Hey guys, I just bought an Acura black 2008 TL-S. (First time Acura owner).


I was just curious what is the consensus about getting the extended warranty. I searched around the forums, and didn't see too much about it. (Read about the vibration issues and past transmission issues though).

Is there a reason to get the extended warranty? Also, when I went to the dealer, they said they have two options? One from AON, and another from AcuraCare. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Also, I'm noticing that when I drive the TL-S, acceleration is smooth, but when I coast, at roughly 25 mph, the car downshifts and does a slight jerk (it's like I stepped on the brakes). Is this normal?

Thanks in advance!

 

Welcome. Great car. Bump for ya.

I think the downshift thing is normal, though most don't like it.

I hate ext warranties - such a crap shoot. No MAJOR problems on the TL-S yet; The rear dampers thumping is probably the worst so far (I mean for the model, not for me personally).

 

Extended warranty all depends on how long you plan on keeping the car. If you plan on owning it for 7 years, I would recomend the extended warranty. Primary reason being that your stereo, navigation, cd player, and screen are all bundled into one system. If one those craps out, they may need to replace the entire system. If this happens afer you had the car for 5 years, you will pay more replacing the system, then you would on the warranty today. There are too many electronics in the car to not get an extended warranty.

Anyway that is he sell pitch that I fell for when I bought the extended warranty for around $1000 - 7 years/1000k miles through AcuraCare.

 

million miles!

 

I would agree that the choice whether to go with a extended warranty or not depends on how long you plan to keep it. I typically keep a vehicle for at least 10 years, so the extended warranty is an easy call.

That said, don't fall for some dealer third party warranty. Accept only the Acuracare.

1. Honda isn't going out of business any time soon, so you don't have to worry about whether or not your warranty will be usable in five years when you need it.
2. You are good at any Acura dealer in case you move, or just don't like the service you get at the dealer you bought from.
3. I expect it's the same way in the Acura market - there are several Honda dealers that will sell the extended warranty online for little above cost. You can use these to get your dealer to either price match (which is what I did when I bought my Odyssey) or just get it from the online dealer - it's still good at any Acura dealer. You can probably end up getting a real Acura warranty for less than what your dealer will offer you for the third party warranty.

 

Extended warranties are high profit for the company, otherwise they wouldn't sell them. I don't have stats, but I bet very few people ever realize the value of one, especially on a good quality car like Acura. The dealers like to push them, of course, because they are big profit. My advice, stay away from them. If you can afford a mid - 30s grand car, you can afford the repairs down the road. By the way, take that same grand, invest it, and in 7 years, it'll double. Makes much more sense than throwing away a grand up front, betting your car is going to go to pot.

 

 

Buy it. You'll need it.

The most recent Honda/Acura vehicles have not been as reliable as the ones of the past. As some have learned over on the TSX board, the early TSX has been having A/C compressor failures not long after the warranty has expired, and a lot of members are paying dearly for it.

The durability of the 5-speed auto is still questionable, btw. While it hasn't been failing at an alarming rate like the 2G TL had, there have been people who have had to have theirs replaced. Very few members have reached 100k yet (and of those who have, one of them had a failure), so long-term durability is still unknown.

$1415 for an eight year, 120,000 mile AcuraCare policy, is a worthy buy in my opinion.

 

Indeed. On the 96 Accord that I have, we bought a 100,000 mile extended warranty for it. Even though the car was generally reliable, there was still enough that went wrong with it, especially on the A/C system, that the extended warranty more than paid for itself, even considering the time value of money (i.e. interest that I could have been earning).

Shop around. Paying $2400+ for the 8yr/120K warranty is definitely going to produce a lot of unjustified dealer profit. But, getting it for $1415 would be a good investement in the future, IMHO.

I paid about $1200 for the 8yr/120K for my Odyssey, and it doesn't have quite as many bells (i.e. NAV) as a TL-S is going to carry.

While I think most current cars can handle reliability on the power train side, I don't have faith yet that anybody is making a car that can give 120,000 trouble free miles yet.

 

Thanks for the replies. I was mostly curious if it was recommended, and so far, it seems like it...

I'm not sure where to get the warranty though. Does it matter where I get it from?

The prices ranged from $1470 to $1750. (I'm assuming the TL also covers the TL-S).

This place had it for $1470... (http://www.myhondawarranty.com/plans...&Submit=Submit)

Not as cheap as $1415 (where can you get it that cheap?) though.

Has anyone dealt with them? (Saccucci Honda - in RI) I just want to make sure I'm getting an Acura Care warranty. It seems like they have the standard exclusions (bottom of http://www.myhondawarranty.com/coverage.php)


Thanks again!

 

www.hondawarrantyinfo.com

Just make sure the vendor is a legitimate Honda/Acura dealership and you'll be fine.

 

Extended warranties are a waste of money. Transmission woes are a thing of the past, and didn't cover what you really needed.

 

Did you read my previous post? It's still too soon to say that we are "out of the woods" with the 5-speed auto, as some of the higher mileage 3G TLs are already needing a replacement.

What do you mean by they "didn't cover what you really needed?"

