18th Jan 2010, 20:12
Hi.
I am planning to buy 2002 Acura - TL type S.. Currently it has 55,000 miles on it. Is it covered under the transmission replacement warranty?
22nd Jan 2010, 10:02
To the person thinking about buying the 2002 Acura TL, I would not do it. Read my letter from Jan 12th (three above yours). I just would not trust the trans problem with these cars. I spoke to the dealer last night; Acura only wants to pay 25% of the cost, it will cost me 3,200 to fix, and they will only warranty it for 3 years or 36,000 miles.
22nd Jan 2010, 10:10
Up-date from my Jan 12 letter, the dealer got back to me last night he said Acura was willing to cover 25% of the cost of a new trans. That would be the best they could do.
The car only has 60,000 miles on it, so it looks like I am in the same boat as everyone else on this site. It is a shame because it truly is a nice car; I just thought the trans should last more than 60,000 miles.
I will not buy a Honda or Acura car again after this; they do not stand behind their products! Back to Toyota for me. The new trans will cost me 3,200 dollars.
23rd Jan 2010, 05:07
Rather than buy a used Acura, why not buy a new Accord with a warranty? If you buy a high end used import for status, be aware of no warranty and out of pocket expense. Complex models with age may be better to buy a new model that is basic. Still with A/C and limited options vs used high end cars with out of warranty mileage issues.
26th Jan 2010, 07:43
I have a 2002 Acura TL with 48k miles on it. I'm the second owner and only had it for a year. I was not aware of any tranny issues until it starting jerking. Took it to the dealers and they said I passed the extended warranty by 5 months. Are you kidding me! I should not need a new tranny at 48k miles. They don't even want to work with me. They quoted $4975 before tax. I will never ever buy an Acura or Honda again. Now they want to charge me $105 for diagnostic. I will be taking my car out of there today.
9th Feb 2010, 02:52
I bought my 2003 Acura TL Type-S with the NAV in December of 2007. It had 99,000 miles on it. I paid $10,800, and I took out a loan to buy it and still owe at least $4000 on it.
The car has 139,000 miles on it now, and last week the transmission started slipping in between 2nd and 3rd gear. The problem has just gotten worse and is really bad now. I realize the car is no longer under warranty, but I've put 40,000 miles on this car in 2 years, a transmission shouldn't fail after such a few amount of miles. I called Acura's hotline, but they won't do anything about it since it's past the warranty. It's just sad that I've still have a loan out on this car and the transmission has gone out. I can't see myself ever buying another Honda or Acura again, this has been so disappointing.
10th Feb 2010, 22:29
I have a 2003 TL. Same transmission problem as everybody else. Although my car should be covered by the extended warranty, Acura says my VIN# isn't on their list. How convenient for Acura. If it exhibits the exact same symptoms of the transmission problem, which Acura has known about for years but has not fixed the source of the problem, then the extended warranty should be honored.
I also suspect there may be some kind of connection between motor mounts and the transmission. My transmission went out about a week after I had a bad motor mount replaced. I also think there may be something to the idea that the computer controlling the transmission may be more the source of causing the problem than the transmission actually is. Just a hunch, but it would be interesting to find out.
If anybody finds out a way to get Acura to honor the extended warranty when your VIN# isn't on it please let me know. duckhead_man@yahoo.com
18th Feb 2010, 20:11
My girlfriend has a 2002 Acura TL Type-S and needs a new tranny. It's out of warranty, but Acura is doing a goodwill repair. Instead of $4500 they'll do it for $1100. Car has 77,000 miles and the recall was done years ago. Giving her a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty on the new one.
12th Mar 2010, 15:16
I have a 2002 TL Type S; the transmission is completely breaking down. At times it will not even shift. I read a few of the comments on this post, but not all of them. Does anyone know how I can get Acura to address this issue? They had a recall on the 2nd gear a few years ago. niluj@hotmail.com
12th Mar 2010, 15:33
After experiencing the very same problem with my Acura automobile that others on this site have, I will never buy an Acura or Honda ever again. I will never recommend for anyone else to do so either. It is a shame, as I used to think highly of Acura.
14th Mar 2010, 14:11
Anyone sharing my thoughts; it's better to buy a new plain Accord with AC than an Acura TL with the more powerful engine that the trans cannot handle? I had great luck with new Accords vs. new Acuras. But from the sound of it, most of the comments are ones that bought these Acuras a lot later and cheaper than either a new Accord or certainly a new Acura now. I have bought second cars used and cheap, and yet was prepared to pay 100% for major mechanicals at this late date. If you buy a used TL for less than a third new, what's the big deal on paying for a trans... still less than new Accord or a new TL.
16th Mar 2010, 08:49
Some of the Accords were on the Honda settlement as well, but I don't know if the problem was as prevalent as it was in the TLs & CLs. I drove several V6 Accords and wasn't impressed - too boxy, hard ride, poor suspension in turns, not enough horsepower. I would have just bought a Lexus, Infiniti or something else instead of an Accord.
18th Jan 2010, 13:00
I guess I'm joining the parade. My transmission started slipping at 123,000. At least I got a lot of miles on it. This is the first time I've ever had transmission issues with my 2003 Acura TL-S. It seems to drive okay now, but I don't feel safe driving it on the freeway. My car jumped from 70 MPH to 30 MPH at least 3 times in the span of 5 miles. Good thing it was late at night when there weren't a lot of other cars on the freeway and I wasn't too far from home.
My mechanic said that he could replace the transmission for about $2000. But it looks like many people are having issues with the transmission even after replacing it. I'm leaning towards trading it in and just getting another car.