Acura TL Acura TL

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Acura TL repairs by problem area

Engine (22%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (11%)

Brakes and Traction Control (5%)

Suspension and Steering (16%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (31%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (9%)

Other (5%)

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Chart based on 1645 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Acura TL.

Acura TL transmission repair cost distribution

$2500+ (19%)

$1000 - $2499 (10%)

$500 - $999 (9%)

$100 - $499 (20%)

< $100 (42%)

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Chart based on 163 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2014 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

280-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

15000 mi

US $175
Changed ATF and filter, car would make gurgling sounds at cold start. Covered under warranty, there is a TSB on this issue. 
30000 mi

US $145
Car was treated for the Torque Converter Judder TSB. Transmission fluid changed and TC program updated. Dealer stated that the fluid level was low. 

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2012 Acura TL

Engine not specified

The propeller bearing on this car needed to be replaced. I actually took it back to the seller because I discovered it had previous water damage 

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2012 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

305-horsepower 3.7L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

33480 mi

C $100
Car started shifting erratically, then was switching between gears 5 and 6 (I think) While pondering the consequences of taking it to the Acura dealer, I changed the transmission fluid. Seems ok now. 
41500 mi High-pitched noise at 50 - 65 mph. Diagnosed as coming from transmission. Entire transmission replaced. 
40000 mi Whining noise. Could not replicate. Seemed to be propeller shaft 
46000 mi Still had whining noise but dealer could not replicate 
60000 mi Replicated sound. It was failing propeller shaft. 
32860 mi

C $400
Rpm were fluctuating. Software update and transmission oil change with differential fluid. 
69000 mi Clogged external transmission fluid filter. 
71600 mi

US $269
Propeller,shaft 
49000 mi Transmission shuddering-torque converter service & software update & transmission fluid change. Acura extended transmission warranty to 105,000 miles or till 4/26/2019 
31000 mi Known issue (TSB) - transmission gurgling/rumbling sound while stopped but in gear. Solution to replace ATF external filter and drain/fill fluid. Problem resolved. Occurs in TL's right after initial drain/fill of ATF done. 
38000 mi TSB for computer SW for 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD and fluid change (addressing torque converter lockup issue). Dealer performed TSB actions. Was mostly a preventative visit. 
30000 mi Propeller shaft had to be replaced 
44000 mi

US $89
Occasional rough shifts (esp. 1->2) and slight surging under light throttle on moderate grade. Dealer reflashed computers and changed ATF, seems OK now, shifts more smoothly. Same thing happened to friend who owns same car (w/ only 30K). 
70000 mi Slight engine surging / transmission slipping on mild upgrades w/ steady throttle. ATF changed, reflash attempted but shop called back to say they had a computer glitch and did not install the latest patch, so bring it in again if needed. 
36300 mi Torque converter software updated. 
40000 mi CV Axle boot was leaking and was replaced under warranty. 
58000 mi Propellor shaft replaced 

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2012 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

305-horsepower 3.7L V6 6-speed manual AWD

8000 mi the propellar shaft was replaced after making a whiny noise. 

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2012 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

280-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

54120 mi

C $160
Car was in for regular service. Transmission shuddered occasionally at low RPM in 2nd, 3rd gear. They suggested to change transmission fluid which solved the problem. 
35200 mi Judder in torque converter lock up between 20-45 MPH 
14500 mi Needed to reflash the a/t. Abrupt shifts. 
86000 mi

US $150
Replace the ATF filter, non-standard maintenance, to eliminate noise. 
47000 mi Software update to transmission. No cost to owner. They also extended the drivetrain warranty. 
44000 mi Chirping noise was heard from under the hood on cold start up.rnFound a TSB that addresses that issue. Fix is to replace the transmission fluid filter. Solved the issue. 
28000 mi Bad torque converter 
34900 mi Transmission filter needed replacing. Rattling noise noticed immediately after start-up during idle. Would only last for a few minutes then disappear. 
31300 mi Transmission doesn't shift smooth when cold. 

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2011 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

305-horsepower 3.7L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

55000 mi When the car went into lockup in overdrive at around 1400rpm the car would vibrate like metal vibrating. Dealer had a hard time recreating the noise but finally did. They flushed the transmission fluid and that actually fixed it. 

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2010 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

305-horsepower 3.7L V6 6-speed manual AWD

39000 mi 3rd gear pop out/grind. Dealer replaced 3rd gear set, clutch assembly, and alignment. All done under warranty. 

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2010 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

305-horsepower 3.7L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

24000 mi Transmission was shifting hard between gears. Dealer reflashed transmission computer per a TSB issued by Acura. 
21800 mi Whistling or whirring noise above 20mph.First they replaced fan belt,no stop noise. Now they replace driveshaft, picking up today. 
7000 mi Abnormal roar on first and second gear, service manager compared to similar vehicles and he could not hear the same, Acura decided to not to repair because they do not know how. In the process to return the car under the lemon law 
10000 mi Software update to correct "juddering" (Acura'sword). Under warranty. 

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2009 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

305-horsepower 3.7L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

55260 mi Replaced driveshaft due to defective bearings 
76260 mi Replaced driveshaft front to back for bad bearing 

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2008 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

286-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed manual FWD

39700 mi

US $1150
a seal around drive shaft was causing an oil leak 
88300 mi new axle 

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2008 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

258-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

72300 mi

US $1200
Transmission fluid reservoir leak 
87300 mi

US $900
Transmission fluid line connection to radiator failed resulting in fluid loss, also in radiator fluid loss. Connection is a hard connection, not designed to be replaced resulting in complete replacement of radiator. 
46000 mi Transmission was kicking when engaging in third gear at low revs. Torque converter was replaced, curing the problem. 
92100 mi

US $130
Slight shimmying of the torque converter. Replaced 3rd and 4th gear pressure sensors 
106000 mi

US $200
Passenger side axle clicking while making a left turn. Replaced with OEM unit. 
170000 mi

US $4700
Radiator's atf nipple fell off, emptying atf while wife driving, ruining transmission. Myself replaced radiator for $150.00, shop installed rebuilt acura tranny 4500 
76560 mi

C $3000
Trans seals leaking. Needed to get trans off the car and replace all seals 
93000 mi

US $160
Axle snapped in half, driver side axle was repaired 

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2007 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

286-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed manual FWD

52000 mi

US $70
replaced clutch slave cylinder. This mostly fixed the problem, but I think the clutch master cylinder may need to be replaced as well. 
163000 mi

US $300
Car would vibrate under acceleration, replaced both axles 

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2007 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

258-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

52000 mi jumpy shifting 
196420 mi

$170
Rear engine mount and passenger side engine mount worn out and replaced. Extreme difficultly in removing the rear mount. Front mount too looks detriorated but may still run for a while before needing to be replaced 
78800 mi Transmission was shifting slowly, dealer did a fluid flush and that took care of it. 

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2006 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

258-horsepower 3.2L V6 6-speed manual FWD

20000 mi Transmission was repaired under warranty for difficulty shifting into third gear (there was an outstanding TSB about the problem). 
81000 mi

US $500
CV Joint Clicking around turns--replaced both front axles 
18000 mi No repairs but service rep at last visit agreed to transmission rebuild due to notchy shifting. Sold car instead. 
7800 mi Rough shifting manual transmission from first to second and second to third gears. 
13000 mi Manual 6 speed transmission is getting rough when shifting from first to second gear and second to third gear. Transmission popped out of third gear numerous times. 
25000 mi Rough shifting into second and third gear. 

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2006 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

258-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

67000 mi Misdiagnosis of why leaking oil; replaced seal on axle. Still leaking oil. Determined was coming from gasket between inner & outer transmission cases. Service dept decided to replace transmission. 
70200 mi

US $40
Transmission whining upon start up during cold weather until warmed up. This is transmission that was replaced 2 yrs ago under warranty. Tech checked and said beginning to leak between gaskets. 
133780 mi

C $400
Driver side Drive Shaft snapped while at an intersection. Broken part was replaced by mechanic. 
154460 mi

C $300
Axel rusting out under the balance bushing 
130000 mi

US $1500
replace right and left axle 
133000 mi

US $1800
Transmission would not catch any gears. Once it cooled it became drivable again for until the fluid warmed again. 
101000 mi

US $4100
Complete transmission failure 
91140 mi

C $400
replace CV axle shaft - right side 
92380 mi

C $350
replace CV axle shaft replace right side CV axle shaft 
111600 mi

C $500
cv joint, fork replaced 
74700 mi

US $4000
Transmission made whistling noise, they said main bearing going out, had transmission rebuilt, still makes 10% of same noise, mechanic says all honda acura 6 cylinder engine make noise and it cant be entirely fixed. Last Acura for me. 
107000 mi

US $400
Left front axel snapped during driving on the highway at 107k miles. Car suddenly stopped moving in the middle of highway traffic. Repair shop advised that that the part appeared to be a poor forging, that that it had rusted, axel replaced. 
85000 mi

US $5800
Replaced the transmission, 
78000 mi

US $400
Transmission shifting erratically. Attempted repair on previous trip. Took car to AutoZone and they pulled Range Switch Error Code. Took car to dealer and range switch replaced. 

