jakewantsatl

Hi guys. Im lookin into buying a 3rdgen Acura tl 2008 black on black with 50k miles for 17k. Here's a copt to the link. Let me know your opinion on if its a good deal or not please. I heard they can be expensive to repair. Thanks!!!!

Car: http://www.dealerrater.com/classifie...A66268A044831/

WillTC

They're not too expensive to repair. I own a 2007 TL-S, and I spent less than $500 a year for maintenance and repairs

jakewantsatl

nice dude!!! would you buy this one?

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

where did you hear a TL is expensive to repair?

jakewantsatl

My uncle. He's had two already. He likes them but he said parts are expensive

WillTC

Parts are more expensive than a Toyota or Honda, but nowhere as expensive as the Germans. My car has been pretty damn reliable though, so not much repairs were needed.

jakewantsatl

Great man! how much are like your average everyday things like brakes and stuff? is the mpg ok? i know like the legit stats for it but i thought i would get some answers from ppl who actual have the car

Drei

iTrader: (2)

Tell him to buy parts from Tim

http://www.oemacuraparts.com

I went to my local Acura dealer and they wouldn't even budge a cent on their ridiculous pricing

Alexns05

Jake, are you set on a 2008? 04-08 are pretty similar. And you can get most 04/05s for around 10k with average mileage on it. As much as people knock the 4G, they're starting to grow on me and if I spent 17G on an Acura it would either be an RX or maybe 2009/2010 TL.

I love my 3G, so I might wait a few years till the 4G TLs are around $12000 and pick me up a 2nd car!

jakewantsatl

ive heard the transmissions are really iffy on the 04-06 years but this one is black on black ans in really good condition. but the dealer is a nohaggle pricer so the wont move. I just dont want to get one and then have to fix the transmission up ya know.

jakewantsatl

ive found an 06 with 70k miles for 13k....would that be a better deal then this?

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Daughter purchased a 2000 Maxima, 30k miles, from the dealer in 2002, now 12 years and 210K later, (240K total miles) car has been fine. They were small and had cars in 3 different locations in a block area before moving to a larger, although crowded area. Back in 2006 we looked at a couple TL's on their lot, but we decided on a WDP w/nav, CPO, from an Acura dealer. Only just recent problems, driver's seat belt buckle and driver's lock actuator @ $100 parts. Other than that, trouble free.

Their website doesn't show the black 2008.

The TL isn't more costly than others providing no major problems as aftermarket rotors, brakes, suspension parts etc. are quite reasonable and you do the work yourself, but like any, if a shop does the work figure big bucks. Even tires can be had for under $100 if desired, but the big dollars come at @ 105K miles, timing belt service.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Yeah get either an 07/08 since they are the most up to date model of the generations. 07 and 08 years are solid cars no serious or common issues. Black in black is always a cool combo!

Tehvine

My TL wasn't any more expensive to maintain than my 2.2 CL or 96 Accord. Just traded it in yesterday for a new Tacoma though.

GKinColo08TL

Jake, the trannys in the 07 and 08 are nearly bulletproof...04 and 05 had significant issues...you can search for threads on here about them, there are many. There was a slight improvement in 06 but the real fix came in 07. Brakes and stuff are not that expensive. There are multiple vendors on here that sell parts at a significant discount. My local Honda dealer matches the prices I can get from the Azine vendors. Your link to the car ad didn't work. $17K for the 08 sounds like a good deal but the 06 deal is good too, and 20K miles difference is nothing for a TL except it is closer to the major timing belt service at 105K miles. That can run you as much as $1000+/-. Good luck.

1black_seven

iTrader: (2)

I wanted to say that when I was looking for a TL, I found a Type-S with 51k miles on it for $18K. Looked under the hood and could see visible stress changes in the frame.

