ssjkev16

Hello everyone, I am in the market to upgrade to the 4th gen TL and I have found a private seller on kijiji selling a 2012 TL SH-AWD with Tech package. Typically 2012 TL's in my area (Manitoba, Canada) sell for $24,000 to $26,000 depending on trim and km's driven, but the one I am interested in is listed for $21,000 and after a bit of emailing back and fourth he agrees to sell for $18,000. Seller claims no frame damage with the TL and the hit was all up in the front of the TL. If I was to purchase the TL, I would definitely run a carproof/carfax on it as well as take it to a mechanic for a full pre-purchase inspection.

So long story short, should I jump on this deal? I'll be keeping the car for the next little while so I won't have to worry about reselling, my concern is in terms of reliability of a rebuilt vehicle and safety. Thanks in advance for the inputs everyone!

vtec260

I would pass on this. Price might be tempting, but not knowing what truly happened, I don't think I'd risk it. Since you are keeping the car for awhile, why not pay a bit and get a piece of mind knowing the full history and get an accident-free car.

Steelers559792

Also get and google the vin number. Usually you can find the car in its damaged state and see the actual damage. I did this on several cars and found there was quite a bit more damage than lead on to believe.

shurik74

+1

Seller always says "minor damage, bumper replaced etc". Pass on it and take your time to find a good deal... but be careful buying used/CPO from dealership, they might be repaired too I personally have bad experience with CPO...

aIRpeACE

iTrader: (2)

no you should not. the car was totaled and the damage must be substantial. Even they repaired and rebuilt the title, the car is not the same anymore.

shurik74

The car is not the same on next day already when you buy new...

I've seen bunch of cars repaired with salvage title, basically the same as they came out new, it's all depends on damage. Nowadays insurance total more cars due to high prices on auctions they can sell it for vs repair, easier for them.

Also, there is 60% chances when you buy USED that vehicle was in some kind of accident as well. I have seen 'clean title' cars that basically not repairable at all.

Bob Chadwick

Someone has suggested a total and salvage title but I don't see where you mention that. Only one way to know the extent of the damage and that is to have it inspected. If you decide to go that route I would ask for a copy of the appraisal/estimate/invoice for the repairs.

andysinnh

If the car has a "salvaged" title, then you'll have trouble getting financing or insurance with the car since it's been written off once already - so keep that in mind. If it doesn't have a salvaged title, and you really like it, I'd have it inspected by both a reputable mechanic AND a reputable body shop - the former to check all the mechanical/suspension components, and the latter to check the body and subframe integrity. If those check out and you see no issues you might be OK with it. But without those verifications, it'll be very risky. Personally, I'd pass, because the price difference isn't enough (for me) to justify the risk.

andy

jterp7

i'd have to agree, the TL isn't a rare enough of a car to make this worth it.

potmilkz

never buy rebuilt..

ssjkev16

thank you for everyone's replies so far, and to clarify - yes the car does have a salvage title and it has since been rebuilt to OEM spec according to the seller, so now it has a salvage-rebuilt title attached to the TL. Still on the fence on this one as the majority of opinions is a definite NO to buying rebuilt however the price difference is that I'll be saving roughly $7000 compared to buying a clean title 2012 TL from the dealers that sell them on average for $25000 for similar trim and tech package. More input would be appreciated, thanks again.

jterp7

Ssj- this reminds me of when i found a 30k e90 m3 which was similarly rebuilt, when mint condition ones of similar build/age were closer to 45k. Honestly the peace of mind is worth the extra money imo.

YeuEmMaiMai

not unless the car passes a thorough inspection from a certified Acura mechanic

Jakes_tl

I would say get it inspected by a good mechanic / body shop and if it gets a clean inspection why not save $7000? If something goes wrong you have $7000 to play with but I am pretty sure you don't have to worry about that as long as it was repaired correctly and a good mechanic / body shop will be able to see that.

