TontonPoulet

Hi everyone, I'd like to introduce myself. I've been reading this forum for the longest time. I don't have a TL but I always knew that it would be my next car. I love this site. My girl now gets pissed when I tell her the stories I read from here. She thinks I'm obsessed with this car. This website and its members are like a cup of coffee mixed with some crack. ADDICTIVE!.....ok, horrible analogy.

But enough of that, I've been looking to get a TL for the longest time. I don't wanna settle for anything less. Financially speaking, I'm not there yet when it comes to a brand spanking flaming new car. Nonetheless, I did find a deal that seems like I can jump on. I just don't know if I'm missing something, and since I value your opinions highly. I was hoping you guys could give me a hand in this.

First of all, I'm located in Montreal, Canada. There's this second hand dealer that does bodyshop work on cars and he got his hands on a 2004 manual TL with about 7200 miles. It's an American car, so it doesn't have km's displayed, it has miles. Not a big deal since I drive down to the states to see my family alot. Now here's the catch. It was a stolen car. It was found without any wheels, mags, the front bumper, the car stereo and the front seats. This dealer guy bought it and fixed it up. Replaced all the missing parts with Acura originals. Apparently got them from the Acura dealer. It's an anthracite TL with black tint and A-spec body kit. One thing that worries me is that the roof and rear driver side were repainted because they were scratched. It won't last as long as the original paint. And the nasty winters here will cause those sections to rust first if not treated regularly. It looks nice and the price is tempting, $25K US.

I'm sure you guys don't like the idea of it not being a new car but I don't mind. The motor appears fine. I'll have it checked by a 3rd party garage of course to make sure and look into all the background info on it. But from the details here, what do you guys think?

Oh yeah, almost forgot that he can also add the Navi system on it for $900 CDN which is about $770US for the missing Navi screen. At minimal labour charge (or so he says).

Here's a pic....not much, but I'll get more sometime.


Thanks for your input and am looking forward to posting often on this site.

*in a scared look waiting for the responses and flames to come*

nasriaz

Buy it for 23K and it's a decent deal.

zax123

Salut Tonton,

I'm from Montreal too.

I guess the first thing to check is... is the car legal to sell? Where did he get the car? Did he buy it at a police auction? Sounds kinda fishy. I'd look into the legality of him selling the car. Make sure the former owner has been contacted and settled with his insurance company. Make sure there is no loan still remaining on the car. All that stuff. Getting the VIN could help you out.

As for the Navi screen, he should have installed it already if it is a Navi-enabled TL. The wiring is all there. He can't sell the car without it, so it should be installed and you should make sure ALL parts work properly and that there's a Navi DVD disc in the DVD-ROM drive in the trunk.

As for it being American... if you look closely at the dash, the KM readings are quite small and hard to read. I have a Canadian TL and I find the MILE readings very hard to read especially when I'm wearing sunglasses (which is pretty much all the time during the day). I'd make sure you're comfortable with that.

The price at $25k US (approx $30k CDN) is good. A 2006 TL Dynamic with Navi will cost you $47,000CDN plus the 18" wheels and that's without A-Spec. So that's a great price.

But I'd check into all those things before you pull the trigger. Sure does sound interesting though!

Mine is Anthracite too. I LOVE IT!!! Check out pics at my website in my signature.

TontonPoulet

Hey Zax. YAY! a fellow Montrealer.

Thanks for the info. This gives me hope. I'm the pessimistic type so I expect something to not come through. I'll check it thoroughly.

Yeah, the km's will probably be small but I can deal with it. I can do the conversions in my head quickly enough.

As for the NAVI screen, he says he has all the wirings there. Don't know why he didn't install it. I'll find out and look for the dvd compartment in the trunk.

How's your TL treating you? Do you still drive it in the winter? If so, how did it handle that last snow storm we had?

Diddley-DAMN!! I love your car. I want to do an inside mod like the one you have. Definately something to look into if this TL deal goes through.

1sweetTL

Once everything has checked out, as long as it doesn't have a Salvage Title it is all good.
Shit you better Jump on that.
Hell you can get the whole car painted later if need be.
This is a pretty good deal.

