Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Acura CL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Transmission problem: erratic shifting, hard downshifts, shifts from 5th gear into 2nd gear at high speed: close-to-death experience on the highway!! This has happened 3 months after the recall service was done concluding nothing wrong. From my research I have found that the recall - "band-aid fix" does not fix whats actually wrong with the transmission because it is a trick to make consumers think that the car is fine. The recall was put out but does not work!! This matter should be looked into properly and thuroughly again. I do not wish to injure or kill myself or others because my car is poorly designed. My car is out of warranty and will not be covered under recall since it was already provided. Furthermore, the symptoms of my problem are different than the recall symptoms. The Honda motor co. …
Acura is knowingly putting defective transmissions in these cars. When my first trans went out, I was doing 50 MPH on lake shore dr. And if I weren't wearing my seatbelt, I would've gone through the windshield. They admitted that they knew all these trans were bad and replaced the 1st one @ 103,000 miles and said they would "good will" these trans as long as im the original owner. My husband was a master tech. Mechanic at Acura for 10 yrs. And said they never came out with a good trans. For these cars. They just keep rebuilding them and replacing them when they go out! Now my replacement trans is going out @ 30,000 less miles than the 1st and they refuse to replace it without me paying for it! Pay for another bad transmission? …
I own a 2002 Acura CL type s. Since purchasing the car I have had nothing but trouble with the transmission. After only 12,000 miles, my transmission was replaced. After the replacement, the transmission still had problems and was slipping but my dealership told me that there were no issues with it when I knew that there definitely was. After going the winter with a slipping transmission, it's now summer and it is getting worst every day. I took the car to my dealership today and once again I'm faced with first a transmission flush then another replacement transmission. I feel Acura, not the dealership, has shown that a great reputation can be dissolved quickly by poor customer service, slow reaction to problems, and not fixing a clear problem. Acura has extended the warranties to 100K on their transmissions but this does me no good. …
Since the second day of having my car, my car has been continuously plagued with problems. I have taken my car in for repair over 10 times for various and sometimes repeating problems. This all has occurred within a three year period. I have never had a vehicle that has had so many problems. Some of the problems have been so severe that I no longer feel safe driving my car. One of these problems was my transmission spontaneously downshifting from 5th gear to 2nd gear at highway speeds. This caused a tremendous decrease of speed. Had someone been in back of me, I would have been seriously injured. The transmission was replaced, but it continues to act spontaneously. After making complaints directly to Acura of America, I feel snubbed by them in that they have not sought to assist me other than warranty repairs.
Manual trans/clutch - looses hydraulic pressure in low air temps and when car is sitting on a hill. Hard to shift only in 1st into 2nd gear. There were very few Acura 2002/2003 CL 3.2 type ss made, so even a couple complaints should warrant a review. I found numerous forums with owners complaining and asking for help from others on this problem. Ive driven manual trans cars and trucks for 22 yrs to include one Honda that stil had the original clutch at 225K miles, so it is not a driver related problem. All the focus has been on the auto transmissions for this car...that failed. Acura has a problem that needs to be addressed before someone get seriously hurt, when they try to shift into second when crossing a busy street and cant. It has happened to me and I just got lucky.
Driving on the dan ryan expressway into the city of chicago, I experienced a sudden and non-provoked downshift in my 2002 Acura CL type s transmission. I was traveling approximately 65 miles per hour when the transmission downshifted from 5th to 2nd gear. Fortunately, no one plowed into the back of me, and the car was still drivable after this occurred. The car is now at the dealer, waiting for it's transmission to be replaced. I purchased the car in December 2001 and at drop-off at the dealer, the car only has 7998 miles on it. I don't care if I have a 7yr/100K warranty extension on the transmission, this type of failure is a safety hazard and something that need to be addressed by the Acura. I am concerned about not only my safety, but also the safety of my wife.
Consumer states transmission has failed 2x while driving since vehicle purchased. First incident was on 7/5/02. Transmission was replaced by dlr on 7/15/02, but then failed again on 7/21/02 while driving 30mph. Consumer states was almost rear-ended in the during the last incident. Mr there was clunking/grinding noise and the brakes felt as if they were depressed. The dealer stated that they could not remedy. The vehicle veered into another lane during a rain storm. The dealer stated that the problem was traction control device. Scc
Automatic transmission failure. Cars transmissions for 6 months has been shifting erratic, hard, surging, downshifting without notice at highway speeds, and slipping. Car only has 13K of miles and now is in at the dealer for a new tranny. There are many reports of this failure and a few fatalities it seems. This issue needs to be resolved fast. I plan to ditch this car in the next 6 months because it just doesn't feel safe anymore to drive. Even the replacement trannys are dieing.
2002 Acura CL 3.2 type s transmission problem. I have about 24K miles and recently my transmission slipped. While going 30mph with the 3rd gear, if you accelerate so that the second gear kicks in, in kicks in very sharply, creating an unbearing jerk that is very obstrusive inside the cabin. Honda should place a recall on this model. Dealer was willing to replace it but I'm not sure if new transmission will be better than the old one.
2002 Acura 3.2cl with defective transmissions. Consumer states that her 1st transmission failed while driving 50 MPH. Dealer informed her that they knew the transmissions were bad. The first time the transmission failed, it would not go into reverse. Now, it is 2 years later and the transmission is slipping. The dealer stated there was an internal failure.
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission
On some Mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Remedy: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear.
NHTSA investigations
Automatic transmission sudden downshift
See attached report.
Transmission complaints in other CL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2002 Acura CL?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2002 Acura CL, 75% of the model year's 44 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (28 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Acura CL transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-176 (automatic transmission, Apr 15, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Acura CL transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 41,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.