE IF THEY WOULD POSSIBLY REPLACE IT (AS A GOODWILL GESTURE)I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I WOULD NEVER HAD RECEIVED ANY NOTICE OF THE RECALL BECAUSE I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, THEREFORE SINCE A REPAIR WAS NEVER DONE I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD HONOR THE RECALL, DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPAIR IT. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE DEALER STATING ACURA WOULD ONLY COVER 25%, I WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIR SHOP THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SO FAR GONE THAT THEY COULDN'T EVEN TEAR IT DOWN TO DO AN INSPECTION OF THE GEARS. AT THIS POINT AND TIME I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR A CAR RENTAL FOR ONE MONTH, MAY HAVE TO PUT OUT AT LEAST $2500 FOR A REPAIR AND I AM NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER. TO ME A RECALL IS A RECALL AND I FEEL ACURA HQ WOULD WANT TO KEEP SATISFIED CUSTOMERS. I HAVE OWNED BOTH A HONDA AND ACURA PRIOR TO THIS AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 250,000 MILES ON MY OTHER ACURA. I WAS TOLD BY ACURA HQ, THAT IF 2ND AND 3RD GEAR WERE DAMAGED THEY WOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, I FAXED MY PAPERWORK FROM MAY 2007 WHICH CERTAINLY STATED THIS AND AM NOW TOLD THAT THIS WILL NOT OCCUR. WHAT ARE MY NEXT STEPS TO HAVE ACURA SHOULDER THE FULL RESPONSIBILITY

ON JANUARY 24, 2008 WE SENT A LETTER TO RICHARD COLLIVER,EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AUTO SALES AT ACURA IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTIONNAIRE. WE BOUGHT A USED ACURA 2001 3.2TL IN NOVEMBER OF 2005. IT HAD A "RECONSTRUCTED TITLE". IN OREGON THIS MEANS THERE WAS NO FRAME DAMAGE. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES. I HAVE PUT OVER 30,000 MILES ON THE 3.2 TL SINCE WE BOUGHT IT AND HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. AFTER VISITING WITH MY MECHANIC AND THE LOCAL ACURA SERVICE DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION WE DISCOVERED THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS DONE IN JANUARY OF 2005. AT SOME POINT, ACURA ALSO EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF AN INTERNAL PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT CAUSED IT TO SLIP AFTER IT WARMED UP. I FEEL WE HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE LURCH WITH A TRANSMISSION ACURA KNOWS IS FAULTY. THE CAR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO, BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT, AND YOU ARE TELLING US THE ACCIDENT VOIDS THE WARRANTY. IF THE ACCIDENT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM I THINK IT WOULD HAVE SHOWN UP A LONG TIME AGO. I DON?T THINK BODY WORK ON A CAR ? NO MATTER HOW EXTENSIVE ? WOULD NECESSARILY ADD UP TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE AN EXCUSE FOR ACURA TO PUSH ASIDE A PROBLEM THEY KNOW IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE FROM MR. COLLIVER. THE MAN WHO DID CALL AND GIVE US THE RUN AROUND AGAIN ABOUT THE RECONSTRUCTED TITLE WHEN FACED WITH OUR LOGIC THEN CHANGED HIS TUNE AND SAID THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ONLY SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING THEY DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT CLUNKING. IT DOES CLUNK INTO GEAR AFTER IT SLIPS BUT EVIDENTLY IF THE ACURA SERVICE DID NOT DESIGNATE THAT ON THE INVOICE THEY WON'T CONSIDER IT. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE IF THEY HAD DESIGNATED THAT VERY THING, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER EXCUSE. *TR

2001 ACURA 3.2TL WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THEY RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION. DEALER INSTALLED OIL JET KIT INFORMED ON THE RECALL. THEY ALSO SAY THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED, HE STARTED TO EXPERIENCE SHIFT CHANGES, AND GEAR SLIPPAGE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER 2-4 MONTHS LATER THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ERRATIC SHIFTING AND A FEELING OF GEAR SLIPPAGE, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER STATED ON JULY 16, 2007 THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE INCREASED AND WHEN HE LET OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, WHITE SMOKE BILLOWED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE SERVICE CENTER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. RECALL#04V176000 *JB

