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 2002 Acura RSX submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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 2002 ACURA RSX. WHEN SWITCHING FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR, THE SHIFTER WOULD POP OUT OF GEAR AND MAKE A GRINDING NOISE. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 76,500.
I'VE HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE NEW RSX IN 02... THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED ON THE INTERNET... HOWEVER ACURA HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE... THE PROBLEM ONLY GOT WORSE OVER TIME AND FINALLY THE ENGINE BLEW OUT COMPLETELY AND STARTING SMOKING WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY... WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT NO CRASH OCCURRED BUT INJURIES/FATALITIES COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED. ACURA HAS FAILED TO OWN-UP TO THIS ENGINE/TRANSMISSION FAILURE ISSUE, EVEN IN CASES WHERE THE WARRANTY IS STILL VALID... I FEEL VERY MUCH MISLEAD AS I HAVE COMPLAINED TO MY DEALER SINCE PURCHASE AND THEY ALWAYS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM... I THINK THE FACT THAT ACURA HAS STOPPED MAKING THE RSX IS AN INDICATION OF THE SEVERITY OF THESE "HIDDEN" ISSUES. *TR
I WAS DRIVING AND SHIFTED FROM 2ND TO THIRD AND I LET OUT THE CLUTCH AT 30 MPH AND THE TRANSMISSION CAME APART WITH GEARS ON THE GROUND. ACURA NEVER CALLED THE WARRANTY COMPANY SO IT WAS NEVER FIXED AND THEY REPOSED IT. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHICH MADE THE CONTACT CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #637638. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THIS WAS SAFETY DEFECT. THERE ALSO HAS BEEN TROUBLE WITH SWITCHING GEARS FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IT MADE A GRINDING SOUND WHILE GOING INTO SECOND GEAR. THIS PROBLEM DEVELOPED AT 12,7000 MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO A SERVICE DEALER TO ADDRESS EITHER PROBLEM.
I RECENTLY PURCHASED 2002 ACURA RSX WITH 21,200 MILES, 5SP MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE PASSED 150- POINT INSPECTION THAT WAS PERFORMED AT WHITE BEAR LAKES ACURA SUBARU, MN DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS ACURA-CERTIFIED, BUT I DECIDED NOT TO PURCHASE $1,600 CERTIFICATION PROGRAM BECAUSE OF MONEY CONSTRAINTS. NOW, WHEN TEMPERATURES AROUND HERE DROPPED TO 0 DEGREES F, THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED 1-2 SHIFTING PROBLEM. SHIFTING TO 2ND GEAR IS REALLY HARD TO DO. MY 2ND GEAR SYNCHROS ARE ALWAYS GRINDING AND ESPECIALLY, NOW AT 20F I AM GETTING CONSTANT THE 1-2 NOTCH SHIFTS. I'VE NOTICED LOTS OF PEOPLE IN INTERNET NEWS GROUPS AND FORUMS ARE HAVING THE SAME IDENTICAL PROBLEM. JUST READ IT: HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/RSXGRIND/PETITION.HTML I KNOW FOR THE FACT THAT HONDA MOTORS COMPANY ON JULY, 1, 2002 ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN 02-016 DESCRIBING GEARS GRINDING WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTED BETWEEN GEARS. THEY CONCLUDED- WORN SYNCHRONIZERS! CORRECTIVE ACTION: REPLACE THE EFFECTED SYNCHRONISM SLEEVES SET(S). THE TSB ONLY APPLIES TOWARDS 2002 RSX TYPE S FROM VIN JDC530.2C000001 THROUGH JDC5302C033312. GOOD LUCK GETTING IT FIXED FOR OTHER VEHICLES. I CALLED LOCAL BUERKLE ACURA BROOKLYN PARK MN, NEW AND USED CAR DEALER AND INFORMED THEM MY FINDINGS. IN ADDITION, I INFORMED THAT I HAVE A COPY OF TSB DESCRIBING THE IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED WITH MY VEHICLE. THEY RESPONSE WAS TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AND PAY US $150 FOR INSPECTION. WHEN PRESSED FOR MORE INFORMATION, THE SERVICE WRITER AT ACURA CATEGORICALLY DENIED ANYTHING AND STATED THAT THEY HAVE NO SUCH TSB IN THEIR POSSESSION. IN MY OPINION, ACURA RSX HAS A SERIOUS TRANSMISSION FLAW THAT CAUSES NORMAL SHIFTS INTO SECOND GEAR TO GRIND. THIS PROBLEM HAS HIGH FREQUENCY IN ALL MODEL YEARS. ACURA CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM.ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ACURA DEALERS EITHER IGNORE THE PROBLEM OR BLAME OWNERS ABUSE AND/OR POOR DRIVING TECHNIQUE. *JB
