Doubts on potential TL-S purchase
 

Hey guys,

I found a TL-S at a small used car lot.

2008, NBP, Auto, and around 20,000kms. Good condition however there is deep scratch on hood (prob $1000 to fix properly) small scrapes and scratches here and there, and minor curb rash on tires.

It has a $2500 vandalism claim. Apparently a thief stole the center console navi... It has been replaced and looks like new.

The problem I'm having here is that the carproof does not show any history of service. This makes me worried about odometer rollback. I'm also a little skeptical as to why a vehicle like this is at a small car lot. From report it looks like it ended up at a dealer auction.

Carproof shows multiple "Canadian Renewals"

Dealer is asking $33800 with maybe potential to go down a couple grand.

I want a TL-S bad and don't want my emotions to make decisions for me. Would definitely appreciate your suggestions!

if you have any doubts at all and it seems like you do the best thing to do is walk away.

trust me there are plenty of TL-S's out there for sale.

^really.

pass this one up

$33,000 damn!

pass

pass. I bet ripping out the navi can cause a lot of electrical problems if not repaired correctly.

Sounds like that TLS has been through hell and back. Pass on it man not even sure why your considering it.

If I got a mechanic to inspect the vehicle, would he be able to find any electrical problems? It is kind of hard to pass this one up since I've been looking forever for one with low kms like this...

the thing is, youre not sure if the mileage is even accurate. and for 30k.. you can get a much better car from a trustworthy dealership

Low kms or not you said it yourself the car is rough. Deep scratch on hood and random scratches here and there curb rash, interior has been ripped apart etc etc.. Thats not even getting into the normal stuff such as has it been in any collisions, any paint or body work, maintanence history. I know this isnt what you want to hear but you said it yourself that you dont want your emotions to make the decision. There will be other Type S's.
I would rather have a clean, well maintained high mileage TL, then a rouch low mileage one.

a lot of you guys dont realize that $30k in CND is not the same $30k in USD. prices there are much diff, and especially for the miles, its a low price, however the history of the car reflects that.

OP, try to see if u can inspect the car more or bring a mechanic with you who can tell if everything was fixed properly.

I should say that the overall condition of the vehicle seems to be excellent aside from the hood scratch (which isn't even that noticeable, just expensive to fix) the scuffs and scratches will prob come out with a wax. The car comes with A-Spec body kit. The interior is near mint. The navi console looks as if nothing ever happened...

Another thing, the car is still under factory warranty.

Not so worried about the cosmetic issues, since it's rare to find a used mint TL-S without some scratches. The main things I'm worried about are any electrical problems or odometer tampering.

If you do the conversion, this car has around 12,400 miles. Thats pretty hard to find even in the States.

Is there any other way to find odometer records for the car, or will the most expensive carproof option show me everything?

Thanks everyone for your opinions, it's making me think twice about this. And I definitely would rather be safe than sorry.

What would you say is the main red flag here for those that told me to pass? Might be helpful for the future.

I'd say at this point I'm probably gonna walk...

My two cents: Too many "What If's" -- Don't walk, RUN.:2cents:

Bring it to a TRUSTED mechanic.

If everything checks out, buy it.

Even with all the 'problems', it is still speculation, not factual.

Seems like a good deal considering its Canada and its such a low mileage.

Just get it checked out, before you end up regretting it.

One good thing you can do is find out where the car has been located for its life. Then when you find out where its from contact the Acura dealers in that area and talk to the service department. Give them the VIN# and they will gladly give you the vehicles service history. It will be a perfect way to see what work has been done, what maintanence its had, and possible odometer issues. SO if you talk to them and they say its had an oil change at 32,000miles then you know something aint right :-)
Hope this helps, its what I did when I bought my TL's and helped a lot. Just an FYI though you need to talk to the actual dealer that its been serviced at otherwise they wont have any record. So if one dealer has nothing on that car try contacting a different one.

James

^

K, will do. Thanks!

So I checked into this. The car was serviced twice at the location that it was purchased. The odometer readings are consistent, so I no longer have reason to believe odometer was rolled back.

Now the only thing is this navi console being stolen and replaced . Gonna try to find more info on this.

Does this change anyones opinion?

No they won't buff out. Also curb rash might indicate a little abuse.. You sure this car wasn't stollen ... ran to death and then the nav stollen? Also there is too many scuffs etc for a low mile car.


..... Hey that car is 4 years old and only -$10 depreciation??? The depreciation should be close to that much in the first year or so regardless of the milage.

Way to many red flags already.

Save up and get a new one for $44K ... Hell I'll sell you mine for $33,800.

btw, i dont think the scratch on the hood will cost $1000. heck repainting the whole hood can be done for like $500 or so. However I am speaking in terms of USD, if its that much different in CND, then so be it.

I really think you should consider the car, i dunno why everyone is telling you to stay away. as long as you know what to look for and see that everything was replaced, then the car should be better than ever. but like i said, you NEED to know what to look for. for example, if I was looking to buy that car I'd check the DVD unit in the trunk too to see if everything is put back correctly, and if possible, i'd remove the navi screen myself to look behind and see if all the wires and everything were put back together correctly. if they really want to sell the car, they will let you do it. and it will be worth it!