 

I just negotiated $800 for 7/100K with 0 deductible on a new TL-S. I guess that isn't bad. Piece of mind really.

 

$1500 to $2000 invested becomes 3 to 4 grand in 7 years. PT Barnum said it best, there's a sucker born every minute. Extended warranties pretty much identify that group. Read other consumer forums on extended warranties; you'll see the awful truth. They're not what they seem to be, and don't cover the things that have more of a possibility going wrong. You spend all day negotiating with the dealer for another 500 bucks off the car, then hand him over a couple grand on a warranty thinking you may need it a bunch of years later. Ole PT was right.

 

A transmission rebuild alone will run you 3k. A Honda remanufactured unit runs 5k installed.

 

Makes my point. Invest the money up front for 7 to 8 years later for what probably won't happen. Then you'll have a nice down payment on a 2016 TL. What a nice ride that'll be. I hear ole PT Barnum laughing in his grave...

 

Probably won't happen? Excuse me, but look at the history of the 5-speed automatic. It isn't one bit assuring...and the units for the 3G TL have been far from perfect so far, and most of our members have yet to reach 100k.

 

While I think most current cars can handle reliability on the power train side, I don't have faith yet that anybody is making a car that can give 120,000 trouble free miles yet.[/QUOTE]

I'd have to disagree. I had 180K on my '98 Integra, and 144K on my '01 CL Type "S", and hadn't even replaced a light bulb in either of them !. My tranny was failing on the '01 when I traded it though (salesman never drove it off the lot to test drive when I traded it..hee,hee!).
IMO, the only chink in the Acura's armor has been the transmission in the 2nd gen. My goal with my '07 TL-S is 500k
With the upgraded tranny, though!

 

^^^Thats worth every cent ^^^

 

I'd have to disagree. I had 180K on my '98 Integra, and 144K on my '01 CL Type "S", and hadn't even replaced a light bulb in either of them !. My tranny was failing on the '01 when I traded it though (salesman never drove it off the lot to test drive when I traded it..hee,hee!).
IMO, the only chink in the Acura's armor has been the transmission in the 2nd gen. My goal with my '07 TL-S is 500k
With the upgraded tranny, though![/QUOTE]
Most automatic transmissions in the midsize/near luxury class will have a similar "targeted service life." For instance, GM's 6-speed Auto (6T70) has a targeted service life of 200k miles, which means the OE expects the majority of the units to last past 200k miles. There's no reason for Honda/Acura to design a transmission that will fat outlast its competition. With that said, the TL's transmission probably has a targeted service of about 200k miles (I would estimate) and for one to have a goal of reaching 500k on the original unit is not impossible, but rather unlikely.

Here's the article that supports my statement regarding the 200k service life: http://wardsauto.com/ar/ford_gm_automatic/

 

Well, if Acura had a "target" of 200k for the 2nd gen transmission, they missed it by a bunch! As it has been stated, most 2nd gens didn't make it to 100K.
The latest Consumer Reports seems to point to improving transmission quality from owners over the last 2 years. The '07 TL-S AT has some major improvements, even has a cooler. The RL seems to have a reliable transmission.
The life of a properly maintained Acura/Honda engine should reach 500K. The transmission may not last that long, but at least Acura seems to be making improvements in that direction.
Maybe the declining auto sales had an effect.

 

Service life of transmissions will continue to improve. The 200k target set by GM is a bit of a breakthrough as I was told that the standard for past units was closer to 150k.

I think 200k is a reasonable life for many units. Of course, it also depends on how long it takes to accumulate 200k. Many unit failures are due to father time...time has an effect on the friction material, fluid, seals/gaskets, etc.

 

Well, I intend to keep the car for at least 10 years, so I'll most likely get the extended warranty.

There seems to be mixed feelings about getting the extended warranty or not, but I think I'm willing to pay $1415 for the peace of mind.

I usually don't get extended warranties on anything, but spending $1415 on a $36K+ car seems worth it.

Thanks again!

 

Depends on the cost and if an extended warranty is worth it to you. I have never bought one for anything and was never burnt bad enough to warrant the cost of an extended warranty. Of course some opnions vary on here, but over your lifetime thos extended warranties are money makers for the companies.

As for the downshift issue... I would say that is not normal at all. take it in ..

 

Downshift jerk is normal. You'll get used to it.

 

The downshift bugs me because when I'm coasting and I slow down to 40mph and, most noticeably at 25mph, it feels like I'm braking.

I guess I'll just get used to it, but still... I would've expected it to be a little smoother on a car like this...

Thanks again!

 

It is called "grade logic", and is designed for a purpose. You will also find that when in manual mode, the transmission revs slightly when donshifting. Acura refers to that as "matching revs", which is what a skilled MT user will do.
At 10,300 miles, I find the shifts firming up, which I welcome, because a firmer shift usually means less slippage, less heat, and therefore longer life.
If you like silky smooth, you probably won't like that either. But, for me, that's why I bought the TL-S.
If you want to learn more about this technology, go to
www.acuranews.com, and scroll down TL/technical.

 

I am pretty sure you will get used to this down shifting soon ... we all went through this before .. .. welcome to the club !