Kelly Blue book rates a 2004 with 7200 miles in my area.
Private Party Value $28,545
Retail Value $33,335

That is assuming the car is in excellent condition.

got to:
Kelly blue book
and fill in the info to get a better idea.

Sounds like a good deal to me! Good Luck!

zax123

I LOVE my car. I'm completely obsessed with it. I'm driving it in winter. I have an extra set of OEM 17" rims (I'm selling the other set if you want them for winter...). I've ordered 19" RonJon Devotion 1pf. I've cleared and blacked out my headlights now. They look so amazing. I took off the front bumper of the RJ kit and put on the stock bumper for winter. It handles snow perfectly. The day of the insane storm, I was driving to the Eastern Townships (Sutton) and Persephone handled beautifully. I wish I had had an MDX, but...

If you need any help with mods, let me know, I'm a pretty good resource, as I've done all mods myself.

TontonPoulet

You guys are a bad influence. REALLY BAD! It's bad enough that I'm frothing at the mouth from the possibility of even getting a TL. But the idea of doing those mods.....I....I.....I......I can barely sit straight. Nonetheless, I'll be patient. I have to get the blasted car first. I currently have a 96 Accord and even little things like the possibily of heated leather seats in this cold weather has got a tear rolling down my eyes. lol

But I'm in awe. I'd love to do the mods. But I'm too chicken to even do the altering on the TL myself. I tried replacing the speakers on my Accord and had issues removing the side doors. Imagine me with a front console.

zax123

Oh yeah, if you're afraid of taking a knife to your TL, don't do it. I'm a mod FREAK now, but I have a background in taking things apart and putting them back together (sometimes enhanced). Not to mention I'm a computer engineer. :P

But yeah, the TL is an awesome car. So is the 96 Accord. I've always liked Accords. Traded a '92 for my '00 Prelude. Then the 'lude for this beast.

So is your name (TontonPoulet) as such cuz you're chicken to pull the trigger?

Actuary

I drove to US once and I COULDN'T read small Mile readings at all. Holy crap TL has some problem with this. Vice versa when US cars come to Canada.

zax123

My friend has a Cadillac CTS and all he does is press a button to switch between the metric and imperial system. How hard could that be? His analog gauges adjust accordingly. Very cool in my opinion. Acura should do this.

TontonPoulet

HA! I can take a knife to my car............a plastic knife that is. lol Really though. I think it's something that'll come with time. I also pull things apart, bring em back together, make 'em better, make 'em worst. I'm trying little things here and there. I've opened up and fixed TV's and such. But major stuff like car wiring. It's always daunting at first. Just gotta read up on it and get familiar. But hey, I'll definately look you up if there's anything to be done. I think the 1st thing I'll do is mod the NAVI to play ps2-dvd's and adding a screen to the headrests.

Well, my name's TontonPoulet because it's a play on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. In the game, there's a character called Auntie Poulet. She's this haitian mobster. Seeing as to how I'm the same nationality and Tonton is the haitian word for uncle. So there you go. Uncle Poulet or Tonton Poulet. silly but it stuck.

1sweetTL

Nice play!

GTA- Vice City is one of my top 3 favorite games of all time.
My 16 year old son and I finished the whole game.
I got GTA- San Andreas but I haven't finished it yet.

TontonPoulet

Hey guys, heres an update.

I got the VIN # for the car. I tried to do a search online. I couldn't get a detailed description but the results gave me 7 items entered for that VIN #. Now I don't think that's a good thing. Because they look up in the history of issues and frauds etc. I'm guessing the car should have as little as possible in those lists. Any of you guys have any idea as to where I can get the details of these reports? The websites I've gone to ask me to pay from $50-70 for the report.

Also, the guy selling the TL told me that the screen is just $900 and he has the wiring and DVD player. But he doesn't have the electronic module (or the brain) that controls the NAVI. He says that it's $4000 CDN for that. Ouch!! I guess no NAVI for me if I get this car.

Any bright ideas?

zax123

Allo Tonton,

It's definitely not $4000 for the Navi system. You can get it from eBay every now and then for much less than that. Usually it comes with the whole system. The screen, the radio head unit, the DVD/brain unit and sometimes the wiring if you're lucky. But I would check the make sure the car is wired for Navi. It's easy to find out. If the car was originally a Navi, it'll be pre-wired, if not, it's a very difficult process to install Navi in there.

