Im looking at an 05 mdx with 115k. They want 14500 for it. Is this a good price and what future issues may i have with it. I have an 02 tl-s and i love it so that's why im considering another acura. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

I'm assuming this is the vehicle you're looking at? (Used 2005 Acura MDX Touring w/ Navigation - $14,587)

In looking at the CARFAX (click on the CARFAX link on the right of the page), it looks like a fairly clean 2 owner vehicle w/no accidents.

My only concern is that, for the second owner, I don't see a record of the 105K service (the biggie):

-Belts (including timing belt)
-Spark Plugs
-Tune Up
-Oil change
-Oil filter change
-Rotate and Balance
-New Water Pump
-Change transmission fluid
-Change differential fluid

Dealers charge anywhere from $1300 - $1600 for this service. I would ensure that service was done prior to acquiring this vehicle.

The price is roughly the asking rate for 2005s with Touring/Nav. I'm not a big fan of fender flares, but other than that, it looks pretty clean

(we have 103K on our 2006 Touring/Nav and it runs like new)

 

I had a 2006 before my 2009. Only problem I ever had in 97K miles was a bulb in the heated seat switch went out. In some aspects I would say the 1 generation build quality was a little better than the newer ones. Like mentioned above, make sure you find out if the timing belt has been done. If it hasn't use that to negotiate the price. Tell them you're looking at $1500 in service as soon as you buy the car. If it has already been done that's a fair asking price, but it doesn't hurt to negotiate anyway.

 

I agree with the others about the service which includes the timing belt. I specifically look for that when purchasing a vehicle.

When I bought my 2007 MDX I had known it was dealer maintained. The service department kindly gave me all the records that were done over the years. If you do plan on going forward ask to see if there are any service records from the dealership.

This is assuming you can track down where it was previously serviced, of course. I don't know if you can tell who the previous owner was or if a Carfax shows where it was serviced, but if it does have that information it would be very useful.

Also look to see if there were any transmission problems, replacements, or repairs (torque converter) and that the fluid was changed regularly. It's a rhetorical argument but stats have shown that the first gen models had more transmission issues than an average vehicle (specifically the torque converter).

If you can find this information out and that the aforementioned services have not been completed you can use that as ammunition to lower the asking price.

Cheers and good luck.