CarComplaints.com Notes: The 1999-2003 Acura TL has a known & widespread defect with the transmission.

Honda fixed some vehicles with a recall in 2004 by changing the oil cooler return line. To settle a class action lawsuit in 2006, Honda extended the transmission warranty on some of these Acura TL's to 93 months / 109,000 miles.

Now these vehicles are past the warranty limit, so buyer beware.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
84,188 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Acura TL drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2002 Acura TL Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #36

Dec 042020

TL

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car has been automatically shutting off while driving. Bringing my car to a halt, not a full on stop but to the point my wheels lock up. Sort of like im slamming on my brake but I can't press my brake. I lose power steering, the entire car shuts off. Then I have to try and restart it, but it won't turn over. Sometimes its just for a few minutes. Other times Im stranded for hours. A few times its been days. After it dies and i turn the key off and then back on but not over ill have power. I have a kid and we've been stranded on an on ramp with cars going 60 all around us. The car just randomly shut off in the middle of the road. There's a lot of traffic around these parts and we were stuck, not even being able to get out of the vehicle with the cars going on each side of us. Ive done some research and ive seen thousands of other complaints about this issue since 2002. Ive had 3 different mechanics try to figure out what the issue was. Have had my car at the shop for weeks at a time. A few times even the mechanics couldn't get it started, and it had to sit for 3 days before it would start up again. The check engine light is on and all 3 different mechanics have fixed everything thats came up. After this started happening ive had to replace brakes and rotors several times. My car started shifting way to late. And feels like its starting to slip. This is a safety hazzard. Especially in larger cities.

- Lakewood, WA, USA

problem #35

Mar 192015

TL

  • 210,000 miles
Automatic/manually shifts, manual gears D4 shift stuck in gear and causing electrical and engine problems. Transmission failure occured.

- Rapid City, SD, USA

problem #34

Aug 192019

TL

  • 157,672 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Acura TL. While driving various speeds, the transmission warning indicator illuminated and the front driver's side window button failed to operate. Hinshaw's Acura (5955 20th St E, fife, wa 98424, (253) 922-8830) was informed of the transmission indicator and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 157,672.

- Lacey, WA, USA

problem #33

Apr 252018

TL

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Takata recall

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #32

Feb 032018

TL

  • 112,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Acura TL. The contact stated that the ignition switch key interlock failed. As a result, the vehicle backed out of the driveway on its own. There were no warning indicators illuminated before or after the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch key interlock failed. The dealer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

- Austin, TX, USA

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problem #31

Jun 212017

TL

  • 250,000 miles
Vehical slips out of gears while driving on the hwy also feels like the car wheels or maybe even the transmission locks up while on the hwy. A very bad jerk, it seems like the gears are locking up for a quick second after the jerk it will proceed on. The jerks. These jerks are starting to damage my suspension and also my gears.. there was asafety recall for the transmissoion gears.I have taken my vhical to Acura of cerrittos and they refused to inspect and notify me of my vehical transmission gears status they said there was a oil line that was added but they cant show me where the work was done. While driving my vehical home from the dealership Acura of cerritos this transmission gears started locking up so bad that the jerks injured me my girlfriend and 3 of our kids and damaged my steering and suspension. Please help

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #30

Feb 102014

TL

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2002 Acura TL. The contact stated that the gears had been slipping and slow to change over with a sudden jerk or lunge. The rpms would race intermittently once the gears changed and the engine and emissions warning indicators illuminated. The dealer (rivertown Honda, 4260 kenowa ave sw, grandville, mi 49418, (616) 667-4500) cleared the codes, but the codes returned on the instrument panel within 48 hrs. The contact was uncertain if the dealer could provide a solution after taking the vehicle back again with no specific repair solution. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V176000 (power train). The failure mileage was not available.

- Wyoming, MI, USA

problem #29

Jan 102017

TL

  • 94,000 miles
Vehicle shifts into gear ok until it reaches 40 miles per hour then gear stops shifting as if the gears aren't catching. Once the vehicle reaches 50 miles per hour it starts to accelerate ok. The transmission is not functioning properly

- Carleton, MI, USA

problem #28

Oct 312016

TL 6-cyl

  • miles
Takata recall my Acura TL was driving fine and all of a sudden, the transmission started to slip and jerk while on the highway I-25 in Colorado, putting my life in grave danger. I tried pulling over in castle rock Colorado at an auto zone to see if stop slip fluid in the transmission but that did no justice. As I was looking to get it fixed, I seen in the internet that there was a recall on this vehicles transmission. So I hope I can get this fixed and back running soon. Otherwise I may never get another Acura model car in my lifetime.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #27

Oct 082016

TL

  • 120,000 miles
While driving my transmission slips and my car stops moving. The transmission was worked on in 2005 for the recall issue. After doing research it is known that the 2005 repairs did not really work. At 120K miles the transmission is out again. In the morning it drives fine until it gets hot duplicating the initial recall symptoms. The car has been at Acura for a month and diagnosed as duplicating the. A month later Acura decides not to stand behind there vehicle. I have a Hyundai and Dodge with over 200K miles and I have never had any drivetrain issues.