I would pay the $50 to find out the details of the VIN research. It's worth it to know what you're buying. It could still be a good deal. I'm assuming the VIN search will reveal what happened to the car for it to be in the state your dealer found it in. It might not be the end of the world...

Good luck with it all dude.

JERU

I would think that an A-Spec may make the dealer put summer tires on it, so you better figure in the price of some decent winter tires or it will be like trying to drive a fish down the highway when it snows (From what I understand, fish are very hard to control above 10km/hr). The OEM all season-Pilots are not very good in snow or medium rain.

Scribesoft

Agreed. I went up to Canada this summer (Kingston, ON) and couldn't read the Km (the blue #'s are very small and the dark blue color didn't help at all).

Who knows how fast I was going... All I know is I was passing a lot of sloooow Canucks..

TontonPoulet

Here's an update. I finally got my hands on the Carfax reports. Many thanks go out to VP911. Go to this link if you need getting info from the VIN #. https://acurazine.com/forums/car-talk-5/carfax-requests-here-326733/

Anyhow, The report's not too good. It says the car has a rebuilt title. It sort of confirms what the salesman told me. But nonetheless, this kinda makes the purchase a lil more scary. But then again, if it's just a bumper, seats, stereo & wheels. Then it would be a steal. I'm trying to find a way to chop off some more money off the price. Maybe say that there's no warranty and that if something happens I'm not covered. That might help. Anybody have any imaginative suggestions. Do you even recommend the purchase?

Here's the report:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Personal Use Only


Since its establishment as an independent company in 1986, CARFAX has collected the largest vehicle history database in North America. This database currently includes over 4 billion records from thousands of public and private sources.

A CARFAX Vehicle History Report is based only on information supplied to CARFAX. Other information about this vehicle, including problems, may not have been reported to CARFAX. Use this report as one important tool, along with a vehicle inspection and test drive, to make a better decision about your next used car.



ALERT! Severe problems (major accidents, fire, flood damage, major odometer problems or lemon history) were reported by a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378). This vehicle does NOT qualify for the CARFAX Buyback Guarantee.


CARFAX Talking CarTM
The story of this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378) according to our interpretation of the information reported to CARFAX:
This sedan has had 3 owners and was owned in New York and Quebec. The first title for this sedan was reported to CARFAX by a New York DMV in 2004.
It was issued a Rebuilt title by a Quebec DMV. This title allows a salvage or junk vehicle to be rebuilt and put back on the road.
It has not been reported by a DMV as having an Exceeds Mechanical Limits or Not Actual Mileage title.
It has a consistent mileage history with no indication of an odometer rollback. The last odometer reading, reported on 07/06/2005, was 4,499 miles.
It was not reported by a DMV as a Manufacturer Buyback or LEMON.
Its original manufacturer warranty was voided after it was severely damaged.
Go to the Detailed Vehicle History for the complete history and a glossary of terms.






Report Summary
1. ACCIDENT CHECK

Total Loss Check Severe Accident or Total Loss Event Reported by a DMV
Other Accident Indicators No Accident Indicators Reported
2. MILEAGE ACCURACY CHECK

Truth-In-Mileage Check No Odometer Problems Reported by a DMV
Odometer Rollback Check No Potential Odometer Rollback Found
Mileage Consistency Check No Inconsistent Odometer Reading Found
3. LEMON CHECK®
No Mfr. Buyback Reported by a DMV
4. OWNERSHIP CHECK

Number of Owners 3 Estimated Owner(s)
Type of Owners Checked 8 Types of Vehicle Registrations
5. RECALL CHECK
ACURA Does Not Report Recalls to CARFAX
6. WARRANTY CHECK
Warranty Voided
DETAILED VEHICLE HISTORY 7 HISTORY RECORDS REPORTED
Tell us what you know about this vehicle







Year/Make/Model: 2004 ACURA TL

Body Style: SEDAN 4 DR
Fuel: GASOLINE
Driveline: FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
Manufactured in: UNITED STATES
Safety Equipment: 4 wheel ABS, Dual air bags front and sides/active (manual) belts with automatic passenger sensor

Standard Equipment: Power Windows, Power Steering, Air Conditioning, AM / FM Cassette, Power Brakes, Power sun / moon roof, Tilt Wheel, 6-digit Odometer





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How safe and reliable is this 2004 ACURA TL?
Find out with the CARFAX Safety & Reliability Report.


