RoadVitals

2004 Acura TSX Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Nov 2, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 142 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

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 2004 Acura TSX submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalTransmission
Filed Nov 2, 2010

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ACURA TSX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND BEGIN EXHIBITING A LOUD, ABNORMAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED THREE YEARS PRIOR AT 62,000 MILES. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE RADIO HAD FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME AND THE AIR CONDITIONER ALSO NEEDED REPLACING FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000 AND THE CURRENT WAS 118,000.

NHTSA ID
10363671
Incident
Jan 15, 2007
Mileage
62,000 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Nov 26, 2008

I OWN A 2004 ACURA TSX. MY AC BLEW OUT ON ME WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. I ONLY HAD AROUND 60,000 MILES AT THAT TIME. THE DEALER WANTED TO CHANGE THE WHOLE AC UNIT. COMPRESSOR, HOSES, CONDENSER, AND FLUSH THE SYSTEM OUT. THEY KNOW ABOUT THE AC FAILURE AS MANY ACURA TSX WERE REPORTED WITH THIS PROBLEM AND NOT OFFERING ANY RECALL ON IT. IT'S AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO FIX. THEY QUOTED ME $3,000.00 FOR THE FULL REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10249925
Incident
Aug 13, 2008
Transmission
Filed Dec 26, 2006

ACURA TSX MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 56K. THE PROBLEM CAUSED A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION CASE WHILE IN GEAR. NOISE GOES AWAY WHEN CLUTCH IS PRESSED IN. I AM 6K OVER MY WARRANTY AND THE DEAL IS STILL GOING TO COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH THEY QUOTED AT $4500.00 TO REPLACE. I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COVERING THE COST OF THE CLUTCH $400. I READ ONE OTHER INSTANCE WHERE THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED WITH A TSX OWNER. *JB

NHTSA ID
10176930
Incident
Dec 20, 1984
Mileage
56,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 28, 2006

ON MY WAY TO WORK, I STARTED HEARING A NOISE IN THE DRIVETRAIN. I CHECKED THE CAR OVER THE NEXT MORNING AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY'RE TELLING ME THE CARRIER BEARINGS AND DIFFERENTIAL BEARINGS ARE WORN OUT IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION -- AFTER ONLY 54K MILES?! THEY'RE NOT COVERING IT UNDER WARRANTY. I'M BEING TOLD IT IS NOT A "WARRANTY ITEM. *JB

NHTSA ID
10160943
Incident
Jun 23, 2006
Mileage
54,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 15, 2006

THE CLUTCH FAILED AT 56,000. I HAVE DRIVEN A CLUTCH FOR 24 YEARS. THE CLUTCH LASTED OVER 125,000 MILES IN MY LAST VEHICLE. I ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCE DRIVING TRUCKS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY WARRANTY SINCE THE CLUTCH IS A "WEAR PART".*JB

NHTSA ID
10147817
Incident
Jan 9, 2006
Mileage
56,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 14, 2005

AT ABOUT 19,000 MILES, MY CLUTCH BEGAN SLIPPING. I NOTICED BEFORE THIS THAT IT WAS OCCASIONALLY DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE FIRST GEAR, AND OFTEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD GRIND WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEALER, (ACURA OF GREENWICH, GREENWICH, CT.) AND WAS TOLD THE CLUTCH WAS BAD, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND WAS DAMAGED BY OVERHEATING, AS A RESULT OF MY IMPROPER DRIVING. I HAVE OWNED EIGHT MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS IN MY OVER 30 YEARS OF DRIVING, AND NEVER HAD A CLUTCH FAIL BEFORE AT LEAST 60,000 MILES. MY DRIVING STYLE IS VERY CONSERVATIVE. I HAVE NEVER ABUSED THE CLUTCH. I HAVE CHECKED SEVERAL ACURA/TSX FORUMS ON THE INTERNET, AND THE HARD SHIFTING AND GRINDING IN REVERSE, AS WELL AS PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE, IS MENTIONED BY MORE THAN A FEW OWNERS. FORTUNATELY, MY DEALER WAS VERY FAIR, AND REPLACED THE CLUTCH AS GOODWILL. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN AN ACURA SERVICE DEPT. MAGAZINE AS WELL. IT APPEARS SEVERAL OWNERS HAVE NOT BEEN AS LUCKY AS ME, AND HAD TO SPEND BIG MONEY. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE TSB ISSUED REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, AS THIS DOES APPEAR TO BE A DEFECT IN SOME TSX VEHICLES. *JB

NHTSA ID
10136473
Incident
Sep 9, 2005
Transmission
Filed Apr 11, 2005

IN APRIL 2004 HONDA ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION BEING OUT OF SPEC (TSB 124722). THREE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE I HAD TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE OTHER WARRANTY WORK PERFORMED. I WAS THEN NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION. *AKALTHOUGH I DID HAVE A DEALER LOANER CAR, I WAS WITH OUT MY CAR FOR 3 WEEKS. I PURCHASED MY TSX IN JUNE OF 2004, 2 MONTH AFTER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE VIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKED BEFORE SALE FOR ANY OUTSTANDING RECALLS. EITHER IT WAS NOT CHECKED OR I WAS NOT TOLD! IF I WAS AWARE OF THE RECALL I WOULD HAVE REQUIRED IT TO BE FIXED BEFORE SALE. PERHAPS IT WAS NOT MADE KNOWN TO ME, BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE REQUESTED A DIFFERENT VEHICLE OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL VIN RANGE.

NHTSA ID
10116730
Incident
Sep 5, 2004
Mileage
3,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 14, 2004

1) CAR WITH 9000K DEVELOPS MECHANICAL SOUND WITH DECELERATING 2) TOOK IN CAR TO DEALER FOR RECALL ON WIRE IN TRUNK AND THEY FOUND PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION. I FOUND OUT FROM SERVICE REP THAT THEY HAD ANOTHER OF THE CAR IN THEIR SHOP FOR THE SECOND TIME WITH A SECOND TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. A FRIEND ALSO HAD A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. 3) DEALER IS REPLACING TRANSMISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO LEMON LAW AS THE WEB SEEMS TO INDICATE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AND I HAVE 3 EXAMPLES OF THE PROBLEM.*JB

NHTSA ID
10098809
Incident
Nov 8, 2004
Transmission
Filed May 27, 2004

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AT A LOW SPEED AND THE GEARS WERE BEING CHANGED TO A LOWER GEAR, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

NHTSA ID
10074404
Incident
May 6, 2004
Mileage
300 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 22, 2003

WHILE PROCEEDING TO ENTER THE INTERSTATE TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID
10051870
Incident
Dec 15, 2003

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .