2003 Acura TL Engine Problems

This car is not safe. First, the Takata airbags are in it. I drove my daughter, my mother and my little dog in this car! I can’t believe the used car dealership did not let me know that. Then the car starts shifting funny. Also dangerous. There should be a recall for transmission. There are over 500 people affected by this. I’m trying to enter a highway and I need to pick up speed, because there is a tractor trailer in the right lane and heavy traffic. I try to accelerate and it goes nowhere. 30mph. And that was after I merged in and have traffic going 70 behind me. Scariest thing ever. They should not be allowed to sell these cars. It is not safe for the driver and their family and it is not safe for others on the road. I can’t believe the negligence. I will not be driving this death trap ever again.

THE ACCELERATOR STUCK WHEN PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY THEN ACCELERATING. THE ENGINE STUCK IN THE ACCELERATED MODE. I HAD TO BRAKE WITH 2 FEET AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, THEN TURNED THE IGNITION TO OFF. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT DRIVE THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE'S THROTTLE BODY SHOWED THE BREAKAGE OF THE PLASTIC CRUISE CONTROL "PULLEY" ON THE THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR SHAFT, CAUSING THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE TO HOLD THE THROTTLE OPEN. THE PLASTIC PART CRACKED AT THE CABLE RETENTION NOTCH. I HAVE NOTED THAT OTHER ACURA OWNERS HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. REF: ACURAZINE.COM/FORUMS/SECOND-GENERATION-TL-1999-2003-98/CRUISE-CONTROL-REPAIR-SUGGESTION-833196/

ENGINE STARTED IDLING AT ABOUT 3000 RPM UNEXPECTEDLY, COULD NOT MAKE IT STOP. IT WAS HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WOULD NOT GO UNDER 3000 RPM. FORTUNATELY IT STOPPED AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. TOOK TO DEALER, FOUND PROBLEM WAS IDLE CONTROL MECHANISM ON TOP OF ENGINE, IT WAS REPLACED. *TR

MOTOR MOUNT BROKEN. *TR

ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2007 I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 ACURA TL TYPE S AND CAME TO A STOP AND HEARD A WEIRD NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ONCE TRAFFIC BEGAN TO PROCEED THE CAR SIMPLY WOULD NOT MOVE FROM FIRST GEAR. I MANAGE TO PULL OVER AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 1-2 MIN. AND IT WENT INTO GEAR ALTHOUGH SLUGGISH. ONCE ON THE ROAD AGAIN I PROCEEDED ABOUT 3 MILES WHEN THE CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN ANY GEAR AT ALL. I WAS RIGHT IN FRONT IF THE HONDA STORE WHEN THE SECOND FAILURE HAPPENED. I HAD THE DIAGNOSTIC DONE AND COME TO FIND OUT THAT I AM IN NEED OF A NEW TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR MOUNT DUE TO OVER HEATING (FROM THE SERVICE TECH). MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL ACURA DEALERSHIP THAT NOTIFIED ME THAT I DID INFACT NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR MOUNT AT A COST OF APPROX. $3500.00. THIS I NOW FIND IS A HUGE PROBLEM FOR ACURA WITH THIS MODEL YEAR AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. I WOULD LIKE FOR ACURA TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND IF NEEDED RECALL ALL THE CARS AS IT POSES FOR A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

MULTIPLE ISSUES OVER A 2.5 YEAR PERIOD WITH A NEW 2003 ACURA 3.2 TL TYPE S. I HAVE HAD A TRANSMISSION REPLACED AFTER RECEIVING A SAFETY RECALL. SECONDLY, THE CAR HAS HAD AN IDLING ISSUE FOR 2.5 YEARS THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY RESOLVED WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF AN ENGINE CONTROL VALVE. THIRD, THE A/C WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED. FOURTH, THE IDLE AIR CONTROL SYSTEM WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. FIFTH, AND MOST WORRISOME, IS THAT I HAVE HAD WHITE SMOKE COME FROM UNDER MY HOOD ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE ACURA DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AND CANNOT ASSIST ME IN RESOLVING THE ISSUE.*JB

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT BE DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED VEHICLE THREE TIMES, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIX IT. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. AFTER PICKING THE VEHICLE UP, THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. *JB

BURNING SMELL EMANATING FROM EXHAUST AREA INTO CABIN AT 9800 MILES. TERRIBLE - CAN SMELL IT ON THE OUTSIDE FROM 25 FEET AWAY. THE STENCH INSIDE THE BACK SEAT OF THE CABIN IS ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU GAG. CAR IS ONLY 100 MILES OVERDUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE (3100 MILES) RUNNING MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED OIL WEIGHT. CAR HAS HAD TROUBLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT - BUT MOSTLY EXTERNAL UNTIL NOW (PEELING PAINT). *CB

CONSUMER HAS PROBLEM WITH THE HEATER AND THE AIR CONDITIONER.*AK

VEHICLE'S TIMING BELT BROKE RESULTING IN ENGINE DAMAGE. WHEN TAKEN TO SERVICE DEALER FOR 15,000.00 MILE CHECKUP THE DEALER DID NOT MAKE THE CONSUMER AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN REPAIRED SINCE AND OFFER A 22,000.00 MILE CHECK UP FREE OF CHARGE. THE CONSUMER FELLS THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH COMPENSATION FOR THE ANGUISH POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.*MR *CB

TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE MADE A "GRINDING" SOUND WHEN DRIVING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TENSIONER. *AK THE DEALER THOUGHT AT FIRST, THE PROBLEM WAS THE A-PIPE AND REPLACED IT. THE SECOND TIME THE DEALER THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND IT WAS REPLACED. THE THIRD TIME THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS REPLACED, WHICH SOLVED THE PROBLEM. *SCC *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE WAITING FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE VEHICLE SERVICED ,DEFECT STATED IN RECALL HAPPEN.ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. NLM

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE SPEED OF 65 MPH THE ENGINE STALLS. DEALER MENTIONED THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS BROKE. MR CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CD UNIT WAS BROKE AFTER A FEW DAYS. THE VEHICLE TOOK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR, BUT THE REPAIR WAS NOT DONE DUE TO BACK ORDER OF THE CD UNIT. *YH