Honda/Acura V6 Tranny Warranty Extended

[Norcal_02_TLS]

DTK, they are taking care of the problem? GMAFB, my car is on its 4th tranny in under 23k miles. You call that taking care of the problem? NO. They are poorly managing an issue that potentially causes a hazardous driving condition. If they were taking care of the issue my 2nd tranny would have been my last and I would not be lemon lawing my car.

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[tonyboy9]

I drive the 2001 CL Type S. The transmission failed at 30,000 miles. I used to use the sports shift option, let's just say driving like an enthusiast around the San Francisco Bay Area. I am convinced that is why the transmission failed, but only in my case. Most of the stress I put on the sports shift was power shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear on the freeway staying on the gas, winding it up to around 3500 rpm on the tach. That got me up to around 100 mph; I would upshift to 4th and get off the gas to slow down. But that sucker with those Michelins just kept rolling; it was such a behind the wheel rush. It was a great run while it lasted.

When the CL was towed to the dealer, Acura of Serramonte, and I told them I had read the stories of failed Acura transmissions and Honda extending the warranty, that alone saved a lot of back and forth. Part of the 30,000 mile service was a free transmission replacement. When I drove that baby off, it was two years ago all over again. It really drives like a new car.

But here's my point. Now I just shift it to D for automatic, and leave it there. I'm not looking to push my luck with Honda, and I'm using less gas at $2.49 per gallon for super. I miss blowing away Mercedes Benz, but I will wait patiently for the 400 hp hybrid Acura DNX over the horizon.

[dewey]

I have a 2001 3.2TL with 56K miles. I was on my way to Chicago and my transmission blew. It caused quite a noise and the car jerked until it started blowing very potent white smoke. Turns out that the transmission problem was known to Acura, but they did not attempt to send notices to customers due to the fact that they were not sure what models had the transmission problem. The cellenoids are defective causing them to bust loose into the transmission, thus causing the transmission to blow. At least this is what the dealership had to tell me. Turns out that the technicians at Acura urged them to replace the entire trans because they did not know where the problem stemmed. I asked if this could happen again... the service director replied... I don't think so. I don't think that was a good enough answer. Anyways... I called the main customer service line and the customer care rep was very helpful. The dealership told me the warranty for the trans was 12K after being replaced. The rep indicated it was 7yr/100,000. I have loved my car up until this disaster, because not only am I disappointed in the car, the dealership with whom I had to deal with was a nightmare. The service mgr was completely unwillingly to assist me... making my 200 mile away from home disaster more of a disaster. That's a whole other story.

[AcuraTL]

Hi dewey, sorry you had to go through this nightmare. Hopefully, your replaced tranny will hold up so you don't have to go through this ordeal again.

[hondatech]

while most of your comments are correct, Do you ppl with the tranmissions over 30k doing the maintance? I work at an acura dealership as a tech and see tons of them come in with dark as hell trans fluid. The problem in my opinion is that the transmissions were designed for the 3.0l engines and/or are not designed for the output of the 3.2l and 3.5l engines. Now acura is saying it's a 3rd gear clutch pack problem and they reduced the labor time on replacement, ****ers! anyways, I say this because when you replace the trans Honda makes you replce the tcm and sometimes the fuel pressure reg as well. I had customers come back complianting it lacks power after a trans replacement. The shift points are relaxed in the new tcm and the fuel pressure is lowered. hint hint. go figure

[hondatech]

by the way i almost forgot, I read the petition and i think it's overkill. I mean go to ford or chevy and see what they do about their tranmission problems after you factory warr. is up. I do agree it has hurt loyal cust. of the brand. I will not personally own a Honda with a automatic transmission. However I think that those ppl complianing don't know how good they have it. Maybe they should go buy another brand, those are the same ppl who cry about anything on the car until the warr. period is over then they go to chuck's independent shop for the work that's not free.

