Convince me NOT to get rid of my 99 TL
 

Okay, guys ... I need your help. I bought my 99 TL with about 19k in May 2001. It's as new as a car as I've had and thus far, has been headache free. Now, with about 74k, things are starting to wear and tear and I'm seriously thinking of trading this car and getting a Chevy Impala. (yes, it's even shocking to me that I'm considering getting American...)

I had new tires installed December 2005 - I went from crappy Bridgestone RE92 I think they were to GY ComfortTred - worse tire on this car ever. The RE92's got around 25 mpg highway now I'm getting 20 mpg on the GY's with non-aggressive driving. A few days after replacing the steering wheel started to shake and I had been back to the tire place and they rebalanced them only to have the shaking reappear. Alignment didn't solve the problem. I think it's these crappy tires but I've been living with this since December 2005.

I've told my brother about the problem but he doesn't feel the wheel shake when he has driven my car. Such is my luck. I've had the tires re-balanced and rotated a few times, still not solved. I even noticed some shaking of my driver's side door and seat when driving - it's an on/off problem. Had outer tie rod end replaced October 2005 so it wasn't that. Replaced inner tie rod ends but shaking on the door/seat still evident. Probably the crappy tires. Gas mileage still 20 mpg highway and I try to drive like an old lady.

Last January my passenger side headlight was flickering. Went to Acura and they wanted almost $900 to replace igniter, ballast, headlight. Told them that was an outrageous price. My mechanic solved the problem by fixing the fuse that was causing the flickering and replacing the HID bulb which was weak for about $250 with labor/parts.

Two weeks ago my clock's back light went out - I'm sure it's an easy fix but annoying nonetheless.

Now I've noticed that when the AC is on and I'm riding the gas pedal, my RPM's shoot sky high and it sounds like my car is in VTEC mode. Turned the AC off and problem disappears Reappears when AC is on. WTF is this now?

I've had few repairs until recently and I'm happy to still keep the car but I'm wondering what more repairs I have ahead of me because every repair is so costly on this car. Plus the crappy MPG is rather depressing and nothing seems to help bring them up to better values - and yes, I feed this baby premium gas.

I'm going car shopping this afternoon and if I get offered a decent trade-in I will sell this car. Please convince me why it's worth keeping.

Its a 99 the car is almost 10 years old. I have a 2000 and my freaking dhasboard is comming of the dash, theres gaps in between where its supposed to stick. My passernger airbag is lifting off the dashboard. But i still have to tell myslef it's an old car and it won't always be a new car. So if you wanna go for an 07 brand new car, go for it you wont have the headaches of repairing each and everything and then finding out theres more repairs to be done.

I think some of the symptoms you've mentioned could be expected per the age of the car. Lights going out, brakes, tires, etc, will deteriorate from prolong daily use -- regardless of which make/model. So, you might have to spend more money on maintenance and repair.

And, ultimately, I think you have to make your own decision. If you are shopping for a newer used car, then you might assume the possibility of a car with mechanical/maintenance problems. If you will be buying a new car, then you'll be making payments, but will have a car that is supposed to be free of major maintenance costs.

What's more important to you? Take the time and spend more money to resolve your current issues, or make car payments for the next 4-6 years? For someone who's been through almost a dozen cars, I can honestly tell you that you need to think objectively (outside the box) when making your decision. Sometimes we allow our emotions to think for us and that's not always very good. :sorry:

Thanks for the mature, more intellectual response thus far. I am going to do some thinking, crunch some numbers, etc., It's just such a difficult decision to make and I'm trying my very best to be realistic and objective. When I bought the Acura I had a 97 Camry with 99k (bought used in 99 with 75k - big mistake there on my part!) and I am attached to this car, it's just when the repairs are needed, they are just so expensive, outrageously so with the dealer - and yeah, I kind of knew this going in, but it was a very spontaneous purchase at the time.

Well taking it to the dealer is your first mistake.

With many competent private shops around- thats who you let fix your car.
Dealer is in the biz on replacing parts- not fixing cheap for you

Dont expect much of a trade in offer- they figure it right back in to the new cars price

A TL should run over 200,000 miles no prob- some money along the way in general repairs- but compared to 400-500 per month and higher insurance...