The price to mileage ratio does not add up here. Check the carfax AND if you really are interested in the car, have an inspection done. I feel you're getting a car with a sordid past.

tones160

an 08 with 50k - 60k miles w/o navi it does go around $18k to $20k now around my way.

buckeye.2

I bought my 2008 TL base for $19,000 with 43K miles on it. This was in Ohio, not sure where you're located..prices will vary some depending on location. I bought mine from the original owner and I felt comfortable paying that price knowing it had never been in an accident and been properly maintained. I plan on keeping the car for a LONG time

Alexns05

Just curious, how can you know that the 07/08 transmissions are bulletproof since they are 6/7 year old cars and not enough of them will have hit significant mileage to warrant any type of comparison? Are you going off of people are here posting about transmission failures or some scientific data that we are unaware of?

The 04-06 years sold 2.5x as many TLs as 07/08. So all else equal you can expect 2.5 times as many failures as an 07/08. But the fact that the mileage on older models will obviously be higher than the new models there's no way of making an actual comparison.

The 07/08 transmission might be better, but why all the fear mongering on here? If somebody wants to spend $7000 more on a car because they think the transmission is better then go ahead. But that by itself is ridiculous considering you could get 3 transmission rebuilds in an 04-06 for that much. Parts for an 07/08 will be more expensive than the previous years, and if a transmission does go out in your 08 it will be more costly to fix in an 04-06.

The cost-benefit analysis of the transmission fear just doesn't add up. If you do have some data I'd love to see it. But claiming that a transmission on a 6 year old car is "bulletproof" is just ridiculous. There's not enough data to even make a semi-informed judgement. I doubt any car, even with today's technology, has a bulletproof transmission.

At the end of the day, if you know what planned obsolescence is, everything is meant to go bad eventually. So whether it's a transmission in an 04, or any other major component in an 08, you're always rolling the dice when buying a car. But don't go off of message board pseudo data.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

Axles for 07-08 AT: right side: $208.33
left side: $208.33

Axles for 04 AT: right side: $672
left side: $732

Prices are based on MSRP. Still think an 07/08 has more expensive parts?

Alexns05

That's way overpriced, not sure where you got that quote?

jakewantsatl

sorry guys. they took down the ad because i put money down to hold the car but i can definitely find another one 19UUA66268A044831 vehicle #vin i will post a link to the car fax later

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

That's because they ran out of OEM stock and had to produce more, hence the new price, but aftermarket can be had cheaply $44 each side at Rock Auto, so prices are no higher throughout the 3G run, providing one looks away from the dealer.

jakewantsatl

Here's a link that still seems to be working. I'm meeting up with the guy on saturday. Its not the fact of the different years or the 20k mile difference between the two. the thing is in good condition and the carfax(as well as two other vin checks checks out) tho the car was sold at auction twice....it runs really smooth. I figure this may be a steal for a more updated car with less known issues(not saying its bulletproof..that wasnt my post sir)

jakewantsatl

http://www.dealer5.com/c/used-2008-acura-tl-379879

Alexns05

That makes more sense. I looked on Rockauto too and saw the same thing. Whoever buys all OEM parts is crazy anyway. I was thinking more along the lines of the HFL going bad and seeing that the later years were more expensive. I also thought when I ordered my hood struts on Rockauto that the 04 was about half the price as the other years but I could be wrong.

Either way, that wasn't my main reason for posting. I'm trying to get people to calm down with the anecdotal transmission scare unless you have some actual facts. Spending $17,000 on a base 08 TL is crazy to me when you can probably buy two 04 TLs for the same price. I do understand that quality issues get worked out as model years progress. However, weigh that with the fact that visually and performance wise, you're getting pretty much the same car for thousands of dollars more. If you're that worried about the transmission, spend $10,000 on a 04/05 and put $2500 in the bank for a rebuild. That leaves you with $4500 left to do any other repairs that you may need. Better yet, I bet the difference in insurance costs for an 04 over an 08 would pay for a new transmission every 3 years anyway! You're also spending a lot more on insurance since your car value is more.

I don't really care how anyone spends their money. Just trying to provide some level-headed advice before OP spends a lot of money on a car. Suit yourself.

MandoTL

There are actually plenty of higher mileage in CA 07/08 already at 140-150k for sale. Also some owners of 04-06 have faced symptoms of tranny slippage below 100k then the transmission took a dump.

I have an 05 TL with 154k miles on original transmission, now I may be one of the lucky ones as I do my preventative maintenance e.g. gear switches and fluid changes every 15-20k miles.

the 07/08 TLs has the RL transmission, I have rarely seen an 05-12 RLs face any transmission failure in the RL section of Azine which supports that the transmission put in the TL has reduced the chances of failure with normal maintenance. Just check out the RL threads and other 07/08 owner threads.

Why spend on multiple transmission rebuilds in the first place when the car's tranny and motor should last longer than early failures below 100k miles. I would much rather than an 07/08 and pay more but not for tranny alone. The changes to 07/08 models makes them all more appealing.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

straight from an acura dealer's parts listing page.

the HFL is another great example of when the 07-08 parts are way cheaper.

yes there are many ways around this like going with aftermarket axles for a fraction of the price. But me personally, I go with everything OEM strictly, except for things like suspension and wheels. If/when my axles ever go, I will be replacing them with OEM.

Alexns05

I think you're getting things confused now. The HFL is cheaper for the 04-06, not the 07-08:

TELEPHONE ASSY., HANDS FREE *NH556L* (GRAY) - 2008 ACURA TL Sale Price: $236.45
TELEPHONE ASSY., HANDS FREE *YR167L* (LIGHT TAN) - 2004 ACURA TL Sale Price: $200.97

And I'm not sure how accurate Turbonut's statement is, but he said they ran out of the OEM axles for 04-06 and had to make more, which is why it was more expensive. This would make sense.

If you understand economics it would make sense for OEM parts on an older car to be more expensive because there is less supply than for a newer car. That's if you're talking about legit OEM parts. Most people just use aftermarket parts though, which was what I was referring to. Aftermarket drive shaft components for the TL are cheaper for 04 than for 08.

But another thing to understand about OEM parts. As I'm sure you already know, OEM parts aren't made by Honda, they are just the company contracted by Honda to make these parts when the car was being manufactured. This doesn't in any way mean that these are the only good parts for the car. Actually, it doesn't even mean that those are the best parts for the car. Honda could just be signing a contract with whichever company is going to make the cheapest part that does an adequate job. This in no way means that this company makes the best parts.

That's kind of like saying you want to buy the OEM oil that was put into the car because that's the oil company that Honda originally contracted with to supply the oil. That could be the cheapest, lowest quality oil around. And that doesn't mean that no other oil company can make an oil compatible with Honda.

An easier example to understand might be the tires. What were the OEM tires for the Acura TLs that everyone always says were crap tires?

Alexns05

Here's another example of how OEM works. Picture Chris Farley and David Spade as a company selling brake pads to Honda (the older guy) as OEM. This is obviously a humorous example, but that's how the car business works. Companies put in bids for Honda to use their parts and some executive makes a decision on whichever contract will save them millions. If you think you're doing yourself a service buy using OEM parts you're just throwing your money away.

MandoTL

As much as I would like to agree with you, there are some parts that should not be aftermarket as other members have posted that aftermarket, tensioners, pulleys, axles or belts have failed early which is why some just stick to OEM since it has lasted them this long [time] from factory. I realize it will expand on the cost of aftermarket vs. OEM prices but the risk of an aftermarket messing up is always a possibility.

I have had horrible aftermarket parts for my integra, because I wanted to save money.
Ex: my 1991 Integra needed motor mounts, I went aftermarket and not even 15k miles they were shot again. I cheap'd out since I was still in High School and on a budget with this commuter car. I don't equate that to quality. I went OEM next and paid the premium price and got a longer lasting use out of them.

Coolant fluid I will always use OEM why use aftermarket that might screw up your hoses or create a leak.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

interesting. I guess the price of the 04-06 HFL has come down significantly now. For awhile they were $600+, not sure why but it was ridiculous. Here are posts regarding the issue: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/bluetooth-fails-792642/

In any case, it's good to see that the price has gone down to something reasonable.