NHTSA Complaint #10660139 — 2002 ACURA MDX

PRIOR TO BUYING, I CALLED ACURA IN FORT WALTON AND ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. THEY SAID NO. I PURCHASED A 2002 MDX ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THESE VEHICLES HAVE HAD MAJOR HAZARDOUS TRANSMISSION ISSUES. I ALSO FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THE RECALL STATED THAT ACURA WOULD EITHER INSTALL A JET PACK--IF THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ON IT OR IF IT HAD MORE THAN 15,000 MILES ON IT, THEY WOULD REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. I SPOKE WITH [XXX] IN ACURA CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND HE LOOKED UP MY VIN AND SAID THAT HE DID SEE THE RECALL BUT THAT MY VEHICLE "WAS INSPECTED AND NO ISSUES WERE FOUND" IN 2005 AND DUE TO THAT INSPECTION THE RECALL WAS "COMPLETED". HOWEVER, I BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT THE RECALL STATES THAT THEY WERE TO EITHER ADD A JET PACK (COOLER) IF THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 15,000 MILES OR REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION IF THE VEHICLE HAD MORE THAN 15,000 MILES. HE THEN CHANGES HIS STORY AND SAID "WELL THEN OF COURSE THE JET PACK WAS INSTALLED". I GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH HIM AND POSTED TO ACURA'S FACEBOOK PAGE AS AT THIS POINT, I HAVE HEARD CONFLICTING STORIES. THEY HAD ANOTHER CUSTOMER RELATIONS PERSON CALL ME AND SHE GAVE ME THE NAME OF THE DEALERSHIP THAT DID THIS "INSPECTION" IN 2005. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING "IT SHOWS THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED IN 2005 BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT WAS COMPLETED". BASED ON THE CARFAX, THE VEHICLE HAD 18,000 MILES ON IT IN 2004. ACCORDING TO THE RECALL, SINCE IT SURPASSED THE 15K MARK, THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN 2005--NOT INSTALLED A JET PACK. IN ANY CASE, I ASKED THE SHOP MY CAR IS AT TO LOOK AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO JET PACK OR COOLER INSTALLED. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE LOCKED UP ON ME AND CAUSED A CRASH. THANK GOD THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR