Hey all, I recently purchased a 2002 TL-S with a salvage title and wanted to share my process in doing so just in case it helps someone down the line. I'm not trying to start a debate on whether or not it's smart to do, I'm simply sharing my experience for those who opt to go this route. I apologize for its length but I want to be thorough.

I know that the knee-jerk reaction is to avoid these kinds of cars at all costs but I do believe that if researched properly, you really can get a good deal. While there is always some risk when purchasing a vehicle with a salvage title, and you do lose resale value, these were of little concern to me in the long run.

First, I am not buying this car to resell it, I plan on driving this for years. But even if I were to sell, wouldn't it stand to reason that someone out there would be attracted to the lower price even though it's saddled with the rebuilt title...just as I was? I think so.

Second, I researched the hell out of this car to ensure that it wasn't going to collapse as I drove it from the lot. Here is what I went through in my "shopping" phases in case it helps...

Oh, for reference, it's a black 2002 Acura TL S with 93,000 miles...rear spoiler...everything else is factory. Book is anywhere from $9k-$13k depending on condition based on what I've seen on the market nationwide...I'm not a big believer in NADA or KBB being the bible of pricing but I suppose they were pretty accurate in this case. The car looked great so it was time to dive deeper.

1. I asked the seller for all known information on the car...everything he knew. It wasn't because I'd necessarily believe him, I just wanted to know in case my research contradicted him later.

2. I drove the car for about 45 minutes...to jog a vehicle up and down the street a few times isn't enough. I wanted the engine to build up some heat and wanted to give that and the transmission a work out. I drove to a sunny, shiny spot and did my inch-by-inch inspection there...out of sight of the meddling seller.

I used the following checklist as I found it helpful and it made certain that I didn't leave out the obvious:

http://www.trustmymechanic.com/usedcarlist.html

Car drove like a dream...very solid, no noises, quiet ride. The interior was flawless with the exception of a missing courtesy light cover which I replaced for $9.

3. I called Acura with the VIN and got the maintenance history...it had met all scheduled maintenance stops and was checked in 2004 after the transmission recall. No problems were discovered and the car is still on original transmission...could be one of the 75% that escaped issues...knock on wood. It had two owners...the first of which was through a lease.

4. I ran a CarFax report on the vehicle confirming the salvage title status. The report listed no other known issues. The accident occurred in January of 2008 and had the Case Number listed in the report. I purchased a copy of the accident report for $12.95 and called the Austin Police Department which had handled the call.

5. Reading the accident report I saw that the accident involved this TL and an 18-wheeler. My first reaction was that meeting an 18-wheeler on a highway can't be good...this car had to have been smashed! Reading further, the truck never actually hit the vehicle. The truck had swerved into her lane forcing her to the left. The car hit the concrete divider on the front driverside quarter panel, took out the mirror, and also damaged the rear driverside quarter panel and bumper. No spin out, no roll, no "collision", more of a scraping.

The officer did not check the "This vehicle appears to have more than $1000 in damage" box but I'm sure that was an oversight. Regardless, the vehicle was driven away from the scene by the driver as no tow was necessary. The officer marked the "Vehicle Damage Rating" as LS-3. Not knowing what this meant I called the department and they said it stood for "Left Side" and a ranking of 3 out of 7 on their damage scale...1 being from a very light tap to 7 being inoperable.

Anyhow, one month after the accident it was written off as a Total Loss by the insurance company. Researching on the 'net, this usually happens when the insurance company feels it would cost more to repair the car, pay for the rental, assume the loss in resale value, etc. than it would to just sell it at auction. In this case, the damage to the body was pretty significant so they must have opted to sell it at auction. A body shop licensed in salvage vehicle restoration purchased it and repaired it for resale.

6. I had the car inspected at another body shop of my choosing and by a mechanic. It was a $100 expense but well worth the peace of mind. After two hours, all of the car's issues were listed:

- Oil change? (not sure when performed)
- Timing belt? (based on recommended servicing)
- Driver side driving light (not the headlight, a bulb needed replacing)
- Tires should be rotated and aligned (based on recommended servicing)

That was it! Frame was perfect, axles were fine, brakes had 80% left, original rims and tires...recently changed, all looked solid and it was given a clean bill of health. In their estimation, the accident resulted in external body damage only.

