brandt

Is 58,000 miles too many miles for a 2004 Certified Used TSX from a good dealer?

I'm new to this car so your expert opinions are appreciated. The price is very good too - below private party Edmunds pricing. The car is uber clean. All options but no Navi.

Thanks

waTSX

Given 15K miles being average yearly mileage for most drivers, 58K is a little high, but nothing overly dramatic. Most of those miles are probably freeway miles anyway.

If you can get it CPO at a good price, go for it. And welcome to Acurazine.

dom

Do you have the VIN?

After owning 2 04's I wouldn't buy another. Only because both my 04's are riddled with several small problems, rattles especially, but other 04 owners have had no such problems.

A few things to look for.
- Make certain the centre console lights are working. Several 04's have had the centre console lights go out caused by a faulty radio. Check this in the dark if possible.
- Grinding driver's seat. Basically grinds and skips when moving back and forth.
- Condensation in the headlights.
- Also make sure the heat seater bulbs and sunroof switch bulbs aren't burnt out. Small problems but mid as well have them fixed before taking delivery.

I'd personally try and stretch my budget for an 05 but again thats me. How much is this 04 anyway?

jwood_06TSX

HAHAHAHA......i got my TSX in June last year with 32k miles on it and under warranty i had the drivers seat fixed, i have brand new headlights, currently having the heated seat bulbs and center console light bulb replaced, lots of rattles, BUT no whole center console light out yet. Just thought it was funny.....lol

Its all about the price too!!

dom

Those were just off the top of my head.

Mechanically though, I see no reason not to get an 04. Engine and tranny should be fine. Better than fine in most cases. Just make sure you go over the car with a fine tooth comb. Hopefully it won't have any of the problems mentioned.

LuvMyTSX

I have an '04 CPO and it's a great car. I have no reason not to recommend it. Welcome to the forum.

PJS

Nope. I bought mine with 78K on the clock - if I'm going to have to hang on to it, I expect to see twice that without major surgery being performed.
Ask about vehicle history - especially in relation to accident damage. It could even be a repo, hence why it's being sold off for what's owed.
Also, don't be afraid to haggle and get some more off it. And get a good test drive in it to make sure it feels and sounds right.
But if the dealer is trustworthy, then you'll be fine, and they should stand over it if there are any issues soon after.

jwood_06TSX

Haha, even better!!

Yea i have had no engine or tranny problems, noises, nothing in that department!

L1StarTSX

I have no problems recommending the 04s. I would think by that mileage, condensation would have already been addressed. I have never had any issues with the seat, console lights (although my navi ecu just went out a month ago under warranty) Even if 20 people on here had similar issues, that is such a small percentage of 04's made, especially what year the one youre looking at was manufactured, mine was late 04 before the 05's were released. You can tell by the VIN if youre interested. Then again, if the only thing I have had go wrong is the condensation in the lights and ecu over the current life of the vehicle, thats pretty damn good in my book for a first year model.

brandt

Wow! you guys are great...

VIN on this car is JH4CL96854C003355

They are asking $19,888

How do you check the VIN for problems? You guys must have access to the double super secret Acura info stash

Any more info you can provide is REALLY appreciated - I have never owned an Acura (8 Benzes) but never an Acura and I'm hoping that I can get this one and drive it for about 18 months and hand it over to my daughter when she turns 16.

LuvMyTSX

I suggest a carfax, which you can get for free if you go on acura.com, go the certified pre-owned section, search for TSX in your area, find that car, click on it, and it should have a link to the carfax right there. Plus, ask the dealer for service records.

According to that VIN, your car was made pretty early (#3355 in 2004).

At any rate, the TSX is extremely reliable and should give you little to no trouble as long as everything checks out.

jwood_06TSX

I don't know where you can go to lookup the VIN number for free, but you can go to carfax, car detective, or the DMV website and pay a little to find out info. I ran that number for you and it has 3 "records" on 2 sites and 4 "records" on another site. Therefore, i would at least check it out, that is for sure and maybe pay the money unless guys on here have other ways around it, which i'm sure they do! Just so that doesn't scare you though, i have 3 "records" as well and that is because before my uncle gave me the car he got hit twice and then hit some one and all had to be reported so that is what was on mine. All were minor, no more than $1000 damages, so i wouldn't be too concerned.

I would def recommend the car. It also have some of the best, if not THE best, crash test saftey ratings, so its safe for your daughter! And TRUST me, i just expierenced how safe it is when the side impact air bags went off a month ago! It truly is a great car



EDIT: Luvmytsx beat me to it

Also, i think there is much more that counts for a "record" so some one else can elaborate on that....

brandt

The link to Acura did the trick - searching that car showed me 4 hits on the DMV database - Original registration on 5/03 first owner reported, 15 days later it was registered as a DMV personal vehicle, Offered as Acura Pre-Owned Cert car on 12/06, then on 2 days later an entry of vehicle offered for sale by same dealer.