Not fixing the bent rim or crap tires issue for over a year probably made some other probs too. Get that fixed by someone who knows what they are doing.

^^ Great advice KonCept :thumbsup: In addition, if you decide to purchase a new car, I would suggest picking up a copy of the Consumers Report Car Guide (or used car guide) piror to purchasing your next car. The information contained within will give you a good idea as to the durability, reliability, and build quality of the car you are looking at. In general, i you look at the overall reliability of most American cars, you will notice that they have a poor reliability rating when compared to Japanese cars. Trust me, spend the 10 bucks, it may save you a few years of headaches.

^^ Great advice KonCept :thumbsup: Take time to think this through. In your post above, you mentioned your initial purchase of your used TL was a spontaneous purchase, and it looks as though you may be making the same type of decision again. Of course as a car gets older you should expect things to wear out, break, etc... And some of these repairs can be costly. I usually take my car to the dealership for repairs because their work is warrantied. If anything goes wrong with the any repairs, they are warrantied for a certain period after that. So the cost on the outset might be slightly higher, in could end up be a blessing in disguise in the future.

In any case, if you decide to purchase a new car, I would suggest picking up a copy of the Consumers Report Car Guide (or used car guide) piror to purchasing your next car. The information contained within will give you a good idea as to the durability, reliability, and build quality of the car you are looking at. In general, i you look at the overall reliability of most American cars, you will notice that they have a poor reliability rating when compared to Japanese cars. Trust me, spend the 10 bucks, it may save you a few years of headaches.

well another suggestion you could consider is if the small annoying wear and tear problems are bothering you that much (which is understandable because little things like that would bother me too) then why not trade up for an 02 or 03 tl-s? you can still have a car that you are attached too, and recieve the minor upgrades that come with the 02/03 tl-s as well as the general reliability that comes with owning this car. the prices are coming down on them, and im sure you wont have very much problem getting 6-7k from Acura for your old car. they go for about 14-18k now a days depending on options and mileage. PS... the new chevy impalas are quite cheap in my opinion my ex gf has one fully loaded (except not the SS model) the dash, and leather seats are of low quality. not only that but the cars been in so far for a new head unit, new alignment, and other small nuisances that will drive you nuts... plus the fact that its not all that comfortable to drive in and you will be very disappointed with the gas mileage based on you're expectations of the tl. good luck. :thumbsup:

I have a 99 as well... 190k miles later, i'm still pretty satisfied with it. Instead of getting a new car, i'm switching it to a 6-speed to last me even longer for the next 6-7 more years.

Thanks guys for all your suggestions - I appreciate it. Being a gal, I don't know cars as well as you guys do so I appreciate the insight.

Here's my experience today: the Chevy dealership was nice; a friend just bought an 06 Impala and he referred me. I test drove an Impala and was only mildly impressed - my TL WOWED me the second I took it for a spin. The Impala was like, "uh huh...okay..." Don't get me wrong, it was/is a nice car but is still doesn't hold a candle to my 99 TL. They actually offered me 9800 for my TL - I still owe 3000 (6 year car loan, yuck) but to me, my car is worth so much more than that. Silly, I know. I am worried about the possible tranny failure in these cars but I suppose - knock on wood - that I haven't had any issues thus far, I *should* be okay...

OK, so I admit I was rather moronic for suggesting even considering trading in my baby. If I could afford a new TL, believe me, I would, but it's way above my budget. I was lucky to get the 99 for decent money in 01 from the (small) dealership my bro worked at.

So I'm calling my mechanic this coming week and I'm going to have him check some things to help me get better mileage as well as checking into the weird revving of RPM's while the AC is on while I'm riding the gas pedal. I suppose I should get the fuel injection service (did that once a while back, it seemed to help a bit) and maybe new tires since I blame these for my recent disappointment with the car)

My nephew wants me to 'pimp' out my (stock) car ... hmm, maybe I should ... but I think I'm a stock girl at heart. So can you guys recommend good tires (that are getting you decent fuel mileage) and whatever else you think will help me fall back in love with my TL.

That sounds cool. How much does that cost? I should hire you to come up north to pimp out my car ;)

^^ For tires, many here go with the Yokohama Avid V4S. They have a quiet and grippy ride and have a great tread life, not to mention the fact that they are quite affordable. Tire Rack carries them if they are of interest to you. Glad you decided to keep her :thumbsup:

I'm glad I decided too. It just hit my gut when I rode the Impala, it just didn't feel right! I like the pimped out TL in your avatar - thinking I should do that.

Thank god you didnt sell for an Implala! lol. I thought about selling my '02 TL-S for a while, but after I lowered it with the Acura lip kit and 19s, I couldnt sell it for anything! I have built 4 cars now, and when you dont change it up, it gets boring. I got bored with my last car prolly because I dumped about 10k in it and got tired of the car overall ('97 Eagle Talon). Im pretty sure after a few mods, you will be back in love with your TL. Hey, it worked for me! :thumbsup:

I'd hang on to it for awhile. I have an '01 TL with 106k and it has been flawless except for a tranny which cost me nothing under a recall. Eventually maybe you can trade up to a second or third generation TL with low mileage for short money. Look for one coming in off of a lease. I'd rather have a used Acura than a new Impala!

Not Anti-American, but...
 

I would suggest NOT buying the Impala. My Mom drives a '07 Vette and before that she had a '99 Vette. I love them, don't get me wrong, but after you are spoiled with the quality of Acura nothing even comes close. I realize that the draw of the Vette is HP, but as their flagship car you would think builld quality would be close to the top priority. The '07 is much better but still a little behind the Asian and European cars.

Her '99 Vette had 35K on it and the leather was starting to go, the knobs on the dash come off in your hand, the top leaked, the air went out, the window motors died ... and so on. The list is too long to describe all the issues my mom has had with the Vette's and not to mention the Ram-Air Trans-Am's pre-vette. After about 75K it seems in almost any American car something major goes wrong mechanically and the interior starts to deteriorate right before your eyes.

I doesn't seem like you have had a great TL experience but I think it would be worse with the Impala.

I currently have a '00 TL with 123K. I have had the Trans replaced (under warranty) but other than tires, gas, oil and the occasional $1000 dealer pre-emptive maintenance at the recommended intervals the car has been wonderful.

I have had 2 Mustangs a Prelude and the TL. My wife currently drives a 2003 Odyssey (http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2594154) After the '91 prelude Si with 4WS I promised myself it was just Honda or Acura from here on.

If you really want to get rid of the TL, I would suggest an Accord or Camery before the Impala. Better for resale too :thumbsup:

Check out my CarDomain page if you want to see the TL and Prelude. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2594148

P.S. Sorry about the novel. :blahblah:

Nice car you got there! I'm keeping my TL - just minor annoyances but I'll just get them taken care of and to hell with an Impala - definitely no wow factor when I drove it. I might get a body ground effects kit for my TL and get a few new things like new tires and such.

If you need anyone to convince you to keep it ; it is time to let it go

x2, get the Yokohama Avid W4S's :) They just came out this year and will probably be just as good if not better then the V4S's. Good luck with your upgrades!

trade it in or sell it for a down payment on something new and better!!!

X2 That :thumbsup:

My TL has over 200K now with no major problem, but i have had Tranny change out twice an still running good now. If it fail me i"m going to do the same thing fsttyms1 an joe80055 Better Reason keep my car. B/c don't wanted new payment for 5-6 year. GOOD Lucky MAN! :thumbsup:

Thanks for the update Chris! These will definitely be my next set of tires on my stockies :thumbsup:

ole

If you really want convincing of keep it or get a Monte Carlo, simply rent an MC from Avis for a day, or ask the dealer if you can get an overnight test drive.
Take it to your same favorite twisty backroads and decide. Are the seats as nice? The controls? Does that auto-speed radio volume adjustment freak you out?

things to consider beside price

o1tl: I'll pass on all chevy's for now. After serious consideration - and my bro and nephews talking some sense into me - I'm over it now, thankfully. Going to get new tires this week and some tune-up work soon and maybe even a body kit like JPTL-S has. That'll keep me happy for a while.

Not necessarily true, she did state that she is a female and not into the modding of cars. She doesnt know the potential of her TL

Continental sport contacts is another option....

Attack of the killa swaps... make me #4 to do this (6MT swap)if i encounter additional problems.

