Used 2003 Acura TL Consumer Reviews
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Acura Transmission
howard42, 11/13/2011
2003 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
4 of 13 people found this review helpful
There are several years of very poor Acura transmissions around 2003. Catastrosphic failures of the transmissions. My 2003 was bought new, babied, garaged, and had an impeccable maintenance record. All maintenance done by dealer. Transmission died at 118,000. Repair cost was 75% of actual value of car so was not worth repairing. Needless to say, Lexus will be my new car company.
IF YOU WANT TO LIVE IN FEAR BUY THIS
JohnGalt2376, 02/24/2003
2003 Acura TL 3.2 Type-S 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
2 of 6 people found this review helpful
DON'T BUY THIS CAR UNLESS. . .You want increased insurance premiums, you want to pay the insurance deductible many times a year, you want to live in fear that no matter where you go, your expensive headlamps may be stolen. Acura has a big problem that it won't admit. The headlamp design is so poor that a thief can make off with both of your $800 headlamps in a matter of minutes, leaving you with a a financial loss, lost wages, and a very expensive repair, especially when body damage is incurred. Acura makes tons of money on repairs and has no incentive to fix this. One Acura dealer tells me that they repair 30 vehicles a month with this problem.
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A Real Disappointment
DCBrake, 07/30/2005
2003 Acura TL 3.2 Type-S 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Transmission is poor - Had wheels lock up while traveling on interstate at 60 mph. Acura did replace my tranny, but it has not been right since - shifts awkwardly, and I have taken it back to them 2 times since - they tell me the tranny is working properly - But I continue to experience a shudder between 3rd and 4th gears on acceleration as well as uneasy shifting. This is definitely the worst car decision I have ever made - If you want reliability - shop for something else.
Go with the 04 and newer!!
Jennie, 02/21/2009
2003 Acura TL 3.2 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought my 03 TL new. The good: under my ownership, I loved the car. The navigation is still among the best and the seats were very comfortable, even during my OK to CA road trip. The traction control kept me safe in the snow (people from San Diego do not belong on snowy roads!) and saved me from possibly killing myself on the highway. The bad: TRANSMISSION!! Acura will only replace the transmissions for specific failure codes which means many of them are no longer being covered under warranty. If you can't afford the expense, stay away! Stay away! Stay away!
Great car, but...
Dino, 10/06/2008
2003 Acura TL 3.2 Type-S 4dr Sedan (3.2L 6cyl 5A)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Overall this has been a fantastic car, enough so that I will probably buy another when this has come to term (currently 120k). Great performance, and other than a warranty covered transmission problem at 45k, this car has had no work done at all other than routine maintenance. However there are several design flaws that have bugged me ever since purchasing it: no auto headlights, the wipers are under the hood (can't raise them to wash the windshield), the top console compartment spills change out the back end when lifted up, the navi maps lack a ton of US city streets, especially in smaller <250,000 pop cities, and more.