tonyscarbones

i'm going to take a look and test drive a used 2003 s-type that's selling for about 20,000 and I was wondering if anyone on here could give me some advice on certain things I should look for while deciding if I should buy it. Maybe there would be things your average person would overlook but if through your experiences of owning you wouldn't. any help would be great

SK2003TypeS

How many miles on it ?....20K sounds kind of expensive. I don't think I could get 20 for mine and I only have 25K miles.

VietGuy03

iTrader: (4)

How many miles? I've got a 03 TL-S too, and I didn't have any probs when I got it. You shoud probably check:
1. Fog lenses to make sure they aren't cracked since they are made of glass I believe, and pretty expensive to get replaced from the dealer.
2. Make sure the car has had it's transmission checked. (Since this year was within the years of the faulty transmission design.) I know just getting check won't prevent the tranny from going out, but atleast it will give you a piece of mind.
3. Check all the fluilds to make sure they are level.
4. Check for any type of curb rash on the rims or tires, since this will indicate if the car has had an alignment or not. And check the alignment when you test drive the car.
5. Check to make sure that all the heat and air conditioning works.

um... other than that, I think you should be okay, good luck with the car!

tonyscarbones

price is 18,500 with 60K miles

tonyscarbones

i searched all over my area and all the type s models in silver or black cost around 22,000 and up with 45k or lower mileage.

dug-mac

You sound like me a year ago when I bought my 03 TL-S. Like you, I had some specific requirements. I wanted a silver and black car with Nav. and fairly low miles. Those parameters will seriously limit the number of available cars. Have you tried a search on Cars.com? I found that to be the best search engine. I ended up looking at all cars that fit my requirements within 200 miles of where I live. It's important to remember that while new cars are all the same - yes, you might like one dealer better than another, but the car is the same car whether you buy it from dealer x, y, or z - used cars are all different. Each used car has had a different level of care by the previous owner. The price you're quoting sounds a bit high, though that price might be before negotiations? If you've done the search at Cars.com, the next thing I would do is call various Acura dealers in your area and see if they have any cars that they haven't posted yet on the website. There are definite advantages to buying a certified car as long as the price is acceptable. Good luck...

TLofNYC

Does the car still have warrenty. I wouldn't spend that much unless it was still under warrenty or extended warrenty. Acura is an expensive car to have fixed if it is not covered. Also check to see if heated seats work. A friend of mine got a TL with two broken seats and no warrenty, needless to say he spent a lot of money to get it fixed that he thought was going to go towards his body kit.

TLofNYC

Don't be discouraged from buying it.....before I got my TL I was on this site and saw all the possible problems. I almost didn't get the car. In the end I got it anyway and I'm glad I did. It is a great car and mine has had no major problems.

northwoods

2 1/2 years and 45,000 miles on my 2003 type S

zero problems, zero complaints...

i'm told tranny has been a on-going problem with earlier acura's
and some early make 2003's....

i knew that going in, haven't had a problem and love the car

ResidualFreedom

This is a direct quote from a very good friend of mine that is a wholeseller for a large used car company. He has been looking into them recently, one of his customers had their tranny go, I was walking him through this site showing him all the info on the tranny and such..

Just thought you might like to have that card in your hand while bargaining with the dealer. " I know you have a ton of these layin around and your going to take a big loss on each one, so let's be men about this and discuss a reasonable deal or I'll go to *so-and-so's* acura dealer down the street"

Clyburn

I'd haggle them down a little on the price. It's close but it should be a little lower. Go on Kellybluebook.com and plug in all of the specs for retail value and see what that says. Get a CARFAX for sure. Is it a Acura dealer? If so make sure the car is a certified pre-owned. If it's not an Acura dealer make sure you take it to another mechanic for a second opinion. Actually now that I think about it, 18,500 for that car is about right. All I can say is be wary of non-Acura dealerships selling Acura's. Check the tire wear. If the dealership is worth it's salt, they will put new tires on a car if the old ones were worn. That's a good indicator. Good Luck. I work for Acura so if there's anything I can help with send me a pm.


