akilsaran1726

Hi,

Please let me know if I can buy a 2004 Acura TL with 177,600 miles;seems well maintained (all records in CARFAX),with a minor fender accident in 2010 (fixed correctly and does not show up);used as corporate vehicle for 68K miles.The price is 5000.

EvilVirus

iTrader: (8)

First welcome and hello

Now, if you have taken the time to have it inspected well and its all green light; then go for it.

Also, there a number of threads on here where newbies ask, "Is it ok to buy a high milage car"? Yes, as long as it gets inspected well and the maintenance is up to date. Goolge and search for those threads as you may find them informative.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Was the 105k service done?

Is it auto? Has the tranny been serviced? How many times has the fluid been changed?

akilsaran1726

It is auto trans with Navi.The carfax says as below at 164,928 miles:

"Maintenance inspection completed
Recommended maintenance performed
Air filter checked
Transmission fluid flushed
Four wheel alignment performed
Washed/detailed "

and again last service saying as recommended service done at 171,454 miles. Most services are done in Honda services only.

what are the other main things i have to look for?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^it's a used car.
you're going to be looking for things that a used car will display.

since you did not throw us a link, we cannot see it and therefore making it even harder to "inspect" over the internet.

you would treat this used car, just like you would treat ANY used car of any brand.
- check tires.
- check to see if the car drives straight.
- check to see if any leaks in engine bay.
-check to see if car operates correctly, driving through the paces. (ask for an extended test drive and take it through your daily commute)
- is the suspension shot? does it drive smoothly?
- is the tranny shot?
- a used car will probably have lots of dents and stuff, do you care about that?
- does the stuff inside operate correctly? navigation, radio, bluetooth, etc?
- are all handles, door knobs, lights working?

nothing is worse than buying a car and then 2 months later, something is broken. so, you'll need to inspect EVERY thing

akilsaran1726

thanks a lot for your responses.need more opinions.

link below:
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/4398567487.html

ct_ua6

Higher miles shouldn't be a problem as long as the car was well maintained, but unless your on a budget you could definitely find a car with lower miles for not much more, no reason to jump on the first car you find.

chapu08

2004 w/ 77,000 miles, is that high mileage?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you're missing a 1.

177000

Slpr04UA6

Chapu08 ^I believe that was a misprint, as OP stated in original post 177,600.


As others have stated, do a check of all things that Justnspace stated, then determine if it's a good buy or not.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

it looks great and all......

but how does it drive? is it smooth? does the transmission engage smoothly? what does the transmission oil look like?
any stutter in any gear?
etc

KieranM37

I first read it as 77,000 too. Weird.

Drei

iTrader: (2)

Welcome!

Bring a mechanic with you (befriend an Acura/Honda tech if possible) and lift the car and shine a flashlight and check if:

-the power steering pump is leaking

-the oil pump is leaking (some gaskets might need replacing)

-after a 10-15 test drive, lift the car and have your tech tell you if the transmission is running a bit too hot and will also check for leaks

-all the wheels look straight, inspect the wheels carefully with a flashlight and check for irregularities, run your hand along the wheels to make sure they're straight

Also, remove all the engine bay plastic covers and inspect fluid levels and check for anything that looks out of place.

Don't rush and take your time, it'll save you $$$ in the end! Post pics when you buy!

Good luck!

chapu08

Someone else missed a "1"- Poll reads: "Can I Buy 2004 TL 77,000 miles seems well maintained for $5000"

Acuramon

LOL. Not weird. Like me, you probably read the Poll section first.

robocam

Check to see if it makes clicking sounds when you turn slowly in forward or reverse. This could mean you need new axles soon. One of mine broke at 104,769 miles, so I had them both replaced. Mine's a manual though, so I don't know if the CV joint life differs between the manual and automatic.

My rear main engine oil seal was replaced at 122,417 miles because it was leaking, but I only had this done because the labor was free (it was in for a transmission rebuild, so they already had it apart).

My power steering pump was rebuilt at 108,024 miles.

Has a valve adjustment been performed?

