Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Acura Cl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 22 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA CL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING A REDUCTION IN ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE 107,000.
ACURA CL 3.2 2003 W/ 60K MILES, MAINTAINED ON A REGULAR BASIS EXCEEDING OWNERS MANUAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND DRIVEN CONSERVATIVELY BY A PROFESSIONAL FEMALE: CAR BEING DRIVEN ON HEAVILY TRAFFICKED ROAD NORMALLY, AND VERY ABRUPTLY/SUDDENLY GEARED DOWN TO LOW GEAR FROM HIGH GEAR. VIOLENTLY JERKED AND SHIFTED, CAUSING THE CAR TO INSTANTLY GO FROM AROUND 50 MPH TO ONLY AROUND 10-15 MPH. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR PREVIOUS PROBLEMS. IF CAR HAD BEEN BEING DRIVEN ON THE BUSY, HIGH SPEED INTERSTATE LEAVING SAN FRANCISCO AT 60+ SURROUNDED BY TRAFFIC (LUCKILY HAD JUST EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND WAS ON SECONDARY ROAD), IT COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED FATAL ACCIDENTS. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY ACCESS A SHOULDER TO PULL OVER. DROVE CAR TO ACURA SERVICE ON SIDE ROAD WITH FLASHERS ON - TOOK NEARLY AN HOUR TO GO 6 MILES. WARNING LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON A HALF MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP, ALTHOUGH PROBLEM HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL MILES BEFORE AND COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED MAJOR ACCIDENTS, BASED ON DRIVING SITUATION. ACURA SERVICE DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED IT. EVEN THOUGH I LATER LEARNED THAT THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR HAD BEEN PUT UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND WAS THE SUBJECT OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, I HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATIONS. FURTHER, I WAS TOLD BY ACURA CORP AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM/ LAWSUIT AND I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE NEW TRANSMISSION, ON THE ACURA WITH 60K MILES THAT WAS IN OTHERWISE EXCELLENT CONDITION.. *TR
TRANSMISSION IN MY 2003 ACURA CLS HAD SHIFTING PROBLEMS. IT WOULD DOWNSHIFT RANDOMLY FOR NO REASON AND THROW YOU HARD AGAINST YOUR SEAT BELT. IT WAS SO BAD I HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE ACURA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. OTHER ACURA CL'S AND ACURA PRODUCTS HAD A RECALL FOR THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THAT REQUIRED THEM TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, BUT MINE WAS SUPPOSEDLY A VEHICLE THAT WAS NOT AFFECTED AND NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THE ACURA DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND COVERED 1/2 THE COST AFTER I ASKED THEM TO CONTACT THEIR LOCAL ACURA DEALER REP. *TR
THERE ARE TWO SAFETY ISSUES WITH MY 2003 ACURA CL. FIRST, THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FLASHING LIKE A STROBE LIGHT. I REPLACED THE BULB AND IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. REPLACED THE FUSES AND STILL HAVE THE PROBLEMS. SECOND, THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION AND COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. AT THE TIME OF THE RECALL, THE FIRST OWNER DID NOT HAVE IT REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED AN ENGINE COOLER TO HELP WITH FRICTION. THIS OBVIOUSLY DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE ENGINE IS JERKING AND ACCELERATING WHEN I AM TRYING TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT SPEED. I NOTIFIED ACURA AND THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. NEITHER ARE WILLING TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. *TR
THE CAR WOULD NOT TAKE OFF WHEN IT'S ON DRIVE FELL LIKE IT ON NEUTRAL FOR A FEW SECONDS AND WOULD NOT REVERSE WHEN IT'S ON R 2003 ACURA CL TYPE-S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAULTY. ACCORDING TO THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAINST ACURA THEY ARE LIABLE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. ACRE HAS OFFER TO EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS 9 MONTHS OR 109,000 MILES. I CALLED ACRE TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND ASKED ABOUT THE EXTEND WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS FIXED ON RECALL 2004 AND IT WAS A ONE TIME FIXED ONLY, NO EXTEND WARRANTY BECAUSE VIN DOES NOT QUALIFY. *TR
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED MISSING SHIFTS INTO 3RD GEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN UNDER LOAD, LIKE GOING UP HILL. TWO WEEKS LATER IT WON'T SHIFT INTO 3RD AT ALL. DEALER SAYS I NEED TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. ONLY 62,000 MILES ON A VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF CAR. HONDA AGREED TO REPLACE SOME OF THESE MODEL YEAR TRANSMISSIONS, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM. ANECDOTAL INFORMATION, BUT IN SPEAKING WITH A NON ACURA RELATED TRANSMISSION SHOP, HE KNEW EXACTLY HOW MY PROBLEM MANIFESTED ITSELF, AND WHAT IT WAS, WITH ONLY THE MODEL YEAR. CLEARLY HONDA SHOULD BE FORCED TO EXTEND THEIR SERVICE COVERAGE TO AT LEAST THE BALANCE OF THE 2003 MODEL YEAR IF NOT BEYOND. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA 3.2CL. ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2008, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. THE CONTACT WANTED A SECOND OPINION AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE SECOND MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION); HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS DUE TO THE MILEAGE THAT WAS ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2004. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 124,000.
