This will be my first time on the Acura forums and the first time that I'll be owning an Acura, however I was wondering what I should do to make sure the car is in tip top condition and that everything's in working order.

The TSX is at 125k miles and the dealer thats selling it is about 40 minutes away from my house, so I can't exactly take it all the way home for my friend at my autoshop to take a look at... So what should I do to make sure this car's okay?

Carfax says it has a clean title, but what about those accidents that don't get reported?

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 

I suggest you ask the dealer-Maybe they will let you take it-
Carfax does not always show everything. I have all the service done on my 06 by a acura dealer I think is excellent. They do not share their service information so nothing from them shows up on carfax. If you were to look at it on my car you would think it was never serviced.

 

Buying any used car can be a gamble, but Honda products have a good reputation for being dependable. Is the selling dealer an Acura dealer? If so, and the car has been serviced by an Acura dealer, then the whole service history should be available from them (plus, if they're selling a car with 125K miles on it, that right there should tell you something. A branded dealer (in this case Acura) won't bother with a car that might be troublesome once sold). Has the power steering hose recall been performed? With 125K miles and 6 years old, all the major services should have been performed. If you don't have assurance (preferably written and/or through Acura's service database), that they've been done, then you should be prepared to do them (you may need to do few again anyway). I'm talking about a coolant change (110K or 10 years), transmission fluid change (automatic or manual, the change interval is the same at 120K miles or 6 years, every 60K after that), brake fluid (every 3 years regardless of mileage), spark plugs (110K miles), adjust the valves (110K miles). Most of these you could do yourself if you're mechanically inclined. The TSX is a pretty easy car to work on. And don't forget the wear and tear items that accompany any car w/ 125K miles on it like brakes and tires. I have over 135K (highway) miles on my 05 and for the most part it's been trouble free. But I've owned it since new and been very conscientious about the maintenance. If the car you're interested in has been serviced properly and on time, it has allot of miles left in it. As far as an accident is concerned, you're right to question the thoroughness of Carfax and the like; they're easy to beat. If you can't tell by a visual inspection, and it doesn't show up on Acura's database, then you may not be able to nail that down.

 

If you can, during the test drive run teh windows up and down as much as possible and do the same with the door locks. I bought a 2005 with 130K on it in Novemebr and the day I went to pick it up the rear passenger window failed and when I got it home a few days later the frotn passenger door lock actuator failed, these are pretty common issues and cheap fixes, but try to get them to fail while the dealer will pay to replace them.

 

Hi I just bought a 04 tsx manual w/ 125k miles. I was a lil specticle about buying a car with so many miles but with the reputation that honda has builded throughout the years with used cars and parts I felt comfortable. I test drove it many times even on freeway and took a friend who knows his stuff on cars. Everything checked out fine and became an easy pick

I would recommend you take a licensed car inspector. They can meet you there and run a 200 point inspection on your vehicle. www.car-inspector.com is a good one!

 

I just put a deposit down on an 05 with 56k miles. I asked them about the recall and they said if it hasnt been fixed already they would fix it. So i m assuming they wouldnt sell a car without that being done.

 

If you guys don't mind my asking, what are you paying for your 05's? (and where are you located?)
I'm going to sell mine (I think) in a couple of months and I'm curious what the market is like right now. PM me if you don't want it public. Thanks

 

I've had my 04 AT TSX, I have always driven honda products (95 Accord, 01 Accord, 04 Accord), and have never been disappointed!! Make sure there are no oil leaks, check your tires, and when your out on your test drive let her rip!!

Happy shopping and wishing you the best!!

 

Not sure how useful this is for you but I just bought a 2006 TSX with ~61k miles on it for 14,600 last week. This was through a private party and not a dealership. Oh, and this was in San Diego.