I BOUGHT A CERTIFIED PRE-OWN 2002 ACURA RSX - S ON 9/17/2004 FROM OCEAN ACURA, OCEAN NJ. I EVEN BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAID THEY HAVE DONE OVER 100 POINTS CHECK AND HAVE DONE ALL NECESSARY MAINTENANCE. WITHIN TWO AND HALF WEEK, I AM EXPERINCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM SHIFTING FROM SECOND TO THIRD AND SOMETIME A GRINDING SOUND. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO BRING IN THE CAR ON 10/13/04. THAT APPOINTMENT NEVER TOOK PLACE BECAUSE THE CAR BROKE DOWN ON 10/09/04. I GOT IN TOUCH WITH ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY HAVE TOWED THE CAR TO THE NEAREST ACURA DEALER (RYAN'S OPEN ROAD) EAST BRUNSWICK N.J. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OCEAN ACURA, ACURA AMERICA AND RYAN'S SEVERAL TIME. RYAN HAS DETERMINE THAT THE ENGINE IS DAMAGE AND I WILL NEED A NEW ENGINE. THE DEALER (OCEAN) IS TRYING TO PUT THE BLAME ON ME SAYING THAT I HAVE ABUSED THE ENGINE AND I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT. OCEAN ACURA SAID, HE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE TO TALK TO ACURA AMERICA. TODAY IS 10/21/2004 AND I HAVE NOT GOT A DEFINITE RESOLUTION. ACURA AMERICA HAS NOT CALL ME BACK, OCEAN ACURA SAID THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. THE CAR IS AT RYAN'S. I PAID $21,000.00 FOR THE CAR. THEY SAID IT WILL COST $7000.00 TO PUT IN A NEW ENGINE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THE ACURA RSX S AND I HAVE FOUND OVER 14,000 COMPLAINS ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. ACURA DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THESE MODELS. HELP!. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. IF I TAKE A LAWYER WILL HAVE TO ANOTHER $500 - $1000 LAWYER FEES. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF SOME COULD LEAD ME TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU.
I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR TO ESSERMAN INTERNATIONAL DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION. ON MARCH 11, 2003 AFTER I EXPLAINED THE NOISES AND WAIT A WHOLE MORNING, I WAS GIVEN MY CAR BACK AND INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. *AK APRIL 14 I RETURNED TO THE SAME DEALER AND EXPLAINED THAT I STILL HEARD THE CRACKING NOISE AND THAT IT WAS HARD TO BRAKE. ONCE AGAIN MY CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME AND INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. FEBRUARY 20, 2004 I TOOK MY CAR TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER WHERE I PURCHASE MY VEHICLE, EXPLAINED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES AND IN ADDITION THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. THIS TIME FOR MY SURPRISE THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD TO RESURFACE FRONT BRAKES ROTORS AND THAT THERE WAS NO NOISE INSIDE THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY AFTER THEY SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED THE CAR, THE D-4 LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THE NOISE ON THE BRAKE WAS WORSE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER SINCE I WAS SHIPPING MY CAR TO CA. THE VERY NEXT DAY. WHEN I RECEIVED MY CAR IN CA I TOOK THE CAR TO THE ACURA DEALER IN ELK GROVE FOR AN INSPECTION & ALSO EXPLAINED AGAIN THE WHOLE SITUATION. THIS TIME THOUGH I ALSO EXPLAINED THE EXPERIENCE I HAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR FROM OAKLAND TO SACRAMENTO (1 HOUR ): THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE ITSELF AND I HAD TO TAP ON THE GAS-PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER FOR IT TO CHANGE GEARS. THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM MADE ME STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY THREE TIMES. ONCE AGAIN I RECEIVED MY CAR BACK AND TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR EXCEPT THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES PADS AN MY OWN COST. CUSTOMER RELATIONS WAS CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES (MR. IAHWAN) BUT THIS MANAGER WILL NOT ANSWER MY LETTER, FAX OR VOICE MESSAGE. I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT D4-LIGHT WAS FLASHING, WHICH IN THE MANUAL STATES THAT IT CAN BE A PROBLEM W/TRANSMISSION, UNFORTUNATELY THE DEALER DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. THE D4 LIGHT KEEPS FLASHING AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. PLEASE HELP!