- Fresno, TX, USA

problem #26

Mar 242016

TL 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 51,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2002 Acura TL. While driving at 40 mph, the transmission failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission and PCM module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V176000 (power train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000. Updated 05/10/16 updated 12/13/2017

- Fort Washington, MD, USA

problem #25

Aug 212015

TL

  • 103,500 miles
Transmission failure for second time. First failed after vehicle was 4 years old with 30,000 miles in 2005. Acura stated the transmission was defective and replaced it with a new one under warranty. Second one failed after car had 103,500 miles on it 8/21/15 even though I followed the maintenance prescribed by the manufacturer. Acura refused to participate in any of the cost of $5,100 quoted by the dealer for a re-manufactured unit. When the unit failed the car would lose all power to the wheels presenting a dangerous condition in that vehicles behind could have easily rear ended me. In other instances the car would not shift up properly and then lose all power which if this occurred in busy traffic could have resulted in a serious accident. Acura is full aware of the defects in their transmission and have tried to present it as an incident that only affects some of their vehicles and that the problem was fixed with an update to the transmissions. I feel this is not true and you may agree with all the complaints being filed. Clearly although these are older cars at this point the problem remains and can pose a danger. I hope serious injury or worse does not have to occur before something is done. Also, Acura should have covered this because the problem has not been cured.

- Evanston, IL, USA

problem #24

Dec 182009

TL

  • 92,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Acura TL. While driving at 35 mph, the vehicle jerked forward and backwards whenever the gears where being shifted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

- Encinitas , CA, USA

problem #23

Jul 142015

TL 6-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Acura TL. The contact stated that the keys were able to be removed from the ignition without the vehicle being shifted into park. The contact also stated that the vehicle crashed into two other vehicles while the vehicle was parked. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 03V423000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000. Updated 9/25/15

- Collegeville, PA, USA

problem #22

Oct 252014

TL 6-cyl

  • 162,400 miles
I bought this vehicle used in September and it started having shifting problems shortly afterward. I then discovered there was a recall (04V-176) on the transmission. The recall states in part that "the dealer will inspect the transmission to identify gears that have already experienced discoloration due to overheating. If discoloration exists, the transmission will be replaced." The dealer called and told me they had completed the recall work, but recommended that we replace the solenoids to fix the hard shifting. My wife picked up the car when the work was complete and it ran reasonably well for about a week. On the date noted above, my daughter drove it home from work and it would not shift out of 3rd gear. Note, it is a 5 speed automatic transmission. She told me she was scared to drive it because of the way it was acting. I drove it for a short distance the next day and verified her complaint. I am upset because I feel like Acura let us take an unsafe car out of their maintenance department without letting us know there was a problem. I called the dealer back and told them about the problem and asked if they had done the gear inspection and what it had shown. The dealer would not confirm that the inspection had been completed and would not provide the results of the inspection. He just stated that "the technician knew what to do for this recall." I then called in a complaint to Acura. They listened, gave me a case no. And told me that someone would call me back within 48 hours. When I hadn't heard from them for a week, I called and they told me the case worker was at lunch, but would call me as soon as she got back. I waited all afternoon, but no one called. Now, I feel I have no alternative, but to file this complaint as Acura has been totally unresponsive.

- Peyton, CO, USA

problem #21

Oct 012014

TL

  • 170,000 miles
First off my driver side power window has never worked. I changed my window motor with the regulator twice. That did not fix my window. I changed my drivers master window module twice. I checked all of the fuses and the power window fuses were good. My power window still doesn't work after $400 in parts and $400 in labor. I took my car to the Acura dealership because my car had a few recalls. The person helping me at the dealership was real rude and disrespectful. He told me the only recall I had was for my SRS airbag. He had to order the part. I haven't received a phone call from the dealership to let me know the part was in. Two weeks later I go in and check if the part was I N. the same person that helped me came up to me and had an attitude and was disrespectful again. He told me the part was in but they can't service it that day. They never communicated with me. Horrible service at [xxx] Acura. I told the service guy that my car does not want to come out of first gear and there was a recall on my transmission. He was real rude and told me that I had to pay $6000. I did a little research and my 02 Acura TL type S with my VIN number has many recalls. 1 for my air bags. 2. for my transmission 2nd gear. 3 for my drivers power window. I told this Acura service guy that I had recalls for all 3 things and he laughed at me. My cluster fuse keeps blowing and the code that comes up is for my transmission range sensor. 70+ people with an 02 Acura Tls have had the same issues as me. I just contacted Acura and they told me that the transmission has been completed. No recall has been done on my car. I need help please. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Gainesville, VA, USA