I AM WRITING TO YOU TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE ON THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING WITH HONDA/ACURA OF USA. ACCORDING CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT CASE NO: RG 03099677, ACURA SETTLED WITH ALL CLAIMANTS TO PROVIDE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON TRANSMISSIONS ON ALL CLASS VEHICLES UP TO 109,000 MILES. I OWN AN ACURA TL 2001 . MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS 103K MILES ON IT. I AM PERHAPS THE SECOND OR THIRD OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE CAR'S MANUFACTURED DEFECT, NAMELY WITH THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. HERE IS THE NHTSA RECALL# AND REPORT BELOW ON THE RECALL. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 04V176000 MFR'S REPORT DATE : APR 13, 2004 COMPONENT: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED : 1099796 I GOT IN TOUCH WITH A LOCAL ACURA CLIENT SERVICES AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALER. THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND THE NEXT DAY INFORMED ME THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT BE COVERED SINCE THE CAR HAD BEEN FIXED PREVIOUSLY AT A REPAIR SHOP AND NOT BY ACURA. ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN RECORDS, MY CAR HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION FIXED BY ACURA IN 2004. THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT DESPITE THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT THAT THEY AGREED TO IN DECEMBER OF 2006. ACCORDING TO THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP I TOOK MY CAR TO, THE CAR HAD AN ORIGINAL REPLACED TRANSMISSION IN IT AND NOT AN AFTERMARKET PART. EVEN BY ACURA'S OWN RECORDS, THIS CAR HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN 2004 AT ONE OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS AND THIS IS THE TRANSMISSION THAT FAILED. BASED ON THE LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT THEREFORE, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THIS TRANSMISSION AGAIN SINCE IT IS STILL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE REFUSED TO ASSIST ME AND I HAD NO CHOICE TO GET THE CAR FIXED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. I PAID $2,292.47 TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP TO GET MY CAR FIXED THAT ACURA SHOULD HAVE FIXED UNDER WRTY. *TR

ON JUNE 20TH, WE WERE EXITING THE TOLL BOOTH TO ENTER A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THE CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE FOR ABOUT 10 TO 15 SECONDS. WE HAD OUR 1 AND HALF YEAR OLD SON ON BOARD AT THE TIME THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND WE WERE VERY LUCKY THERE WAS NO CAR BEHIND US. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO ACURA DEALER NEARBY OUR HOUSE ON JUNE 25TH, 2007. THEY DID THE DIAGNOSTIC AND TOLD US THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS ON THE WAY OUT. THEY RECOMMENDED TO US TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEREFORE ACURA WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. WE CALLED THE HONDA MANUFACTURER A FEW TIMES AND ASKED THEM TO FIX THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION THAT WAS RECALLED BACK 2004. HONDA HAD DENIED OUR CLAIM SIMPLY BECAUSE OUR CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *JB

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF AN ACURA TL 2001. AT 40K MILES AS I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY THE CAR STARTED JERKING, I WENT FROM 40 MPH TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP IN SECONDS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED AS IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE CAR NOW HAS 108K MILES. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING YESTERDAY ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH AND THE CAR DID THE SAME THING AGAIN. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER TODAY AND THE HAVE INFORMED US THAT IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION AGAIN. MY FIRST CONCERN IN ALL THIS IS THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. MY HUSBAND COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED YESTERDAY. HE WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN WHICH THE SPEED LIMIT IS 65 MPH WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE CAR BEHIND HIM WAS FAR AWAY ENOUGH THAT IT DID NOT RUN INTO HIM. LOOKING BACK I WAS VERY LUCKY WHEN IT HAPPENED TO ME. THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM CAN CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. MY SECOND CONCERN IS THAT THE DEALER SAYS THE WARRANTY ON THE TRANSMISSION IS ONLY GOOD TO 109K MILES NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT. I STARTED DOING RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR TRANSMISSIONS THREE TIMES. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE REPLACING THEM WITH FAULTY TRANSMISSION WHICH CONTINUES TO BE A HAZARD ON THE ROAD. I FEEL THAT ACURA IS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC AND TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. *NM