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Total Loss Check:


ALERT! Severe damage events were reported by a DMV for this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378). This vehicle does NOT qualify for the CARFAX Buyback Guarantee.

No Salvage Title Reported No Loss Due To Fire Title Reported
No Junk Title Reported No Flood Damage Title Reported
Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title Reported No Hail Damage Title Reported
No Dismantled Title Reported No Canadian Total Loss Record Reported

Other Accident Indicators:


This 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378) had no accident indicators reported to CARFAX from its sources. This section checks for accidents and/or related damage reported from many public and private sources. Not all accidents are reported to CARFAX. A vehicle inspection completed by your dealer or professional mechanic is recommended.

No Salvage Auction Record Reported No Crash Test Vehicle Record Reported
No Fire Damage Record Reported No Airbag Deployment Record Reported
No Automotive Recycler Record Reported No Damage Disclosure Record Reported
No Frame Damage Record Reported No Collision Repair Facility Record Reported
No Police Accident Record Reported

CARFAX depends on public and private sources for its accident data. Each one of these sources has different processing times. CARFAX can only report what is in our database on 30.Dec.2005 22:35:37. New data will result in a change to this report.
Not all accidents are reported to the Police. Tell us if you know of other fender benders, accidents or damage.

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Truth-In-Mileage Check:


None of the following major odometer problems were ever reported by a DMV under the Truth-In-Mileage Act for this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378).

Not Actual Mileage Title - issued by DMV when the owner discloses mileage fraud or a broken odometer.
Exceeds Mechanical Limits Title - issued by DMV when the owner discloses an odometer rollover.


Odometer Rollback Check:


CARFAX found no odometer rollbacks for this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378). Rollbacks reported in this section originate from readings collected by a DMV or other verifiable source.

Mileage Consistency Check:


CARFAX found no inconsistent odometer readings in the mileage history of this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378).

Date: Mileage:
08/24/2004 6
12/06/2004 3,472
01/02/2005 4,200
07/06/2005 4,499



Do you know this vehicle's current mileage? Tell us and help protect others from mileage fraud.

CARFAX Help Center




No manufacturer buyback was ever reported by a DMV for this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378).

CARFAX Help Center




Ownership History:


CARFAX estimates that this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378) had 3 owner(s). CARFAX analyzed this vehicle's title history and other supporting events to identify potential ownership transfers. In compliance with the U.S. privacy laws, CARFAX does not collect or report owner names or addresses.

Estimated Owners: Date: Location:
1st owner 08/26/2004 New York
2nd owner 02/09/2005 New York
3rd owner 07/06/2005

CARFAX AdvisorTM
The cost of ownership varies by vehicle. Go to Edmunds.com to check the recommended service schedule and estimated costs for this vehicle.



Types of Owners:


This 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378) was checked for 8 types of registrations.

Personal Use Registration Reported No Fleet Registration Reported
No Lease Registration Reported No Commercial Registration Reported
No Rental Registration Reported No Non-Profit Registration Reported
No Taxi Registration Reported No Built to Non U.S. Standards Record Reported

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ACURA does not report recall information for specific vehicles to CARFAX.
Go to the CARFAX SAFETY & RELIABILITY REPORT for recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 2004 ACURA TL. You can also contact an authorized dealership or ACURA at 1-800-999-1009 to find out if this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378) still has recalls that require repair.

CARFAX Help Center



The original manufacturer warranty for this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378) was most likely voided when this vehicle was severely damaged.

