Hi Guys,

I'm finally at the time I'm going to buy my first car. I've been eyeing on the TL-S for some time. But for a while, my funds have limited me to used regular TL-Ps (99-01). I have been forutante to find a 2002 TL-S for a very low price online. There is one about 1.2 hrs from my house that has 40k miles (I would assume it was a demo vehicle, right?) for $24,495!

That is an awesome price for me, as I thought I'd never get a chance to own the current TL bodystyle (damn headlights on pre-02 TLs are heidious!). How can I make sure I'm not getting ripped off on this deal? Is 40k miles really odd, in the case it was not a demo car?

What kind of out the door price should I expect? I'm trying to keep it below 26k. Can I haggle down the asking price, even though this is a rare deal? I'm going to call the dealer tomorrow to ask questions. What other fees will the dealer likely charge? Is there a destination charge or anything on a USED vehicle?

BTW, the car's VIN# is 19UUA56892A009240 and if any1 could run a carfax for me, that would be awesome!

-David

 

VIN: 19UUA56892A009240
Year/Make/Model: 2002 ACURA 3.2 TL TYPE-S

Body Style: SEDAN 4 DR
Engine: 3.2L V6 PFI SOHC 24V
Fuel: GASOLINE
Driveline: FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
Carburetion: FUEL INJECTED
Cylinders: 6
Manufactured in: UNITED STATES







GOOD NEWS! CARFAX search results confirm this 2002 ACURA 3.2 TL TYPE-S (19UUA56892A009240) qualifies for the CARFAX FREE $5,000 Clean Title History Guarantee.


CARFAX analyzed this vehicle's title history to determine if any title documents were designated or marked with the following problems:

Problem Titles Checked: Results:
Salvage/Junk Checked - No Salvage/Junk Title Found
Rebuilt/Reconstructed Checked - No Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title Found
Flood Damage Checked - No Flood Damage Title Found
Damage Disclosure Checked - No Damage Disclosure Found
Manufacturer Buyback (LEMON) Checked - No Manufacturer Buyback Found
Exceeds Mechanical Limits (EML) Checked - No EML Found
Not Actual Mileage (NAM) Checked - No NAM Found

NOTE: Click here for a complete CARFAX Glossary.




GOOD NEWS! CARFAX search results on this 2002 ACURA 3.2 TL TYPE-S (19UUA56892A009240) did not uncover a potential odometer rollback. CARFAX analyzed this vehicle's reported odometer readings to determine if any reading is less than a previously reported reading.

No Reported Odometer Readings




GOOD NEWS! CARFAX search results on this 2002 ACURA 3.2 TL TYPE-S (19UUA56892A009240) did not uncover any of the following problems:

Problems Checked: Results:
Accident Checked - No Accident Record Found
Salvage Auction Checked - No Salvage Auction Record Found
Failed Emissions Inspection Checked - No Failed Emissions Record Found
Fire Damage Checked - No Fire Damage Record Found
Crash Test Vehicle Checked - No Crash Test Vehicle Record Found
Grey Market Vehicle Checked - No Grey Market Vehicle Record Found
NOTE: Click here for a complete CARFAX Glossary.




CARFAX search results on this 2002 ACURA 3.2 TL TYPE-S (19UUA56892A009240) identify the types of state motor vehicle department registrations, other than private, that appear in this vehicle's history.

Registrations Checked: Results:
Lease Checked - No Lease Registration Found
Rental Checked - No Rental Registration Found
Government Checked - No Government Registration Found
Taxi Checked - No Taxi Registration Found
Fleet Checked - No Fleet Registration Found
Commercial Checked - No Commercial Registration Found
Non-Profit Checked - No Non-Profit Registration Found
NOTE: Click here for a complete CARFAX Glossary.





The CARFAX database contains a total of 2 vehicle history records on this 2002 ACURA 3.2 TL TYPE-S (19UUA56892A009240):


DATE
REPORTED ODOMETER
READING INFORMATION
SOURCE GENERAL
COMMENTS
05/11/2001 Maryland
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Lutherville Timonium, MD
Title #30820181
Registration issued
First owner reported


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

05/11/2001 Maryland
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Lutherville Timonium, MD
Registered as
private vehicle

 

Is 40,000 miles in a little over a year odd? Not really. I've put on almost 3,000 miles on my car in a little over a month and I haven't been driving my car too much. Assuming someone is putting on a pretty long commute, and possibly doing some long driving on the weekends, you could put 40,000 miles on in a little over a year easily...

However, it is considered high mileage for 1 year. You should try to find out if there was any major repair work done on the car in the 1 year, like a tranny replacement (since the TL-S's seem to have transmission problems, especially the 2002's)... Otherwise, it sounds like a good deal. I've seen 2002 TL-S's go for that much in my area with high mileage, so it doesn't sound a-typical... Good luck, and I hope you get the car... I've had a blast with mine!

 

Thanks AJay for the report!