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2006 Acura TL 4-door

6-cylinder manual 2WD

21000 mi

US $180
Clutch master cylinder stopped allowing shifts to happen smoothly 

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2005 Acura TL

Engine not specified

90000 mi

US $250
CV Joint 

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2005 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

270-horsepower 3.2L V6 6-speed manual FWD

50300 mi

US $250
Replace Rt. and Lt. front axles due to premature wear to inner/outer CV jts with OEM axles. 
57000 mi

US $156
squeaky/creaky clutch pedal. Master clutch cylinder replaced per 2011 TSB. 
132000 mi Complete replacement of both front axles, seized during winter of 2011. 
129500 mi Failure of main transmission bearings 6-speed manual transmission 
49600 mi Manual transmission third gear repair (recall) 
49500 mi Clutch and Flywheel replaced @ dealer cost due to lack of fixing under CPO program. 
127000 mi

US $900
Replaced CV axles after reman axles failed. 
135000 mi

US $20
CV Joint replaced again under warranty 

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2005 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

270-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

137000 mi

US $4400
transmission failed and replaced. 
52000 mi

US $120
Whinning noise coming from the transmission in 4th gear (AT). No fix. Technician said it was "normal" 
100200 mi

US $500
CV joint was making noise while turning. They replaced CV joints/boots + front axle. 
138000 mi

US $1050
Replaced Axle because previous mechanic broke CV boot while replacing tie rod. Can't prove it was them, so I had to eat the cost. 
89000 mi

US $4000
Transmission & mounts 
166400 mi

US $3200
Transmission rebuilt.  
100300 mi

US $65
changed out the speed sensor after speedometer stopped working and trans did not shift properly. went to autozone and it showed code P0722 
102000 mi

US $3990
Needed transmission replacement 
93228 mi

US $410
Broken axle. Got stranded! 
102090 mi

US $1819
replaced cv/axle 
96700 mi

US $600
Replaced transmission fluid 
119000 mi

US $70
Repair shop reported leaking transmission fluid, but no signs of failing transmission while driving the car. I'll be bringing it back to be looked at. 
119000 mi

US $300
Repaired leaking transmission gasket. 
157000 mi

US $300
Axle broke and needed replacement 
161000 mi

US $711
Axle replaced Front drivers side. 
184700 mi

US $2700
Tranny Rebuild 
118000 mi

US $100
Transmission replaced through 3rd party warranty 
140000 mi

US $1500
shop detected power steering rack leaking, engine mount broken, and left axle needing replaced..... 

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2004 Acura TL

Engine not specified

123000 mi

US $1000
AXLE BROKE TIMING BELT WATER PUMP BELT 

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2004 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

270-horsepower 3.2L V6 6-speed manual FWD

78000 mi

US $2800
Clutch ceased to have pressure to return pedal to normal resting position, and clutch would not engage reliably. Required new slave cylinder and pressure plate (flywheel ok). Also, leaking pwr steering pump was resealed. 
46000 mi

US $220
Driver side CV Joint needed replacement- was making a clicking noise when turning. Only would click if it was cold out, and only for the first 15 minutes of driving - after that it warmed up enough and would not click. 
68000 mi

US $300
Right CV Joint was replaced again (2nd time) - it was clicking when I turn. This appears to be the achilles heel of this car. 
106000 mi

US $787
Replaced clutch. I believe it was something in the hydraulics because of the way it acted. After accelerating hard (6,000 rpms) the next time I would push in the pedal, it would not work...but then it would the next time I pushed it in. We added clutch fluid and it worked better for a time. Then we had the whole thing replaced but I am not sure if it was worn out or if it was the hydraulics. Axle broke. Decided to replace both half shafts to be on the safe side. I just had the clutch done, then this broke two days later. 
135780 mi

C $800
Complete loss of clutch. Hydraulic clutch master cylinder & assembly worn. Replaced them and problem was resolved. 
176000 mi

US $400
Vibration felt particularly when under acceleration, identified as right inner CV joint failing. Whole axle assembly replaced 

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2004 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

270-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

124000 mi

US $2799
Rebuilt transmission 
102000 mi

US $450
Broken driver side axle 
146000 mi Transmission was blown and quoted 6k to repair. Instead sold car to Acura for 1.5k 
64480 mi slight vibration and hesitation when shifting. dealer cited torque converter and replaced transmission on ext warranty. apparently 01-04 TL's were prone to this. otherwise this is one of the best cars i have owned ( including exotics) 
120000 mi