p.s. i own an 03 type-s...best car i've ever owned.

tonyscarbones

thanks.

that cars.com site is great! I found a good selection

snowman81

That's everything I was thinking...of course you'll want to look at the normal stuff like body work, scratches. I would also look at the black trim around the windows. It's actually part of the door. If that's starting to wrinkle or bunch up, I would have them replace it. Your car is out of bumper to bumper warranty so an Acura dealer won't cover the cost to get that fixed. Have it done before you buy it(notice I said YOUR car, that means you'll be buying it). I have an '02 TL-S with Nav and like other people have said...best car I've ever owned. Good luck.

snowman81

Here is the info that I got from KBB.com. Might help you out a little but it's for my area (Virginia Beach). Not sure if would be different for you.

Engine: V6 3.2 Liter HO VTEC
Trans: Automatic
Drive: FWD
Mileage: 60,000

Equipment
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Tilt Wheel
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo
Cassette
Multi Compact Disc
Bose Premium Sound
Dual Front Air Bags
Front Side Air Bags
ABS (4-Wheel)
Traction Control
Leather
Dual Power Seats
Moon Roof
Alloy Wheels




Retail Value for This Car $20,865

Steph-TLS

Snowman...I'm in Va Beach too and I was thinking about selling mine 2003 Type S Nav with 63K. I would be happy with anything in the 19k - 20k range, but I don't think I would get it. I'm seeing some TLs in the Pilot (newspaper) for much lower.

FreDroRN

If you'd consider a Blue 02' TL-S, I'm selling mine from the NY area. Price is negotiable @ $19,500

Here's the link.....

SK2003TypeS

Fredrorn, what's your next car ?
....one of the hottest ones, good luck with your sale.

FreDroRN

Thanks man. Just have to wait and see what my next car is going to be. Hopefully staying within the Acura family. I'll keep everyone posted, but I want to concentrate on selling my baby first.

tonyscarbones

to far from you all

i'm in chicago

snowman81

Yeah, the quote I did was for Retail sale. Here is one for private party sale. You'll notice it's quite a bit less because people are willing to pay more at a dealer because it's a sense of security...warranty and someone to hold accountable. If you are definitely planning on selling it, I'll talk to some friends and see if anyone is interested. I know quite a few people that are impressed with mine and may like to have their own. Let me know.

snowman81

Didn't realize that kbb.com wouldn't let you link to a quote so here is the info off for you car Steph-TLS...sorry about that.


Virginia • December 21, 2005
2003 Acura TL 3.2 Type S Sedan 4D



Engine: V6 3.2 Liter HO VTEC
Trans: Automatic
Drive: FWD
Mileage: 63,000


Equipment
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Tilt Wheel
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo
Cassette
Multi Compact Disc
Bose Premium Sound
Navigation System
Dual Front Air Bags
Front Side Air Bags
ABS (4-Wheel)
Traction Control
Leather
Dual Power Seats
Moon Roof
Rear Spoiler
Alloy Wheels




Consumer Rated Condition: Good
"Good" condition means that the vehicle is free of any major defects. This vehicle has a clean title history , the paint, body and interior have only minor (if any) blemishes, and there are no major mechanical problems. There should be little or no rust on this vehicle. The tires match and have substantial tread wear left. A "good" vehicle will need some reconditioning to be sold at retail. Most consumer owned vehicles fall into this category.


Private Party Value $17,240
Private Party Value is what a buyer can expect to pay when buying a used car from a private party. The Private Party Value assumes the vehicle is sold "As Is" and carries no warranty (other than the continuing factory warranty). The final sale price may vary depending on the vehicle's actual condition and local market conditions. This value may also be used to derive Fair Market Value for insurance and vehicle donation purposes.

zibadun

Check the condition of breaks to make sure the pads were not worn to the metal. By 63k hopefully it has the new pads/resurfaced rotors. check for brake vibration at different speeds as it's the second most common problem. If brakes pulsate have the dealer put new rotors before the sale.

bx-tls

See if the dealer let you take it your own mechanic. The dealer I bought from let me have the car for 1 day to drive and test. I took it to my mechanic to get it check. I pay about 19k total including tax,title and extended warranty. I shop around and used kbb as well. the price are a little difference depending on location, in nyc, retail for it was around 21k for 44000 miles. I didn't know about the tanny issue, i think I could have knock a few more hundred off. Use anything you can for a lower price. But love my tls, which is SSM with black leather, no problem at all and not really worry about the tranny.

