hey guys, i would just like to ask very recent 04 owners how they feel about their car compared to early build TLs. we've all heard about all the issues like headliners, rattles, vibration at 50-60 mph, paint, etc. if you can give your input and vin number, that would be awesome. the more and more i think about it, i'm leaning towards getting a late build 04 to save some money (and yes, planning on keeping for a long time). agenka has already posted some awesome info on another thread, so thanks to him for that. thanks in advance everybody.

Edit: let's also hear from people who have any-build 04 TL and no problems!

 

Why would you want to know the VIN number?

 

2004 vin 58xxx, built 6/2004

The only issue I have is a with a right side sunglasses holder which rattles constatly. If I open it a third of the way then rattles go away. Other than that NO other problems as mentioned here.

 

test, lower vin number (early build 04's) seem to have more problems. that's why i was curious, since newer and higher vin numbers are potentially less prone to issues.

slava, thanks for the first bit of info!

 

Approximate VIN number. The go sequentially so any problems found in earlier VINs oughta to fixed in the later VIN numbers. Everyone's VIN is the same expect the last five numbers which show the order of manufacture. So I have last five numbers as 58xxx which means it was 58,000th something car produced in 2004. If someone has 9xxx that means thet have 9,000+ something car which was produced earlier. Those earlier cars tend to have all the issues (like flatspotting, driveline vibrations, etc)

 

My car is pretty new.....VIN of 76xxx. No rattles or things falling off yet. My only issue is the flatspotting of the BS EL-42 tires. Takes about 5 or 6 miles before they smooth out.

 

My TL is vin 44xxx. I got it in May04. I have almost 8000miles. The only thing I had replaced was the Drivers sunvisor. There was something rattling around inside. The dealer was very nice about it. I also have that drone at 1500 rpms in top gear (5AT). It is not as noticeable when the car is warmed up. I think this is a wonderfully engineered car. I'm sorry everyone, but , my feeling is that it is a manufactured product and perfection may be impossible. I might be less tolerant at $70,000. I love this site , because it is very informative. I have only purchased new cars since 1973 and Honda products by far are the most reliable. and best engineered. I would love to see a site like this on ford or chevrolets. I can only imagine the problems those cars have.

 

I just bought my 2004 TL last week. I had about three minor scratches on the body that are hard to see, but they touched it up anyway. They also left something loose in the trunk lid after installing the spoiler, but they fixed hte paint and the loose noise in about 30 minutes on Monday. After that no issues.

 

I picked up my new 2004 yesterday and am very pleased so far. My VIN is 73xxx so it's a fairly new build. I also read about the issues (vibration, headliner, etc.) but felt that this was the right decision (for me) at this time of year. I plan to keep this car for years, it's a fantastic vehicle!

 

like i said in another thread, for those of who do not yet have a TL, reading everything on this forum can be worrysome sometimes. problems get noticed a lot more compared to not noticing when everything is fine, so problems are what get posted way more often (which is completely understandable). it's good to hear you real owners say that the car is doing well with no or very minor issues. i know there are a lot of unlucky people with issues, so i hope it doesn't sound like i'm taking anything away from the validity of what they're saying. i'm just saying it's nice to hear the good stuff too, which doesn't happen as often. thanks to everybody so far for posting!

 

Vin 55300+.

No rattles or squeaks. Everything works as it should. Paint and leather are fine. Headliner is still above my head.

My only complaint is the "flatspotting" EL-42s. I didn't feel the problem until recently when there were a few mornings where the temperature was below 65 degrees. I'll have to live with it through the winter, but it's OK because the car will be spending a LOT of time in the garage once the weather gets snowy.

Regards,

 

New cars=problems. Just a way of life.

 

My early build (0016XX) is still holding up nicely....keep your eyes open for my one-year report this weekend.