1) ROUGH SHIFTING. 2) GEAR WOULD NOT CHANGE, ERRATIC SHIFTING, AND THEN CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. 3) 01-SOME 03 CLS HAD MANY PROBLEM W/ TRANSMISSION SO TRANSMISSION WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 109K BUT I HAVE AN 03 THAT IS NOT COVERED AND TRANSMISSION BLEW. DEALER PAID FOR THE TRANSMISSION BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR LABOR. *TR
MANUAL TRANS/CLUTCH - LOOSES HYDRAULIC PRESSURE IN LOW AIR TEMPS AND WHEN CAR IS SITTING ON A HILL. HARD TO SHIFT ONLY IN 1ST INTO 2ND GEAR. THERE WERE VERY FEW ACURA 2002/2003 CL 3.2 TYPE SS MADE, SO EVEN A COUPLE COMPLAINTS SHOULD WARRANT A REVIEW. I FOUND NUMEROUS FORUMS WITH OWNERS COMPLAINING AND ASKING FOR HELP FROM OTHERS ON THIS PROBLEM. I'VE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANS CARS AND TRUCKS FOR 22 YRS TO INCLUDE ONE HONDA THAT STILL HAD THE ORIGINAL CLUTCH AT 225K MILES, SO IT IS NOT A DRIVER RELATED PROBLEM. ALL THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THE AUTO TRANSMISSIONS FOR THIS CAR...THAT FAILED. ACURA HAS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GET SERIOUSLY HURT, WHEN THEY TRY TO SHIFT INTO SECOND WHEN CROSSING A BUSY STREET AND CANT. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND I JUST GOT LUCKY. *NM
HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION AFTER 89,000 MILES. *JB
TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 60,000 MILES. AFTER HEARING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL OF MY VEHICLE FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, I CALLED ACURA. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL DID NOT AFFECT MY VEHICLE (ACCORDING TO THE VIN #). THEY AGREED TO CHECK TO SEE WHETHER IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL BUT THE PROCESS THEY SUGGESTED WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD COVER THE PROBLEM. I HAD MY VEHICLE REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. I NOW SEE THE VIN #'S THAT WERE AFFECTED AND IT LOOKS LIKE MY VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE RECALL. *JB
MY 2003 ACURA CL-TYPE S MANUAL 6 SPEED IS ALSO HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AS THE OTHER OWNERS WITH CHANGE IN PEDAL PRESSURE AND DIFFICULTY SHIFTING IN COLD WEATHER, SOMETIMES WITH GEARS GRINDING AND IT IS UNAVOIDABLE UNLESS YOU PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND START FROM 1ST GEAR AGAIN,REVERSE IS ALSO A ISSUE, SOMETIMES IT WONT GO IN AT ALL, I HAVE BEEN TO THE ACURA DEALERSHIPS TO PURCHASE THE NEW TRANNY SENSORS WHICH ARE NOT CHEAP BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL, NOTHING UNUSUAL AND MY TRANSMISSION TOTALLY LOCKED ON 3RD GEAR, LUCKILY I OR ANYBODY ELSE WAS HURT. MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FENDER WAS DAMAGED BECAUSE I HAD TO MANEUVER VEHICLE OUT OF FREEWAY TRAFFIC TO AVOID A MAJOR COLLISION. ALSO FRONT BUMPER NEEDS SOME REPAIR AND REPAINTING. *JB
ISSUE WITH 6 SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION. WHILE COLD DIFFICULTY UPSHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR WITH OCCASIONAL GEAR GRINDING. CLUTCH AND 2ND GEAR SYNCROS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. ACURA MAINTAINS THAT THIS DIFFICULTY IS NORMAL PERFORMANCE. *JB
2003 ACURA 3.2CL TYPE S - 75,000 MILES - MANUAL TRANSMISSION (MT) IS HARD TO SHIFT INTO SECOND AND REVERSE GEARS. ALSO NOTICED THAT AFTER HOLDING THE CLUTCH PEDAL IN WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, SITTING IN TRAFFIC, ETC., THE PRESSURE CHANGES WHILE LETTING THE PEDAL OUT AND DOESN'T ENGAGE/CATCH WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT. MUST PUSH PEDAL DOWN AGAIN AND TRY TO SHIFT AGAIN. THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES THIS HAPPENED, I SHIFTED FROM FIRST INTO SECOND GEAR AND THE GEAR GRINDED AND CAR JERKED. THE PEDAL PRESSURE ALMOST FEEL LIKE A BRAKE PEDAL DOES WHEN COMPRESSED AND THERE IS AIR IN THE LINE. AT OTHER TIMES, IT FEELS LIKE I'M PUSHING IN MY 1978 Z-28 MANUAL CLUTCH PEDAL....HEAVY! SERVICE DEPT IS EXCELLENT AT DEALER LOCATION. COMPLAINT BEING FILED TO ENSURE THAT A PROBLEM IS NOTED WITH THE MT IF OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES; WHICH COULD LEAD TO A RECALL. *NM
