NHTSA Complaint #11716752 — 2018 ACURA RDX

I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious transmission defect on my 2018 Acura RDX that materially worsened after an Acura-authorized warranty repair addressing a known torque converter defect. Acura issued a warranty extension / service campaign for the torque converter on certain 2017–2018 RDX vehicles. Prior to this repair, my vehicle did not exhibit any severe jerking, slipping, or unsafe shifting behavior. After the Acura dealer replaced the torque converter under this program, the vehicle immediately began experiencing violent and unpredictable jerking during gear changes, worsening over time. These behaviors create an unsafe driving condition, particularly in stop-and-go traffic, intersections, and merging situations. I returned the vehicle to the dealer multiple times after the repair. As the problem worsened, I provided video documentation clearly showing the abnormal transmission behavior. After further evaluation, the dealer acknowledged the issue and determined that the transmission requires replacement. Acura Corporate declined coverage, stating the vehicle was no longer under standard warranty, despite: -The issue beginning immediately after Acura’s warranty repair -The torque converter being an integral component of the transmission system -The vehicle being in a worse and unsafe condition after Acura’s work I am requesting that NHTSA: -Review whether Acura’s torque converter warranty extension repair fails to adequately address associated transmission damage -Determine whether Acura vehicles repaired under this program are being returned to consumers in an unsafe operating condition -Assess whether Acura is improperly denying responsibility for post-repair transmission failures directly related to related to the covered defect