US $600
Drivers side axel snapped under medium throttle. Replaced left and right drive axels. 
278000 mi Transmission failed and won't shift. Still waiting to fix it because of cost and age/mileage of the car. 
143000 mi

US $2500
Tranny busted, slipping won't stay in gear, restart the car to get into gear. Charged up a big hill in a rush one day, never worked right after that again. 
85000 mi Also, A/T vibration, they add damper. - Acura covered it. 
125800 mi

US $550
I am going to have to replace my front CV axles due to clicking when I turn. I won't do this right away, though.  
126000 mi

US $450
CV axles were clicking. Both the inner and outer CVs were bad. Replaced both axles complete. 

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2004 Acura TL 4-door

6-cylinder manual 2WD

43000 mi Clutch squeaks when fully depressed and clicks at the top of the pedal travel 

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2004 Acura TL 4-door

6-cylinder automatic 2WD

58900 mi transmission died 

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2003 Acura TL

Engine not specified

84000 mi Sold car after transmission replacement. 
199000 mi I don't know exactly what the problem was - mechanic told me that there was a transmission problem and I didn't want to pay for diagnostics on such an old car with a problem that could be expensive - I traded it in. 

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2003 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

260-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

111600 mi

C $1000
Trnsmission failed completely. A known defect, Acura stood behind car despite out of time and mileage for extended warranty. Acura paid for parts (around 5k), i paid labout $1k. 
117800 mi Transmission was beginning to act up - again. Mechanic recommended to not fix, as would cost about $4,200. Decided to trade the car, which still looks great. Got $800. 
163000 mi Third transmission failure for the car was enough to kill it. Overall, a great car. It will be missed. 
133200 mi

US $3000
There was a recall on transmission, overheating. The shop did a repair kit first time didn't work. Transmission rebuilt, overheated and rebuild again by same shop, under warranty. It's been ok since then, car seem to have extra power mPG. 
73900 mi

US $2600
Rebuild transmission due to internal failure "loss of pressure" that caused slipping between gears (mostly 2nd to 3rd). Torque converter completely failed. An independent shop did the work and included a 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. 
85000 mi

US $40
Transmission fluid dirty. Shavings on magnetic drain plug. Drain and replace 3 quarts Acura transmission fluid, clean drain plug. 
100000 mi

US $65
Transmission fluid dirty. Shavings on magnetic drain plug. Drain and replace 3 quarts Acura transmission fluid, clean drain plug. 
91000 mi

US $150
New Transmission - free under warranty Broken motor mount 
65000 mi Replaced torque converter. It is a common problem to this year because of the changeover from 4speed to 5speed cramped gearbox. This was done under warranty, otherwise would have cost over 2K. 

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2003 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

225-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

130000 mi

US $3500
Trans failure required replacement 
111100 mi

US $4000
transmission went at 110k. replaced for 4k. 
121000 mi

US $850
Transmission had been "stuttering" a bit at shift points recently instead of shifting crisply. Acura offered replacement w remanufactured transmission at 20% of normal cost, so I had them replace the transmission. 
76260 mi

C $2100
Transmission rebuilt. 
213000 mi

US $2650
Transmission failed. Rebuild of the transmission was done. 
112000 mi Replaced transmission 
122000 mi

US $125
Ha burned transmission fluid. they replaced it, and the transmission works fine now. 
111700 mi

US $3500
Known poorly engineered Honda transmission problems associated with 2nd and 3rd gear shifts and no reverse. Replaced with re-manufactured transmission. 
159000 mi

US $2400
Transmission rebuild. Transmission had a minor shifting issue only when floored for passing situations. Started around 130k miles. 
163700 mi Also returned twice to have transmission checked because of noise and shaking. Trans shop replaced solenoid and torque converter. Problems finally resolved after 6 months and five returns. 

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2003 Acura TL 4-door

6-cylinder automatic 2WD

95000 mi Transmission was acting up, service dept says transmission was already replaced after recall took effect. Nothing was done about it during this trip. 

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2003 Acura TL 2-door

6-cylinder automatic 2WD

57000 mi

US $30
Replaced external trans filter and cleaned Solenoids A/B &C internal screens. Shifting from 4 to 5 at higher than usual speeds, this seemed to solve thst. 

