Looks like my 02 tranny is dying- P1740 and P0740 codes

[devil421]

Thanks to this site I already know that my 2002 MDX trans is dying. Only 68k miles on her and yesterday the MIL came on for the first time. Autozone ran the codes and yep it's the dreaded ones! She still drives fine but Im sure things will start going downhill soon. I cleared the codes and the light hasn't come back on but we'll see. I really love my MDX but maybe it's time to think about trading up?

[devil421]

The codes went away with the reset. I replaced the battery and things are looking much better. I wonder if the battery had anything to do with the codes?

[SuperTech]

Nope it didn't. Your transmission is living on borrowed time.

[devil421]

Good call. The light came back on today and while I havent checked the codes I assume they are the same. Both times it has happened is when it's hot outside and I have the AC on. No other times.

Supertech, what should I do? Im well aware of the MDX tranny issues and this 02 has less than 70K miles on it. Should I take it to the dealer and demand a free tranny per the unwritten 100k warranty?

[SuperTech]

It's a 9 year old vehicle. You're not getting a free anything except for maybe a cup of coffee in the waiting room.

If you have a good service history with the dealer, they might, might be willing to to work some kind of goodwill deal where you pay a certain percentage of the repair and Acura pays the rest. I've seen 50/50 deals, 25/75, and cust pays labor/Acura buys part. All depends of the discretion of the dealer and district manager.

[devil421]

Thanks for the reply.

Ill have a very hard time accepting that the fact that I don't drive my vehicle as often as others invalidates the same known tranny issue that's affected so many other MDXs and has been replaced for FREE in most cases with mileage like mine. If they really expect me to pay $5000 to replace something that would have failed earlier had I driven more then we will have a very serious problem.

Ah well we will see what happens but Ill not go into the night getting screwed over a known problem that Acura doesn't have the guts to recall on their own. That's not my style at all.

[yogi799]

Originally Posted by devil421

Thanks to this site I already know that my 2002 MDX trans is dying. Only 68k miles on her and yesterday the MIL came on for the first time. Autozone ran the codes and yep it's the dreaded ones! She still drives fine but Im sure things will start going downhill soon. I cleared the codes and the light hasn't come back on but we'll see. I really love my MDX but maybe it's time to think about trading up?

How do you retrieve the tranny codes? I had a blinking (flashing) D5 light today, no check engine light though. Can I just use my ODB diagnostic scanner? If no MIL, though, will anything come up? My D5 stopped flashing too. Any advice?

[devil421]

Update here:

The problem got worse until the tranny clunked into gear, D5 light flashed, etc. It's at the dealership right now and will be looked at first thing Monday. Here's the thing. The service writer tried at first to play dumb about the extended trans warranty but ultimately admitted (in dealer speak) that it existed and he'd "call Honda about that number we mentioned", which would be the 100k mile extended warranty. We'll see what happens but I am still of the opinion that Im not paying out of pocket for a trans replacement that's a known issue on many of these vehicles.

[JL_SS]

Originally Posted by devil421

Update here:

The problem got worse until the tranny clunked into gear, D5 light flashed, etc. It's at the dealership right now and will be looked at first thing Monday. Here's the thing. The service writer tried at first to play dumb about the extended trans warranty but ultimately admitted (in dealer speak) that it existed and he'd "call Honda about that number we mentioned", which would be the 100k mile extended warranty. We'll see what happens but I am still of the opinion that Im not paying out of pocket for a trans replacement that's a known issue on many of these vehicles.

By all means push them to replace it at no cost. However, note that the models that were covered under the class action lawsuit (MDX was not) were covered for 109K miles or 7.75 years, whichever came first.

Although, if you never had the oil jet kit installed per the recall, your chances of having Acura cover it go up.

[devil421]

Update: Acura's first offer is to pay 25% of the repair cost. Im not happy with that and will push for more.

eta: Case is being forwarded to district case manager for review. Always call Customer Care if you aren't getting the resolution you want.

[KES]

2002 with 156K - pulled P0730. Dealer wants $4700. I am not surprised that it failed based on all the readings on this site but not happy either since I changed the transmission fluid every 15K - 20K versus the 45K called for in the manual.

IMO Honda / Acura put forth a bad transmission and hid from it the best they could. Transmission shop I just called said they see about 4 MDX, TL, Odeseys a week.

I got 156K out of mine - could be worse.

I am shopping for one car now and a SUV in the near future. Confidence in Acura / Honda is a litlle low at this point so I am not sure they will see my business. I was waiting for a TL-Tech to arrive (deposit down) which I pulled until I resolve this mess.

[devil421]

Final update here. Honda/Acura has lost a customer for the rest of my life. They wouldn't budge on the 25% offer and that's already on a seriously over-inflated repair price. So my car sat at the dealer for over a week for nothing. Thanks Honda. Fine products and "luxury" service you offer. Ill never buy so much as a weedeater from that company now and Ill let anyone who cares to listen know what I think about their products and service. Sign me up for any future class actions over this faulty product, too. They don't care about their customers. They care about the money. It's a cost/benefit analysis for them to see how many owners they can screw over with their faulty products and still turn a profit.

The MDX is now at a local transmission shop that has great reviews for their prices and services. The tranny will be rebuilt and Ill keep the car for a while longer then trade it on something else. A RX maybe? Whatever it is, it sure as hell won't be a Honda. Shame too because I liked the MDX. It's the company that makes them that's rotten.

[KES]

Look at it this way. Put the $3K-4K in and repair the tranny. Since this is the largest most expensive problem with the 01-02's you should do well selling with low miles and new tranny. A new car is going to cost you $500 to $600 a month OR more. Hang onto the MDX for 4 months and you have covered $2000(4X $500). Sell it and move on.

You are probably going to do okay financially. A lot of buyers will move on a low miles MDX with a new tranny that has otherwise been well maintained. You will probably get 1000 to 2000 more in sell value just on the fact the tranny is new.

I am in the same siutation with the tranny but mine has 156K and a lot more wear and tear.

[devil421]

KES, that's probably a fair assessment. The tranny rebuild won't cost nearly as much as you quoted though. There's generally no need to replace the entire transmission (housing), according to the local tranny shop. They can recondition the entire assembly with new parts and a new TC for under $2200. No point in paying for an entire trans assembly from Acura, then giving Acura the luxury of reselling your old tranny to someone else at a profit!

I also filed a complaint with the NHTSA. Anyone with tranny failures should do this! It's one of the very few ways to get a car manufacturer to own up to defective design. Get the Feds after them for safety issues.

[dons04mdx]

Originally Posted by devil421

KES, that's probably a fair assessment. The tranny rebuild won't cost nearly as much as you quoted though. There's generally no need to replace the entire transmission (housing), according to the local tranny shop. They can recondition the entire assembly with new parts and a new TC for under $2200. No point in paying for an entire trans assembly from Acura, then giving Acura the luxury of reselling your old tranny to someone else at a profit!

I also filed a complaint with the NHTSA. Anyone with tranny failures should do this! It's one of the very few ways to get a car manufacturer to own up to defective design. Get the Feds after them for safety issues.

LOL, from a Ron Paul supporter ....