NEW TO THE NSX WORLD

[Keiretsu]

I'm new to this whole NSX thing. I haven't purchased one yet, but I test drove a Red 92' @ Frontline Auto (in Bellevue, WA) w/ 61K on the clock, I'm in the process of selling my current vehicle (1993 190E 2.6 Sportline). My friends have NSX's so I have to keep of w/ the lot of them and OMG these are the most extreme/practical cars ever, ever!

Would you ask any questions or check any critical areas on the vehicle before purchasing?

My friend had (just wrecked) a 92' Comptech NSX and suggested that I check the transmission had gone back to factory for a mandatory recall? Would there be paper work indicating this?

Being a Mercedes owner all my driving career (Just turned twenty, so not too long) I have come to expect a great deal from the dealerships and cars. Does Acura treat their "people" w/ the utmost respect and consideration? Bending over backwards for there vehicles and owners?

 

[nsxtasy]

Would you ask any questions or check any critical areas on the vehicle before purchasing?

Look through the FAQ, which is located at http://www.nsxprime.com/toc.htm In particular, look at the "Used NSX Checklist" section, and look under the heading "Troubleshooting" at the various problems that have been reported on NSX's. Many of them are minor or rare. However, the transmission problem is described in the section called "Transmission (incl. Snap Ring Failure)".

suggested that I check the transmission had gone back to factory for a mandatory recall? Would there be paper work indicating this?

There was never a recall on this. Some cars will fail, others will never fail. Some have been repaired, others have not. If the transmission was replaced, it will have a new transmission ID number that is not in the affected range. Otherwise, you will want to see a receipt from the shop that did the repair.

Being a Mercedes owner all my driving career (Just turned twenty, so not too long) I have come to expect a great deal from the dealerships and cars. Does Acura treat their "people" w/ the utmost respect and consideration? Bending over backwards for there vehicles and owners?

Acura dealers do as well as any other make (including Mercedes) for their vehicles and owners. However, just like any make, dealers are independent businesses and specific practices may vary from one dealer to another. And they might not do everything possible, either; for example, sometimes they might cover repairs on a goodwill basis after a car is out of warranty, but other times they might not.

 

[MYNSX]

About a year ago "after"I had purchased my NSX I found out about the snap ring problem potential.after searching many sites here at this sight is where I got all the info I needed.There is a SCU# on the top of the tranny which can be veiwed easily by looking down onto the top of the tranny case.The tranny case is almost directly below the air filter area.The SCU#'s that indicate the tranny has a potential snap ring problem are J4A4-1003542 THRU J4A4-1004172.I happened to be spared this problem just by luck.My car was about 800 tranny's after the snap ring problem tranny's.Good luck....MYNSX

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[nsxtasy]

The SCU#'s that indicate the tranny has a potential snap ring problem are J4A4-1003542 THRU J4A4-1004172.

That is not correct. Read the "snap ring" section of the FAQ and you'll find that the range of affected transmission ID numbers is J4A4-1003542 through J4A4-1005978.

 

[MYNSX]

In reference to wrong snap ring # I got the #,s posted HERE about a year ago.SCARY!!!

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[Lud]

Originally posted by MYNSX:
In reference to wrong snap ring # I got the #,s posted HERE about a year ago.SCARY!!!

I don't know where the 4172 number came from (maybe a message someone posted in the forums?), but I can personally guarantee the numbers in the FAQ have been the same since day 1, when this entire website was just the FAQ and the FAQ itself was just one long single page of text.

 

[nsxtasy]

I don't know where the 4172 number came from (maybe a message someone posted in the forums?)

A search for "J4A4-1004172" turns up no results (outside of this topic, of course).

I can personally guarantee the numbers in the FAQ have been the same since day 1, when this entire website was just the FAQ and the FAQ itself was just one long single page of text.

That day 1 was in 1997, and the correct tranny ID numbers have been quoted from there many times since.

 

[Ojas]

Odd:

J4A4-1004172 was refered to here as Brent's actual tranny number (not as the start or end of the snap ring range).

