CowboyRL

Hey everyone!
My new 2005 RL is being shipped from the east coast and should be in by this thursday! This car has about 65K on it, and I've read some threads where people noted that they've spent THOUSANDS of dollars on repairs. What has your experience been?

CowboyRL

I beginning to think this is a conspiracy...21 views and no comments.

Rhlieu

No conspiracy, the RL is very limited so memebers are very few and far.

I shall take a stab! Like most luxury vehicles (BMW, BENZ, LEXUS), cost for repairing electronic & parts will be fairly expensive. Acura is no exceptional to the rule! From the top of my head (exhuast tips, rear driverside tail light housing, pair of headlight ballast/inverters) i.e. warranty repair cost nearly $4k-$5k.

can'tdrv55

picked up my 2005 RL couple of months ago. The driver side door auto unlock has been a problem.

Any modification plans for your RL?

CowboyRL

I really like the a-spec mod. Initially I only plan on changing out the day running lights and fog lights. I'm also wanting to find out a little more about the available bolt-on intake systems available. Then, of course I have to get new wheels. Aside from that, I think I am going to keep the car mostly stock. How about you can'tdrv55?

Richbum

yeah. luxury repairs are quite expensive. did you get it from an acura dealer? If so, they would have given you a 1 year waranty for buying a used car, and offer you extended warranty for it... which I do believe is a good choice to purchase. the 2005 model seems to be more glitchy than the 2006 and up btw.

I was reading the other day, one member's headlights would not turn anymore, and it keeps giving him a warning on the dashboard. Took it to acura to have them diagnostic it for a few hundred, and they wanted another $1000, like 400 for parts and 600 for labor to get that fixed. which if you have warranty, would have been covered.

CowboyRL

@Richbum-I got the car from Carmax, and they have a extended warranty that extends until 100,000 for about $1600. As I mentioned before, it already has 65K on the car so it would only give me another 35K miles worth of warranty...I'm not sure it's worth it.... What do you think?

Richbum

how does carmax's warranties work? can you go to any acura dealership and you wouldn't have to pay a penny? I know alot of used car companies offer independent warranties which are extremely difficult to deal with and you have to pay a deductible everytime..

also, heres an interesting story i did on my research of those so called companies. So one company says they let you take it to any carshop that you want to and its covered, but lets say you take the car in and they estimate it be like 1000 in parts plus labor. but for the labor, they only cover it at the rate of $60 dollars an hour. so they let you go anywhere you please, as long as they accept the mechanic pay of 60 an hour, if you take it to acura, they're probably at a rate of about 100+ an hour, which means you have to pay for the difference.

After looking at all these different insurance companies, i said.. screw it.. i'm buying a certified pre-owned from acura.

briny319

If it's a good warranty it's worth it. My extended warranty paid out about $3k between 50k and 85k miles. I paid about $500 out of pocket for repairs. Not to mention the thousands in service... In fact I've got another thread going right now because I am getting rid of my RL. I miss my problem free TSX...

Richbum

service is covered under waranty??? O.O

briny319

No repairs are covered my warranty. Service as in maintenance are not covered by warranty. Since 50k mi I think I have spent 2k on service.

neuronbob

Hey Cowboy, welcome to the very small RL club!

I lived in Wyoming for five years when I was a kid, I'd move back to Cheyenne in a heartbeat if the wife allowed me to.

As to your question about the warranty, if it's a good warranty it's worth it. Acuracare is ideal but with your mileage I'm not sure you can get it.

Good luck with the car and post pix when it arrives!

CowboyRL

Neuron,
Thanks for the well wishes. I'm told the car should be at the dealership tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to getting it!! The only bad thing is that I'm having to trade in my G35 coupe to get it. I'm not sure if you remember how bad the weather gets here, but I think having the AWD will make more sense for the winters here.

Richbum

you're exactly like me then. I sold my g35 for the RL. I want to buy a used lotus exige as my sports car because I am missing driving something agile and fast.

CowboyRL

GOOD: the dealer calls today and says my car made it to Colorado.
BAD: the ignition mechanism is "catching on something as it turns". They are replacing this part so I have to wait longer to get it. Not quite sure what this means.
GOOD: I don't have to drive 3 hours back to the dealership to tell them to fix it.

CowboyRL

The worst part is that I have a set (well 3) Blizzak tires that are in pretty good condition that are not on my car. I think there are places where I can sell them....or maybe a tire store will give me credit towards tires for my RL? I have the sport package on my G35, which means 19inch tires...not a popular size...

can'tdrv55

I been looking at the A-spec underbody spoiler (front, back, and side). The lowest price I found online is around $1450 shipped. Since this RL is my daily commuter, I don't want to put a lot of money into it. I might wait for the price to fall a little more if it ever does.

I also looked into the A-spec suspension and rims, prices around $500 for the suspension and $1,000 for the rims on e-bay stores. I might put my money here first.

azcohen

I bought a '05 RL wth 50K miles a year ago - I have ~65K on it now and no repairs. My emergency brake cable rattles a little on bumpy roads (anyone else have this?) but I have never gotten around to fixing it. I have had to reset the auto windows and the sunroof once each - instructions can be found on this board.

TampaRLX-SH

Are you sure it is the EB cable? There is a TSB for a front end heat shield rattle. If it is in fact the EB cable, I would expect the dealer to correct that.

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

An extended warranty is your friend. Generally a 2 year policy will cost you $1500 or so and can be your savior. The nav system alone is big bucks. Rear differential, even the torque converter that a few are experiencing will all pay for itself the first time.

Congrats on that car.

woodek

My ignition switch has been catchy since I got mine, Just gotta' pull the steering wheel left and right and keep messing with the ignition. Kinda' bothers me, but my dealer is an hour away, gotta' deal with it untill I get a few things added up (100,00 mi wty anyway).

I've had my 06 for 9 months and (knock on wood) shes been perfect - other than the ignition sw. (40,000mi).

Things you'll prol. need, OEM All weather floor mats (aftermarket dont have hooks to keep them from sliding forward - as I found out the hard way), and GET THE TRUNK LINER!! It'll save you a$$ from spills etc. and they arent that expensive.

Good Luck!!