2003 Acura RSX type-s 2.0 liter from North America

Summary:

Quality and great performance for a great price

Faults:

There have been no problems at all with this car.

General Comments:

I have read some reviews that comment on the difficulty of shifting into 3rd gear. I have found that on occasion I also have some difficulty shifting into that gear, however I have noticed that this happens on quick shifts after the car has been idle for a while. Once the car is warmed up or if I make sure the clutch is all the way to the floor, the problem doesn't seem to present itself. I had a 2000 Jeep Wrangler previously and it was plagued with problems. This car has been maintenance free aside from the normal oil change which only occurs every 5k miles. Gas mileage is great, I only have to fill the tank once every week and a half to two weeks. I drove from Boston to Montreal on a single tank which was pretty good. I love drawbacks that I've noticed have been the lack of grip on the tires in hard corners and the inability to attach a roof mounted bike carrier. Other than that, the car is a gem.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th March, 2004

18th Jul 2004, 12:04

I work at an Acura dealership in the service department and there is a service bulletin for the RSX-S for the third gear shifting problem. Take it to your local Acura dealership and tell them about it right away.

10th Dec 2008, 05:23

That's normal gears; 1 and 2 are triple-cones synchromesh, 3 to 6 are double-cones.

2003 Acura RSX Premium 2.0 from North America

Summary:

This is a cheap Honda Civic with a S2000 price tag

Faults:

The leather drive seat had to be replaced after only 9000 miles of wear!

General Comments:

The is one of the the nicest looking cars that I own (I own a 93 Miata, 91 MR2 Turbo, 93 Explorer and a 92 Del Sol si). With that said this car has been a $25,000 disappointment. I got it with all of the Factory option excluding upgraded wheels and it is now after 6 months and 13,000 boring miles, worth around $17-$18,000. It is an auto-manual which was mistake one and a want-to-be sports car second which was mistake number two. On top of all of the disappoints I've had with it... the gas mileage has drop to about 20mpg and the cabin smells like...crap!

If you want a fun car try an MR2 or Miata. For UNDER $10,000 :)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 2nd March, 2004

9th May 2004, 22:20

A Miata? Hahaha, OK buddy they have like what, 120horsepower? Sure they're rear wheel drive buts that's all that's good about them. As for the drop in value, that happens with EVERY car. The minute you drive a new car off a lot it drops a 1000 or 2 in value. Every 1000 miles you put on a car further causes it to depreciate. At least with Japanese cars they depreciate less than American made cars. BTW it is YOUR fault you got the auto-stick transmission.

18th Mar 2006, 21:19

Yea miatas are good reliable cars, sure they are small, but they are good...

Rsx are too much money, I have to agree on that...

19th Mar 2006, 13:56

I bought a used Acura TL Type S last year for under $20,000.

Great performance with 260 hp absolutely loaded with amenities! Bought a Legend used in the past also a great Acura as well...

2003 Acura RSX Type S 2.0 VTEC from North America

Summary:

You get what you pay for

Faults:

SRS computer detected a fault on the passenger's side airbag sensor (s) and kept the SRS warning light on all the time. Dealer replaced the whole computer.

Occasionally, it is difficult to shift to 3rd gear. Problem is not being taken care of by the dealer.

Clutch bearing went bad.

Hatch support mechanism failed (one pneumatic strut went bad).

General Comments:

I like the VTEC engine and the handling of the car.

I'm disappointed by how many trips I had to make to the dealer for warranty repairs (my time costs me money). It only has 15,000 miles!

The transmission problem is very annoying.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 13th January, 2004

7th Nov 2004, 23:48

Did the dealer fix the Clutch bearing?

16th Dec 2004, 21:08

There is nothing wrong with the "clutch bearing", the problem lies in the transmission. There is a bulletin posted for this and can be repaired by any Acura dealership.

4th Jan 2005, 16:49

I bought a used 2002 RSX S Type about a year ago. I have had trouble shifting (especially into 3rd), my car started to make a funny noise so they decided to replace my trans. 3 months later, the noise came back and they replaced my block engine. Now, about 6 months later, my third gear grinds and pop out of gear more and more often. I just called and they told me that they are going to check out the clutch even though the car only has 39000 miles on it! Any suggestions? WHAT IS THIS 'BULLETIN POSTED' FOR THE TRANS THAT IS IN THE 12/16 COMMENT???

19th Jan 2005, 10:52

I also had problems with the hatch support strut. It was leaking, causing the hatch to drop down! Yes, we all know about the 2nd/3rd gear problem. I have a 2003 RSX-Type S.

30th Mar 2005, 11:28

I am also having the transmission problem with my 03 Type-S. Where can I find out more about this bulletin?

17th Nov 2010, 19:31

Use 5w30 Amsoil Synchromesh on your transmission; it'll shift better, no joke. Mine pops out, and since I changed it, I haven't had problems with it since I changed from the factory transmission fluid; it doesn't pop, grind or anything, and this was 20k miles ago. I'm at 83k now. It started at 62k.