Hi, I'm possibly about to be a new owner for a used 2004 Acura TL. Just curious to see if I'm getting a fair (or good) deal on what it is worth.

The TL is located near Seattle, WA. The owner says he is moving to Michigan and doesn't want to lug a TL there so he wants to sell it fairly soon (by the end of this week).

It is a typical TL with standard features (no navigation). Everything is stock except for the wheels. It has pretty ugly wheel rims with one of the rims having a significant portion chipped off (~ 1x1 inches) from the center that makes the hubcap visible. There is some rusting on the hubcaps near the outer edges. The treads have about 70% left. Minor dents and scratches. About 89,200 miles on it. I test drove it and it seemed fine; no weird noises, vibrations or problems with shifting. All the buttons work.

There are no maintenance records except from a little booklet he showed me which I think came with the car. No records of major services. The owner claims to change the oil every now and then (don't really know what that means). It has a clean title.

My only concern is the wheels and lack of maintenance history. I'm thinking about taking it to an independent shop for inspection and also getting the tires replaced for the upcoming winter season and beyond. Yet the owner does not want to even partially pay for any of it.

I know a set of good tires (235/45ZR17 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus Blackwall) will cost about $800 and installation would cost extra. A full inspection I guess would cost around at least $200 (i.e. transmission, engine, suspension, etc.). I'm also considering getting OEM 2004 wheel rims for the car to replace the ugly ones which the owner is not going to contribute.

The price he's selling to me is $11,500 AS IS. I looked up various suggested values for the car and found a "good" condition car to be around that price range. By the way, he says he's a mechanic.

So in conclusion, is this a decent deal? Should I just pay for the extra components myself? Should I have it inspected?

Your inputs would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Say $10,000 as your price. Say at 105k miles you're going to have to spend 3k on the "105K" service which includes timing belt, water pump, plugs, etc...

Car seems untaken care of. Check CarFax and bring it too the Acura dealership to check on recalls, other damages, title, and other things for only $125.

 

10 grand decent price. Dents and scratches are something you will probably need to live with because body/paint work doesn't come cheap with the 3 stage paint, but it certainly takes away from the car's resale value. Have the car inspected, mechanically and cosmetically with written estimates, then dicker on the price depending on the feedback.

 

Black Book Retail as of 12/07/2009 (89,200 miles)
Clean Average Rough
$16,425 $14,050 $11,250
Mileage ($1,150) ($625) $0
Total $ 15,275 $13,425 $11,250
Black Book Trade-In as of 12/07/2009
Clean Average Rough
$13,740 $11,900 $8,595
Mileage ($1,150) ($625) $0
Total $12,590 $11,275 $8,595


If you are not in a rush for a car, I would say look for another TL. As Turbonut mentioned, paintwork is expensive. In the NYC/NJ area, it's around 350-400 dollars a panel to repaint with a color coat and clear coat. "Blending" of the panels is also needed.

Also factor in you would need to perform a major service because of the unknown service history. The buy price would have to be low to make it worth your while.....

 

He's near Seattle, not NYC/NJ. I'd at a minimum get the car inspected by a mech you can trust. Oh, and welcome to AZ

 

Understood Moderator.....I know the OP is in Seattle and the NYC/NJ area is very expensive.

I posted dollar amounts to given the OP a "realistic" price what is would cost for paintwork from a quality shop. My intention was only to give realistic prices from my area and not pull numbers out of thin air. That is why I said the prices are from the NYC/NJ area.

 

Here's some prices for The Northwest area. The other ones were a National average:

Black Book Retail as of 12/07/2009

Clean Average Rough
$16,225 $13,850 $11,050
Mileage ($1,150) ($625) $0
Total $ $15,075 $13,225 $11,050

Black Book Trade-In as of 12/07/2009

Clean Average Rough
$13,540 $11,700 $8,395
Mileage ($1,150) ($625) $0
Total $12,390 $11,075 $8,395

 

He is shady. Doesn't want to lug a Tl???? Oil changes every now and then???? Ugly rims. And I never heard of a rim getting chipped and rusted. There are plenty of tls to be had. If u want that one offer him 8500. Just saying.

 

He is shady. Doesn't want to lug a Tl???? Oil changes every now and then???? Ugly rims. And I never heard of a rim getting chipped and rusted. There are plenty of tls to be had. If u want that one offer him 8500. Just saying.

 

He is shady. Doesn't want to lug a Tl???? Oil changes every now and then???? Ugly rims. And I never heard of a rim getting chipped and rusted. There are plenty of tls to be had. If u want that one offer him 8500. Just saying.

 

maybe I missed some stats, what mileage is it at. And I always feel like the auto tranny is a possible problem.

 

Damn. Thats how much they charge for 105k service? Do it yourselve. Save a bunch of money.

 

Not having maintenance records doesn't always mean that the car wasn't taken care of. I myself for instance do everything my self. From fluid changes, to belts and everything. I take care care of my car, and not going to let anyone else do it, even thought i dont really have a record of doing it. Just look around, see how the car drives. If it's been abused it will run weaker. Look for oil leaks on the bottom, check the fluids and such. But honestly, saying oil changed every now and then tells me the car wasn't really babied.

 

What that means is he's not even bright enough to lie and say "Oh yeah, oil changed every 3 to 4k miles!"

 

Sorry for the three posts, I was on my iphone.....PIECE. It seems like you are second guessing yourself. I dont trust the fact that he says the oil changes are done every now and then. Esp since he is a mechanic. I know mechanics and they know their stuff, ask him what services were performed and when. If he cant answer your questions, its not good?

 

If you know you can get a TL for the same price in "good" condition, then why waste your time on this one?.... don't even bother....

 

up here in washington there are a ton of russian guys that buy wrecked cars at auction and "rebuild" them. i would almost just hold out for another car, i got mine for 15k with 77k on the odo.

i dont mean to stereotype but i have nothing but ill incounters as well as my friends trying to buy cars.