[timothybeeler]

Talking to my factory rep I was informed that the total hp was not decreased with the new tcm but the timming is retarded ms's prior to the 2-3 upshift. There are two problems with the 3.2 tl/cl trans. one is the 2-3 clutch pack is not strong enough to handle the torque form the engine (hince why the new tcm retard the timming ms's to the upshift.) and the lock up solnoid uses a weak spring. (why we are requied to strain the fuild prior to order an reman)ahm is taking care of the problem and reg maintance of the fuild helps. But the one thing that have noticed is that MDX's with tranny coolers do not suffer the same fate as mdx's with out. Comptech has a tranny cooler maybe you should look into it
(hey hondatech you have a tranny job on monday to do!!!)

[hondatech]

that tranny is going to get put into your to do box for tues when you come back

[jaxenroth]

hey guys,

i'm an acura tech, and the problem w/ the trannys is that the computer & trans are not on the same page. there is also a timing belt tensioner recall, but the trans recall and t-belt tensioner recall are only for certain vehicles that fall in between certain production numbers on the car's vin. when you bring your car in for service, the service dept. should be doing a vin stat inquiry to see if your vehical get's these recalls. just ask your service wirtter to do a vin stat inquiry (they should be doing already) on your car.

jake

p.s. this also pertains to the MDX

[hondatech]

what's that have to do with transmissions? and it's a clutch pack problem not a computer problem

[sstearns2]

Our 99 TL started leaking trans fluid at about 30K miles. We took it to the dealer and they found the case had cracked causing the fluid leak. We got a new trans. Hope this one makes it for longer than 30K. The 90 legend we traded in had 125K miles with no problems at all so we're pretty disapointed with Acura. Maybe it will be a Lexus next time.

Scott

[AcuraTL]

Cracked? This is the first I've heard that the case was cracked. It was probably cracked from an impact to an object rather than the tranny failed by itself.

[sstearns2]

Yeah, I'm not sure if I buy that the case was cracked, but that is what the dealer said when they replaced the trans. It still shifted fine as long as the fluid was full. We never hit anything to my knowledge. I can't imagine something hitting the trans hard enough to crack it and not doing any other damage, leaving an obvious mark, or being very apparent to the driver.

My theory is that had a leaky gasket or something and we let the fluid get a little low and it would shift a little hard when cold. We topped off the trans and it was fine. We told the dealer it shifted hard sometimes and they may have assumed it was one of the problem transmissions and replaced it.

We'll never know for sure though. I wish I could have seen the original trans after they pulled it.

Scott

[12V Guy]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, but felt very compelled to share my story. I bought a smoking hot white TL type S late in 2001. I loved the car, awesome to drive, lightning fast.

We'll my first issue came about 22K miles. The tranny began slipping into neutral and then dropping into second. The traction control, D5, and Trac Control Off lights flashed and finally stayed on. I took to dealership, but they claimed no knowledge of any issue. They replaced the soloniods in the tranny and sent me on my way 1 week later.

A very short time later, the exact same thing happened. This time is was driving on freeway and the front wheels locked up and I was very lucky the car behind me was able to notice the rapid reduction in speed without any brake lights and avoid me. Again into the dealer, this time the reluctantly agreed to replace my entire tranny. (This is tranny #2)

The car again drove like brand new and was a thing of beauty. However, over time, I began to notice the small signs that the tranny was going to fail again. For example, the upshifts become less fluid and even jerky. The car also tries to shift up and down when you are stopped ata light. In any case, I have 4 small kids and no desire to die, so back to dealership.
To their credit, they replaced the tranny again, no questions asked. (This is tranny #3).

Addionally, about 3 months later as part of regular service, they told me they needed to replace the PCM (powertrain control module, TCU, ECU, etc.) becuase Acura had "better" software. Turns out the new PCM created a very noticable performance reduction and the car is not nearly as fun to drive now. But hey, I'm thinking, "At least I'll live".

Well, just a few days ago (about 65K miles on car) same exact situation happened again. I noticed all the warning signs, but I'm thinkning maybe those aren't warning signs, just the way the car is supposed to shift. Silly me...... on freeway again, slip into neutral and then drop into 2nd or 3rd. Once again, VERY close call with car behind me, lucky!!!