problem #20

Sep 012014

TL 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
My 2002 Acura TL with automatic transmission which has only 59,851 miles on it. I bought it from the original owner 6 years ago, and since then I have only driven about 11,000 miles. The well-known 2002 TL automatic transmission design flaw is now causing big sudden jerks and the car shooting forward, thus creating a huge safety issue to me and the generic public. Initially a rep at Acura client relations (1-800-382-2238 option 4) told me to take the car to an authorized Acura dealer for diagnosis. I had the car towed to kearny mesa Acura, paid $130 for a written diagnosis, and faxed it to Acura client relations. The rep said as the car had only 59,851 miles on it, he would take my case to his management. But my request for help from Acura was later denied, citing their extended 109,000 miles and 7 year 9 month warranty had expired. I wonder why Acura cannot man up and take responsibilities for their faulty automatic transmission on 2002 TL models. How can Acura use an arbitrarily-set warranty expiration date to ignore the huge safety problems on their cars?

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #19

Sep 062014

TL 6-cyl

  • 59,841 miles
In Sept 2008 I bought the 2002 Acura TL with automatic transmission from original owner. It had 48,440 miles on it. The safety problem e.g. unexpected sudden jerk followed by car shooting forward did not happen until around 09/06/2014. On 09/08/2014 I called american Honda Motors (ahm) at 1-800-382-2238 (option 4) and was advised by [xxx] to send the car to an authorized Acura dealer for diagnosis. He said there was an extended warranty covering 109,000 miles and 7 years 9 months on 2002 Acura TL with automatic transmission but it had expired. He also said as my car had less than 60,000 miles on it he could present the case to management. Concerned that I might kill someone due to cars sudden jerk and unexpected shooting forward if driving, I had the car towed to the dealer kearny mesa Acura at 5202 kearny mesa road, san diego, ca 92111-1801 (tel 858.430.5600). The dealer said in its written 3-page diagnosis that the transmission must be replaced at $4,400+tax. Their technician said my car had the same transmission problem as the other early Acura Tls that he had worked on. I faxed the 3-page dealer diagnosis pages to ahm. Today 09/16/2014 [xxx] of ahm at 1-800-382-2238 [xxx] informed me that her district representative refused to help citing the expired warranty. I asked her to appeal my case as I felt the rep should not be the sole person to make a decision on it. I feel ahm should help me because after all it was the well-known 2002 TL automatic transmission design flaw which caused my huge safety problem. For 6 years since I bought it I have only driven 11,411 miles, so I feel it is totally unfair that ahm refused to help me. I am unable to pay the $4,400+tax for transmission replacement. But if I do not have the transmission replaced, how do I go to work or shop for food? I am pleading to NHTSA to help. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #18

Sep 162013

TL

  • miles
I bought my Acura February 2011. Since then I have had 2 transmission failures and have spent well over $1400 each time I got it fixed by the certified mechanic. I still have my receipts and only got a 1 year warranty first time and a 3 month warranty this past time. It seems like I am paying more for the transmission alone than the value of the car. The engine is great but I am afraid the transmission is going to fail again and I cannot afford to buy another car or fix the problem if it does fail again. This is a concern for me because the first failure was very scary for me and my family. We were driving up a steep hill to overview a city we visited and the transmission shut down and we were inclined. I did not know how to approach this situation with 3 minor children and as a single mother. It was very overwhelming and I was petrified. Then come to find out not so long later after getting the transmission fixed, the transmission went out again. I am very concerned and have blogged and read alot of complaints about this car. You can youtube google all kinds of info on these Acura with constant transmission problems. I think the manufacturer intended on this malfunction for profit as a automechanic. It is very unfair, unsafe, unjust with them selling cars that do not last 5000 miles and then have the transmission fail over and over. I am the owner of the 2002 Acura. Please keep me informed about this car and if there is any way someone can help me get warranty for free because it is really unfair. Thank you for your time and concern. God bless what you guys and girls are doing.

- Gilroy , CA, USA

problem #17

Sep 152010

TL 6-cyl

  • 78,514 miles
At the time of purchase of my vehicle, I was unaware that there was a recall on my torque converter. The torque converter started going out while on the freeway which almost caused a wreck due to the gears not changing. I have been in contact with Acura relations about the situation and reimbursement for the expense of getting the torque converter fixed. The supervisor told me that they are not reliable for the cost because something to do with in house warranty extension on the part. I disagree because it a company acknowledges the fact that their product have a defect on a certain part, they should be held accountable for their customer's safety. I have been on a merry go round about this matter with Acura and I need someone to take a further look into this matter..........thank you in advance.

- Little Rock, AR, USA

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