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Acura MDX Transmission Problems

967 messages,  Last post on May 06, 2013 at 9:22 AM

You are in the Acura MDX Forum.

What is this discussion about? Acura MDX, SUV


 
Go to NHTSA to file a safety complaint.
 
Or call Monday-Friday (8 am to 8 pm ET) (888) 327-4236 TTY: (800)424-9153

Messages Page 11 of 98

#92 of 967 Still having problem with Acura MDX 2002 by orange5

Sep 29, 2009 (1:49 pm)

I wrote back in the summer about problems I was having with my Acura MDX 2002. Acura finally agreed to share the cost of replacing the torque converter. I had all the work done including a seven year check up. About a month after I had it back from the dealer it started doing the same thing again. What is happening is from time to time when I am driving (it is not speed dependent) the car shifts itself into neutral and then shifts out. There is no rhyme or reason to it, it just happens and I never know when it will. I have taken it back to the dealer three times now and they can't get it to repeat or come up with a signal on their monitors for the transmission. Then about a week and a half ago I was driving when all of a sudden my radio went dead and lights on my dashboard came on. This happened about 4 times like a power surge and then it stopped. I had the battery checked and everything checked out fine. The dealer took the car for a few days and had the mechanic drive it home every day to see if it would repeat itself. Of course it never did. However, I drive at least 40 miles a day and they only put on about 10 each day. They gave it back to me and basically said oh well! Then, my SRS light came on. They now have the car because my seat belt and front air bags went. I am at my wits end! I don't feel safe driving the car with my kids in it but no one can figure out the problem. I feel like I need a camera in my car to prove that I my speedometer could be at 35 and my rpm's are at 6! Any one with similar experience? I can't really afford a new car but feel that I need one for the safety issue. I would love any suggestions. Thanks.

#93 of 967 File a complaint with National Highway Transportation Safety Administration by lynslaw

Sep 30, 2009 (7:45 am)

NHTSA can initiate a recall of the 2003 MDX based on numerous consumer complaints. I just checked the NHTSA complaint list and only 14 of us filed complaints!! Yet, there are hundreds of blog comments complaining about the transmission. This does not make sense!! If we are serious about getting this vehicle recalled SO WE EITHER DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OR IF WE PAID FOR THE REPAIR, GET OUR MONEY BACK,then we need to follow the instructions provided by NHTSA in the following link, which explains the recall process:
 
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallprocess.cfm
 
or call the NHTSA toll-free number to make a REAL complaint!
 
ONLINE: Select the "Begin Form" button to the right.
BY PHONE: Call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at
(888) 327-4236 , TTY: (800) 424-9153.

#94 of 967 Re: 2006 acura mdx tranny (t converter) problems [kobbe] by upstatedoc

Sep 30, 2009 (9:41 am)

Replying to: kobbe (Sep 29, 2009 10:22 am)
" Transmission fluid has never been changed. "
 
Huh? At 75,000 miles it should have been changed at least once, I had our '04 changed 50,000 because I have been so paranoid that something was going to happen to the tranny.

#95 of 967 Re: 2006 acura mdx tranny (t converter) problems [upstatedoc] by kobbe

Sep 30, 2009 (3:06 pm)

Replying to: upstatedoc (Sep 30, 2009 9:41 am)
yeah, I know upstatedoc, my bad....bad kobbe. I've done my own maintenance for many, many years and been sorta ignoring the trannys, at least up until recent years when I started driving acuras and hearing/reading about tranny problems with them. The 2003 I owned (before I bought current 2006) that my daughter now drives has 120,000 miles, still going strong, also never changed atf. Maybe just lucky on that one, huh?
 
Interesting the differences out there re changing atf....Crysler minivan manual calls for atf change at 120,000 miles (normal driving conditions). Neighbor's BMW manual calls for atf change every 100,000. Believe GM also 100,000 miles. Yet acura says at 45,000, then every 30,000 after that. Go figure???
 
Reading over past threads in this forum re those with mdx owners with tranny problems, doesn't seem to make a difference whether maintenance schedule has been followed religiously or not. I'd be interested in hearing from others on this issue. Along same lines, do tranny problems develop only on cars driven hard/trailering etc. or on those babied as well???

#96 of 967 Please help! by gugy68

Sep 30, 2009 (7:45 pm)

Hi,
I think I am the latest victim of this transmission issue with Acura. My 2003 MDX has 88k miles and I took today to the dealer and they said I need a new transmission and they offer to charge me $3600 for it as being "nice". They said they would charge me only the cost of it I had repair warranty. I have to say that now learning this issue is so common they looked and sounded awfully suspicious to me.
I read several posts here but I am still confused. Is there a possibility to have this repaired for free or at least much cheaper than $3,600 because of the several transmission issues with this car? My warranty expired at 50k, so I no longer have it.
Is any good contacting Acura North America? Would they be any help?
How some of you approach the dealers regarding this?
My dealer is Kearny Mesa Acura in San Diego.
I appreciate with any of you can give me any guidance on this headache. Thank you very much!