Maybe someone misread this ???

 

[MYNSX]

Yep thats where it must have been misread from "great research"unfortunatly you being correct will put me out 2500-3500 but at least i didnt find out when cruisin'California and towing it back to Arizona.

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[MYNSX]

The dealers should have to disclose this.

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[nsxtasy]

You're kidding, right?

You're saying they should have to tell their customer, "Well, the eleven-year-old car you're buying has a part that might very well never go bad, but there's a chance something might someday go wrong with it."

Hmmm...

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 30 November 2001).]

 

[ScienceofSpeed]

I agree, they shouldn't have to. Because Honda had, in my opinion, a duty to repair the known and admitted defect rather than let the problem surface 11 years later, because some cars accrue such few miles on them per year.

-- Chris

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www.ScienceofSpeed.com - Click for more info

 

[Forums Nazi]

http://www.nsxprime.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002239.html

 

[MYNSX]

Yes,I would have liked to make the choice to purchase MYNSX based on the statement you just disclosed.I just feel like the situation upon sale was treated like "if they dont ask,I wont tell them".Similar being questioned in court by a lawyer.Disclose only the bare minimum to stay in the safe zone.Of course less of the snap ring problem NSX's would be sold "immediatly" but they would sell for a price based on the "potential" for failure after the purchase and that would be "a choice" that the consumer was "willing to take".Flood zone real estate similarly may not be a safty issue all the time but it's sure nice when your dealer or sales person isn't just hell bent on making the sale knowing if he were in your shoes he might not choose the purchase.If you were to purchase an NSX from your friend or a dealer for that matter wouldn,t you appreciate it if the scu# was not removed from the tranny so you could make a choice based on the knowledge "you" have about them or would you prefer to be blindsided and or take your chances.Would you not be upset if "you knew" the dealer knew there was body damage previously that was covered up and played stupid and said WOW I didnt know that!Well I definatly know the dealer was evasive in many things this included I was to find out after the purchase. I dont think I am wrong for feeling the way I do .Why do NSX's who are selling their 91'-92' NSX's usually disclosing in the ad "no snap ring problem here".They are simply presenting the product in all fairness or should they too.They are being up front and because Law says it so doesn,t always make it right.Were you happy and felt as if the game was played fairly when O.J. walked.Or is that just good business?I dont mean to sound as if I'm attacking you but I think you might understand what I mean.Your posts have been very helpful and probably saved me at least 1 terribly ruined road trip.So thank you!!
MYNSX

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[nsxman]

At times, it would help if there were some NSX enthusiasts on this board with legal training, who could bring intelligence to this discussion.

Assume the following:

1. You own an NSX. You know that your vehicle is in the "snap ring problem" range and that the transmission has not been inspected.

2. You and a "non-family" passenger are traveling at 60 mph in your NSX. You shift and the snap ring breaks. You lose control, or are hit from behind, or some other event happens. Your passenger dies in a subsequent accident.

Subsequent lawsuit: Aside from the guilt that you might carry for the rest of your life, you will have a burden to disprove that the responsibility for the accident was not yours. Of course, competent legal counsel would cause Acura to be joined in the lawsuit.

As the NSX tire class action settlement demonstrated, Acura failed to inform the first purchasers of the NSX that the rear tires would fail after 5-7 thousand miles. This wear was outside the norm that a reasonable and prudent consumer would expect.

Acura has a duty to fix the transmissions, PERIOD. They are risking lives, just as Ford and Firestone have done with the Explorer.

For some on this board, I suggest your allegiance should be to life, not to a corporation that makes a vehicle you enjoy.

Legal Advice: If you buy an NSX with a transmission in the snap ring range, get it fixed. PERIOD.

 

[Forums Nazi]

http://www.nsxprime.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002239.html

 

[nsxtasy]

2. You and a "non-family" passenger are traveling at 60 mph in your NSX. You shift and the snap ring breaks. You lose control, or are hit from behind, or some other event happens. Your passenger dies in a subsequent accident.

That's not what happens when the snap ring goes; it doesn't cause a sudden loss of control. So you are drawing your conclusions from a faulty assumption.

