Service bulletin B17-018

A bulletin is a manufacturer's communication to its dealers, as NHTSA indexes it. The summary is NHTSA's. The document is the manufacturer's: read it at NHTSA. A bulletin is not a recall, and listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned.

The communication, as NHTSA indexes it (as of 2026-10-19)
Type	Service bulletin
NHTSA id	10098871
Published by NHTSA	2017-05-11
Manufacturer's number	B17-018
Manufacturer's date	2017-04-04
NHTSA component	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER

NHTSA's summary

"SERVICE BULLETIN - AFTER THE SOFTWARE UPDATE, SOME VEHICLES BASED ON HOW THEY ARE DRIVEN (EXTREME CONDITIONS) MAY STILL EXPERIENCE ATF DETERIORATION AFTER UPDATING THE A/T OR PGM-FI SYSTEM AND THE SHUDDER MAY RETURN. THE PROBLEM IS TYPICALLY DIAGNOSED AS A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER (TC). THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE TC, BUT BECAUSE THE ATF HAS DETERIORATED, IT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED EVEN THOUGH THE ATF SERVICE DUE MESSAGE HAS NOT APPEARED. MAKE SURE THE SOFTWARE IS UPDATED BY REFERRING TO THE INSPECTION PROCEDURE."

The document

No address for NHTSA's copy can be built for this communication. Ask the dealer for it by the manufacturer's number.

Components

Electrical system, Transmission and driveline, Automatic transmission, Software, Torque converter

Vehicles listed
ACURA RDX	2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned: the document says which.

Recalls for the same vehicles and component
13V143000	2013-04-15. POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

A recall listed here may apply to some of the same vehicles. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle.

Other bulletins for the same vehicles and component
B23-029	2024-03-04. Service bulletin. Service Bulletin - The lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator flashing “D” and set DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF.
B23-029	2023-09-06. Service bulletin. Service Bulletin - The lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and set DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF.
BBOM08312023901	2023-09-06. Service bulletin. Dealer Message - Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications. As a result, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the MIL illuminating and set DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF.
SB-15-051	2021-05-13. Service bulletin. BACKGROUND When the client uses the HFL, the person they are speaking with may experience poor sound quality, static, or the speaker’s voice cutting out. CORRECTIVE ACTION Cross-check the HFL part number and the HFL software version table in step 2 of REPAIR PROCEDURE to verify if the HFL control unit can be updated. NOTE: Make sure there is a match between the HFL P/N and software version under SOFTWARE INFORMATION
B17-018	2018-04-16. Service bulletin. Service bulletin - After the software update, some vehicles based on how they are driven (extreme conditions) may still experience ATF deterioration after updating the PGM-FI or A/T system and the shudder may return. The problem is typically diagnosed as a bad torque converter (TC). There is no damage to the TC, but because the ATF has deteriorated, it needs to be changed even though the ?ATF Service Due? message has not appeared.
BVE02142018901	2018-02-26. Service bulletin. Dealer message - Every Service Bulletin requires you to take an HDS snap shot and use the job aid or Tech2Tech to confirm the judder/shudder is coming from the torque converter.
B17020D	2017-07-28. Service bulletin. Service news article - We?ve made an important change to the AcuraLink telematics unit that you need to be aware of. This change switches the coverage of the internal cellular module from Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) to Long Term Evolution (LTE).
BPAS03102017901	2017-06-30. Service bulletin. DEALER MESSAGE - AMERICAN HONDA (AHM) IS INVESTIGATING CERTAIN 2017 RDXS WITH EITHER A CLIENT COMPLAINT OR PDI TIMING DISCOVERY OF NO GPS SIGNAL OR THE NAVI SHOWING WRONG LOCATION. TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE OF THIS CONDITION, AHM WOULD LIKE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO YOU ATTEMPTING A REPAIR OF ANY KIND.
B15-051	2017-05-23. Service bulletin. SERVICE BULLETIN - WHEN THE CLIENT USES THE HFL, THE PERSON THEY ARE SPEAKING WITH MAY EXPERIENCE POOR SOUND QUALITY, STATIC, OR THE SPEAKER’S VOICE CUTTING OUT. CROSS-CHECK THE HFL PART NUMBER AND THE HFL SOFTWARE VERSION TABLE IN STEP 2 OF REPAIR PROCEDURE TO VERIFY IF THE HFL CONTROL UNIT CAN BE UPDATED.
B15-051	2017-05-22. Service bulletin. SERVICE BULLETIN - WHEN THE CLIENT USES THE HFL, THE PERSON THEY ARE SPEAKING WITH MAY EXPERIENCE POOR SOUND QUALITY, STATIC, OR THE SPEAKER’S VOICE CUTTING OUT.