#97 of 967 Re: Please help! [gugy68] by madmommy3

Oct 02, 2009 (7:50 am)

Replying to: gugy68 (Sep 30, 2009 7:45 pm)
Gugy68, good luck. We ended up going to a local tranny shop and changing it for $2500 for 3 year/3K warranty. when they opened it up, there was metal or something in the radiator so that needed to go as well for another $350. They tried and tried flushing to no avail.
The dealership knows all about it and yet they smile and deny. But, the fact that they made a good will offer shows the issue is clear. Let me save you some frustration. First, we declined Acura's "offer" to fix at an inflated price. They put on the paperwork "customer declined goodwill offer" to cover themselves. And, they did not put in our paperwork for a customer service survery afterwards like all dealership do. I had to fix the SRS sensor the next week and took it to a 2nd dealer. i told them they needed to fix it and not report other "issues" they somehow stumbled upon while fixing the SRS. The service manager called and i explained the entire issue with the other dealership and tranny. She said I was mishandled and told me to file a complaint with Acura in CA. Acura in CA said that it was a dealership issue since they are owned and operation independently of Acura. She said she would not my complaints in a file/complaint to the dealerhsip and that (after much prodding) it would basically amount to nothing and I would not get any feedback or closure. I told her why waste my breath and blood pressure. I gave up. You can ask to speak to the regional director who is over your dealership for the area. You may be able to talk him into more but don't hold your breath.
I guess many traded their cars just to get out from under the problem. If Acura does the repair, don't be surprised if other things crop up while they attempt to fix it. And get maximum warranty if you are keeping the car. The new tranny doesn't fix the old tranny design issues. some are on their 3rd tranny. Good luck!
To the person who asked if the cars had been babied or not, mine was babied. it took some road trips from TX to FL but never hauled anything and has been our 2nd car and garaged 85% of the time. It is treated better than me! So, it doesn't matter. they have issues and we are stuck with it.

#98 of 967 Re: Please help! [gugy68] by lynslaw

Oct 02, 2009 (2:22 pm)

Replying to: gugy68 (Sep 30, 2009 7:45 pm)
Please file a complaint with NHTSA (National Transportation Safety Administration)so that they can get enough complaints to start a recall. If the vehicle is recalled, we either do not have to pay for the repair or can get our money back for repairs made. It is easy to file complaint and you might be able to get something out of it.

#99 of 967 2005 MDX by jmceneany

Oct 02, 2009 (3:04 pm)

My car was experiencing an unusual grinding sound while accelerating slowly to about 40MPH. It has about 75,000 miles on it but the noise was noticed much earlier than this but could not be detected by the dealership until now. I was told that the torque converter needed to be replaced. Fortunately I have a warranty that was purchased at the time of the sale and so I did not incur any expense. It was replaced last week and then the D2 light started blinking while driving. I called for service again and was told that the 4th gear pressure switch needed to be replaced. Supposedly this was replaced last week when the torque converter was put in but the part must have been defective. It was replaced yesterday and so far the light has not come back on. My concern, after reading these blogs, is that my trasnsmission might go. Any advice?

#100 of 967 Re: Please help! [madmommy3] by gugy68

Oct 02, 2009 (6:52 pm)

Replying to: madmommy3 (Oct 02, 2009 7:50 am)
Thanks for the advice.
I will take my car to an independent shop to double check the transmission. I just have a really bad feeling about the dealer.
I did contact Acura Care and they said only the dealer could help me, so they were not of much help at all. I mentioned that I heard many Acura's were recalled due the transmission issue and they denied my 2003 being part of the ones with this issue.
Then the dealer did contact me back and offered reducing the transmission job to $2500 and if I decide to fix my brake pads plus rotors they would do the whole thing for $3k.
I am not sure if I am going to do this. Since I lost a lot of confidence on the Acura brand. I just do not want to be in the vicious cycle of fixing one thing and another problems waiting to happen in a car with expired warranty.
I am weighting my options at this time but I feel I should move on sell the car and buy another brand WITH warranty. We'll see.
 
Thanks for the feedback!

#101 of 967 changing ATF every 30,000 miles? by kobbe

Oct 03, 2009 (4:04 am)

OK, so what's different with acura's trannys that they require atf change at 45,000 miles, then every 30,000 ??? Or is it a CYA (cover your ---) strategy? Most of the others I checked on are good for at least 100,000 miles. Any comments or opinions out there? Thanks....

Messages Page 11 of 98

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