2002 Acura TL Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/14/2026

175Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

52.7%Of all 332 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION175 · 52.7%

POWER TRAIN37 · 11.1%

AIR BAGS31 · 9.3%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL14 · 4.2%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10 · 3%

Share of the 332 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2002 Acura TL overview page.

What owners report

“THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED.”NHTSA complaint 10096820 — filed 10/14/2004

“TRANSMISSION FAILURE CREATED A SITUATION WHERE THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER DUE TO GEAR SLIPPAGE FOLLOWED BY THE TRANSMISSION SLAMMING INTO GEAR CAUSING…”NHTSA complaint 10095660 — filed 10/12/2004

“AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. ALREADY REPLACED ONCE WITH APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES. ON MY WAY TO ANOTHER ONE NOW. TRANSMISSION…”NHTSA complaint 10093142 — filed 09/24/2004

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2002 Acura TL have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the most-reported problem area on the 2002 Acura TL: 175 of 332 complaints on file (52.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2002 Acura TL have in total?

332 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 24 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 16 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.