2004 Acura RSX Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 6about this part
- Share
- 35%of 17 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 11,800miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2004 Acura RSX, 35% of the 17 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 11,800 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I have a 2004 RSX-s a-spec . It has a six speed transmission. When shifting from first to second, gear sometimes grinds, when shifting from second gear to third, gear grinds and sometimes pops out. Dealership gave me the run-a-round saying they could not duplicate problem . I hear of other people having the same problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10159105, filed 2006-06, 13,000 miles“My problem is with the transmission. I have a 2004 RSX-s. It has a six speed transmission. When shifting from first to second, gear grinds, and sometimes locks out. When shifting from second to third, gear grinds and sometimes pops out. Dealership gives me the run-a-round said they couldn't fix since my car is past warranty. Why was I not contacted by american honda about this failure on an obviously important safety malfunction? I almost got into an accident caused by not being able to get the car into gear. Dealer said I had to fork over the $$$ for the repair myself which is unheard of. …”
NHTSA complaint #10269826, filed 2009-05, 11,000 miles“My problem is with the transmission. I have a 2004 RSX-s. It has a six speed transmission. When shifting from first to second, gear grinds, and sometimes locks out. When shifting from second to third, gear grinds and sometimes pops out. Eventually locking out. Dealership gives me the run-a-round. Hundreds of people have the same problem, we all can't be wrong. Accident could be caused by not being able to get the car into gear and getting rear ended. I have another appt. With the dealer on monday. Sick of getting the run-a-round and would like an inquiry as to the extent of this problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10139808, filed 2005-10, 4,000 miles“Third gear would constantly engage 1/2 way, then pop out. Sometimes it would just grind into place. On a quick trip to a store, when I shifted from 1 to 2, 1st gear shattered into a million peices. Dealer blamed it on an aftermarket exhaust manifold, not on the obvious: a faulty transmission/”
NHTSA complaint #10086542, filed 2004-08, 11,800 miles“The contact owns a 2004 Acura RSX. While driving between 65-70 MPH, the transmission began to slip out of gear followed by a loud grinding noise when the accelerator pedal was depressed. When the contact would downshift to a lower gear, there was a low power response and a grinding noise was heard. The failures occurred intermittently. Over an extended period of time, the failures increased while the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection, but they could not duplicate the failures. …”
NHTSA complaint #10276275, filed 2009-07, 30,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10026204Jul 18, 2008Acura: 6 speed manual transmission grinds when shifting into 3rd gear, pops out of 3rd gear, or is hard to shift into 3rd gear. Transmission has a faulty 3rd gear synchronizer or…
- 10018865Dec 16, 2005Transmission grinds at shifts, skip shifting.
- 10014766Jan 1, 2005P1706 a/t switch short or open.
- 10018335Dec 1, 2004Harsh or noisy downshifts when slowing down. Acura servicenews.
- 10014549Nov 16, 2004Harsh 3-2 and or 2-1 downshift.
- 10013911Oct 1, 2004A/t solenoid replacement criteria.
- 10013745Sep 16, 2004Automatic transmission solenoid replacement criteria. Acura tech line summary for dealer distribution.
- 10012660Apr 6, 2004Squeak at the clutch pedal.
- 10014344Dec 1, 2003Atf (automatic transmission fluid) leaks from cooler line banjo bolt.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2004 Acura RSX
5 complaintsTires
4 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Acura RSX
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology