fog80

ive scoured the internet looking for feedback on the '02 acura tl-s and all i find are problems about transmission etc.

now granted people probably only voice their opinion when they have a problem im trying to see if this is a reliable car and worth spending my money on.

i had a '96 lexus es300 that was wrecked and now i need a new car......im tired of lexus' overpricing of cars especially the es300 since its not that much different than a camry.

im definitly interested in the tls.

i am looking at a 02 tls with 80K on it for 15,900.....this is from a dealer.

i want to know what you guys think, i will obviously try and talk the guy down but expect to pay somewhere around 15k.

please help me out.

goldendragon576

I have an 02 TL-S and I LOVE IT!!! I had a tranny problem but the dealer took it and fixed it, no questions asked. Sure it was a bit of a pain but things happen. There are minor things here and there, but your going to get little things with any car. So if you ask for my opinion on the 02 TL-S, I LOVE IT!!!

DivinDude

you should be scared ..

Darkshear

iTrader: (1)

dude, get the car. you will NOT be unhappy with it.

First off, for that mileage, the tranny has more than likley already been replaced. if you want to know for sure, just look at the bolts on the side of the tranny, they will be painted blue.

Second, even if it wasnt replaced already, your covered for another 20,000 still.

Get the car dude, everyone here loves their TL's. Sure its a pain in the ass if the tranny dies, but regardless, you cant beat the value/performance/style/comfort/sportiness/blah blah blah

Big Ped

I have a lease on a 02 TLS w/ Nav that will be maturing in two months. I have to tell you that I made the decision to buy it. I like the new ones and I have considered the new TSX as well. However, there is no real need to lease the new one and pay more monthly when I love my curent TLS so much. And I can't emagine not having TLS power anymore so the TSX is out of the question.

Dude, I love this car and I just got the 30k service at the dealer, and it feels like I just got a new car. Yeah the trany blew out two years ago, but whatever, I simply called acura care, they towed the car to the dealer and I picked it up two days later. All freeeee. Brand new trany. They extrended the warantee on the tranys also, and I beleive the new ones may be better than the old. I think thay may have resolved the issue since I have no problems in two years. When I was at the dealer I spoke with the service supervisor. He was a guy that likes to talk, you know. So I took advantaged of that and asked him like a bizzillion questions to help me finalize my decision to buy it. In summary, the engines on the TLS are bullet proof. You'd have to really try hard to mess them up. He said that the engines can easilly go 250K miles withought any major problems. All other mechanical parts are also solid.


"Get the car, you'll love it"

goldendragon576

Do you drive a TL-S? Sorry your one of those that doesn't like their car.

roybrown29

Well I've got a 03' with 30,000 hard miles on it and I've had no trans problems yet and really thought these problems were more an issue on pre-99 models. I'd really like to see a petition started on the soft metals Honda/Acura uses in their body panels. I can remember back in '94 my Civic EX dinged and dented so easily. Now 4 different Honda's later it's really getting annoying to spend $30,000+ on a car have it 1 year and because some a** at a mall doesn't carefully open his door my car looks like a golf ball pick-up cart. I love Honda/Acura. I've been 1/4 mile and Autocrossing for years. These cars perform day after day without major problems (In my cases). How bout bumping up the thickness or something, DAMN!!! I do consider this a Honda/Acura specific problem since I've also owned a Camry (Dude, I know!) and currently have a '01 Maxima SE AE both of which remained dingless after years of parking the same routine I do with the TL-S. Sorry long winded but I HATE F'ING DINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fog80

ok i just talked to the dealership and the guy says that its not certified and that if its not certified it doesnt have a warranty.

what proof can i take him that there is a factory warranty?

one thing did turn me off to him, he said that hes not open to negotiation.....now if he listed 16k obviously there is something with this car that is keeping him from listing it more closer to the book value of 19,500.

any advice from you guys?

ou sig

Very informative...dont post crap like that unless you can say a real reason.

Darkshear

iTrader: (1)

KBB lists the car at $15,995 private party value, not used car retail value like the dealers go by. Used car retail value includes profit for the dealers, which they can suck an ass.

15K is a good deal. And EVERY 2002 TL-S on the PLANET has the extended tranny warranty from Acura to 100,000 miles.

fla-tls

Personally, I would look for one with less mileage. You really want to max out that 100,000 mile transmission warranty.

I have a '02 that I bought in June of '01, and it just passed 35k miles.