LiQiCE, just curious, where in your area have you seen high-mileage used TL-Ss for under 26k? I'm in Southern MD, so not too far from you.

 

AgentDSS, or anyone else, my mint 2002TL-S w/ navi is available for sale as I just purchased a new car. It is Aegean Blue w/ 27K miles. Write me at {address edited out}

 

Sorry Lauderdale TL, you cannot post items/vehicles for sale anywhere except for the For Sale/Wanted forum and you need to be a gold or premium member to do so.

On a side note, according to the CarFax report, the car was registered in May 2001 which means it saw about 16 months of service. That turns the 40K mileage into 30K per year. While that is still high, it's better than 40K per year.

 

Thanks for the tip Pianoman, I would not have seen that!

 

SWEET! The dealer seemed to have lowered their asking price on their website to $500 less..making it $24,000. Should I still haggle down as it has a LOT of miles, but a still an almost new car? How much room can I haggle with?

 

I'd haggle down to $23,500, I think that's fair w/ the mileage -- if not $23,000. I would also seriously consider getting the Acura 7yr/70K warranty or whatever used car warranty they offer (presuming this car is purchased from an Acura dealership).

Check to see what service records are available, has it had its 15K, 30K, 40K (if there is one) service visits completed? has it had regular oil changes on record?

Also check for tire wear, wheel balance (drive the car on the highway over 70mph and watch the steering wheel "shimmy" when you let it go), check for brake rotor warping (that's an issue on this car it seems)... do the brake pulsate when you apply moderate to hard braking at highway speeds? Check for the crisp, quick shifts from the tranny ...

I would check to see when the brakes had last been done (pads) .. 40K city miles = lots of brake wear .. highway miles = no brake wear.

Best of luck... btw, what color and interior is it?

Pete

 

Thanks Peter, you answered all my questions I asked for!

The car is Black int. and Black ext. (Zaino!) and has a factory warranty (7yr. or 100,000 miles) and is labeled as a "Certified Pre-Owned Acura" which I believe has some 100+pt. inspection.

Again, this is my first car purchase and apreciate the help you have provided. I will probably offer $23k at start, and work from there.

 

Agent --

No prob, glad I could offer some help. The Acura certified program seems pretty legit. That 7yr, 100K warranty should quell most concerns about purchasing this vehicle. Also look for any paint, body dings dents that you might be able to negotiate a repair for (paintless dent removal) into the final deal. Be prepared for the dealership to be pretty firm w/ their price, as someone they set the price to a very aggressive selling price to expedite its sale. Do a FULL check of the vehicle before signing any papers and don't let them rush you into purchasing it once you've begun bargaining. Once again, best of luck and keep us updated (post pics if you decide to purchase it!)

 

Thanks, I just wrote up a checklist to take with me with a lot of your concerns on it.

I just called the dealer and he said its still available but many people have called about it (which may or may not be really true) and that I should come soon instead of the end of the week (as I had planned). This is the only 02' TL-S in my area for that price so he might be telling the truth.

He said the previous owner was a big traveler (thus the miles) and that the car is in spotless condition with no dings or anything. He said they replaced the tires with brand new ones during the 120pt. Certified inspection. I asked about service records and he was not sure if they had them as the owner did have not have the service preformed at that dealer. I asked about transmission issues and he said that there has been no problems that he knows about and mentioned that type of information is probably at the place the owner had his car serviced. He did say he is aware of the overall tranny issue with most TLs.

What do you guys think? It looks good to me.

 

hit it!!

this is the type of car that can last forever!

 

AgentDSS,

I dont know about right now because I haven't been looking in the paper lately, but when I was looking for my TL-S about a month and a half ago or so, I looked in the Classifieds in the Washington Post everyday and a few times there were TL-S's for around $24-25K list price. A few times the mileage was listed and it was for a 30K-40K car (sometimes they did not list mileage, but I assumed it was high). Sat/Sun is usually the big day to list "new" used cars for sale ... I would take a look and check it out if you dont end up getting this car.

 

I'll keep a lookout in the Post, but I think I'm really going for this particular one. Thanks!

 

Damn, that dealer blows!

Frankel Auto in Cockeysville, MD are pricks!

I drove 1.5 hrs. to the dealer w/ the car to check it out. I was told many time over the phone the car was IMMACULATE and SPOTLESS. I did not expect the piece of **** I they had there. First of all, walking around the car parked, there were key scratches and lines across some of the door panels. There were some badly-done paint touchups on other parts. I said this to the salesman and he spit on his shirt and tried to "buff" it out. Of course it didn't!

After getting inside, the first thing I noticed was the odor. The previous owner was a definite smoker and the salesman didn't seem to give a crap. I looked at the ignition (where you put the key) and there were hundreds of deep scratches into the plastic! The cupholders and "bowling ball" trim were dirty! There were stains in the carpet that looked like many times cleaned over without luck. The salesman thought it was great that there were "backup" carpet mats in the trunk and that they are often stolen (wtf?!?)