Car is in shop now for 4th tranny and another PCM.

I love my Acura so the reason for this post is to repsctfully tell the Acura techs who post here that while I do think Acura dealer network and service folks are doing the best they can with a bad situation, if Honda/Acura does not do something more aggressive, sooner or later someone is going to be hurt or killed and that IMHO will be a tragedy that could/should have been avoided at all costs.

When I get the car back my wife is forcing me to get rid of it.

[AcuraTL]

When was the #3 tranny replaced? I heard that Acura had finally resolved the issue with their current trannys. I am glad you shared your story with the board, you might want to look into the Lemon Law in your state because this is the 4th time Acura is trying to fix the same problem and they should do something extra for you. Good luck. Keep us updated.

[12V Guy]

I did look into the Lemon Law, but as I understand it because the first incident of the problem accured at about 24K miles, I cannot make a claim in CA under the law. The law indicates (I may not understand it fully) that the first incident must occur within 18K miles.

The third tranny was replaced about 6-9 months ago (I think, haven't pulled out paperwork lately). I am not in the process of contacting the BBB Auto Hotline to see what they suggest I do. I get the car back tomorrow. Fingers crossed.....

[12V Guy]

The Client service line told me to pound sand... they were not even polite about it. The dealership and service guys have been much more kind and helpful even though have no idea how to solve the problem for good.

I have opened a report with BBB, but will most likely be out of luck because the first failure happened after 18K miles which is in fact the lemon law rule out here in Sunny CA.

In any case, wife is pushing me to dump the car and frankly I am scared to drive it anyhow.....

Will keep you all posted...

[avatar252]

12V Guy I admire your patience.... Good luck with the 4th tranny... try to get rid of it, if you can, why take a risk (especially when you have kiddos to take care off)

[acutee]

I am sure all of us want the transmission problem TO BE FIXED, not just extended the warranty. Extended warranty is just a trick in a way of not fixing the problem. Even if the vehicle is over 100k or out of warranty. THIS IS NOT ABOUT WARRANTY REPAIR. They should fix this KNOWN PROBLEM at any time when it occurs because the problem was never fixed in the first place. Or they should fix it correctly now and don't extend the warranty. Do you all think they would extend the warranty if there is no problem? I don't think so. Extended warranty is a smart way to get consumers pay for (Honda/Acura) manufacturer's problem when they call it OUT OF WARRANTY. Remember, warranty fixes any unexpected problems, NOT KNOWN PRROBLEMS. Known problems are considered "DEFECTIVE MATERIAL WORKMANSHIP" and SHOULD BE FIXED PROPERLY regardless of warranty.

My point of view that they told us 1.6% have problem is to fool us. It is 100% problem, but they can't admit it unless they want to close down the business. However, they figured how many owners are really utilizing the vehicles to the vehicles' full extend and vehicles' ability that these vehicles were built for. Take one example, some of us don't even dare to use the Sport Shift anymore to avoid transmission problem. I am sure some of those owners who are really taking care of their vehicles, don't drive over 75mph, only speed up gratually to not hurt the engine, drive 35 mph in surface streets, such and such, will be regreted when it's time for the known problems to show. And it is too bad your cars are now not under warranty. over 7years or over 100k or voided by accident.

[AcuraTL]

You might want to contact Acura Client Service and see what they can do for you. Having 4 tranny replaced is not normal.

[asianthug_ak47]

How about 2002 Accord V6 automatic?

How long a typical transmission last? I know a guy with an Integra having 320k miles and counting without any problem. He did have the car broken down twice due to bad alternator at 280k. It was the shop's fault because they installed it improperly.

However, my Mazda 626 transmission went out at 105k miles. I sold it for 200 dollars because I didn't have 3k to fix it. I am not buying Mazda anymore because of it. The shitty part is that I had extended warranty convering up to 100k miles. It wasn't cool at all. Now I wish I have a beater car to drive around to work so I don't have to put city mileage on my new car.