Linner

I would def look for somethign with less milage, i traded inb my 96 es300 for my cls . I paid real high for (i dont care bc i love the car and r really hard to findit bc the dealer wouldnt budge. 36k on it and paid 22, got 4500 for my trade so it ended up being like 18 and 3.9% financing

fog80

well i went and looked at it......it was real nice, back seat looked like no one ever sat in it.

final price came to 17k even...im going to put 5k down and finance 12 k.

im just waiting for the financing to go through and ill be able to go pickup the car by monday.

it drove totally different than my '96 es300......way tighter handling and a little heavier.....it'll take some time to get used to.

any advice from 2002 tls owners?

gagetrol

Look for a late build used 2003. The one your looking at has a lot of miles. If your going to get the one your looking at, dont pay that price. Your better off saving up and buying something new or a used G35 sedan.

ou sig

I personally think the TL's are much nicer than the G35's. All I see around is G35's and 350Z's. The TL is much more classy.

fog80

im 23 years old, go to school and work part time.

i think this is as high as i can go.

all of you are acura owners and all of you think that 80k miles is high for a 3.2tl from 2002? that is just sad.

i am coming from a lexus and 80k is nothing...

i have to say this forum is very discouraging to me and my decision to buy an acura.

Fleetwood

don't be. I bought an 02 TL-s a couple of months ago with 30k and I love the cars power, handling and appointments. And I had a Lexus SC300 before. I can't say the tranny's the best I've ever had, tho, but it's pretty sophisticated and I love the SS shift. I couldn't find anything that had all of that for the 23k I paid, so you'll be fine at your price...even if the milage is high.

DaveG

fog80, I'm with you on your choice to buy. I bought a 2002 TL-S 2 months ago and went through the same fears. I paid $24,500 Cdn (roughly $18k US) for a car with 77,000 km (48,000 miles). Mine was a good deal compared to others available but yours is a great deal I think based on book value. I think people are not saying that 80k miles is a lot of miles for an Acura, but IS a lot for a 2 to 2.5 year old car. I thought mine was fairly high at 48k miles, but it's nothing compared to my 92 Accord with over 400,000 km!

You will love the car. My tranny was replaced last year by the first owner so I have a newer one with hopefully all the fixes and it performs flawlessly. My only complaint is the squeaks and rattles from the seats and interior. Come summer I'll be working on exorcising those.

ou sig

Fog80, your killing me. People just dont want to buy a car with 80000 miles on it...I dont think anyone would choose that if they had a choice. My car has 70000 on it, and I cant tell a bit. My dads 93' Z71 has 180000 on it...still runs great. Any car should be able to run well over 200000 miles if you take care of it, and you dont have a lemon.

80000 miles is nothing for Acuras or any quality car for that matter, so dont try to get the wrong idea your car will be great.

gagetrol

Excellent point! 80,000 miles is nothing, for a Honda/Acura( My 86 Accord 4 door had 160,000 miles and 96 Accord 2 door had 170,000 miles). But it is a lot for a car thats two years old, thats roughly about 40,000 miles per year !!!!

:wow:

gagetrol

Divindude,

with all due respect to your opinion/viewpoint, besides the obvious, can you please elaborate ?

elah

80k miles? thats high but with the right maintaince you shouldnt have any problem. change the trans fluid every 15k. tranny should be working like a charm. also check if the tranny has been replaced and when. if not then thats just a good tranny treat it with respect and care it will baby u.

enought with my tranny talk

if i were you id hold off alittle to find a better deal with lower miles or maybe just get a tl-p with alot less miles

fla-tls

I thnk what we're trying to say is that - for a two year old car 80k is a LOT of miles.

40k/year is more than double the national average.

johnko

I'm considering buying a soon off-lease company 2000 3.2 TL from the president of the company where I work. It has 127K/79,000mi on it. He commuted 80 km/50mi a day, all highway, so early and so late that it was always a clear shot on the highway, in other words, good, though fast, mileage on this one. Though they want more $, I am going to offer CDN$15,000 certified, it already passed the emissions test in November. It has upgraded wheels (shiny Acura spoked ones), skirt package and trunk spoiler. My concerns are (1) too much km & $? and (2) transmission warranty - is this car still covered and prone to all the tranny problems?

fog80

thanks for your replies guys, i was hoping you guys were saying that 80k is a lot for a car from '02. i actually did some research and the one original owner bought the car in april of '01.....i guess this car came out early or something. so it averages out to like 28k a year.

i had a question though, im used to lexus' service records being available at any lexus dealership with just the vin # but the acura dealer tells me he cant pull up service records cause the car was registered in PA and it is being sold in MD.

can i call a PA acura dealership and get the service records with the vin?

fog80

ok i just brought my baby home.

im liking it more every minute i spend in it....so comfortable and solid.

the radio is nice but i was expecting more after hearing that it was a bose system....will probably need to add a sub in the trunk.

imma try to have pictures up soon.

garylee55

I agree. There are way too many cars out there that are more reliable for that $15k!