I HAVE A 2003 ACURA CL TYPE S. ACURA HAS REPLACED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TWICE AND THE 3RD TRANSMISSION CURRENTLY IN THE CAR IS HAVING PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH THE MANUFACTURER EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS AND 100,000 MILES, THEY SENT SERVICE BULLETINS REQUESTING SERVICE INDUCED SLIPPAGE BETWEEN GEARS AND REDUCTIN OF HORSEPOWER TO REDUCE STRAIN ON THE TRANSMISSION. THIS CAR IS ADVERTISED AS A HIGH PERFORMANCE AUTOMOBILE AND UNKNOWN TO THE CUSTOMER TO TAKE CARE OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THEY ARE ADJUSTING THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR IN EXCESS OF 15 TIMES. AS A PARAPLEGIC CONFINED TO A WHEELCHAIR THIS HAS DRAMATICALLY IMPACTED MY QUALITY OF LIFE. ANY ASSISTANCE YOU COULD PROVIDE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. RON CHEEK
2003 ACURA CL TYPE S 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANS. TRAVELING SLOW IN 1ST. GEAR ON AND OFF THE GAS TRANS. POPS OUT OF GEAR WITH A CLUNK. IF I HOLD THE SHIFT LEVER IN PLACE IT WILL NOT POP OUT IF GEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 08-2003. DEALER CHECKED INTO IT BUT SAID EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. I LOVE THE CAR BUT THIS PROBLEM WITH IT POPING OUT OF GEAR IS CONCERNING AND DANGEROUS. I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY CAR IN OTHER WAYS.*AK
THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER OF A TRANSMISSION RECALL. THE CONSUMER HAD NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN REFERENCE TO A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *NM *JB RECALL#04V176000
TRANMISSION FAILURES: 2003 ACURA CL. 1ST INCIDENT WAS AT 3,000 MILES. CAR STALLED AND WAS ACTING UP ON A VERY BUSY FREEWAY IN CA (405 FREEWAY). I WASN'T IN A FAMILIAR AREA WHEN I PULLED OVER. ACURA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SAID TO DRIVE TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WHEN I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE ONE WAS. IT WAS DANGEROUS BUT I ENDED UP MAKING IT TO DEALERSHIP. REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND SOME OTHER FLUIDS AFTER 1 WEEK OF BEING IN THE SHOP. 2ND INCIDENT WAS AT 25K MILES AND NOT EVEN 2 YRS OLD. CAR WAS PULLING I SLOWED DOWN AND HAD A BLOW OUT ON ANOTHER FREEWAY. IT IS IN THE SHOP AS WE SPEAK. THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN. I'LL BE WITHOUT MY CAR A WEEK.*AK
OWN A 2003 ACURA CL BUILT IN MARCH OF 2002. TRANSMISSION SLIPPED GOING INTO THIRD EIGHT TIMES. REPORTED THIS TO DEALER AND THEY CHECKED IT OUT BUT IT WOULD NOT RECCUR. TOLD ME NO PROBBLEM. I AM HAPPY WITH THE DEALER, NOT WITH HONDA. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED SEVENTEEN TIMES STARTING IN LATE SEPTEMBER.*AK
THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2003 ACURA CLS HESITATES DURING CERTAIN SHIFTS AND IT HAS DOWNSHIFTED AND UPSHIFTED AT THE WRONG TIMES.*AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPS EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. *AK
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VIOLENTLY LOCKED HILE PROCEEING DOWN THE ROAD. IN CONTACTING THE ACURA DEALER IN MOBILE, AL (MY CLOSEST DEALER) I WAS INFORMED THEY HAD 4 IN THE SHOP THIS WEEK ALONE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THEM THE TRANSMISSIONNEED A EXTERNAL COOLER WHICH THEY NOW INSTALL ON THE NEWER MODELA. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PRICE TO FIX MINE WOULD BE $5,100 PLUS INCIDENTALS. WITH THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS THEY ARE HAVING WITH THIS AND THE FACT IT COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT IT NEED TO BE A RECALL ITEM.*AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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