I can get a 99 TL, ~45K miles, for a reasonable price. Overall excellent condition. Car was bought by the original owner in 6/1999, so this means the extended transmission warranty dies in March 07 on this car. So unless I have a failure in the next ~3 months, it sounds like I'm buying a ticking time bomb, with a rebuild on a TL transmission in this area costing over $3K.

My expectation is to get >200K miles out of any car I buy, through reasonable care and maintenance. But it sounds like even the latest fix Honda has applied to the TL transmission rebuilds doesn't have a long enough track record to give it a thumbs up or down.

Any suggestions? I'm not too interested in a vehicle if it might cost me out of pocket for 2 transmission rebuilds just to reach 150K miles.

 

No, the extended warranty is already over. It's 100,000 miles or 7 years. The class action lawsuit that extended the warranty by 9 months has not been approved.

No, you're not. There's no more 'ticking time bomb' with the TL than any other 7 year old car. The '99s had far fewer tranny problems that the other 2G TLs. A '99 with 45k miles at a reasonable price sounds like a great deal.

Forums like this foster 'the sky is falling' attitudes since they focus on problems. If you like the car, buy it. If you don't, look for another 7 year old car with 45,000 miles on it, then research the problems that car might have, assuming there's a forum for the model.

 

Thanks. A little gun-shy due to everything I'm seeing on here and elsewhere regarding the transmission failures. And my original post was presuming the 7 yr + 9 mos./ 109,000 mi. stipulation of the lawsuit will happen on 12/28.

At 45K miles and 7 years old, the car is otherwise a great deal and in great condition. I'm wary since I'm accustomed to at least 150K miles between transmission rebuilds over the years, so I didn't want something that's going to bite me every 60K miles, at $3K a pop.

 

As MikePA mentioned, the 1999 TLs have tended to have better transmission reliability. The Consumer Reports' subscriber based reliability results list the 1999 TL transmission as having "worse than average" reliability. The 2000-2003 TL transmissions are given a "much worse than average" rank.

So, relative to other cars, the second generation TL transmissions can be trouble prone.

The original tranmission in my 1999 TL made it to 173,000 miles so it would have fallen short of your 200,000 mile target.

BTW, they're may be a 9 month extension on the 7 year warranty as a result of a class action lawsuit. Search the forum for more information.

And, whatever you buy, be sure to check it out thoroughly.

Run a Carfax report. These aren't perfect but they can catch some unreported issues.

Check for any available service records.

Ask if it has a salvaged title since a salvaged car will not be covered by the extended warranty.

Ask if it has ever been in an accident or had major mechanical problems.

Consider taking it to a mechanic that you trust for a pre-purchase inspection.

If you have a problem with cigarette smoke, ask if it's always been kept smoke-free. Cigarette smoke smell can be incredibly difficult to eliminate.

Good luck!

Bob

 

how much is the seller asking for the car?

 

just over $7K

 

99 is less likely to go since it had the 4spd tranny compared to the 5spd tranny on the 2000+ TL's

 

Dude.. that's a good deal for a '99.. check carfax... make sure it's clean and not salvaged... I bought mine for 9k over a year ago... went through only one tranny (the original at 160k+), but other that, it's a good deal for just over 7k. As long as you keep up with it, it won't turn into a money pit.

 

No, not salvaged or otherwise hosed; I know the full history. Yes, purchase price is good; I was here to get a sanity check as to whether it could be a future money pit for tranny repairs. Bottom line, it sounds like the 99 is not appreciably worse in trans reliability than a range of other cars, so the deal goes forward. Thanks for the input.

 

OK! Best of luck with your purchase.

I bought my 1999 TL a few months ago and I love the car.

Bob