The average transmission repair cost for Acura cars is typically $900, with prices ranging from around $300 to $1,500 depending on the severity of the problem and the exact model of Acura car you own. A new transmission clutch may only be between $800 and $1,500, while a complete replacement will cost you between $1,500 on the low end and $3,500 on the high end of the spectrum.
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By calculating how much you may spend on the transmission repair cost for each Acura model, you can make an educated decision about what car is best for your specific needs and price range!
Acura CL
The Acura CL has had various complaints throughout the years, with the most prevalent issues occuring in the 2001 and 2003 model years. The 2001 Acura CL is often regarded as the worst due to the severity of problems, with the most-reported issue being the transmission failing prematurely in the 2001 CL.
The top categories of concern in the 2001 Acura CL involve the transmission, seat belts, air bags, and wheels. Owners of the 2001 Acura state that the transmission fails prematurely, sometimes even below 40,000 miles, showing a lack of durability for this car. Owners claim that the 2nd generation Acura CL, from the years 2001-2003, slips, flares, lags, and eventually fails.
The most common solution to fixing a failed transmission is to rebuild the transmission, replace the transmission, or purchase a newly-built transmission meant for your specific car. The typical repair cost for the failed transmission is around $1,200 and occurs at an average of 123,000 miles.
Acura ILX
The Acura ILX has a similar number of issues from the years 2013-2017, with the most-reported problem being the excessive suspension noise in the 2014 Acura ILX. Despite this year having the worst problem, 2016 is often considered the worst year due to the frequency of complaints.
The 2016 Acura ILX has problems regarding the transmissions, brakes, and the engine, with the top owner concerned being transmission failure and transmission jerking during use. The average mileage of the transmission slipping and jerking is usually around 3,300, with the severity rating of this problem being a 6 out of 10 on the scale.
Acura Integra
The 1993 Acura Integra has the most overall problems, but the 1987 Acura Integra is often rated as the worst model year due to the high Acura transmission repair cost. However, the top issues in the 1993 Integra focus on the engine and the transmission, with the main owner concerned being the car not able to shift into 3rd gear.
If the car can’t shift gears while driving at high speeds, this severely increases the risk of a crash and raises the overall Acura transmission repair cost. The average time of occurrence is just 17,000 miles, with owners stating that the car can’t shift into higher gears after the clutch being replaced.
Acura Legend
The Acura legend had the most overall complaints regarding the 21992 model year, but the 1993 model year is often considered the most dangerous due to the high Acura transmission repair cost.
In the 1992 Acura Legend, owners complained about transmission issues, brakes problems, and drivetrain durability issues. The top transmission worries from car owners are rough shifting, blinking drive lights, and the car shifting hard. The typical repair cost of the rough shifting is just $3, with an average mileage of around 198,000 miles.
Acura MDX
The Acura MDX is one of the most popular Acura models on the market today. However, unfortunately for MDX owners, this car model has a fair share of oil consumption and transmission issues. The 2014 Acura MDX has the most overall complaints, while 2010 is often regarded as the worst due to the most-reported problem of excessive oil consumption.
In the 2014 model year, the Acura MDX has top concerns of the engine, body and paint, brakes, steering, and transmission. In the 2014 Acura MDX, the main transmission problems focus on the line pressure switch breaking, the car shuddering when shifting, and the Acura sometimes not switching gears when slowing down speeds.
The average transmission concerns occur at around 50,000 miles, with owners stating that the transmission shudders between third, fourth, and fifth gears when trying to accelerate on highways. The lack of control and responsibility leads to a high Acura transmission repair cost for owners.
Acura RDX
The Acura RDX has many problem years, with the worst being 2019 due to the prevalence of issues and the 2015 model year due to its severity and the early mileage of occurrence. The most-reported problem through all model years is the brakes squealing and prematurely failing in the 2016 Acura RDX.
The 2019 Acura RDX has problem categories focusing on the engine, interior accessories, brakes, electrical system, windows, windshield, and transmission system. The number one transmission concern is rough shifting and accelerations in the 2019 Acura RDX, happening very early on at just 500 miles.
Acura RL
The Acura RL has one problematic year – the 2005 RL due to concerns with the front headlamps, AC and heater, interior accessories, electrical system, and NHTSA concerns about the transmission. Lucky for car owners, the problems in this model year are very minimal when compared to other choices on the market.
Acura TL
The Acura TL has many concerning model years, especially 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010 model years. The 2003 Acura TL has the most overall owner complaints, while the most-reported problem is the transmission failure in the same year.
The top categories of concern in the 2003 Acura TL involve the transmission, body and paint, AC and heater, and interior accessories. The main transmission concerns have users complaining about premature failure and the car shaking during acceleration.
The typical repair cost of transmission failure is around $2,820 to replace the entire unit, fix the broken parts, or rebuild the transmission. The average mileage of replacing the transmission is around 114,000 miles, with the severity rating being 9 out of 10. Due to the severity of this problem, the Acura TL owners can expect a high Acura transmission repair cost.
Acura TLX
The worst model year of the Acura TLX is 2015 year, with the most-reported problem being jerking between gears. Owners cited many complaints regarding the transmission, with 2015 Acura TLX owners stating that shifting gears is very clunky and hard to do while driving at high speeds.
Furthermore, the owners cited that car transmission jerks and hesitates while driving. This jerking and hesitation eventually caused a class-action lawsuit from Acura TLX owners. Drivers complained about the transmission jerking and hesitating when cold, the RPMs fluctuating, hard shifting, surging forward, not shifting properly, car not moving when the gas pedal is pressed, transmission failure, and a high Acura transmission repair cost.
Acura Recall
Acura recalled certain Honda and Acura vehicles with the automatic transmission back in 2004. The vehicles affected were over 1 million, with minivans, sport utility vehicles, and passenger vehicles succumbing to extreme heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears.
The excessive heat and friction can lead to gear breakage, causing a higher Acura transmission repair cost. However, this problem needs to be fixed as soon as possible, since the gear failure could result in transmission lockup and, therefore, a crash.
Acura Class-Action Lawsuit
A class-action lawsuit was filed in 2020 regarding safety defects in the 2016-2020 Acura MDX and 2019-2020 Acura RDX models. These affected vehicles would accelerate rapidly when drivers pressed on the gas pedal, showing an issue with the internal mechanism and a higher Acura transmission repair cost.
This problem could cause vehicles to shut down in the middle of driving at high speeds, causing an increased likelihood of a crash.
The Bottom Line
When dealing with your Acura transmission repair cost, it is crucial you know what parts need to be repaired or replaced. For example, a transmission flush service will range between $125 and $250, while rebuilding a transmission will range between $1,100 and $2,800 depending on the cost of labor and parts.
If you need to replace your Acura transmission fully, you can expect upwards of $3,400 to get an entirely new part. In this case, you will have a much higher Acura transmission repair cost than just a simple fix job for a less-severe issue.
While searching for a new, reliable, durable, and high-performing car, you should consider the various issues that different kinds of Acura cars have. Of course, the problems depend on the model year, but avoiding certain cars like the Acura RDX and MDX can help save you time and money in the long run.
By staying away from cars that have been the subject of class-action lawsuits and recall, you can ensure that the total Acura transmission repair cost stays as low as possible.