DarkLotus

Wow, these forums are great. Im am also in the market for a 03 TL-S Silver/Black , the whole 9 yards. Im hooked on em !!! My current car is a p.o.s and I didn't realize how hard it is to find the EXACT 1 I want within my range.

dug-mac

It is surprising how uncommon these cars can be when you have some specifics in mind. Like DarkLotus, when I was searching for my SSM 03 TL-S with Nav., I had maybe a handful of cars within a 200 mile radius - and this was after a couple of months of looking. Our cars aren't like Camrys or even Accords that the world seems to be littered with...

DarkLotus

I guess not being common can be a good thing... I just know how I am and if I can't get what I want in a car I act like a baby ! lol ... It's not like I'm asking for miracles, just hard to believe that what I want is uncommon...

dug-mac

I think it's a good thing. Keep looking and you'll find just what you want. I'm glad I waited because I knew just what I wanted. Good luck and let us know what you find...

zibadun

My dealer says there are 7 to 10 TL-S on sale every week at a big car auction in PA. Only one or two cars are worth looking at (i.e. no paint job, with good tires, good interior, ~50k ). The 2002 goes for about $1000 less than 2003 with the same milage. Dealers probably get this car for 16-17 thousand (which is near trade in value) and sell you for a couple of grand more.

zibadun

btw, one other thing to look for is whether any part of the car was painted ( which means it most likely was in an accident). Look for VIN stickers on the hood, doors, 1/4 panels, trunk to make sure the vin matches and is not painted over. Also run a finger inside the edges of doors, hood, etc - the paint should be silk smooth. This is not a guarantee but helps find most obvious paint jobs.

Nyshadow

I know a lot of people frown on Auctions, but i got my TL from a auto auction, and so far no problems, i've had my tl for about 4 months now. 2003 TL S. Check out the photos.

http://photos.yahoo.com/truks

JetBlackAC

i bought mine a month and a half ago fully loaded type s with navi and on star and new toyo tires for 18k with 60k miles

Nyshadow

Yeah i got on star too. But you don't want to know what i paid.

zibadun

Well I frowned too, until I walked though a "certified" car lot at my local acura dealer, and saw they've got cars with stickers from the same auction I bought my car from (in PA) as well as from FL auctions and who knows where. Checking their VINs at carfax reveiled that about every other car had an accident reported and some had obvious problems (like missing door lock switch, misaligned hood, scored rotors, etc). I don't personally believe that "certified" really means all that much, especially for a car that usually works like new at 50-60k miles as is, without any special dealership magic.

Luke7

It always takes me between 3 to 6 months to find the right used car. Never buy from a dealer since they want to rip ya. Bought my 99 TL P Navi in Sept. 2005 for $11k from a 80 year old retired couple with 38,000 miles on it. Yes 38,000! It was just shy of 7 years old. The dealer downtown wanted 17k for a 2000 TL P with 48,000 on it. They ended up selling it, or at least the dealer told me that they sold it for $16,500. I offered them $12,500 for it and he laughed at me. Well, I laughed when I drove off in the 99 with 38k on it for 11k. It was Heather Mist (the color I wanted) not Gold like the 2000. Glad I waited!

Luke7

Certified=FLUFF! to make you think you are getting something special~

DarkLotus

I want !!!

stiletto

I think one of your brake lights is out. Very easy to replace, will take care of the red light on your dash, will also make you more visible if you need to stop in an emergency with traffic on your butt...

Nyshadow

Thanks, i have led bulbs in my brake lights, thats why that light is on.

CL Platano

I just picked mine up with 34K for 17,995 , I only have seen certified ones around here going for 20K. I would definately hangle them down since you are no longer under warranty. Try to get them to atleast 17K.