Hindsight is 20/20. I should have gotten rid of this car. Tranny just died last night at 75k. Not covered under the warranty extension time-wise. Just my luck. Now I'm stuck with this money pit.

If you just past the time limit then you can still usually get help from Acura either full or $1000 increments, up to you paying 3 instead of 4 K$ for the replacement.
Especially with only 75k miles on it.
Call Acura care at 1-800-382-2238 x5 and tell them whats happened to document a claim- dont care what they say- state your problem and the write it down.
they will tell you to take it in for diagnosis- have to know whats wrong!
Then you negotiate with dealer MANAGER or Acura Corp and a $ amount is set.
They are still being very helpful - these cars are great- for whatever you pay to fix its a good car with a new transmission and each 1 thousand you pay = 1 year extra warranty

You should contact Acura Client Services (800) 382-2238 and see if you can work something out with them. Let them know that you are aware of the transmission recall.

If you just past the time limit then you can still usually get help from Acura either full or $1000 increments, up to you paying 3 instead of 4 K$ for the replacement.
Especially with only 75k miles on it.
Call Acura care at 1-800-382-2238 x5 and tell them whats happened to document a claim- dont care what they say- state your problem and the write it down.
they will tell you to take it in for diagnosis- have to know whats wrong!
Then you negotiate with dealer MANAGER or Acura Corp and a $ amount is set.
They are still being very helpful - these cars are great- for whatever you pay to fix its a good car with a new transmission and each 1 thousand you pay = 1 year extra warranty

Thanks guys - you are truly the best. Playing phone tag with the adviser - just sitting here waiting for his call back.

There was a recall for the 2nd gear/oil jet kit but I don't think that applied to the four speed transmission used in the 1999 TL.

And there never was a recall for the entire transmission. Just the extended warranty.

Bob

judging by the way your not really into modding i would suggest some small subtle things to sprucing up the car and please your nephew..

1. oem lip kit
2. TL-S/CL-S rims
3. light tint
4. debadge the word A C U R A or both A C U R A and 3.2TL
5. if state laws allow where you live remove the front plate

small things and factory parts that really liven up your car... :thumbsup:

OK, got the results back, it's not the tranny - thank goodness! It's the left front caliper that broke. D'oh! $369 plus $99 diagnostic fee. Better than paying for a tranny. Here I was freakin' over nothing though a bad tranny is still in the back of my mind.

Good to hear it's not the tranny but I don't know about that diagnostic fee :annoyed:

Yeah, I know ... it sucks ... such is life.

The original Diagnostic fee estimate can be waived if you have the work done there- thats the normal thing
They keep it as a charge in case you take the car somewhere else for the repair- they got something for their time

Tell the SERVICE MANAGER not the lowly ADVISOR/SALES/WRITER to check the book again please
Most repairs like that have an * mark indicating Includes diagnosis time .2 hrs or whatever- thats an example
It should not have taken 1.5 hours to diagnose a brake caliper problem!!!
A call to Acura Care can smooth things your way to- they really dont like complaints, and your case gets sent by email-blackberry to the Service Manager who may or may not be ~aware~ of the actions of his staff. They are there to make money but please- at least they can be fair about it!!!!
Oh- the new guy didnt know- sorry bout that let me fix your invoice.

^^ Yep, I work for a dealership and the people who raise hell about the diag fee usually don't have to pay it. Ay plans for the TL now?

I plan on holding on to my 99 with 137K on it for a while. I will use it until the transmission finally does go, then doing the 6 speed CL-S swap. Better spending ~$6-7K on the new engine and tranny (and other various parts and labor), than buying a new car, because I've put so much work into it so far.

for what it is worth i still think you made the right choice in keepingthe car. the lady i sold my 99 to now has almost 200k on the car and has still only had to do regular maintenance. no tranny problems. the guy i sold my 01 to has a little over 150k no tranny problems. my 03 less miles but still fine. it sounds like you don't know a lot about cars.. thats fine. a lot of us guys don't either. but if you take car of your car it should last you for some time to come.

as far as easy mods to the car. update headlights/tailights. oem (factory) body kit. and rims. easy stuff to do. they don't mess with reliability and make you smile every time you look at your car...