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2002 Acura TL

Engine not specified

73000 mi tranny failed, covered under extnded warranty 

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2002 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

260-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

202000 mi Bad Torque Converter 
84200 mi

US $2650
Trans slipping. Needed new transmission. 
124000 mi

US $1000
Transmission has been replaced at 124K Because it was slipping between 2nd Gear and 3rd Gear. 
155000 mi

US $7000
Transmission died 
255000 mi

US $670
Transmission solenoid was replaced. One year ago the transmission was rebuilt, externals (solenoids) were not replaced. Transmission is still slipping afterwards. 
262000 mi Slipping transmission. 
109300 mi

US $2500
Transmission replaced 
186000 mi

US $50
transmission issues - selling car , not worth price to repair - loved this car 
80000 mi This is the second transmission I've had replaced. 1 at 45,000 miles; 2 at 75,000 miles. 
135000 mi

US $2600
Transmission failure, left on side of the road. Transmission replaced. No way Im gonna enter all of others repairs separate so heres the summary besides the tranny: rack and pinion replaced at 180k miles, ball joints and control arms replaced around 150k, several brake jobs over the years, etc. overall the car was very reliable, im just very hard on cars 
76260 mi Transmission Failure @ 118000kms. Luckily Acura extended powertrain warranty on the TL to 84 months past delivery date, or 175000km's I was in the last month of my warranty and the transmission failed. Luckily it cost me $0 from Acura for a replacement. 
29000 mi Transmission replaced under warranty by dealer 
28000 mi Replace transmission - slipping 
93000 mi

US $650
Transmission failed under extended 100K factory warranty. 

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2002 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

225-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

110000 mi

US $3500
Bad transmission 
94000 mi Known Acura transmission issue finally surfaced (would not shift out of 3rd gear). Only solution was replacing transmission (only covered for first 7.5 yrs); Acura offered to pay 1/2 put still too much $$ to put into car. 
120000 mi

US $2565
rebuilt transmission 
65000 mi Auto Transmission failed which is very common for this model. Dealer fixed it under extended warranty with a rebuilt unit. 40,000 miles later it too is starting to fail. 
58000 mi 3rd gear was engaging roughly, dealer flushed then refilled, problem seems OK now. 

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2001 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

225-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

122000 mi Transmission failure. 

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2001 Acura TL 4-door

4-cylinder automatic 2WD

115940 mi

C $800
impending tranny failure - rough shift, cold weather - misses gear 

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2000 Acura TL

Engine not specified

145000 mi

US $2700
Transmission replaced. 

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2000 Acura TL 4dr Sedan

225-horsepower 3.2L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

89000 mi

US $3000
Transmission failure. Extended warranty by manufacturer was for 7 yr 9 month. Failed at 9 yr 3 month. Manufacturer paid 25% of cost. Known defect on TL, MDX, Accord and Odyssey for year 2000-2003. 
92200 mi

US $1100
Transmission acting up, was flushed. 
93000 mi Transmission is slipping. Pondering next move (Trade-in/etc) as repair is expensive. 
70000 mi Replaced transmission under warranty 
144000 mi

US $3950
Entire transmission replaced 
80000 mi Transmission slipping. Replaced under extended warranty. 
124000 mi

US $2350
Replaced transmission - dealer paid 50% of transmission. I paid 100% of labor. 

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2000 Acura TL 4-door

6-cylinder automatic 2WD

126000 mi

US $2800
Car started hesitating. Transmission was rebuilt. 
165000 mi Four days later, transmission malfunctioned and was informed that the entire transmission needed replacement. 

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1999 Acura TL

Engine not specified

174000 mi

US $50
Broken axle--rusted under the rubber damper and weakened the axle shaft. 
218000 mi

US $70
Replaced Driver Side Axle 
156000 mi

US $75
Pressure control valve went out prior to my purchase, causing the transmission to fail. 
156500 mi

US $4835
Transmission shifting hard. Transmission shift pressure solenoid bad causing 2nd planetary gear hub to crack causing transmission failure. 
180000 mi

US $1500
Trouble shifting into 3rd (revving) and leaking transmission fluid. Rebuilt transmission. 
131000 mi

US $2500
Transmission replaced. 2nd time the transmission had gone out in 35k miles. Acura does not support their product and I would never reccomend an Acura to anyone.  

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1999 Acura TL 4-door

6-cylinder automatic 2WD

244000 mi Will not gear or drive a long way. 
173000 mi The transmission and timing belt both stopped working. The car had to be junked due to high cost of repair versus worth. 
173600 mi

C $1000
transmission rebuild 
173600 mi rebuild fail 

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Acura TL Transmission Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently Acura TL problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.