NHTSA Complaint #10364194 — 2003 ACURA TL

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK. WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT MY CAR STARTED JUMPING. WHEN I PULLED OFF FROM THE LIGHT I NOTICED THE ENGINE WOULD RACE BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 30 MPH. ONCE I GOT TO THE NEXT LIGHT I TRIED TO PULL OFF BUT THE CAR JUST STALLED AND WOULD NOT MOVE ANY FURTHER. I BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR ANY FAILURE LIGHTS SHOWING. THE CAR JUST STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT WARNING EVEN THOUGH IT'S HAD ALL IT'S REQUIRED MAINTENANCE. ACURA RECALLED THE TRANSMISSION ONCE AND IT WAS REPLACED AT APPROX. 47K MILES. I'VE PUT APPROX. 97K MILES ON THE CAR AND THE TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETELY GONE FOR THE SECOND TIME. I'VE CALLED SEVERAL LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS FOR ESTIMATES AND ONE SHOP TOLD ME THAT HAVE REPLACED TRANSMISSIONS IN 34 OTHER 2003 ACURA TL'S IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE. AND, ALL OF THESE WERE TRANSMISSIONS THAT WERE INITIALLY REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THEY PUT IN MY CAR IS DEFECTIVE. I WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT IT WAS WARRANTIED UP TO 100K MILES. WHEN I CALLED IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE NEW TRANSMISSION WAS ONE FOR 50K BY ONE DEALER AND THEN A SECOND DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS ONLY FOR 36K. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH AN ACURA TL 2003 REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FROM THE HONDA MOTOR CO. (ACURA) WITH THIS ISSUE. ACURA HAS DONE NOTHING TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR