Hi i'm new to this game and i am about to purchase an 2002 acura tl type s with 85k miles. I have heard about the transmission problem story. What i am seeking for is what else too look out for before buying a tl type s in general an 02 model that is. Any help is highly appreciate it thank you! I dont want to buy a car and have it throw problems at me right away. thank you once again!

 

sa buy dee.....first of all are you buying from a private party or thru a dealer? you should the ask if the car has any transmission work done due to the recalled letter that was sent out to 2nd gen tl owners. I myself is 02 type-s owner and has some work done and its running fine.

 

Hey man, I was in this same boat just a few months ago. I was going to buy an 02 TL-S with 75,000 on the clock, but I was afraid of the transmission.

Acura lengthened the warranty to (I believe) 7 years, 9 months after the purchase date, or 109,000 miles. Get your VIN and check it on the Acura owners link:

https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login....d%5Fhome%2Easp

You can see if the transmission has been replaced. (Or you can check the bolts. If they're painted blue, it's been replaced)

I checked the website and I called them just to make sure. Finally just to make myself feel better, I took the car to an Acura dealership, paid them the $90 to throw it on the lift and inspect it. The car checked out and I bought it.

Good luck.

 

I've had a 2002 TL-S for a little over 6 years and about 65,000 miles.

NO problems - including the transmission.

 

Yes its from a dealer, thanks fot the tip tempest. ill look under and see if the bolts are painted blue i will also request a carfax from them to see if their has been transmission work. lol i guess my last name gave out that im lao hahaha. I have done a lot of research before getting myself into this car. I used to own a rx7 turbo II man i miss that thing.... anyways thanks every one, and to bearcat i believe its how you drive your car that makes it last. I just hope the tranny has been replaced already so i dont have to deal with it, if not i will look into the warranties and find car warranty places that i can purchase engine/tranny warramty from i believe the dealer provides it(hopefuly)

 

You've officially jinxed yourself.

 

lol haha

 

I have actually same as you, 02, tl-s. 87000m at purchase.
Tranny warranty should be good til mid 09 i believe.
Expect to pay hefty maintenance fees at 90k, especially at 106k.
for me 90k - costed 500$
106k will likely to cost well over 1000$.
Otherwise it is a blast to drive.

 

oh geez... this makes me miss my rx7 t2 really bad(only problems gas eater/oil)... you can tell from my age i'm only 17 turning 18 in june i dont make much money... hmm i think i gotta re decide on this car. Maintenance like timing belt? etc etc? I'm trying to get a decent car that i wont have to spend a lot of money on thru out college i might re concider an integra gsr... "sigh" thanks for the heads guyen. I know how to fix most things on a honda/acura and my father tops it off... but tell me what kind of maintenance i will be expecting?

 

CALL Acura not carfax for info on warranty work performed- get the cars VIN and
call 1-800-382-2238 x5
tell them you are looking for history and repair info- recalls all done, any outstanding?
Is the trans extension warranty in effect- seat belt warranty SRS warranty?

The RECALL on the trans for oil jet kit install- has nothing at all to do with the failure of the clutch paks that many ziners suffer. We are above average in replacement numbers because this is a tech help forum where you turn to in need.
Carfax only knows what it is told and is not accurate in all respects- you can pay cash to a body shop and no accident report goes to carfax

Brakes are the expensive thing to have checked- and shocks- steering rack-
skip the 90k service and do the full 105k with water pump timing belt hoses valve adjust and much more
figure $1000, maybe a few hundred either way

 

Much as we love our TL's- I think most will agree, repairs are expensive when needed, and its not a gas saver in anyones book- 19 in town- 22-24 combined, maybe 29-30 on long freeway runs
AND it needs 91 octane and Tier 1 brands of gas- the big name stations essentially
Today at 4 bucks a gallon- average fill at 15 gallons Yikes 60 bucks for 300 something miles
Perhaps a honda with better economy would be right for the next few years.

 

Yes biggest one i can think of is tbelt and wpump at 106K. That is why 106k is so expensive. At 90k it was bunch of checks and some simple works like HEPA filter, oil and tranny fliud change etc). I think if you work on cars, you could do most of the 90k service by yourself.
But chances are if you buy a with 90k then u re close to major services, which what I am exactly experiencing right now.

 

ive had mine since june and it has 138xxx not one problem and i bought it from my uncle and he never had one problem with it but i recently had to replace the passengerside headlight and that was $250 but other than that nadaaa...