WE WERE RETURNING ON 10/02/06 FROM A 1,000 MILE ROAD TRIP TO PA, ON THE WAY HOME (AT NIGHT, IN THE POURING RAIN, WITH A TODDLER) WE LOST OUR TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS ON A 65 MPH HIGHWAY. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED FROM 2000 RPM-5000 RPM AND BACK A FEW TIMES. BY THE TIME I COULD GET SAFELY PULLED OVER, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE IT TO MOVE SAFELY OFF OF THE HIGHWAY, IT WAS REVVING AT 5000 RPM AND MOVING A 2 MPH. I OBVIOUSLY DID NOT WANT TO DO MORE DAMAGE, SO WE SAT ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF AN OFF RAMP UNTIL ASSISTANCE ARRIVED. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE. THEY CALLED THE NEXT DAY TO TELL US THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS GONE AND THEY HAVE SUCH A HIGH FAILURE RATE THAT THEY GO FOR $2000 EVEN AT SALVAGE YARDS. THEY QUOTED US $3650 FOR A REBUILT, WITH A NEW COMPUTER (ACURA REQUIRED!!!) AND LABOR. THE KICKER IS, WE HAD ONLY BEEN OVER OUR WARRANTY MILEAGE BY 3K. WE WERE ALSO GIVEN NO WARNING (NEITHER WARNING LIGHT NOR DRIVING) THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT HONDA/ACURA CAN HAVE THE #2 MOST RELIABLE VEHICLE REPUTATION. AFTER SIMPLY SEARCHING FOR "2001 ACURA TL TRANSMISSIONS" THERE WERE PAGES UPON PAGES THAT HAVE HAD THEIR TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED AS EARLY AS 25K AND SOME HAVE EVEN HAD TWO TO FOUR REPLACEMENTS. HOW IS THIS THE #2 MOST RELIABLE CARE COMPANY? I DO NOT THINK A TRANSMISSION SHOULD GO AT 100K, IF MAINTAINED PROPERLY, THERE IS NO REASON FOR IT. I AM DISGUSTED THAT WE JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE LAST YEAR AND STILL OWE 2 AND A HALF MORE YEARS ON IT!! EVEN WORSE, SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, WE WERE NEVER MADE AWARE OF ANY RECALL BY ACURA AND WERE NOT ABLE TO BRING IT TO ACURA (FOR FREE) TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS OK. HAD WE BEEN MADE AWARE WHEN WE TOOK POSSESSION (I AM SURE ACURA HAS RECORDS OF NEW OWNERS AS WE JUST GOT A RECALL ON OUR USED 2002 CHEVY), WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE RENTING A CAR SINCE WE BOTH WORK FULL TIME JOBS, ON TOP OF A $3650 REPAIR. *JB

HONDA CLAIMS TO HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION FOR BUILDING STABLE VEHICLES. I BOUGHT MY ACURA BRAND NEW IN 2001 AND MY TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED ONLY 100,000 MILES LATER. THAT IS WORSE THAN A OLD FORD ESCORT. HONDA HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO DECEIVE CONSUMERS BY CLAIMING THEY WILL ADDRESS A TRANSMISSION DEFECT THEY IDENTIFIED SINCE IN 2004. I HAVE SEEN DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS INDICATING THAT THEY ARE NOT HONORING THEIR COMMITMENT TO CONSUMERS. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IS NEEDED TO PREVENT THIS COMPANY FROM ABUSING THEIR CUSTOMERS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO LOOSE THEIR LIFE IF HONDA DOES NOT FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATION. THEY ARE GIVING CONSUMERS THE RUN AROUND BY CLAIMING THAT THE INSPECTION WAS ALLEGEDLY COMPLETED AND NO BREAKAGE IN THE GEARS WERE DETECTED SO THAT THE COST OF REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS WILL NOT BE INCURRED BY THEM. THE ACURA TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOW BEGINNING TO FAIL AT A RAPID PACE AND HONDA IS REFUSING TO REPLACE THEM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER BEFORE PEOPLE STARTS LOSING THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF THIS COMPANY'S NEGLIGENCE. WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IS ATTEMPTING TO STALL THE PROCESS BY PASSING FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS AS OPERABLE THEN WAITING UNTIL THE WARRANTY EXPIRES TO TRAP THE CONSUMER WITH THE COSTS OF REPAIRS. THIS IS UNSCRUPULOUS AND UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR. IF MY CAR ISN'T REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY I AM GOING TO INVITE MEDIA ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER AS I HAVE EVIDENCE OF THIS WRONG DOING. *NM