briny319

I was at my local acura dealer last week having my headlight repaired and I asked the service advisor who I've now known for 6 years if the RL is the kind of car I could drive for hundreds of thousands of miles with proper maintenance. He replied "you can't maintain computers" "sell it before your warranty expires" "a mercedes repair bill is a drop in the bucket compared to the rl" "if you keep the car you'll be helping fund my retirement". So this got me to think. He's right you can't maintain computers. I work with computers for a living and computers suck. And why would someone in service want me to buy another new car. New car's require much mess maintenance and repairs.

So far beyond all the regular maintenance. I have had to have the following items repaired since I purchased the car with 48k miles 2 years ago:
AC Compressor - 49k mi covered under original warranty
Headed seat button - 52k covered under ext warranty
Computer memory needed to be flashed - 55kmi covered under ext warranty
Rear sunshade rattling 60k cost $270
Headlight bulb - 80k mi cost $225
Headlight ballast - 80k covered under ext warranty
Headlight igniter - 80k covered under ext warranty

So this brings me to my question. Those with VERY high mileage, how has your car held up??

CadiGTi

I only have 65k on my CPO 06 RL CMBS.

I did put 183k on my 03 CL-S. Only major expense was the Xenon headlamp ballast (?) at about 165k. I do know the 05's (RL) had more than their fair share of electrical gremlins (and A/C compressors) but many posters on this board said the dealer's were able to take care of them with software updates.

The only issue I had with my RL was the sunshade rattle which was warranty. $270 sounds like major gouging. My dealer fixed mine during an oil change while I waited for the car. At $100/hr labor that would be 2.5 hrs for a rattle?

I have my RL serviced at the highest volume Acura dealer in the country and fully trust my service team who have been incredibly competent over the 6 years I have done business with them. I had asked them about the RL last year before I bought the car and they said it is one of the few modern luxury cars you can keep long-term without taking out a 2nd mortgage on your home to keep the thing running.

I think the cars past service history and your servicing dealers competence are key to long-term reliability. I plan to keep mine at least until 200k (I drive 50k-60k mies per year), so I can let you know if my RL fails to measure up!

Ed

(ps grew-up in Nassau County LI)

neuronbob

Paging FN P90......

Seriously. His 2005 has over 250k miles. He's had very few problems. End of story. Look up his posts and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Had I not gotten the need for a thirsty, fast V8 RWD sedan, I'd have kept my RL more than 36k miles.

rlerman

Mileage is one thing, but time is also a significant factor. The oldest of these cars is just 4 years old, that just isn't enough time to make a judgement on longevity. The guy who has 250k on his car by now, I'm guessing those are hwy miles??? If he's got 250k city driving, now that would be very impressive.

A computer isn't going to fail in 4 years, nor will seals, gaskets, etc and if they do, they are under warranty.

I'd say wait until 2011-2013 before making a judgement on longevity for the 2nd gen RL. I don't expect there will be issues, but there just isn't enough data to say for sure, including from a service manager. That said, if something does fail, it is clear that it won't be cheap.

plastikman

I only have 18k on my RL, I doubt I will ever make it to "high miles"

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

05 72k miles. Headlight ballast, new armrest due to poor materials coming off, a/c coil, door seal (never had a car where it wore so quickly), various interior bulbs, ashtray (would not stay closed). That's it so far (knock on wood). Not the worse car, but not even close to what my prior/current Lexus's provided me.
so far I would say my experience has been good, not great, just good.

rlerman

It's not a fair comparison, your Lexus has a longer production run so all the bugs are ironed out, The RL has only been in production 4 years. Go back the to the first production year of that lexus and check the issues, I bet there were quite a few. Also, relatively minor what you mention. Honda and Acura have very strong reliability records. Other than the AC going out on these cars (and that seems to only apply to the 05s) I don't hear any issues with the engine or transmission, suspension, steering or other major parts. Not many complaints on here with the 09s, albeit the relatively few who have them.

I think the jury is still out on the2nd gen RLs, but they appear to be very strong cars that have gotten better over their limited production life.