Estimated start date of warranty: 08/26/2004
Last reading reported on 07/06/2005: 4,499 miles
Today's Date: December 30, 2005

Type of Coverage: Original Warranty: Estimated Remaining Coverage:
Basic 48 months or 50,000 miles Void
Drivetrain 48 months or 50,000 miles Void
Emissions 24 months or 24,000 miles Void
Corrosion 60 months or unlimited mileage Void
Transferable Transferable at no cost Void
Roadside Assistance 48 months or 50,000 miles Void
Safety Belt & Inflatable Restraint No data reported to CARFAX Void
Specific Components 96 months or 80,000 miles Void
Notes: Manufacturer covers emissions components under basic warranty. Emissions coverage may vary by state. Refer to owners manual for specific details. Roadside assistance covered for 4 years or 50,000 miles. Warranty transferable at no cost to subsequent owners.

CARFAX Warranty Check provides an estimate of this vehicle's remaining warranty coverage. It does not take into account some vehicle history events. For example, major accidents resulting in Salvage or Junk titles that may void the original manufacturer warranty or ownership transfers that may decrease warranty coverage. This warranty information is only valid for vehicles manufactured for sale in the US. Complete warranty coverage information is available for this vehicle at the ACURA web site.

CARFAX Help Center








CARFAX searched more than 4 billion records from over 7,600 sources and found 7 record(s) for this 2004 ACURA TL (19UUA65524A059378).

Date:
Mileage Reading:
Source:
General Comments:


08/24/2004 6 Service Facility
Vehicle serviced
State inspection completed


08/26/2004 New York
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Bronx, NY
Title issued or updated
Registration issued or renewed
First owner reported
Registered as
personal vehicle
Loan or lien reported
Passed safety inspection


10/31/2004 New York
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Title issued or updated
Vehicle recovered after theft


12/06/2004 3,472 Service Facility
Vehicle serviced


01/02/2005 4,200 Private Owner
Bronx, NY
Vehicle offered for sale


02/09/2005 New York
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Title issued or updated
New owner reported
Loan or lien reported
Vehicle recovered after theft


07/06/2005 4,499 Quebec
Motor Vehicle Dept.
New owner reported
REBUILT TITLE ISSUED
Odometer reported as 7,242 kilometers

Tell us what you know about this vehicle

Detailed Vehicle History Definitions:

First Owner
When the first owner(s) obtains a title from a Department of Motor Vehicles as proof of ownership.

New Owner Reported
When a vehicle is sold to a new owner, the Title must be transferred to the new owner(s) at a Department of Motor Vehicles.

Personal Use
Vehicle was registered by the owner for private or personal use.

Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title
A Rebuilt/Reconstructed vehicle is a salvage vehicle that has been repaired and restored to operation. These vehicles are often severely damaged before they are rebuilt and refurbished parts are typically used during reconstruction. In most states, an inspection of the vehicle is required before the vehicle is allowed to return to the road.


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CARFAX DEPENDS ON ITS SOURCES FOR THE ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF ITS INFORMATION. THEREFORE, NO RESPONSIBILITY IS ASSUMED BY CARFAX OR ITS AGENTS FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THIS REPORT. CARFAX FURTHER EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CARFAX®

Need help? Please visit our Help Center at www.carfax.com.

© 2005 CARFAX, Inc., an R.L. Polk & Co. company. All rights reserved. Patents pending. 30.Dec.2005 22:35:37
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Will Y.

Recommend that you run from this car and don't look back.

A_UFO

^^^^ Agree.

You want the 4 yr/50,000 mile warranty to cover the "price savings" of purchasing this lemon/wrecked/whatever TL.

Continue saving for a new TL or an used TL without the foremention issues listed in the Carfax report.

TontonPoulet

*sniff* I was soo pumped up about getting this one. *sniff* It's soo nice. *sniff* Just my color and it had A-SPEC installed *sniff* Now I have to wait. Alright then. Thanks alot guys. You're all miracle workers *sniff*

knoelle12

I agree...all that you have saved you will end up spending trying to fix if there is something even MORE seriously wrong with it. I would run from it as well. The wiring could be ALL BAD......NOT to mention ...that is a HELL of amount of miles on it to be a 2004.

shockwave

I agree, but the issuance of a rebuild/reconstruct title on a relatively new car is what would scare me away more than anything else. It means that this car was totalled by whatever insurance company was covering it, and then sold at auction for salvage. The value of a 2004 TL is still pretty high. For the insurance comanpany to total it rather than repair it means that the damage costs must have been extreme.