Have a look at Acura.ca certified series cars.

I think that price is a little steep.

Where are you located?

I'm in Elora and just bought from Fairview Acura in Kitchener. I would recommend them for sure.

Good luck in your search!

Chrome, you're beating a dead horse here. I can tell you want this Type S, but really-IT'S NOT WORTH IT.

Walk away....

If you are questioning it then you really know the right thing to do. When you find the right car you will know it because there will be no question. That's a lot of money to not be completely happy with your decision.

Story for ya, late August I was completely happy in an old, high mileage Volvo. I stopped locally and test drove a base 6MT and just had to have one only this particular one was keyed badly. I wasted an entire day going to Queens, NY with every intention on trading/bringing home the 6MT TL and despite it's 48K for an 05 it's body was horrible. I REALLY wanted the car but knew that it wasn't the right car for me. Hours after returning to PA I went to MD and bought what I have now.

Moral: You will find exactly what you want, don't settle for anything that you have to question.

Good luck!

Look. Just go to the store and buy as much beer as you can with $30k. If after drinking all the beer you still...oh wait, nevermind. That won't work.

Thanks for all the input. You're right Steven, I was beating a dead horse.. I'm walking.

So now I'm at a legit Honda Dealership looking at another Type S. It's identical only this one has around 55000kms. It seems to be in better condition with only a couple paint chips but really nothing else. Again... there is a vandalism claim of about $2800. They want nearly the same price... They are asking $30000 + 12% sales tax.

I know Type S's go for cheaper in the States and other parts of Canada which sucks for me, but I doubt I'm gonna find one here for less.

How much should I be able to get discounted from a bigger dealership like Honda?

Is it really likely for the odo to be rolled back? Shouldn't there be a safety switch if you try to d/c the power somehow? :S Is vehicle maintenance history shared among all Acura dealerships nationwide?

If you have doubts than stay away from it. The last thing you want is to but this car and wake up one day and realize that you bought a $30K scrap heap.

This right here is your biggest problem. Take the emotions out of it and think about it. Keep in mind that if this car does have issues then you are the one stuck paying for it.

Chromeheart. I just bought a certified preowned acura and it is undoubtedly the most relaxed purchase i've ever made. Walk away from this, all these issues are signs of a uncared for vehicle. low miles means nothing, especially if it wasnt broken in or serviced correctly. I traded in my 06 fx35 for my acura after two months of ownership. the price was right on the fx35 but it had a few blemishes and not everything was "perfect". clean carfax but come to find out the car was DEFINITELY in an accident and fixed half ass. dont get caught like me... i was in the shop for months getting all this stuff fixed:

Intelligent cruise control bc the laser was crushed...
steering wheel motor
seatbelt
drivers side seat motor
drivers side airbag
drivers side airbag pump
front end crash sensor
rack and pinion
sway bar links
pulley bearing
fuel gauge sensors cleaned

there was misc paintwork done on the car and a few odds and ends of random scratches or trim that didnt look right.

Also consider this. the A-spec kit is nice... but why did a owner put it on after 16k miles of driving? Cover up? find yourself a garage owned minty one and never look back. good things come to those who wait

Which dealership is this one? Marv Jones or Happy Honda? The Marv Jones one is the one we (both) saw from the guy selling it before his lease trade in.

@shibbyguy

It's not the same one that we saw. I know, that one ended up at Marv Jones and is extremely overpriced lol.

The one I was looking at is at Vancouver Honda on SW Marine Dr. It's close to mint imo. Would have bought it except I'm not looking to spend over $30,000.

Whats the $2800 vandalism claim? What year? How come there always seems to be a claim?

@Chromeheart

Good luck with finding yours. I finally picked mine up this weekend.

07 Type S
78000km (~49k miles)
NBP
$22,000

You'll find one, just be patient. My 5 month search is finally over, so relieved.

pass...totally NOT WORTH IT

@shibbyguy

Nice! Glad to hear you found what you were looking for. Thats a pretty good deal. Was it private sale?

@Jesstzn

Judging by the report, it seems they were more interested in causing damage to the vehicle than stealing something. Parts of the car had to be repainted and a taillight had to be replaced. It's a 2008 model. Not sure why, but over here in Vancouver it seems ppl like to mess with these cars.

In any case, I'm gonna walk from both of these. Can't negotiate too far with these dealers cuz there's too many rich ppl in this city that are willing to pay full. Then again, it is a Type S and a very desirable vehicle.

Thanks for the input everyone!

Exactly! It's so annoying.

Mine was a private sale. The KM's are a bit more than I was looking for (still slightly below average since it's a 07 instead of 08), but I had to sacrifice something for the price I got it at. Like you, I didn't want to pay over $30k. It's crazy how many people want this car here. My seller said he had tons of calls for the car, and even when I met up with him for the sale someone called him on his cell.