NYbsbl04

Hey guys...I just bought my TL but something looks odd on it. On the rear passanger side, near the bumper, the gap between the trunk and the rear light is much more pronounced than on the drivers side, also the tip on that side is lower than on the driver's side. Also the gap between the bumper and fender gets bigger as it goes away from the door.

heres a pic...

El pana/TL32

Have you done a carfax? Have you inspected the inner panel for body work? Perhaps even remove the rear bumper to take a closer look?

NYbsbl04

clean carfax

NYbsbl04

Nevermind..a clip is missing on the bumper and I have to re-screw in the tailight

NYbsbl04

Since I cant figure out how to edit a thread, here is a pic of it....please notice the right side light and trunk fitment

03CoupeV6

Yeah, it looks like the TL might have taken a hit on that side. Not all accidents are reported to Carfax.

The exhaust pipe is lower on that side, the gaps are larger... I'd be suspicious, too. How long have you had it?

NYbsbl04

A week... my mom noticed it while following me, and now im very suspicious

joseph_99tl

i mean...it doesn't look bad...
the exhaust is a biatch to line up correctly...take the
tips off and see how the muffler tips are curved.
does it drive ok?...
if yes...just drive and enjoy it..

but it is a puzzlement!....

t0ast

Try parking it outside and very very closely at the paint. I'd suggest looking at the side from the rear at a very sharp angle. If it was a bad job, you can probably see the difference in the paint between the rear quarterpanel and the doors.

Also crawl under the car and closely examine the muffler hangers and the mounts where the hangers go for bends and kinks.

blokhead

it looks like the right side light is a little lower than the left side. look at the lower edge of the light where it hits the bumber, right side is def lower. Try loosing up the bolts that hold right light on and try to adjust it up a little, then you probably won't even notice it.....

AcuraTl203

why did u make 2 separate threads about the same thing?

AcuraTl203

my bad i guess it just moved up on the board im a loser =(

patrick

The fact that the exhaust tips are not properly aligned doesn't mean your car was in an accident. It is possible you backed into something, and that caused your tips to be off. I've also heard that some TLs have this problem of misaligned tips, so perhaps that's the problem you have. It would definitely be a warranty issue, which you should take up with your Acura service advisor. As for the gap in the bumper, it is possible that could be due to an accident. As Toast mentioned, check the paint job and see if there's a slight difference in the color. It's almost impossible to get a "perfect" paint job, so if your TL was in a prior accident, you'll notice the color differences. I'm no expert in detecting prior accident vehicles, so other members here would be able to help you out on that. Hope this helps.

2K2SilverTL-S

This is a classic issue with the Type S's when they first came out with one exhaust tip being lower than the other. Do a search and you'll find threads on this as far back as 4 years ago when the Type S came out. There is nothing wrong with your TL-S. Enjoy it.

optimus prime

I know that some TL-S' have trouble with the trunk latching and unlatching correctly. The solution was to adjust the trunk lid. So the choice became open with ease or look right.

JRA2000TL

Look around the vehicle where you think it may have been hit. On all Honda/Acuras, there are VIN# stamps/labels on major body components including the trunk. These tell you if they are the original parts that came with the car. If there is no VIN label, that part has been replaced. The trunk label is on the underside near the latch. Do a walk-around of the car and check for these. All 4 doors have them, the hood, 2 front fenders (on the inside as you open the hood you can see them), and the trunk. Look at the paint in certain angles of light and check for any mis-matching. Crawl under the car as another person said and check the welds/bolts/rivets to see if all match. Look for any overspray onto other parts of the car--this is a rough texture found on the paint when you run your hand over it. These are good ways to tell if these cars have been hit.

Da_iLLeZt_TL973

guys is it just me or is something wrong with this picture this is the first time i ever saw that piece near the trunk is that normal there is a little lip like thing right where the trunk opens up from the bumper i dont know if anyone else see's what iam talking about???

MikePA

bigman

thats normal, just take it to a body shop and tell him to take a look at it, that you are thinking about having it repainted, so he doesnt charge you. They will be able to tell you if it has been hit or not.

Da_iLLeZt_TL973

good job on the pic i tried to re-post it with the spot highlighted but image shack just wasnt working lol.......wow i never knew that was normal