Just generally speaking. Im about to purchase an 05 TL with low mileage (less than 55K) and am wondering whats in store for me (maintenance wise) within the next three years or so. (or 36,000 miles). I recently just sold my Cadillac CTS and that car was so unreliable, transmission went and it seems the thing was in the shop once every 3 months. Thanks in advance.

 

i have had 2 TL's now, an 04 and 07 type-s now. And have no problems at all. (knock on wood).

 

shweeeet

 

love that color on the TL-S btw!

 

I've had my 06 since new..No issues. This has been the most reliable car I've ever owned.

 

05 w/ 105k miles. Only thing outside of warranty was a starter.

 

niiiiice...this makes me feel a little more secure about everything!

 

Very reliable

 

The car is very reliable + add AcuraZine wealth of knowledge (well only a few threads/users ) the car will last forever.

Whenever you buy it, change out the M/T Fluid with GM Syncro or if you have a A/T, change out the 3rd/4th gear sensors every 75k miles and replace the fluid with something not Z1 (the OEM fluid from Honda/Acura-- will cost you less than $190). You can find a wealth of knowledge by searching.

Follow the MID regarding the oil change.
Premium - 91/93 Octane only.
We have plenty of Vendors here that will give you OEM parts for cheap/will price match.

 

Thanks for the info man. After replacing a tranny in a CTS i really do not ever want to go through that ever again! Anyways, the owner of the car recently replaced the tranny fluid with the Honda Z1. Should I replace it with something else? I heard that 3x3 with the Redline...should I replace it with that?

 

Redline is the way to go, I myself had my tranny replaced about 4K after switching to the Type-F. Don't know if it is related to the Type-F fluid or not, and I can't really say. I now am using the D4, much smoother in my option if you don't wanna feel every shift plus the torque converter lock and unlock. That part drove me nuts, the torque converter that is.

Also with your car being an 05 don't forget the tranny filter too.

Other than the crappy tranny fluid honda put in it, the car is as solid as a rock!

 

TL - Reliable


TL owners - Different story

Good to you if you're good to them.

 

LOL...should I put the Redline fluid in there ASAP? If i bring it to some auto shop do you think they put the Redline in there for me if I bring it to them? Should I ask them to do the 3x3 thing?

 

If you take good care of it, it'll take care of you .

 

Since the fluid was just changed probably not a rush, but would advise it's probably better to have the better fluid in the car.

The drain and fill method is the best choice for this car. Doing it is pretty easy. I actually just did another 3 quart drain and fill on my TL today. Took like 30 minutes of work or so, and a bit of time driving it around to heat up the fluid before the drain. Now I've got my 3rd drain and fill done with about 1,600 miles on my new tranny. I'm giving it a few hundred miles in between D&F's to let the tranny finish breaking in so that way I can get all the breakin debris out of the tranny.

Here is the link on how to do it, it's pretty easy if you have a jack and a few tools which are all listed on here.

ATF drain and refill 3G Garage #C-012

 

I own two; an '04 manual (mine) and an '05 automatic (the wife's). Both have been quite reliable. Very enjoyable cars to own and great on the highway.

 

I bought mine used, (40,000 miles). Had it for a year and it's been very reliable.

 

The car is great...never leaves you stranded. Minor things hear and there that need to be fixed replaced (but most have been my fault with my modding). Overall, it's an awesome car. I've never owned a more finicky car...but I've also never had a more rewarding car to own.

 

Like every other Honda or Acura I've owned, it's been as reliable as taxes. I plan on keeping mine until it dies, which means it might be my last car.

 

mine is good so far

 

Not to sound rude or disrespectful, but how long do you plan to live?

You're only 47. Do you plan on keeping the TL for another 30 years or so?

 

Great info guys...thanks alot. Ill post pics next week!

 

The only issues thus far with my '04 with 66k miles on the clock are a bad engine mount (most likely my fault) and a faulty navigation DVD drive, both of which are recent issues that have not been addressed yet. The car was an Acura CPO back in December '08, so I think I'm still covered on the engine mount. I'm hoping that my DVD drive is covered by my extended warranty so that I can save a few bucks with my $100 deductible (otherwise I'll get a RMA from Alpine Electronics and ship it to them to be refurbed for under $200).

Congrats on your purchase! You will enjoy this car!

 

ditto

 

As my TL sits right now, I have no issue jumping in it right now and driving from FL to alaska!