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

Wrong, the SC430 out the gate (2002-same as mine) has always been rated very high if not the highest as well as my GX470. So were my SC300, SC400, IS300, and GS400. The 05 RL is very problematic and all you have to do is to look at this forum and view the threads. And yes, who has an 09, 2 people here? 07 and up is where Acura ironed out many of the issues. 09 is above 07 the last I checked.
And you obviously missed the threads that discuss interior leather coming loose, seals, rears ends, flickering headlights, premature worn leather seats, a/c as mentioned, and navigation system. I'm sure I am missing a few things.
Fair enough?

neuronbob

OK...let's not turn this into a Lexus vs. Acura thread and keep this focused on the OP's question. Thanks!

Chulodee

I have an '05 with 54K on it. So far the only thing that needed fixing was my door actuator, a loose oil reserve (which the dealer left loose), and my mirrors needed to be tighten.

getakey

05 just turning 97K
headlight bulb replaced under "good will"
battery replaced
about to do brakes and tires (second time)
nothing else (knock on wood) except for the AC recall and other TSBs

FredS

J D Power rating on my 07 Rl

Predicted Reliability:
was 5 stars the highest
I have 103,000 miles and had all the required maintenance done. The only thing outside of routine that I have had done is replace the drivers side arm rest. 103,000 miles that is about 7 years of normal driving and that is not bad. I intend to drive this car until 250,000 miles at least!!! A friend of mine has a Honda Del Sol with 400,000 miles and has had no problems except rountine wear items.

briny319

Thanks for all the replies. I'm still very concerned since most of the replies here have been from people with less than 100k mi. I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of the RL and getting a newer TL or G35/G37. I'm very worried that this was the first model year honda made with keyless ignition, sh-awd, among other things. I really love my RL and would love to keep it until it's 10yrs old with 200k mi but I think it will require to many repairs.

Compared to some of my other high mileage honda's this RL has been the most expensive and had the most problems.

1999 civic from 30k-90k mi it needed a new speaker, new antena, muffler.
2002 accord from 10k-50k it needed NOTHING
2004 tsx from 0-80k mi it needed a new computer board for the radio/nav, a new leather seat.
2005 rl from 48k-80k needed all of the things listed above.

I guess I've been spoiled with honda reliability but this car sure doesn't have it. Not to say that it's a lemon. I'm sure the engine and tranny are very very reliable. But the rest of the car....

CadiGTi - Actually the other thing the service advisor said was I would need a 2nd mortgage to keep the car running.

neuronbob - As someone else said 250k is a lot of mileage but it's mostly highway and the car is still less than 5 years old.

FredS - Honda Del Sol's don't have all these high tech computers.

kirbyflorida

It is still 250k, come on, that is great, he did hardly any repairs.
The 05 is the least reliable RL. Do you think Honda's computers are really much different from Lexus on most others?
No if you want to put this into perspective, the MB's are super unreliable, waaaaay to many models and changes each year.

Rl is and will be a great car.
Neuron Bob, are you replacing tires already with all that HP and torque?

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

250k would be awesome. I know several of my cars have hit that with ease-yes-with the big L on it. I drive on average 200 miles per day-down from 400 per day and am hoping the RL hangs in there.
Still looking though at perhaps selling to get a V8 but we shall see. It's a tough market to sell anything.

I would not avoid an 05 RL, I would just ask the dealer to pull the service records to ensure the TSB were done such as steering, etc. and get get receipts from the owner.

CadiGTi

You should not expect to buy a higher-end car with higher-end technology and expect the running/owning costs to be comparable to much more simple vehicles.

At the end of the day if you are on a tight budget or just frugal (ie: smart!) you s/b in a Civic or Hyundai Sonata. You cannot expect to run a luxury car for several years and hundreds of thousands of miles for the same cost as a commodity car.

I have found the same analogy applies to women/wives and when one does not understand this and has the wrong expectations, life can become less than pleasant! My dad tried to explain this to me about 25 years ago and I very quickly found out the hard way he was giving me good advice.