I have had salvage / rebuilt cars and never had any issues but I have seem some rebuilt cars with a shaddy repair jobs and I've seem some clean title cars that I have no idea how they are still clean titled and have clean carfax reports.

aIRpeACE

iTrader: (2)

remember the basic, you get what you pay for

echodigital

Don't do it....

jterp7

so a semi-related bump for this thread. We're looking at 14/15 mdx's in preparation of the 3rd child. Most 15s shawd tech are absurdly priced right next to current "used" 16s (demos) which themselves are going for essentially the same price as new 16s. I almost got excited when I found two for 37k and 39k vs the 43k-46k I see all day in my area.

Yes that's right, the titles were not clean lol, but their website gives some line about how they're back to original condition factory specs, etc etc. Scary thing is from the pics they look fine, but its not the cosmetic that you should be worried about. Its the skeleton--frame/flood damage that isn't really easy to see.

SilverJ

I would stay away from rebuilt. There could be frame damage that isn't immediately visible. Not worth it, save some more money and buy a regular non-rebuilt TL.

hadokenuh

If you really want it, have it inspected at a (body) shop that also specializes in rebuilding cars. They will be able to give you better assessment of what's happening.

My uncle rebuilds cars and he's very good at it. I got a Scion tC with left front frame damage. He was able to fix it really good. I drove it from 30K miles to 100K miles with no major issues related to frame or repairs during my college.

Bottom line, can they fix it 100% like before accident? Absolutely not. But good shops can fix it really close to 100% and you'll get some savings from buying those. Just make sure to inspect the car carefully.

Lastly, resale value won't be as good as people will ask the same questions you are asking now

andysinnh

I ran across this article on the web and found it covers many of the concerns I'd personally have with considering a car with a salvage title. Lots of cascading issues. Their bottom line? Get it checked, pay cash, don't expect full insurance, and drive it till the wheels fall off.

5 reasons to avoid salvage-title cars | Fox Business

andy

SilverJ

what other guys have said. Your resale value is going to be garbage no matter how well you fix it once it shows that it was salvaged.

csmeance

I'd honestly take a look at it to see what was replaced and what is orignal. You'll notice wax crayon marks/dots on factory components vs nothing on replaced parts. Bolts will have marks from being removed and replaced, paint overspray, etc.

I had a older car that had it's windows broken in a hurricane, water inside everywhere. Insurance totaled the car and gave me a check for the value (over 5K) since the windows & estimated repairs from the dealer were nearly 50% the value of the car. I took the check, cashed it and bought the car back from the insurance company for $500.

I took it to a junkyard, got the windows from another for under $300 installed and spent $150 on a full interior detail to remove the wet smell and any mold and such.

Thankfully there were no electrical issues but it ran for another 40K before the trans gave out.

Cars can be salvaged for a variety of reasons so it's best to do some due diligence.

With that said, ALWAYS remember this:

Take a piece of metal or paper, crumple is up and try to make it lay flat again. Not very easy. Once metal is bent, it's never as strong in the directions it should be. Risking your own safety in an accident is something I wouldn't dream of, and saving some money now might cost you dearly later on.

Keep on looking for a private sale, you'll probably find one that has oil consumption issues that you can pick up cheap and get fixed for under 3K.

SilverJ

Good advice. And even though you were able to restore a salvaged car, it was YOUR car. So you knew what the damage was, the OP doesnt. So in short OP-- STAY AWAY from a salvaged car. Spend more money now, less money later.

Ponyexpress

A year and a half ago I found a 2012 TL Tech Pkg. It had a salvage title. It had been hit in rear end, and I received pictures of the car pre/post work. After I came to a negotiated price I set an appointment at the local Acura dealer in Portland. They inspected it and said they could see that work had been done and all looked like it was done properly. I bought the car with 38,000 miles on it, drove it from Portland to Kansas City, and now have 60,000 miles on the car. I have had no issues and absolutely love this car, especially with what I paid for it. My point is if you want to buy it, do all the things others have said as far as making sure the car is in good order. Good luck.

Flipper177

I bought a 12 TL with113km on it last year in Calgary/ its a 6M tech (manual trans) for 13k. Black on black and rolls on 20”s and a 2” lowering kit. It was in a minor frontal and poorly painted. Figured I got a great deal as it s the coolest thing ever. I guess I’m saying these are great cars and go for it!