No title issues, no accidents, nothing else in the CarFax report. At 58K miles in 4.5 years of driving works out to be about 16.5K miles per year.

Does the price seem within reason?

dom

I think so. Maybe try for 19 since the miles are somewhat high.

LuvMyTSX

Yes. I think you have a really good deal on your hands. I say go for it.

jwood_06TSX

+1

L1StarTSX

A record on carfax can be an dealer oil change, scheduled maint if it doesnt say, thats normally what they are. The other records for repair work will show what was done. My car had 4 records when it was new, that is title transfer from Acura to dealer, one for arrival inspection, and so on. Carfax will show if there has been anything "bad" or extensive maint. The Acura dealer can also verify what recalls or other work has been done.

slo007

I just sold mine with 47,000 miles for $21K (Navi). I think $19K is a better price.

brandt

How come you sold yours with only 47k on the clock? Any issues along the way?

What are you replacing it with? I am still on the fence on the TSX or stepping up to a TL...

slo007

I'm moving to Italy for a 16-month MBA program. No point leaving the car gathering dust for 1 1/2 years... plus I 'm using the money to help cover tuition/expenses. The way I see it, I'll be making much more in two years and will be able to get a much better car.

In regards to issues, I had two that stood out: the driver's seat railing had to be replaced because the seat moved 1/2 inch when the car came to a stop. It was a bit annoying; and I had to visit two dealerships before one agreed to replace it under warranty.

Another issue many people have had is that the front brake pads didn't break-in correctly. The steering wheel vibrated when braking at high speeds. I got a new set under warranty.

Everything else was great. My dad wanted me to export the car to him in Brazil -- he liked driving it so much -- but getting parts there would be impossible. It was sad to see such a nice car go so soon.

Of all the cars my family has had, the TSX was the best one -- even better than the Audi A6 Quattro; which wouldn't start sometimes for no apparent reason (the dealer couldn't figured it out, yet they had no problem charging $85 in labor...). We replaced the A6 with a Prius.

slo007

The only issue I have with the TL is that it is way too powerful for a FWD car. Whenever I floored it -- on a test drive -- the steering wheel wanted to go all over. It felt very light, which didn't inspire me safety-wise. That car has major understeering issues...

I actually prefer the design of the TL to the TSX. The TSX side body is bare, which leaves it prone to dings in parking lots. My car had 5-6 per side.

brandt

Thanks for all your advice and responses. I purchased the aforementioned TSX from the dealer yesterday and got a very fair deal (I think). I am brand new to the Acura family but so far I am very impressed. Really solid car and I hope will prove to be a reliable performer. The extra CPO warranty keeps me covered on little stuff for 12 months and big stuff for another 3 years so that should be good enough.

As it turns out the dealer fixed a few typical 2004 complaints - r&r center console, r&r rattles in dash at the vents, new battery, tires and mats and a complete service. I even have 5 months left on the registration!

Thanks again for all the info...

jlukja

^^ Congrats and enjoy the car.

waTSX

Congrats on the TSX, brandt. Enjoy it.

dom

Great news, congrats.

tsx_07

Welcome To The Club.

LuvMyTSX

MN-TSX

Congrats and welcome!
I have a 2004 that I bought as a CPO, and have not yet experienced any of the 'typical' problems (except 1 minor dash vibration).
Good luck

ChrismanTSX

Congrats and welcome to AZ!

vthree

iTrader: (1)

i got my 06 with 15,987 miles... for 23 something.. how much are you looking at?

[got mine like a month ago]

curls

Just another thing to add is watch out for possible oil consumption. My early-run 2004 (VIN 00032) had major oil burning issues but a new short block (engine) replaced under warranty fixed that completely. There were a few members here who had the same kind of oil burning as well (about 1 quart per 600-1000 miles, is excessive).

Check your exhaust tips for soot buildup, and look at the bumper just around the exhaust outlets, for any signs of soot buildup. If you see some, get it looked at ASAP at the dealer, before the warranty runs out. They will likely start an oil consumption test which requires you to come back after a set amount of mileage, and have the oil level checked and recorded.

Not trying to scare you here... but it has happened (to me), and was a battle from the start. But in the end I got a new (2006-spec) block with all new internals (pistons, rods, crank, bearings, etc... all freshly assembled at the factory in Japan!).

Good luck with the new ride -- you'll LOVE it.

brandt

Yikes - that doesn't sound good. I've read a ton about these engines and that's the first time I've heard the burning oil issue. Is it a common issue or is this a rare occurance? Acura seems to have stepped up and fixed the problem and that's good.

curls

Very rare. Seemed to be isolated within the early-run TSX's only... but who knows.

And yes, good on them for coming clean and giving me a brand new, better engine, when I was only 8,000km from my powertrain warranty expiring.