 

Then you'll need to change the brake fluid upon purchase, and then every 3 years.
Once you get the A2 or B2 code, you'll need to change engine and cabin air filters as well as the oil and oil filter.
You should change out the 5AT fluid every couple of years (and at the A3 or B3 codes), as a precautionary measure.
That's likely all the maintenance the TL will need before 100K miles.

I consider my TL reliable-- only two trips to the dealer in the 6 years since new-- once for the PS hose and wiper motor recalls, and once last month for a bad EGR valve @ 75K+ miles, which was not covered by the emissions control device warranty.

More importantly, Consumer Reports and all other surveys consider the 3G TL to be an extremely reliable car.

 

i believe if any car is properly taken car of, it will become reliable function properly. but hondas and acuras seem to be able to withstand a little more abuse than most brands besides toyota and lexus

 

proper maintenance goes a long way.

none of my cars have ever left me stranded on the side of the road.
.....
....
except my beater ( 87 camry 5spd ) shit used to break down on me almost every time I drove it.

 

After I got my car I looked up all the recalls and TSB's and got them done asap. Including a new o-ring for the power steering hose, two new front window motors, and a new 3rd gear set (rebuilt tranny). All free of course. So after you buy the car look up all the recalls on azine and get them checked out.

Since then I've put over 50k miles on her and she still drives like the day I got it. Meaning after everything was fixed.

 

To answer your question-in a word.....absolutely!

 

I have an 2006 TL with 175k miles and all that its needed was 105k maintenance, and motor mounts..

Owned a civic before ... 130k on a 2002( 2 recalls so far, 1 for seat belt and airbag both replaced for free, and they sent me letters by tracking me down, moved 3 times since I bought the car from the dealership) and its still running.. goes down a dirt road two times a day, that is 5 miles, and still rides nice..

Id never go away from honda/acura yet till they throw me off

 

You know that old chump who drives that mint condition 1988 Acura Legend? Ya that will be me with my TL in 30 years (crosses finger)

 

AJ- how's your new tranny doing?

 

I plan on living a very long time. As long as the TL works well, looks good, and doesn't cost a whole lot to maintain, I'll keep driving it. 30 years for a car can be done (look how many cars from the 80's are still around-there are quite a few). It has everything I want/need in a car, iPod connectivity (aftermarket of course), and Bluetooth, so new cars really don't have that much extra to offer me to make me start making payments again. Even if I get another 10 years out of it, it doesn't owe me anything as it's now a 'free car' (that is, no payments to be made). The longer I keep it, the faster I can work a bit less or ultimately retire. I had a 2000 TL that is now owned by my brother in Colorado, and it has nearly 140000 miles on it. Runs like new according to my brother. It's what made me buy the 06.

 

Excellent point- there's a lot of 91-95 Legends around, so the 91 is now officially 30 years old.

 

Mine would be borderline, but I'm 100% positive it is due to the previous owner not taking care of it. Since I've had it, the rack and pinion went out, both transmissions mounts broke, passenger side engine mount broke, and the starter motor crapped out. Would I say the car is unreliable? NO. Part of it is getting towards 100k miles. It's been running better since I've been changing all these wear items. Take care of the care and it will take care of you.

 

I purchased my 2004 TL 6-spd manual back in August 2010 with 66,500 miles and I have 94,500 miles on it now. It has given me now unexpected problems, just have performed the routine maintenance required at the mileage intervals is all.

I drive mostly HWY, only city streets getting onto and off the highway basically. I average 29-30 MPG in warm weather and 26-28 MPG in winter months. I tend to let car warm up for 5 minutes or so every morning to defrost, etc. That I know hurts my MPG, but I park outside for now. I hope to get it in the garage by next winter.

 

It's 2021...no one told me!

 

05 with 150K miles on her....the only work done was maintenance....

I will be honest with you here....all i have done on the car is brakes/tires/oils and fluids....and ofcourse timing belt....the car has not given me a single issue....touch wood....

the only problems are the interior lights....the damn bulbs go out....one of these days I gotta change all the bulbs with LED's....other than that....no problems....but then again i take crazy care of my ride....i do all the oil changes at the right time....never missed one....air filters/cabin filters/spark plugs, etc etc etc....

all in all the car will take care of u if you take care of her....and TL does respond in a very forgiving manner.....it is a very reliable car not only in my opinion but also in my experience....

hope this helps....

 

Yup, I'm on vacation alright...that was my moment of 'Duh' / senior moment of the day.

Other acceptable answers would be 'What, have you been in a coma for the past 10 years? It's 2021!’