[hondatech]

That's too bad. I hate to see ppl lose faith in the mighty "H". They're telling us techs that the rebuilt transmissions we are replacing failed trannys with are updated and fixed. They also have us change ECU's and fuel pressure regulators as well. None of mine that I have replaced have come back. It seems to be working and we are seeing less and less coming in now.

[rezurex]

do you think the tranny cooler from comptech will really help out? i just got my cl-s back today with my 2nd tranny just installed... maybe i should get that tranny cooler

[AcuraTL]

Per Comptech, even with their supercharger installed, their tranny has been fine with the tranny cooler.

[acguy]

My first gear indicator light in the dash is on all the time on my CL. Is that considered transmission, or is it going to be another technicality like my brake rotors warping?
I have been a Honda owner for life, but Acura really pissed me off with the statement "your rotors warped due to your irregular driving style". When I am done with this car, I will NEVER own another Acura!

[AcuraTL]

Originally Posted by acguy

My first gear indicator light in the dash is on all the time on my CL. Is that considered transmission, or is it going to be another technicality like my brake rotors warping?
I have been a Honda owner for life, but Acura really pissed me off with the statement "your rotors warped due to your irregular driving style". When I am done with this car, I will NEVER own another Acura!

How is your transmission? Is it acting funny? As for the rotors, I had the rotors for almost 5 years and it never got warped.

[acguy]

By the looks of the mods on your car, you spend more time working on it than driving it. This car of mine is driven every day to a business, and it is transportation, not a toy to spend countless dollars and hours worshiping with accessories and mods. The transmission on mine is fine, and the INDICATION is at fault. The question was whether itis considered underr the extended tranny warranty. The car is still going to be sold regardless. Do you want it cheap? My Honda brand loyalty just left the building........

[AcuraTL]

If your vehicle is still under warranty, then take it back to the dealer and have them look at it. Did you get a copy of the Extended Tranny Warranty paperwork to see what is covered? Read up on it or speak to the service advisor at your dealership.

By the way, I did most of the work to my car in 1999. It is a regular car and I drive it just like you would.

[hondatech]

don't argue with him AcuraTL, he sounds he's mad at a DEALER and now he's going to take it out on anyone including Acura, this forum, etc.. Some ppl expect to much and are never happy, I bet this guy could get all the problems fixed for free if he called the right person and didn't act like a he's being on here. He only jumped into the thread to cry. I bet he had previously warped the rotors at least once and then went back a second time and they told him no. That's normal at most dealers. He probably NEVER takes the car in for service, maybe gets oil changes once in a while and then expects them to bent over and fix things NOT covered under warrenty. Then he cry's about it and tries to get others to feel like Acura's are bad cars and if you don't agree he slams you for having a modded car. This isn't a thread to vent, call the 800 number for acura, we don't care about your car.

[dentalrav]

Wow!

Thanks to everyone that has contributed and is still contributing to this thread. After reading replies, going to the government reports and searching deja i will NEVER even consider buying a 99-03 Accord ex v6 nor acura 3.5tl and after looking at the poor acknowledgement of Honda regarding the problem i doubt i would ever buy a Honda or Acura (except the RL - made in Japan and all).

I guess what bothers me is that some people in this group continue to downplay the importance of these faulty transmission. Shifting from 5th to 2nd gear while doing 65 mph could be a very serious issue, then there is the cost of replacing the thing if it is out of warranty and the time you take to prove to the dealer that the tranny needs replacement etc... Hell, i could not care less if they extended the transmission warranty for the life of the engine - my time is very important to me and to be on the freeway and have this car just stop operating is not acceptable. I would by an 03 or 04 tl if i had the cash (i don't) or a 98 but it seems a little old for my needs so i am back to thinking about a Camry/lexus es (as infiniti has never addressed their body corrosion issues to my satisfaction).

It is amazing you pay almost the same for the lexus as for the acura and you get so much more - like ..... a transmission that lasts.

out!