Greetings!

I have returned after nearly a ten year absence! I've really missed owning a TL since wrecking mine in 2015. My Civic coupe doesn't scratch that itch and I've had a few kids since and putting them in car seats isn't a lot of fun.

An 07-08 model just showed up in my area recently with "for sale" written on the windshield. No other details about it other than a phone number. I've shot the number a text (my phone says that number is RCS chat capable) and awaiting a response. It's white and the body condition is what is typical for a car of that age.

Am I correct in thinking if I get an auto, 2007-2008 is the model year to go with since they fixed the tranny issues that plagued the 99-06 models? Is there anything else I should look out for? I'm seeing cracked dash is a common 3G TL issue? No idea the mileage but I'd definitely want to know if the timing belt has been done (or how many times it's been done).

Are you guys still happy with your 3G's after all this time?

Thanks in advance!

 

The 07-08 are less likely to have transmission issues but depends on previous maintenance. I'd call every shop on Carfax to see what they did but the only issue is CarFax is only as good as the info it's provided being that self-service isn't reported nor do all shops. I have 05 Base TL with just over 160k and still love it. I take great care of my vehicles and would have considered it "excellent" before a major hail storm we had in Kansas City a few months back. That being said, I strongly considered getting rid of it and had found 07 Type S MT with 54k miles, absolutely flawless condition... It was an auction format and after going back and forth with another bidder my final bid was $18,750 and they won at $19,000. So yeah, I love the 3G TL and after test driving some Maxima's as I previously owned one I decided to keep my TL, I mean I'm not entering competitions so some hail damage is minimal plus I've done every maintenance and more so hopefully it'll last another 100k miles.

Couple summers ago with after-market wheels that were on it when I bought it.

FINALLY found a great deal on OEM wheels and tires in February '24

 

I am stil happy with my TL despite moved away from the brand recently. Crack and ripped seat are the common theme of used TL here, I would say be patient and wait for one within your specs/expectation. While parts are cheap for the TL however unless you can DIY the repair bills can be out of control.

 

Still better than most modern cars IMO. The styling, features, power, its genuinely a timeless design. 07-08 is preferred like you mentioned, but my '04 of 15yrs ownership hasnt given me much trouble other than a dead starter, dead HID ballast, and mirror actuator acting up and wouldnt tilt back to its original position... dead interior LED.. they're all relatively small repairs and expected life-span for electronics.

Things to look out for in no particular order is:
engine/transmission mounts
suspension bushings and upper control arm ball joints
powersteering whine/leak
engine/transmission oil leak
dead interior LED
side mirrors do tilt down when in reverse depending which side you leave the selector toggle on. and should revert back to its original position without clicks/hiccups if the actuators are working propperly.
navigation unit, common issues being unable to read the dvd rom or no display at all.
brake light LED, it is common for them to go out.
headliner sagging due to age.
rear view mirror shakes/loose
cup holder has a sliding cover thats often cracked/broken due to age
thats all i can think of.

theres a few things to modernize the TL like adding in a navigation unit, backup camera, and ambient lighting. if you're handy and do a little bit of DIY, i think the 3rd gen is also very easy to work on with years of tutorials/write ups on AZ and youtube.

 

If you can find one that matches your needs, I think its still a great car compared to most that are on the road.

My 06 is still my daily driver and just passed 285K miles (original owner). I'll echo the transmission concerns (mine was replaced by Acura at 95K miles for completely failing) but everything else has been mostly nuisance/feature issues and not major mechanical.
My car has lost its Nav unit twice (didn't repair it the second time), lost about half of its interior LEDs, lost all the hands free/phone features but still is a great daily commute. Its had 2 complete brake jobs over its 18 years, consistent oil changes. It seems to go through tires a bit faster these days, I assume that's suspension wear having an effect but it still gets 23/28 mileage splits (though I hate paying for the expensive gas LOL).

I've been looking for a new car off and on for a year now, just cant seem to find something worthwhile in my price range as a replacement that I will spend a minimum of 1-1/2 hours a day in (the leading contenders are a Toyota Supra or a Honda Pilot (the wife-friendly option)). The current Acura lineup isnt thrilling me but the teasers for the new Prelude have caught my interest.

 

3G TL is a bad motherfucker.
I've had numerous and feel like I can never be without owning ONE, despite having various other cars.
I still enjoy rowing the gears and getting out there with it.

If you can accept their flaws and put the time and money into overall looks and maintenance...I still think it would be hard to find a better bargain out there.

 

My 2006 TL is still going strong. I don't drive it as much now as we have a couple of electric cars that are more the daily drivers. The TL is my go-to highway cruiser for out of town trips though. I can tank up in Carlsbad and drive all the way up to Gilroy on a single tank of gas, getting 29MPG going 70+ MPH. I think that is a phenomenal performance for a car this age with the performance it still has. Everything electrically still works, but I stopped replacing the cupholder cover assembly and just deal with things being open. I'm about to buy my 4th set of tires this week. My car has 118K miles on it now. I have considered getting an Integra Type-S but they are pricey and this car is very cheap to own now.

 

Awesome. Thanks everyone for your input. I'm glad to hear everyone has had a positive experience with minimal concerns.

Update, the vehicle I spoke of in the OP, I didn't receive a text back, so i waited a few days (after confirming the car was still there with "for sale" on it) and I called the number and the dude was speaking Spanish and I couldn't understand what he was saying so that was a no-go.

I test drove a 2008 Type S this weekend at a Chrysler dealership, the drive experience was really nice, but the car was in REALLY rough shape, it only had 176k on it, but the seats were all torn to hell (the driver's seat was missing at least 6 square inches of leather on the butt cheeks area) There was a sizeable dent in the driver's fender/front bumper area. I pulled the oil fill cap and looked at the upper cylinder head assembly and noticed a lot of burnt/caked oil on bolts and other valvetrain components which leads me to believe the previous owner wasn't very faithful on oil changes. The tranny fluid was brown, I forgot to sniff it. The power steering fluid was low and EXTREMELY dirty. I noticed oil remnants on the front exhaust manifold indicating a valve cover gasket leak. The pictures in the listing showed that the car had a check engine light on (the tach showed the engine was idling), so I brought my scan tool, but when I got there, the battery was COMPLETELY dead, so naturally, the ECM had forgotten those codes and I guess in the 20 minute test drive it didn't pop back up. These guys had this car listed for $6500 and were NOT budging on price even though the listing said "pre auction special". Well GLWS! lol.

I'll still keep my eyes out. In the meantime I'll get my Civic's A/C fixed and the headliner replaced so it'll be ready to go up for sale if I find something.