Rep Power: 0

So I decided to wait a few days to give some more info than "tranny died, let you know what happened later"

So heres the deal. about 45,000 miles on the car Last Friday my car was somewhat shifting a little odd in the morning, and I figured whatever. And for the previous week I have had the transmission slip maybe twice as I come out of turns. So anyways, Friday morning was odd but it was barely noticible. However, on the way home from work it was slipping like mad from 2nd to 3rd, almost acting like it wouldnt get into gear (and it did this EVERYTIME it went to shift from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd, and sometims it seemed even into 4th). So I took it to the dealer (as I have an extended warranty that I bought from Penske Honda in Ontario, CA which will come up in a minute) and they whined that I didnt have an appointment and basiclly told me that they might be able to look at it but it didnt matter because my extended warranty required that they call to approve repairs and they arent open on the weekend.

So I told them Ok, mine as well keep it and let me know on Monday. Dealer calls me Monday and says yeah transmission slips, seems like 2nd is pretty gone. He said an appraiser guy was going to come out to inspect the car to see if they would do repairs (which seemed stupid and fishy to me, which turned out to be an accurate feeling). I get a call mid day Tuesday saying they came out and looked at the car and denied repair under my extended warranty. Course I asked why and was given the normal **** about "Well you have intake, headers and exhaust, and your wheels are bigger". Over diameter of the wheels is smaller so it would not rub so that was total bs, and the other things add (as sad as we all know) very little HP so thats sad that the tranny can't handle that. So anyways my Dad whos very good at yelling at people called the warranty place (Automotive Warranty Services, see their name in the future run the other way is my opinion, but maybe others have had luck with them (I commend you) and to make a long story short on that part, basiclly claimed because of the above mentioned mods, and the fact my car is lowered 3 inches or so (its lowered 1" with a body kit and how that affects the tranny who knows) that they wont cover it. Dad suggested that if he went and just put in a K&N filter thats supposed to improve HP or air flow or whatever, that under their logic it would void the warranty and they said yes. Dad called Penske which is where I bought the car and now Penske is supposed to be talking to the warranty place today to see if they can get them to cover it. Also my Dad is going to mention the law and stuff that was posted on the site about warrantys earlier (thanks for that btw).

So yeah thats the current story. Some side info for some of you, Honda wants about $4000 to put in apparently a rebuilt tranny. Found other places that would do it for 3000. Course even after all this, considering heavily to after I get that, sell car, get RSX Type S. We shall see. Also wanted to mention that I do not neutral drop or do any stupid crap, I don't abuse the tranny. Like most people you have to use what little power our engines have to pass people and do other things that require maybe putting some temporary strain but not by much, and again these trannys are very weak if the strain of driving (which I commute a fair distance) die within 50000 miles. On yet another side note, called one tranny place and they said "Wow I have another 2002 civic in here, some older lady brought it in. Auto tranny too. Course it has 101,000 miles on it". Thats a lot of driving. Still theres someone thats probably super easy on their transmission and just has a decent amount of miles and still in 101,000 miles is still not great for a tranny especially when its a Honda and they are supposed to be reliable.

Me = and

 
Rep Power: 322

third party extended warranties are a scam - they make it VERY difficult for you to claim anything.

I find it odd as well that you weren't offered warranty extension through Hondacare - that itself seems rather fishy.

 
Rep Power: 0

Yeah it does, and thats one angle we are fighting at with Penske Honda is that there brochure makes it sound like its a Penske warranty yet in the small print (and I mean small, which of course I didnt read that print) that its Penske is offering this warranty through someone else.

 
Rep Power: 322

the large print giveth....and the small print taketh away

 
Rep Power: 0

So update: Dad bitched and they giveth back. They agreed to send out a transmission and Honda is going to install it, 50,000 mile warranty on the tranny. So moral of the story is: dont let people screw you out what is rightfully yours. Only thing this is going to cost me is the $50 deductible. And then after that, probably sell car and get RSX Type S

 
Rep Power: 411

Preach on!! they are always looking to get around things to make the most $$!

 
Rep Power: 0

i just past that 36k miles today, no warranty!, i hope my auto not goin to die soon or later.........it seem like some of auto trans. died around 50k miles.....*** honda, where's reliabilty...

 
Rep Power: 310

Honda needs to make a recall on the auto trannies for slipping, then completely going out.

Someone should make a sticky about Auto tranny failures... I bet there'd be alot of people on the list.

 
Rep Power: 301

Guys, for what it's worth... change the tranny fluid every 30K or less.
These slushboxes NEED to be very clean inside. There is no provision in this transmission to keep junk out of the moving parts. Flushing with new fluid is the only way to stretch it's life. I had my mom's 01 flushed, and the difference was dramatic. I agree, they should recall this POS. But they won't. I have had several Honda's, but the 7th gen is the worst. I am always afraid something else will break.

 
Rep Power: 0

I bought a 03 tranny auto for 600 on the net, working like new

 
Rep Power: 0

Well Im in the process of getting a RSX Type S so all is pretty much good at this point

 
Rep Power: 811

Man I changed the fulid once at 18K miles, and again at 24K miles. It still feels bad sometimes. I guess they just didn't make it well. My friend with a 99ex cvt auto tranny abuses that thing all the time driving hard and shifting it, but nothing happened yet for 5 yrs.

 
Rep Power: 320

Haha my A/T is gone too!!!
Gizmo, why did you buy extended warranty through AWS?
You should have been offered HondaCare extended warranty.
My transmission went out at around 48,000 miles with the same slippage problems.
I am paying my $50 deductable for a brand new transmission.
I don't think my delearship even bothered to rip the car apart and just asked HondaCare for approval.
Only problem is that the new transmission is being shipped through freight and I've been stuck for a week with a crappy Sebring.

 
Rep Power: 0

Well partly cause I figured it was a Penske/Honda warranty not AWS. Screw up on my part that wont happen again but its all fixed now, and besides I went out and bought a 2004 ABP RSX Type S.