Thinking about buying an Acura 3.2 TL - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Cordachine007 · 02-13-2004, 01:38 AM

I am thinking about buying an 02 Acura 3.2 TL Type S. It has a little over 60k miles, which is quite a lot for that year. I am looking for some thoughts that might not have crossed my mind. The car looks really great. What are some things that I sould be looking for? What questions should I ask? that sort of thing...Feel free to tell me what you think about the car too...include your pick instead if you want, im just curious!

LewisCouch · 02-13-2004, 08:32 AM

You didn't mention whether it's being sold by a private party or a dealer. The reason I mention that, is that in most states a dealer must disclose specific information regarding damage. A private party does not. You could get the VIN # and run a Car Fax check yourself if you are curious. I own a 2001 Acura CL Type S, and I really like the car, although the styling is quite conservative. The performance is good and while it's not the quickest thing on the road, it does have a good power band and handles very nicely. Most people buy these cars because of their amenities, they basically have no options except for navigation and they are very comfortable. The mileage on the car you are looking at is very high. That's a lot of miles for a 2002. I would definitely ask about service records and determine whether or not the major service (every 30K) has been performed. The 60K service will probably run somewhere in the $400-500 range. Hope it works out for you.

shakran · 02-13-2004, 09:17 AM

the mileage is quite high, which is good for you. You can get a much lower price on it, yet honda engines routinely go well beyond 200k miles without even burning oil, so it's not like you're gonna lose the car in a couple of years.

Cordachine007 · 02-13-2004, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LewisCouch
You didn't mention whether it's being sold by a private party or a dealer.

It is dealer.

You could get the VIN # and run a Car Fax check yourself if you are curious.

I have checked the CarFax Report out already.

I would definitely ask about service records and determine whether or not the major service (every 30K) has been performed. The 60K service will probably run somewhere in the $400-500 range. Hope it works out for you.

That is one thing that I had not thought about! I will check on that. Thanks

james t kirk · 02-13-2004, 07:46 PM

Apparently, the TL's are known for a weak Automatic transission, prone to failure in fact.

A guy i work with has one and Honda sent him a letter saying that they would give him a 160,000 km warranty on his transmission.

He has had no problems with it, but i have read other posts about this problem.

Rumour has it that if you use the manual shifter, you run the risk of damaging the tranny.

Moral of the story, let the thing shift itself.

Apparently, this problem has been rectified in the 04.

For the record, i really like the TL and think it's a great car.

02-13-2004, 01:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
Cordachine007 Tilted Location: MI....GO BLUE!	Thinking about buying an Acura 3.2 TL I am thinking about buying an 02 Acura 3.2 TL Type S. It has a little over 60k miles, which is quite a lot for that year. I am looking for some thoughts that might not have crossed my mind. The car looks really great. What are some things that I sould be looking for? What questions should I ask? that sort of thing...Feel free to tell me what you think about the car too...include your pick instead if you want, im just curious!

02-13-2004, 08:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
LewisCouch Insane Location: Pacific NW	You didn't mention whether it's being sold by a private party or a dealer. The reason I mention that, is that in most states a dealer must disclose specific information regarding damage. A private party does not. You could get the VIN # and run a Car Fax check yourself if you are curious. I own a 2001 Acura CL Type S, and I really like the car, although the styling is quite conservative. The performance is good and while it's not the quickest thing on the road, it does have a good power band and handles very nicely. Most people buy these cars because of their amenities, they basically have no options except for navigation and they are very comfortable. The mileage on the car you are looking at is very high. That's a lot of miles for a 2002. I would definitely ask about service records and determine whether or not the major service (every 30K) has been performed. The 60K service will probably run somewhere in the $400-500 range. Hope it works out for you. __________________ "The gift of liberty is like that of a horse, handsome, strong, and high-spirited. In some it arouses a wish to ride; in many others, on the contrary, it increases the desire to walk." -- Massimo d'Azeglio

02-13-2004, 09:17 AM	#3 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	the mileage is quite high, which is good for you. You can get a much lower price on it, yet honda engines routinely go well beyond 200k miles without even burning oil, so it's not like you're gonna lose the car in a couple of years.

02-13-2004, 07:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
james t kirk Junkie Location: Toronto	Apparently, the TL's are known for a weak Automatic transission, prone to failure in fact. A guy i work with has one and Honda sent him a letter saying that they would give him a 160,000 km warranty on his transmission. He has had no problems with it, but i have read other posts about this problem. Rumour has it that if you use the manual shifter, you run the risk of damaging the tranny. Moral of the story, let the thing shift itself. Apparently, this problem has been rectified in the 04. For the record, i really like the TL and think it's a great car.