Do people think that every stock automatic NSX built is still on it's original transmission??? Transmissions break, guys, and the NSX is no exception. It is a wear and tear part in a fairly powerful car.
There is not a known defect such as the snap ring on the old 5-speeds, they just go kaput, some earlier than others. How long they last depends on many factors, one of which is how it is treated. I know of at least half a dozen that are now lapping that great big racetrack in the sky.
Unfortunately Acura's standard response is to extend a big middle finger to anyone attempting to repair their NSX transmission, manual or auto. Acura's $olution is to sell you, faithful customer, an entire replacement transmission at a cost comparable to a nice mid-90's Integra.
Almost no Acura dealer service centers have a true mechanic on staff (instead, most employ "technicians" who basically just know how to use standard tools and follow a flow-chart), so they are not able to offer you the option of repairing a transmission instead of replacing it. Even fewer will work on an auto tranny - even some of the few "nationally known" Acura service centers which specialize in the NSX and who buck the Acura party line and work on manual transmissions will not touch an automatic.
P.S. No, I have never had a transmission problem so this is not sour grapes. I just think Acura's policy of replace-instead-of-repair on the second most expensive subsystem in the car (after the engine itself) is pathetic.
[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 12 July 2002).]
