NHTSA Complaint #10760897 — 2012 ACURA TL

THIS IS A *WELL DOCUMENTED* PROBLEM WITH ACURA TORQUE CONVERTERS AFFECTING THE 4TH GENERATION TL WITH THE 5-SPEED AUTO--SO MUCH SO THAT A TSB LETTER WAS SENT OUT. WHEN LEISURELY ACCELERATING (LIGHT THROTTLE APPLICATION), THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS A CHARACTERISTIC "LOW GROWL" AND SORT OF RHYTHMICALLY SURGES FORWARD AS POWER IS ALTERNATELY APPLIED AND REDUCED BY THE TORQUE CONVERTER; THIS SYMPTOM IS ALSO VISIBLE ON THE TACHOMETER, AS THE REVS OSCILLATE UP AND DOWN A COUPLE HUNDRED RPM. ON MY 2012 TL, THIS MOSTLY OCCURS BETWEEN 1ST/2ND GEAR (THIS IS THE 6-SPEED AUTO), BUT ALSO BETWEEN 2ND/3RD. BASED ON ONLY CURSORY SEARCHING OF OWNER FORUMS, THIS IS ALSO BECOMING COMMONPLACE ON THE 2012 MODELS. FAILING TORQUE CONVERTERS IN THESE CASES HAVE ALSO LED TO FAILURES IN THE TRANSMISSION ITSELF, A MUCH COSTLIER REPAIR. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE LINK TO A FORUM PAGE WITH MANY EXAMPLES OF THE BEHAVIOR, INCLUDING LINKS TO OTHER FORUMS AND VIDEOS: HTTP://ACURAZINE.COM/FORUMS/PROBLEMS-FIXES-297/ANYONE-DO-TORQUE-CONVERTER-TRANSMISSION-PROGRAM-RECALL-870425/