Driving it was alright, I looked out for any obvious driving issues. The tranny seemed fine and I tried to get hard shifts outta it, but there were none. I noticed that 200 miles had to been added to the car according to the mileage on the website....a lot of suckers like me probably came in to try it out.

I headed back to the dealership. I wanted to know more about the previous owner and service record. The salesman was reluctant to try hard and get the information. He said the owner did not have it serviced there and even if it was done @ another dealer, they could not get records. I asked to see the car manual to see if any marks/stamps were made in the service intervals, of course there was none. He of course mentioned the "120 pt." inspection which he seemed made the car as good as new!

I first offered 22k (website listed 24k, but got a lotta bull**** on this car) and he said NOPE, doubt it will fly. He took it to his manager and came back saying NOPE!. I offered 22.5k and he said NOPE! and I said SEE YA LATER and left that a$$hole and his dealership. Drove 1.5hrs. back to home. Spent 4hrs. wasting my life today!

Lesson learned and will not go further than 45min. away for a car. I guess a Type-S it outta my reach, so hopefully a 2002 TL-P can be gotten in my area. Today blew donkey nuts!

-David

Thanks for all your help guys!

 

I thought I might have lost all hope to own a Type S model but I never once though of our little brother, the CL-S! I forgot that there was a 260hp CL-S in 2001! (while there is only a TL-S in 02/03). There are many CL-Ss available in my area w/ good mileage. I think I'm going to consider one

 

Agent DSS - If you are serious about a TL-S 02 for 25K, I think i may have found one for you. How far are you away from Frederick MD?

 

Frederick is close (compared the ****ty place I went to yesterday) about 30min. away. I'm surprised a TL-S is available in my area for that price, I've been looking at used car search websites nonstop for the past week.

Please tell me about it. Email: AgentDSS@aol.com

 

Wish you the best of luck in your car hunting. I agree with your persistance about getting the service history.

Especially with regards to the tranny. Find out if it has or has not had it replaced.

I just had mine blow up on me

 

Guys I think I have some good news. I found a 2001 CL- Type S in Black/Parchment w/ 30k miles in my range. I know its not a TL-S but the closest Acura to it.

It's an individual's car (not a dealer) and the person seems to have babied the car. He is a retired military jet aircraft engineer who has gone through over 200 cars in his lifetime, as he is a MAJOR car enthusist. He did all the maintenance on the car himself and not a single problem, even not the slightest hint of tranny issues. He SWEARS by Mobil1 Synthetic oil which he uses in all his car and the over 20 Corvettes (very BIG vette' guy) he had owned, and even the Jet Aircrafts (maybe not Mobil1, but still synthetic).

He said car has been garaged, washed twice a month and used Meguirers wax. He answered EVERY question I had with very through responses and then some. I also got to learn a little about jet engines and Corvette engines I think this is THE car I've been searching for, wish me look, I'm checking it out tomorrow!

 

HELP! (Acura CL-S)

The only problems with the car is that there is a small ding near the rear and a 1" long scratch on the rim when he hit a curb. Also its at 31k miles, I would assume the stock tires our almost finished, right? That's about another $800 of tires I need to get.

He is offering it at 23,650 which is pretty high for this car. KBB rates it at $22,275 in excellent condition (which supposedly includes new or very new tires, which is obviously not the case), Edmunds rates it at 21,305 for similar condition. The NADA rates it for 21,305 (tradein) to 25,775 (Retail). Obviously this shouldn't be near retail as its a private party and I still have a lot of work to do to get this car. The seller is barely budging on the price. He felt insulted when I offered 22.5k (which I thought was very appropriate considered it needs new tires). He declined firmly saying "NO!". He said that Acura rates these stock tires @ 60-80k miles! Then I offered 23k as final, and he said no, but he'll go $250 down to $23,400. He kept saying how I'll never find a better condition of this car (he IS right) and that the car is worth (he said close to 28k!) a lot more according to Edmunds, NADA, etc.. (which is NOT true). I said I'll talk to him later about it.

He seems to think his car is a work of perfection (it's close ) so it deserves that price. But w/ a scratched rim and used up tires, it should not. I really don't want to lose this near perfect car, but don't want to be easily ripped. Help!

-David

 

Hey David - I emailed you but did not hear back. Let me know if you received the info. Thanks.

 

Hey,

Sorry I didn't have a chance to reply, I've been real busy lately. I'm still trying on this current car, so I've pretty much ruled out other Acuras. Also, the price for yours is too high for me, sorry

Thanks anyways

 

Guys, I finally got my car! But it's a 2003 CL-S!

Read more here on CL forums!
http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...&postid=904212

For those who REALLY are active on the TL forums
(I originally was after a TL-S), I'm the guy who started many big threads w/ many responses including the 7 page, 127 response "TL for a Teenager" http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showt...20&pagenumber=1

And last but not least, for the ultimate forum goer, on the s2ki S2000 forums, there is a 2 page thread I started called "New Driver Questions" http://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthre...&threadid=42920