What is your goal for this car? I hope reliability isn't too high on your list because it's high mileage, so don't be surprised if you're hit with repair bills very soon (possibly big ones).

aIRpeACE

iTrader: (2)

can you? sure you can.

screaminz28

iTrader: (1)

Don't fear high mileage cars - I've seen low mileage turds and high mileage ones with no issues. I just picked mine up with over 200K for $2,500. Runs like a top, no leaks, everything works. It is a Honda after all.

robocam

When did you pick it up? I'll be back in a few years to ask how things went. If you can say this same thing at that time, then I will believe what you're saying now. =)

"It's a Honda" doesn't mean as much to me anymore, especially after owning my TL. Do you remember how they handled the issues with the transmissions? The transmission in our 07 Odyssey died with like less than 20k miles on it. Saying "It's a Toyota" means far more to me.

Scottwax

I picked up an '02 6MT Maxima with 155k miles for $5000 back in 2010, great car other than the typical precat issue they all seem to have. Bose, climate control, leather, pretty loaded car. And Honda/Acura cars are definitely more reliable than Nissans. If they car has been properly maintained it will probably be a pretty damn good $5000 car. That's only $1500 mor than my son paid for an '00 Prelude with 150k on it.

Scottwax

Other than the sludge issue and the $1.2 billion fine just leveled against Toyota for hiding safety issues...

robocam

I was expecting something negative about Toyota to be brought up. =) I did a little digging about the issue and it seems that people having sludge problems are ones that aren't following the recommended oil change intervals. Toyota decided to repair engines damaged by sludge anyway. But this was over 12 years ago. And yes, Toyota probably should have designed their engines better. But since the Honda/Acura transmission problem is much more recent, the wounds and scars from this are still in the healing process.

I know our 9 year old Camry has treated us very well. Yes, I know each situation is unique, and I make no claims as to which company is actually better. What I have learned from this is to put reliability way, way down in priority when buying a car. All cars are going to disappoint you one day or another.

screaminz28

iTrader: (1)

Believe me, I understand what you're saying, especially about the transmissions.This was a 6MT, which is the only high mileage Honda I'd consider buying. I'm not a fan of any automatic, much less Honda's. I'm not sure if it applies to the TL as of 2004, but a transmission builder I know and respect said that Honda transmissions in the late 80s to mid 90s (D, B & H series) all used 1930s tech in their transmissions. Granted, perhaps all manufacturers did and do, but regardless, they don't seem to have a long lifespan.

My statement was more applicable to Hondas in general, as I've found them to be one of the few vehicles, Toyota included (barring the sludge issues) that you can really neglect and they will keep running. My friends and I have abused far more than our fair share of D & B series motors and if the J has half the tolerance they do, I'm comfortable driving one with tons of miles.

My G35 had 208K on it, and I felt like it was a brittle hunk of garbage and leaked constantly, from any orifice it could think of. I'd fix one leak, it would find another to open. I'm amazingly impressed with this TL in that is has no leaks at over 220K. Then again, the interior looks brand new, no crack in the dash, no torn leather, so maybe I just got lucky.

KungFuWaffle

If everything checks out go for it, I bought my at $7000 for 170k miles. Previous owner did everything at acura dealership. I'm now at 205k miles 3 years later and no problems!

feynman314

Only thing that comes to mind for me when I read that it was a company car, is that it wasnt the drivers actual car, so he may not have cared all that much about how he treated it. I know that when I get a rent-a-car or something like that, I beat the piss out of it because its not mine. My 2 cents...

cam_2

I understood the post as that a company car is being given to the OP, so the Acura became unneeded.

Drei

iTrader: (2)

This is always good to hear, do you have an automatic trans?

Scottwax

Honestly, if you want a super reliable, cheap to fix Honda, get a 4th gen Accord.

KungFuWaffle

Yep its auto, no problems with it so far. Knock on wood

subinf

Mileage isnt a huge issue so long as it has been serviced. How does it drive?

feynman314

It said that it was used as a 'corporate vehicle'

04 TL 04

iTrader: (2)

It looks good other than the back bumper being horribly mismatched

bud_d

I went to look at a 2006 TL last week, hoping to buy it. It almost had 200k miles on it. Looked great, interior excellent, motor sounded good, plenty strong.

Driving it revealed that the rear bearings were noisy. Not that big of a fix. But, every bump in the road resulted in a mechanical sounding "thump" which could be the rubber bushing on the front suspension, or the motor mounts, or something else. Getting the car for the right price factoring in those upcoming repairs would have been fine. And in another 10k miles the timing belt would need replaced. Owner wanted more than Edmunds priced the care at, and we were to far apart. Had to pass.

High mileage cars are fine if you go into it realizing the possible expense coming up.

Doug