MY 2002 ACURA RSX-S WAS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU MAY PULL OUT AND NEED TO ACCELERATE AND YOU CAN NOT. ROSENTHAL ACURA LOOKED AT THE CAR AND SAID IT NEEDED SOME PARTS FOR 3RD GEAR. THEY TOOK THE CAR APART AND FOUND A BROKEN SHIFT FORK LEVER. ACURA CORP SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH MY 50,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY IS STILL IN EFFECT. THEY DID NOT GIVE ANY REASON FOR DENYING MY CLAIM. AS OF NOW ACURA IS REFUSING TO COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY AND IS QUOTING ME OVER 2000 DOLLARS TO FIX A CAR THAT IS NOT EVEN 2 YEARS OLD! THERE ARE OVER 900 PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET THAT HAVE ALL SIGNED A PETITION TO GET ACURA TO RECALL ALL THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THE 2002 AND 2003 ACURAS. PLEASE HELP ME OUT HERE.*AK
SECOND GEAR GRINDING LED TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NOW I HAVE TO GET MY TRANSMISSION REPLACED, AND DEALER WANTS ME TO BELIEVE ITS MY FAULT WHEN I RARELY DRIVE IT HARD.
2ND GEAR GRIND ON 6SPEED TRANSMISSION. SOMETIMES 3RD GEAR POPS OUT WHILE DRIVING. RICK CASE ACURA HAS REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION TWICE IN ONE YEAR. THE TRANSMISSION STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY ARE NOW PUTTING IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. I AM NOT THE ONLY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK
TRANSMISSION MISTAKENLY DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND RATHER THAN UPSHIFTED TO 4TH AFTER AN UPHILL CLIMB. AT THE START OF THE DESCEND WHEN CAR GAINED SPEED I INTENDED TO UPSHIFT FROM 3RD TO 4TH BUT SHIFTED TO 2ND INSTEAD. I SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND FOUND THE CAR FACING WHERE I CAME FROM. THE ENGINE DIED AND WILL NOT RE-START. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND CLAIMED ENGINE WAS OVER REVVED AND BEYOND REPAIR. ACURA REFUSED TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE SHIFTING MECHANISM AS IT IS VERY EASY TO MISTAKENLY SHIFT TO 2ND GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING OR DRIVING DOWNHILL. LUCKY NOBODY HURT. *JB
TRANSMISSION IS HORRIBLE IN THE CAR THIS IS THE 2ND ONE THAT WENT ON ME. THE FIRST TIME IT WENT IT POPPED OUT OF 2ND GEAR AND GRINDED INTO 3RD. THE SECOND TIME IT STARTED THE SAME WAY AS THE FIRST ONE WENT, BUT IT ONLY GOT WORSE BECAUSE IT GOT STUCK IN 3RD GEAR AND THAT WAS THE ONLY GEAR THAT WOULD WORK, NOT EVEN REVERSE!
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 30MPH THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY JUMPED OUT OF 3RD GEAR. TS
WHEN SHIFTING GEARS FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR THE SECOND GEAR ALLWAYS GRINDS. I HAVE TALK TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE OF CAR AND ALL OF THEM SAY THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. DT
USING HEADLIGHTS DURING DAYTIME CONDITIONS RESULTS IN ODOMETER, AND GEAR SELECTION INDICATIORS BECOMING UNREADABLE
WHEN SHIFTING GEARS IT SHIFTS ROUGH . MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND TRYING TO SHIFT TO ANOTHER GEAR VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO TO INTO THAT GEAR. IT WILL GO INTO ANOTHER GEAR, EITHER HIGHER OR LOWER ,BUT IT WON'T GO INTO GEAR THAT WAS INDICATED. THIS SUDDEN CHANGE IN ENGINE CAUSED ACCELERATION CHANGE. ON HIGHWAY IT MISSHIFTED, AND THEN ENGINE DIED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON A BUSY ROAD THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *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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