I'm looking into buying an 04 and I was wondering if there are any problems that are common in this year and if it has any downfalls as opposed to later years in the same generation.
Thanks

 

The earlier 04's had MORE of a trans problem than the later ones, or 05s, 06s, etc. I think you can find out by vin. Mine is an 04, production date 7/04, with a high vin number, so im clear. Do some searching, the cutoff sequence number is here somewhere. Also the seats are lacking extra stitching that the later years had, causing more wear. Thats all I can think of off the top of my head........

 

^Whats your high VIN #...the last six digits?

Mine is 42,XXX....is that High or low?

 

I'm doing the same--evaluating 2004 and 2005 models. Here's a list I came up with earlier today based on recalls for 2004:

1. Transmission - recalls from 2004, other issues outside of 2004 where transmissions either go out or have trouble between gears 2 and 3. Many also reported a hard down-shift when driving in traffic.

2. Interior rattles - rattles and squeaks all over the interior (doors, dash, steering wheel, rear deck, trunk, etc.) for a large amount of 3rd-generation TLS (2004-2007).

3. Dashboard splitting due to heat - may people had to pay the dealership ~$350-900 to replace the dashboard after unnatural splitting occurred due to poor build quality.

4. Front lower control arm bushing - recalls from 2004. Apparently these were designed poorly and typically fail at 60k miles or less. Costs ~$500 at the dealership to repair.

5. Motor mounts - wear quickly on these vehicles and cause vibrations when the vehicle drives at various speeds

6. Power steering whine / failure - recalls from 2004.

7. Alignment - no common issues, just want to make sure car drives perfectly straight.

Again, these are not anecdotes--I haven't bought mine yet--this is just what I've gathered from researching factory recalls and the "Problems and Fixes" section. Hope this helps!

 

Siriuscity- mine is 62293 With a production date of 7/04. I think u are good IIRC.

Exlex- most of those pertain to all 3G years. He is looking for specific problems of 2004s vs other years.

 

Rear toe wear while under load. 2005 and newer had revised bump stops to avoid this.

 

Essentially I have none of the problems listed, but it is a manual. At this point, I would be much more concerned about how it was treated and whom is selling and why. For example, I know a 04 6MT for sale and the it is burning oil like crazy. Since mine never eat a drop I say it is either really bad luck or the owner messed with it.

 

Thanks for the input guys. Car is sweet and fully loaded with alot of aftermarket. Hopefully I will be posting my new purchase.

 

If the car has aftermarket parts then it was most likely beat on.. Not always but def more than a dead stock car in most situations..

Although ill say this, my 04 has 108k and runs like a champ with pretty much every aftermarket part installed short of a SC..

Good luck! 3g TLs are good cars..

 

I had to replace my batterry yearly- I have the guarantee, buts it get annoying.

 

Since when was there a recall for lower control arm bushings?

 

This is prob what he is referring to:

Recall ID # 59579 - SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT Hide Details
Recall Date:
JUN 22, 2011
Model Affected:
2004 Acura TL
Summary:
AFFINIA IS RECALLING CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS, NAPA PART NO. 2601662, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKENLY INSTALLED IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 - 2008 ACURA TL VEHICLES DUE TO A MISTAKE IN A NAPA AND NAPA DEALERS' PARTS APPLICATION CATALOGUE.
Consequences:
MISAPPLICATION OF THIS PART COULD LEAD TO SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT FROM THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AND COLLAPSE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy:
AFFINIA IS WORKING WITH NAPA TO IDENTIFY ANY OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THIS PART MISTAKENLY INSTALLED ON TO AN ACURA TL VEHICLE, AND WILL REPLACE THE PART FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 20, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AFFINIA GROUP'S WARRANTY ADMINISTRATOR AT 1-815-759-7757.
Potential Units Affected:
150
Notes:
AFFINIA GROUP, INC.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2004/...#ixzz1e9IAr9zn

 

You mean rear TIRE wear. There was a TSB on this, I think 05-050 if I remember correctly where they were and maybe still are replacing the rear bump stops at no charge on '04's that have exhibited rear tire wear issues like mine did. Thanks to someone posting the TSB on AcuraZine, I found out why I went through 3 sets or rear tires in one year.
.
.

 

you better site your sources for these "recalls".
-tranny-common failure in early 04's, not sure of a "recall"
-rattles...those are TSBs (not safety recalls).
-the dash cracks...not a recall or a TSB.
-lower control arm...you posted the recall for that one...that's new one.
-motor mounts haven't seen any TSBs or recalls for this.
-power steering whine (TSB), the power steering hose (recall).
-alingments, the TL is finicky. must be spot on or your tires will be eaten alive. (has nothing to do with recalls or TSBs).

yes these are some of the issues the TL suffers from, but it depends on how the car was cared for, driven, and where it has lived in some cases. not ALL TLs will have these issues (well maybe the rattles). just sayin'

 

I disagre. Lots of aftermarket parts indicates an enthusiast. And we are a finicky bunch!

 

lol semantics dude. weight loaded on the rear end threw toe out of spec. I did a trip with 5 people including myself from SF to LA and saw rolls of rubber on the rear tires.

and that recall is for a NAPA branded part. not everyone has them installed, nor is Honda replacing them for free.

my TL developed a rattling noise that sounds like it's coming from the passenger door..annoying.

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but is there a list for 08's?

 

Sorry if that post was ambiguous. It was a mix of recalls and common problems.

And I'm not saying all TLs have these problems, but you can't refute these are things to watch out for when evaluating used cars. Just spend 5 minutes in "problems and fixes" and you can't disagree.

 

PS - I just bought my '05 TL today. Make sure you check for RATTLES (drive over a poor road). I did not drive over a diverse enough road when I test-drove it so I'm going to be spending a lot of time over the next month trying to pinpoint all these stupid squeaks.

 

yes i agree, if i was looking at used...this would be a nice list to look at.

the rattles...good luck with that. i've owned my car since new, the rattles started with the infamous subwoofer and rear deck rattle...then the little ticks in the dash and the front doors. they become more obvious after upgrading the suspension to Aspec. so just think, you get all the extra noises and you're on stock suspension!

i know a few guys put dynamat on their interiors (the rear deck, the doors)...not sure of the results, but that thought had crossed my mind. its labor intensive and you're guaranteed to break a few of those stupid little plastic clips holding the car parts on the car.

enjoy your car! you'll learn to live with some of the little ticks...maybe.