 

[MYNSX]

Thank You,thats kinda my point.It seems as if where emotion and money get involved sometimes INTEGRITY falls by the wayside.I hope to never run either of the companies that I own in that manner.There are quite a few bank accounts of the innocent I can LEGALLY empty and know of some that do and have!These people "rationalize" and are similar to the "insanity" that drove jets into skyscrapers in which I lost 1 family and 1 friend.This to me is the enemy and maybe this is and "extreme example"and insanity left un-notice usually escalates.Thats all.aA mere tap on the shoulder is not enough to get people's attention,but hit them with a sledgehammer and you can be assured now you have trier un-divided interest.
MYNSX

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[ScienceofSpeed]

I agree that the snap-ring does not result in an immediate loss of power, however, when my first NSX'es snap-ring failed, I was stuck in traffic downtown with sudden loss of the ability to get into second gear. Granted, nothing severe happened, though my short term shock of learning how to drive with out the tranny functioning correctly solicited a honk from the guy behind me as traffic zipped by.

-- Chris

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www.ScienceofSpeed.com - Click for more info

 

[MYNSX]

So if noone gets hurt/killed it's and only a financial issue then its OK??What if your suddenly stuck on an open road in AZ and having no water and risk dehydration death or trying to evade an attack in the Bronx and the tranny ring snaps would you be happy you were stuck and need to now pull a gun to protect yourself.Surely these are extreme examples but possible ,though highly unlikely nethertheless possible.

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[MYNSX]

This is getting pretty f#%^#in stupid now!!

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[MYNSX]

Either way this has gone way off the original subject.I am happy and greatful I have been decieved by the used car dealer that knew this was a potential problem and knew this if disclosed would possibly effect the sale and I also look foward to purchasing more vehicles from this individual possibly a fleet of vehicles.Further I cant wait to take a few thousand dollars and put it into the vehicle to attain the ability to shift into the various gears 1-5 when I go out on a nice drive after working all week.These are the type of situations I hope we can all enjoy one day.

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[nsxtasy]

There is no excuse for deliberate deception. However, deliberate deception implies that the dealer is aware of a problem, is aware that the customer should be told (regardless of whether for legal OR ethical reasons), and decides not to. Fact is, though, I would be willing to bet that 9 out of 10 used car salesmen at Acura dealers (and 10 out of 10 at non-Acura dealers) would have no idea about what the snap ring issue is, let alone whether or not it affected a particular car. You can claim that they don't always tell the truth if you want, but please don't assume that they're usually extremely knowledgeable.

 

[MYNSX]

Exactly,this was not an Acura dealer(not that this really matters)although I would expect the salesman at a dealership actually knows less than the "little guy used car lot"whose a lot smarter in his auction based research and purchases for resale.I was lucky enough to have become friends with one of the salesmen "after the fact" who his boss "my salesman" discussed with another employee that he was sure glad"I" had not known about the quote"bad tranny thing"!!.Otherwise he wouldn,t be going to Vegas that weekend because he made his quota.And followed it up with he was sure glad he got rid of that one finally.This ex-salesman who overheard this was the straw that broke the camel's back and quit that job selling for that person.He now works for me"not because of his skills"because he had next to none(that can be easily taught to anyone)but because of his integrity.I find it gratifiing to watch him make twice the commission in our shop he ever made there or anywhere.
MYNSX

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[nsxman]

nsxtacy:

It would appear that you are not a member of the bar, as your comments regarding product liability are flat out wrong.

I could fill the cockpit of your NSX with pleadings from litigation wherein manufacturers "should have known" about a potential life-threatening defect.

To transport all the monetary judgements that have been awarded in such suits, a tractor trailer would be necessary.

Keiretsu:

As you search for your vehicle, the legal advice offered still stands. If you wish to buy an NSX with a "snap ring problem," negotiate an appropriate price that permits you to get the transmission fixed.

I regret that this comment may appear as argumentum ad hominen, however, the misinformation in this thread regarding product liability law demands rectification.