My parents own a 2003 Lexus LS430 and a 2008 Lexus LS460L with every option except hybrid powertrain. They are great cars and more luxurious and softer than the RL, but do cost quite a bit more to acquire and their service costs are quite a bit more than the RL.

Good luck in whatever you chose!

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

I will never forget the day I went to the Porsche dealer and needed a spider support and bearing for the transaxle on my 928. $1800!!!!!!!!
CadiGTi hit it dead on. What in the world that is nice is cheap?

rmjse

Happiness....its free! lol

rlerman

Ugh, I don't know why I post on here .. I was questioning the reliability, suggesting the jury was still out on it while noting that later production runs have gotten better. Most of the stuff is cosmetic, the engine and tranny are solid, never really hear much on it. Wasn't bashing lexus, they're good cars, just pondered if they had similar early model issues...guess you answered that.

I've been on here over a year, never really saw much on the seat leather, seals or rear ends. Not much on nav either, except from those that try to copy the discs unsuccessfully or don't upgrade properly. Loose mirrors, door handles, sun shades, all minor.

If you are not so enamored with the RL, why not go back to lexus??

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

Read my other thread I put up on the RL as it will answer your last question. I am not blinded by ownership/emotion when it comes to a car is all. Many have had issues and they are well documented here. I still enjoy the car as well as other makes.
That's all.

acuraRL07

470hpGS400, 2005 acura RL was ranked third after lexus ES, and GS by JD power vehicle dependability study which measures problems experienced by original owners of 3-year-old vehicles so the reliability is still better than say audi A6 or BMW 5 series. 2006 acura RL was ranked the highest along with Lexus ES and above lexus GS.

mcdillon27

05 RL with 78k miles. Replaced propeller shaft, brake indicator switch under warranty. I also replaced one headlight bulb out of pocket.

Yes, the fact that the car is rather complicated with many computers and SH-AWD does scare me to think that I may have to pay a ton of cash down the road to keep it going. However, I am sure the engine and tranny will go forever when maintained properly.

Sometimes, I feel like I should have saved some money and kept my '04RL which was a techno dinosaur compared to the '05. However, it was super reliable as it was the 9th production year. Overall, it was a nice reliable, cheap to maintain luxury vehicle without all of the computer gadgetry.

briny319

You are right when comparing RL reliability to the accord or civic I mentioned before. But what about compared to a TSX it has much of the same tech. Obviously the RL has a little more. But the problem's I have had with the RL thus far haven't really been from it's high tech computers. AC, Headlight, and something with the car's main computer which prevented me from going past 2k rpm and 50mph until the dealer flashed its memory. I guess the RL is pretty reliable compared to a MB or BMW. But I've only had the car for 30k mi and already have had more trouble then I expected. A bad headlight at 80k I can accept. But an AC compressor and computer needing to be flashed around 50k I can't accept.

Like I said before I really Really like the RL. Except for the fact most people mistake it for an accord, I really love it. I think I'll browse the TL section to see how reliable they have been. I would assume a 07/08 TL would be very solid considering it was the end of the production run.

getakey

Only moving part in a computer is the disk drive and only drive in our car is the Navi DVD. Thus, nothing to "maintain". That said, I understand some components can fail, but I would bet most problems over time are mechanical not computer components.

FN P90

I'm here!!

I had all the usual stuff replaced like: AC pump; headlights & bulbs; driving light lens; passenger door handle, etc.

However the big "mystery" fix was the shaking of the car during acceleration. We replaced the injectors - that wasn't it; replaced the plugs - nope; replaced the rear propeller thingy - that wasn't it; FINALLY we discovered the front axles were toast. During acceleration there was some flat spot on the shaft that the bearing didn't like - I hate flat spots on my shaft! I cannot remember if that started around 125K or later. So don't waste your money on new injectors, plugs, etc., buy new front axles.

Anyway, nothing real major.

