FaultScore

1998 Acura CL transmission problems

10 of the 69 complaints about the 1998 Acura CL are about the transmission — 14% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 85,470 miles.

B

10

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Automatic Transmission 4 40.0%
Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch 2 20.0%
Power Train 1 10.0%
Axle Assembly 1 10.0%
Seal 1 10.0%
Floor Shift 1 10.0%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Acura CL year

1997 20 6.1%
1998 10 3.1%
1999 13 4.0%
2001 213 65.3%
2002 33 10.1%
2003 37 11.3%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 62,000 miles Sacramento, CA

POWER TRAIN

WE HAD TO REPLACE OUR TRANSMISSION AFTER 70000MILES, WE HAD TO REPLACE A DRIVERS SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW TWICE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALWAYS STAYS ON NOTHING WRONG, CAR STALLED GOING 45MPHS FIXED THAT PROBLEM OTHER LIGHTS NOW STAY ON NO MATTER IF NOTHING IS WRONG, THIS CAR ISN'T WORTH THE MONEY TOO MANY PROBLEMS AND THEY TELL ME MY VIN NUMBER DOESN'T FIT THE RECALLS BUT WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS, I'M GOING TO START RAISING A STINK IT'S RIDICULOUS,

NHTSA complaint #10641153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 107,940 miles Atlanta, GA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 ACURA CL. ON AUGUST 20, 2007, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT AN EMERGENCY. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN BECAUSE THE GEARS WOULD NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY AND THE VEHICLE WOULD JUMP. THE GEARS THEN BEGAN SLIPPING AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,940.

NHTSA complaint #10201919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Manassas, VA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION SHIFT FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #10171387 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Pierce, FL

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I OWN A 1998 ACURA CL 2.3 THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT FOR THE THIRD TIME. SOME OF THE THINGS I FIND DANGEROUS ARE THE FACT THAT THE CAR WHEN SITTING AT A STOP AND THEN PROCEDING TO ACCELERATE REVVED TO HIGH RPMS AND THEN BOGS DOWN AND BARELY MOVES. I WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT GOING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND WHEN I ACCELERATED THE CAR ROLLED FORWARD AT A VERY SLOW PACE LIKE IT WAS IN A REALLY HIGH GEAR EVEN AFTER DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR HALF WAY DOWN. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRANS MISSION VIOLENTLY CHANGES GEARS AND PROPELLS ME FROM THE LANE I AM TURNING IN TO THE NEXT LANE OVER. I HAVE ALSO HAS OCCASIONS WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WILL RAPIDLY CHANGE BACK AND FORTH THROUGH THE HIGH AND LOW GEARS WHILE DRIVING FOR APARENT REASON. I AM AFRAID THAT IF THIS KEEPS UP I WILL END UP IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS A 1998 I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR THAT HAD SO MANY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IN MY WHOLE LIFE. 3 TRANSMISSIONS SINCE 1998 IS REDICULACE. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARS AND THE COST TO HAVE THEM FIXED IS OUTRAGEIOUS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REPEATEDLY PAY TO HAVE AN OBVIOUS ENGERING OR MANUFACTURE DEFECT FIXED.

NHTSA complaint #10083197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 109,000 miles Christiansburg, VA

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

THERE WAS NOT ANY EVENT LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. I OWN AN ACURA 1998 CL. COMING HOME FROM VACATION YESTERDAY ON ROUTE 79 IN WEST VIRGINIA, GOING 70 MILES/HOUR, MY RIGHT FRONT AXLE BEARING JUST BROKE IN HALF, AND MY WHEEL FELL OFF CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. I JUST HAD MY CAR INSPECTED IN FEBRUARY. THERE WAS NO WEAR OF THE TIRE TO INDICATE A PROBLEM. NO VIBRATIONS, NO SHAKING, ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT VERY IMPORTANT PART OF MY VEHICLE. I WANT TO KNOW IF THIS IS HAPPENING WITH OTHER ACURAS, BECAUSE I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AGAIN AFTER IT IS FIXED BECAUSE I'M AFRAID IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN ALOT WORSE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED 6/1/2004, SO MY VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET.

NHTSA complaint #10074679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 63,000 miles Carrollton, TX

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 63,000 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #10059154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wyncote, PA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS ON AN INCLINE WHILE IN PARK. CONSUMER WAS DRAGGED WHILE TRYING TO ENGAGE EMERGENCY BRAKE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8016769 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Diego, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

GEAR SHIFTER IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE TWO SEATS,ACCIDENTLY PUSHED IT MOVES FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. YH

NHTSA complaint #606624 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort. Mayers, FL

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THERE WAS ABOUT TWO INCHES OF PLAY WITHIN THE STEERING WHEEL DUE TO THE STEERING COLUMN COUPLING NOT CONNECTING TO THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER REPLACED SOME PARTS WITHIN THE STEERING COUPLING. WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, VEHICLE WILL GO FROM LANE TO LANE. ALSO, THERE ARE GAS FUMES WITHIN THE VEHICLE/ TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND THE DASH HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SOME TYPE OF BLACK SPOTS ON THE DASHBOARD.

NHTSA complaint #845888 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Anaheim, CA

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

TRANSMISSION SEALS FAILED. NLM

NHTSA complaint #605961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1998 Acura CL problems

← Full 1998 Acura CL report