Hey guys,

I'm looking at a 1999 Acura RL from used car dealer. The car is black/black, has 163KM or 101k Miles. The price is $9900CAD, which is about $9500USD.

I'm going to have a mechanic look at the car, any helpful hints as to what to look at specifically.

I'm also wondering if the RL is suitable for me, I'm a college student, and I want to avoid any expensive repairs in the future, and would like a car that would just require maintenance, without spending a fortune every month. I know most of this is dependent upon the previous owners, so I'll check that out. How would you rate the reliability of the Acura RL?

thanks in advance.

 

i'm a college student too i love my RL , i had a 96 RL with 163k miles no problem!!!it's still running strong, ya i aggree it depends with the previous owner. overall it's a very reliable car btw what college u go to?lol

 

The Acura RL is among the most reliable cars ever made.

Make sure it was treated well. Also, make sure the timing belt and water pump have been changed.

 

100% lol but i treated my RL like my project EVO

 

Thanks guys for the replies. To v-tec, I'm in Canada and go to Queen's.

I took a test drive yesterday, and the ride was really good and smooth. One thing I noticed was, when I went over speedbumps, or a pothole, I would hear a thumping sound. My guess was that the spare tire was vibrating and caused the thump, so I went back to the trunk and I tightened the screw for the spare tire to the car. But it still happened, I'm guessing the screw support isn't too strong, and I would probably have to put some cushioning around the spare tire.

The dealer seemed to be a very nice guy- no pressure whatsoever. He even gave me permission to borrow the car for a few hours to take to our mechanic. Would you guys recommend me going to a Acura dealer to inspect it or a friend of ours who's a mechanic that specializes in Acura, Lexus...

Also, the price of the car is $9900 CAD, the dealer said he would be willing to negotiate once we get everything checked out. I'm trying to go for $8500, but not sure if that's pushing it.

Also, if I go to a Acura dealer with the VIN, would they be able to tell me what repairs happened to the car, and how would I know if the timing belt+water pump has been changed.

Thanks again.

 

I have a 1999 3.5RL, leased then purchased, with no problems until recently. Now has 93k miles. Just had to replace sensors at both rear wheels, for the ABS and TCS brake systems, cost US$650. Not bad in 8 years. The owner's manual rrequires replacement of the timing belt at 105,000 miles, costing about $US1000. While this car has in general been very reliable, some repairs will probably arise with age, and will be expensive to make.

I'm planning to trade in my 1999 soon, maybe for a new RL, mostly because of the possible expensive repairs. I'll bet the prior owner of the car you're considering was similarly motivated.

In your position, I'd look for a newer Honda Accord - more reliable, cheaper to fix, regular gas, similar features in EX model. When you graduate, move up!

 

Just an update. Called the dealer, and they told me that the timing belt wash changed at 110k (68k Miles). They also told me that no major repairs (engine, transmission) weren't found.

Thanks Jim, that's exactly what I'm worrying about. I'm going to start seeing if other cars also fit my style.

 

That's a thought however when I was looking for a used car for my wife, I ruled out early 2000 Accords, TLs, CLs, etc due to the transmission issues they had. I didn't want any part of that. One thing about the RL is that the drivetrain is pretty solid. The timing belt is the most expensive job to do on the car. For me, going to a 2004+ or newer Accord or TL would have been cost prohibitive. So I decided to go for a 2002 RL.

In regard to Jim on the sensors, those speed sensors should only cost $100 a pop and they can go bad on any car. 93k miles is definitely early but that is something that if you know how to turn a socket, should be easily replaceable.