Change your oil and air filter and it should run for 300K. I've always used Mobile One and to this day, it doesn't burn any oil and there's no build up in the engine. I've yet to change my gas filter, does it even have one?

christopher1

2005 RL lakeshore. No problems.... had the known issues resolved early by my dealer. keep the maintence up and the RL runs like the day i bought her with 25 miles on it. I usually buy a car every 3 years but the 09 RL is too Smilely. So i am sorry for your problems if you are the orig owner, with these issues. I love my RL hope acura will fix the face of the new 2011. Please......!!!!!

FN P90

To answer your question, I would have to say 70% of the time is city driving.

I drive the shit out of it!

Some of the time I'm sitting at idle with the AC on for an hour or more. Hell, that's got to be a bit tough on an engine on a 90 degree day. Then there's winter driving, as you can see on my avatar.

I have a Toughbook laptop in a port replicator; 1000 watt power inverter and a laser printer/scanner on board. I can supply power to 1/2 of Fargo.

Trust me, this thing has been beaten HARD (my RL).

mlts0807

As of yesterday, I am at 168,000 miles and have not had any major repairs with the exception of the headlight igniter, Adaptive Front Light sensor and part a for the air condition. All the common problems seem to happen to me after I was out of warranty so that was bad but all in all the car has done great.

sherman_nguyen

05 rl with 125860miles on it and NOTHING has happened since the day i bought it. And to think about the reliability of this car, it is a great car and spectacular. I have checked and owned many cars and mostly Lexus and Acura. My mom has an Acura Legend 1989 with 379064 miles on it and to tell you the truth except wearing part, nothing major has happened to it and it is still running still today. I previously owned 4 Lexus, SC400, SC430, RX300, LS430 and to tell the truth, they are nice car but the reliability brings me to question. My first car was the SC400 with 189350 miles on it but with many many major problems. The second was the SC430 i thought this would be nicer and more reliabity than my own sc but i was wrong, this is even worst, it came dead in 4 years of driving lucky that i still have the warranty and i trade it in for the ls430 which was also a very solid car, it is still running up to now but still there are many major problems that cost a lot to repair. My aunt own the RX300, it has 118k on it but problems starting to appear on her car.
With all the respect, i think acura is still much much better than lexus in reliability and cost for repair

NYCWhiteDiamond

Hey guys. I'm close to pulling the trigger on a 2005 Acura RL with 70k miles for a little less than $17k with Acura extended warranty until 2012 or 100,000 miles. I've been in love with the RL since I helped my sister purchase hers back in 2005. We got a great deal at the time, $42k out the door with 5 miles on it (I used this forum to determine that there was a dealer incentive to move unites). A

Anyway, I owned a 2004 TL at the time which I sold last year to purchase a 2005 Bmw M3 coupe. The TL was rock solid for the 4 years and 55k miles I owned her; the only issue being my cd player which was replaced under warranty.

The BMW on the otherhand was anything but! I bought the car with 20k miles on it and THANKFULLY a factory warranty. My alternator left me stranded on the George Washington Bridge (NYC) @ 23k miles, my coil-packs left me stranded at @ 27k miles; the navigation system was replaced twice; a faulty sensor under the driver-seat caused my driver-door airbags to deploy after hitting a pothole.

Anyway I sold it recently and I've been cross shopping the Infiniti fx35 or Acura RL. Normally I would be afraid of any car with so many miles (70k), but the fact that it has the extended warranty until 100k makes me feel very confident that any kinks can be worked out before it expires. I know about Honda reliability from first hand experience and reading the above posts, I just hope if/when I pull the trigger I won't be dissapointed as I plan on owning this car for many years to come.

Black_6spd

2005 CPO purchased in 2007 with 60k miles.

Issues:

1. Steering rack and power steering pump replaced at 75k.

2. Whining sound at all speeds during cold days and 45-60 mph at all temps.

3. Occasional false alarm AFS.

4. Sunroof auto open and tilt functions don't work

5. Rear passenger side power window stopped functioning.

6. Battery life seems to be much shorter due to all the electronics

The RL has been very reliable for a car with so many gadgets.