7. With that I felt confident enough in the vehicle and purchased it for $6000. I realize that I am ineligible for Acura's 109k mile warranty on the transmission but I figured I'd only have 15k left in eligibility anyhow. With the 6-month extended Powertrain warranty I was given, I should at least be covered unless they try and screw me over at the time of the claim. But, even if I do have to drop a new transmission into this car, I'll still be under book value. My hope is that I won't have to but that's a fear I'd have with any car.

With the TL's history in reliability (aside from the transmission, which checked out ok in this case) I feel I have a good bargain here.

Yes, it has a salvage title. Yes, it lost resale value (more of a gain in my favor than a loss based on my intentions). Yes, the transmissions are a red flag. But, these factors considered, I acquired a solid, gorgeous vehicle for almost half its value, it's mechanically sound, the accident appears to be ugly but relatively minor, and everything checked out great.

This isn't to say that every salvage title deal out there is a good one. I'm sure plenty out there are the result of flood damage, front-end collisions, or major structural damage...all three situations I'd avoid like the plague. But if you look close enough and deep enough, you may find a gem out there.

It did cost me about $150 to do the research after CarFax, the accident report, and the bumper to bumper inspections, but I only did the latter expense when I felt ready to purchase the car. With CarFax allowing unlimited searches over a 30-day period for $29.95, I was able to research a bunch of cars to narrow my selection. Once I felt solid on this car, I ponied up the $100 to get the seal of approval and the peace of mind.

So, I hope this helps a few out there...to summarize, research the car heavily and if the seller dissuades you from doing so, move on. CarFax report, accident report (case number should be listed), and body shop/mechanic inspection (NOT just the state minimum...do the thorough check) are great assets to have when researching. If those all check out and you can get the car for 40-60% of book value, I'd say you have enough to make a judgment call. If you can't verify information or hit a stone wall before you're satisfied...avoid the car. There are others out there.

And for those of you who won't even consider a rebuilt/salvage vehicle, I'm surprised you read this far.

 

Welcome to the forum!!

all valid points- that salvage from certain accidents is ok- but the trans is always a concern on the TL
The 2004 recall was to install an external oiler kit to spray oil on 2nd gears and shaft.
The failure problem is weak clutch plates due to general low oil flow for cooling- not fixable.
If it goes out,- $2500-2800 at aamco will put you back on the road

Maitenance- timing belt, water pump, new coolant, valve adjustment- new spark plugs etc- the 105k service are important to do. cost about $800-1200 at shops depending on how much you DIY in advance- plugs are easy- and help gas mileage
See thread on DIY Seafoam to clean all the internals- makes car run better-$20 parts

You should do the cabin air filter now- cost under 20 bucks for parts- and 20 minute DIY
Makes life better in the car for sure! supposed to be done yearly- most are black and filled with leaves and cobwebs!! ALL the air into the cabin passes thru that filter
Change the brake fluid too- start at year 3 of age then every year after
check the engine air filter since the car sat then went to a body shop where dust is common
Easy to replace it too-
oil change is total DIY with a set of car ramps and drain pan- synthetic oil used by many- your choice of name brands

Enjoy your new baby- see the Off Topic link above- and wash and wax threads for good pro detailers info and the Meets section to show off and meet local ziners

These are great cars- just a few things to check over yourswelf now- like take the brakes apart and lube the parts- change the fluid- etc
And the alignment will make it a straight tracking freeway cruising machine

If you want to sport it up a bit- many easy cheap or free mods for performance and or mileage improvement are in the DIY section

Operating tip= run 91 octane only- 93 if thats what they sell in your part of the country- hi compression engines NEED hi octane
Here is the free owner manual downloads- make sure to know the radio and nav security codes for the car- battery dies or cables removed- radio locks down
https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/...01_OMANUAL.asp

warranty- you still get the seatbelt and SRS extended warranty on salvage title
register with acura to be safe- 1 800 382 2238 x5 and here
http://owners.acura.com/registration...erstepone.aspx

If anyone read this far- go buy some basic parts and work on your car!

 

we have special HID low beams- dealer price 200 per BULB
aftermarket- phillips are good
Kaixen well liked as well- See vendor Excelerate for them
availble in higher color ratings
stock is 4300k, you can get 5000- a little bluer with good white still or
6000k much bluer- good for poor night vision people- picks out the lane lines and road signs brightly- like no headlights I ever had before!
Lowes hardware stores have a good picture set of house bulbs in those color ratings to check the differances
k= Kelvin scale

 

Thanks for the posts and tips, will certainly keep them in mind. I realize the big service looms but I'd have that with any TL. As for these HID lights...I think I'd need some kind of conversion kit and for now, I'm going to stand pat with my boring ol' halogens.

 

welcome to the club. I have a salvaged Blue 03 TL-S. bought it with 35k miles. Tranny died at 70k for me but instead of rebuilding the tranny, i went and found a front clip of an 03 CL-S 6MT. The manual transmission is definitely more reliable, and much more fun to drive

 

How much did it cost to switch to the 6MT after you lost the automatic?

 

i got the front clip - the engine for about 1600 including the ecu. msc parts totaled up another 400. my mechanic friend did it for me for 1000. total = 3k. keep in mind, i got lucky enough to find a front clip. some people here had to source their parts one by one, which is probably the hardest part of all.

 

Welcome to Acurazine!

It looks like you really did your homework before buying!

This is a great forum to learn all about your car.

It's great that you have a 6 month warranty on the powertrain. 92,000 miles is a lot of miles for an original TL transmission. Many forum members have had multiple transmission failures before reaching 100,000 miles.

As you know already, the 5-speed transmissions in the 2000-2003 TLs have serious transmission reliability issues. You did well to factor in the cost of a potential replacement before making the purchase.

 

Yes, I pretty much assumed it will happen. We took $3k of the money we saved on the purchase and placed it in an interest-bearing savings account not to be touched. We even named it TLT (TL Transmission), lol. We figure if we never have to touch it, it's found money. But if that day arrives, we're covered.

Even with that money set aside we're still a good $2-3k ahead of what we expected to pay. I simply prefer the 2G body style over the 3G so that's where my heart is. Our Legend went to almost 200k before we sold it so if the transmission is the only issue we have, I'll be ecstatic. I only put on about 8-10k a year so I think we'll be ok for a while.

 

i also bought a salvaged title car straight from the auction lot. for the price that i payed for the car its well worth it even though my trans is blown now (1 1/2 years later). now i got my eye on a salvaged cl that im gonna buy and do the 6speed swap and sell the rest of it.

 

The car came stock with HID low beams- unless they were damaged or stolen from the car- the headlight housing has the ballast attached to the bottem of itself,
all you need is the correct bulb in them
Did you put regular halogen bulbs in th elow beams?
the ones behind the plastic cover on rear of housiong- held on with security screws- Torx screws holding it on?
they are hidden away!

 

I know the lifetime seatbelt warranty still applies to a salvage car but i was told warranty extentions are not including the SRS light. Now if your SRS light was triggered by a seatbelt problem like mine was, then it would be covered. I own a salvage 01 CL-S.

 

Well, I know nothing about cars. And I mean NOTHING. You mentioned that changing oil was a DIY...lol...not here. My wife got a big kick out of that. Gas is DIY but that's about the extent of it.

If the car came stock with HID low beams then that's great. I haven't even looked at the lights. In fact, I've only driven it during the day! Right now it's out of my hands as I'm having the windows tinted and the routine recommended services done to it. But, I will call the Acura dealership tomorrow to inquire about it since they have easy access to it.

Thanks for your guidance, I feel like a first grader walking through high school halls.

 

u will learn a lot about your car on here. thats how i learned about my car.

 

Welcome to the site, and congrats on the purchase of an 02 TL-S. You need to post pics of it. I hope that you do have the HID headlights as that system is very expensive to replace if they took it out, they were stolen, or damaged in the accideent.

 

I'll post pics when I pick it up which will be next Friday. We're going on vacation so I figured now is a good time to get the work done on it. One question...the car has 94k on it, is it too early to just have them do the 105k servicing? This way everything could be done before we return.

 

It's only 11k short. I would do it now if you have the $$ for it and since you will be away it wouldn't leave you without a car. I so go for it.

 

We're debating...it'll take me a year to put on 11k and I wasn't sure if it was too premature to even do it. With everything checking out so well we're thinking of just waiting a bit.

 

Timing belt failures are extremely rare on Honda products, so I wouldn't worry about the timing belt until at least 105k.

The transmission may be a problem, so just be mentally prepared for that. H&A Transmissions is a facility that remanufactures transmissions and supplies them to Honda. They use OE parts for rebuilding and perform all updates. If you have a shop order the transmission from them, you can qualify for a lifetime warranty. They charge about 3k for the unit with a lifetime warranty, plus labor to install.

 

Good luck with your TL. glad you found a good salvage car, it's rare, but there are a few people on here who've got good deals as well on salvage title TL's. Def look through the DIY's on here even if you aren't that mechanically inclined, a lot of the stuff you could train a monkey to do and it will save you money in the long run. Plus most people on here are willing to help if you run into an issue with anything. This is a great forum you won't find many car sites like A-zine! Peace.

 

Count me in too. I bought my 99' TL (w/navi) with 83,000 miles and a salvaged title over three years ago... no problems so far. I may have overpaid for it by a hair, but it was still a deal.

But as you mentioned, it's really important to do your research and get the car checked out thoroughly. Also, when you run a carfax report, it's important to note where a car came from because Carfax is notorious for not listing all significant incidents. But if you pay attention to where a car was from, you might get an insight into what it may have been through. Specifically hurricanes or floods. I don't care how well a salvaged car checks out, if it's from New Orleans, theres no way I'm buying it.

By the way,.. $6,000 for what you got is a great deal. Good Job!

 

Totally agree on the geographical research on the car. Fortunately for me, the car was always in my area! From the original sale to the accident it was in the Austin area. The fact that I was able to obtain the accident report was a huge factor as well because I could verify the damage (at least visually) to confirm that there wasn't any frontal impact.

We'll be back from vacation on Memorial Day and I'll be sure to snap some pics! It's all factory, so those expecting kick-a** mods or a "drop" (which I had to research to find out what this even meant, lol) will be disappointed. But, the car is gorgeous, especially for what I paid. Even if (when) it needs a new tranny, I'll still be happy with the money spent.

 

One thing you didn't mention in your review of the car - how much your insurance will be with a salvage title. Some insurance companies will not cover you at all, while most will charge a premium because of the 'unknown' factor of your car.

 

Sounds like you did some good research on the car.

One thing you didn't mention in your review of the car - how much your insurance will be with a salvage title? Some insurance companies will not cover you at all, while most will charge a premium because of the 'unknown' factor of your car. That cost difference between a salvaged title and non-salvaged title alone could eat into your TLT fund over the years.

 

We go through Geico for our insurance and they treat the vehicle like any other. If purchased through a dealer, then no visual inspection is needed. But, if you purchase a salvage title vehicle via a private seller then they require a visual inspection if you want comp/collision.

For the TL, our insurance is $382 every 6 months - and this is with full comp/collision/liability coverage, glass, roadside, and a $250 deductible.

Definitely check with the insurance company before buying, which is what we did, but our company turned out to be totally liberal when it came to salvage title vehicles.

 

Well, better late than never and I'm only posting because I said I would.

Here are some pics of the car I purchased. I'm not the best photographer but you'll get the idea. The car, thus far, has driven like a champ...no issues whatsoever, nice and powerful, checks out in all areas, and the interior is flawless.

So, it looks as though the research paid off as it's turned out to be a fabulous car to date and I think it looks fantastic...better than my pictures but that's not hard to accomplish.

Granted, it won't dazzle those of you who have sick mods and aftermarket additions, but I simply wanted to show what the end result was. Hopefully my travels in the salvage title realm will help someone down the line. I'm not saying they are the best deals on the market, but you can get a good deal if you look hard enough and research properly.

Sorry to only upload 3 photos but I think I read a post where 3 pics was the limit.

 

Looks nice


The only place where you can only post 3 pics are the stickied color specific threads.

 

WOW! nicest 6 grand car ive ever seen

 

Thank you! We're very happy with it and we have a bit more than $6k into it now, but not too much. I had to replace the child safety latch cover in the rear seats and just purchased new fog light assemblies as the front right was cracked and I want to thwart condensation. Plus I just saw the reverse glow gauge post and had to have 'em.

 

Well, nix the reverse glow gauges, lol, just saw that they won't work with the Type-S.

 

Well, since I'm allowed to post a few more, I'll add a few that I think are better after moving it for some better sun.

I really love these forums and it's great that everyone lends help and support when they can. Sure wish I knew more about cars to do that myself but hopefully this thread will help someone out someday.

 

Wow that looks great and as long as your happy thats all that matters.

Also do you know where it was hit? Because if you dont I noticed the Acura logo on the trunk was a little low and I figured maybe thats where it got hit. Do not worry not a big deal at all just figured I would let you know in case you were wondering what got repaired.

Not to mention if you do have to pay for a tranny repair you will still be ahead of the game with the deal you got

 

Based on the pics of the damage and the description of the accident, the car scraped along a concrete barrier on the highway. From the front fender to the rear bumper (mirror lost too) it was a scratched up mess. The emblems look too new to be original so perhaps they were replaced, but even if they are a little low, I think only those on this forum will even notice, lol. I sure didn't.

Regardless, it's of minor concern to me even if the emblem is lower than normal, I'll take that and the $3k I saved any day of the week. If it really starts to bother me, which it might now that you pointed it out to me, lol, I'll move 'em, but I doubt I'll be able to justify that expense.

 

I forget what looks like with the emblems still on there~
good looking ride!!

Only the Large center A is mounted with bolts, for the rest of them- its called Debadging~
Letters are just held on with some double sided foam tape-

there are threads here on removal-- but essentially some heat- sun- hair dryer- heat gun, and your choice of common products to weaken the glues adhesion, mayonaise, wd40, and some dental floss to slide between the tape and the cars paint- floss them right off, for a stealty car. It's also possible to flip the A over for a different look

 

Well, that sounds easy enough but knowing my luck, I'll screw it up somehow and need new paint. I don't want to remove them permanently, I'm just considering raising up the "ACURA" text now that it's bugging me. Everything else can stay as it is.

Contemplating adding the body kit at this point as I've seen pics of them on this forum and they look pretty slick.

 

Nice find!! Welcome to the family, you will learn A LOT about your car here.




ps- The badging on the back is more than a "little" off lol. The A C U R A is way low, and the Type-S badge is crooked too. Sry, it buggs me too. lol

 

The Type S badge is totally fine, it's the pic and my resizing. That I know for sure. I didn't really post the pics to have them scrutinized with a fine tooth comb, I'm just showing what I got for $6k. Raising the lettering sounds easy enough so that's a fix I'll certainly do. Beyond that, if that's all that's wrong with it, I'm still elated.

 

WOW, that car is VERY nice. You definatly got a steal. Does it have Navigation? As stated the only bother is the ACURA being very low. Look around at some pics and I think it will grow on you with it removed totally. It's very easy to do and you won't damage the paint.

I heated mine up with a hair dryer and used fishing string to take them off, followed by 3M adheisave remover followed by re-waxing the area.

For some simple free, or cheap mods I would remove the lower intake resonater (threads with instructions on here) add a K&N filter, and throw some 3A exhaust tips on it. If you want to get pricey the OEM kit looks AMAZING on these cars along with some light tint.

Good luck and congrats again. Hope to see you more involved in the forums with pics of updates

 

Thank you! No, it doesn't have Nav. I'm bummed that the Acura is low too but I never would have known had it not been mentioned here, lol! No doubt they replaced the emblems, which is fine with me. I'll definitely get that done this week as it seems easy. I'll look into the mods but I haven't a clue what those are that you mentioned, lol.

 

Here is a link to the "search" for the intake resonator removal.

https://acurazine.com/forums/search.php?searchid=862366

When you have some free time, mess around with the seach feature in "advanced" mode and you should be able to find pretty much anything. Also check out the CL side as the drivetrain is the same.