2001 Acura Cl

TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THE DAY BEFORE IT FAILED, I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT A STEADY SPEED OF ABOUT 45 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DECIDED IT WANTED TO BE IN FIRST GEAR. THE CAR JERKED VIOLENTLY AND SLOWED DOWN VERY QUICKLY WHILE PULLING ME TO THE LEFT (NEARLY LOSING CONTROL WITH THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKED) UNTIL IT SHIFTED BACK OUT OF FIRST GEAR. IT FELT AS IF I HAD SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND IF SOMEONE WAS BEHIND ME, I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER BUT NOT AS VIOLENTLY. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY FAILED, IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL SECONDS TO SHIFT GEARS AND WOULD REV UP HIGH (AS IF IN NEUTRAL) WHILE BETWEEN SHIFTS. WHEN IT DID SHIFT IT SHIFTED HARD. THEN, AS PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT, SEVERAL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP INCLUDING THE CHECK ENGINE, VSA, AND D5 LIGHTS AND WAS STUCK IN SECOND GEAR. ALSO, THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. I UNDERSTAND FROM THE DEALER THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM AND MOST PEOPLE REPORT SYMPTOMS SIMILAR TO MINE. I FIND THIS SCARY BECAUSE I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED HAD I BEEN IN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO FIRST AND CAUSED ME TO SLOW DOWN AND SWERVE ALL OVER THE ROAD UNTIL I GOT IT UNDER CONTROL. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THEY THINK THEY KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND HAVE FIXED IT BUT I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THEIR THIRD TRANSMISSION AND ARE AGAIN HAVING PROBLEMS.*AK

REPLACED FIRST TRANSMISSION AT 13596 MILES, SECOND TRANSMISSION AT 25223 MILES, THIRD TRANSMISSION AT 27648 MILES, WHILE THE FIRST TWO TRANSMISSIONS FAILED ON LOCAL STREETS, THE THIRD DID NOT. WHEN THE THIRD TRANSMISSION FAILED I WAS TRAVELING ON A MAJOR HWY AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A LARGE SUV. I WAS TRYING TO MOTOR UP TO THE NEXT EXIT WHEN I WAS LOSING SPEED FAST. THATS WHEN A LARGE SUV WAS SKIDDING BEHIND ME AND TRYING TO SWITCH LANES TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THIS SUV ALMOST SIDESWIPED THE VEHICLE ALONG SIDE AS WELL. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN MODERATE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS.*AK

ACURA CUSTOMER CARE (800-382-2238) HAS BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND ACKNOWLEDGE ON THE PHONE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM/FLAW WITH THE TRANSMISSION ON SOME ACURA BUT WILL NOT EXPLAIN WHAT THE FLAW IS AND HOW THEY ARE RESOLVING IT. MY CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY TILL IT REACHES 50K MILES OR 4 YEARS AND HAVING NO INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISSUE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM IN COUPLE OF MONTH, NOT KNOWING IF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE WILL STOP THE PROBLEM FROM RE-OCCURING AGAIN. IT SEEMS THERE IS NO TECHNICAL BULLETIN NOR RECALL PUBLISHED ON THIS ISSUE AS OF TODAY. I FOUND DOCUMENTATION ON OTHER OWNER STILL HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION AFTER IT GOT REPLACED 2 OR 3 TIMES AT A LOW MILEAGE (CHECK WWW.ACURA-CL.COM). I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED ON THIS ISSUE ABOUT THE HAZARD IT CREATES AND FORCE ACURA TO ISSUE A PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION FLAW. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION (OAKLAND ACURA IN OAKLAND, CA) TOLD ME THEY HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE ON OTHER ACURA AND WERE NOT SURPRISED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THEY TOLD ME ACURA HAS A "FIX" BUT WILL NOT GIVE ME DETAILS ON WHAT THE FIX IS AND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I AM AFRAID ACURA WILL JUST CHANGE THE DEFECTIVE PART WITH THE SAME NEW PART WHICH WILL GO BAD AGAIN IN COUPLE OF WEEKS OR MONTHS.*AK