Hi Guys,

I know this type of questions has already been discussed, but wanted to know your idea on this trade.
My neighbor is selling his 07 type S AT at 200K KM (124K miles). there's no crack on the dash but the windshield has a crack.
Seata are in good shape, just a few scratches on driver seat but no tears.
I had a minor accident in 2017, damage cost was about 3500 CAD.

I can get the car with 7000 CAD, (about 5500 USD), which is equal to a 07' civic with less than 100k mileage here.

I currently have a kia Spectra 07 with (165K km) mileage and am tired of spending money on it for repairs here and there. already spent more that a thousand on the car and it may need another thousand for repairs soon. therefore I considered trading my kia and getting this tl for possibly less maintenance and longer lasting quality. I can trade it for 5000 CAD and get the tl for 7000.

do you have any opinions on this trade? owner States the timing belt has been replaced but he doesn't know about the water pump replacement cause he is not the original owner. car is rust free and without any visible damage except for the windshield.

 

sound like a win trade to me, at 7k its very reasonable in today used car market.

 

I would do it...

 

Thank you for your clear and fast responses. It would be difficult for me to spend more money on maintenance and repairs at least for the first year. should I be expecting any major repair costs? I mean 200K KM mileage is a little scary for Canadians and here people are not willing to buy cars over 200K KM mileage, but I guess this mileage is not that bad for this car. I am afraid of transmission or similar costly issues that I will be unable to pay. Is there any specific thing that you could suggest I check before the trade?

 

The transmission fluid should have been changed a few time by now, if not you might have some issues. I would see how it shifts and if there is time i would send some the ATF off to blackstone labs for testing. I bought my car at 130k miles and the ATF was changed at 77K and i wont ever go that long under my ownership. I think its 30k mile changes on the ATF after the first at 60k. I could be wrong.I change mine like ever 15 to 20k miles.

The water pump should have been changed with the timing belt. It's right there! I would also check oil leaks around the oil pan and check for rust on the axles.

 

Can you have it professionally inspected?
Plan to change the trans fluid as soon as possible unless it's just been done.

 

I have a friend who is a mechanic but is not a Honda expert. He can do basic inspections mainly for suspension, underbody parts, any leaks under the hood, as well as normal test drives for free. I could ask the Honda dealer in our city for their inspection prices.
I had experiences that changing the ATF of a car that has never been changed in high mileage actually caused more problems because fresh AFT can wash out some worn seals resulting in slips and malfunction. I changed my Spectra's ATF the first week I bought it and right after that the transmission started acting weird blah blah... anyway. I will try to find out the history of the car as far as I can and will consider ATF flush.

Thank you, sir.

 

The don't-change-the-high-mileage-trans-fluid was true for the oldies I worked on, but not for our 3GTLs.
Do NOT flush, just drain and fill. Lots of threads here on that.

 

This is exactly my always fear when buying a used car. People don't do the fluid change and wear out the transmission which could last much longer. Sending the ATF to blackstone is not a bad idea but I'm not sure if the owner will let me do that. I can get someone to inspect the leaks and rust. will do that, thanks.

 

Don't worry about the ATF has been changed, you can do drain and fill between oil change interval. The 07-08 trans actually pretty robust over earlier model. All of my TL ATF are red as it was new, even my daily beater RL the guy working on it asking "why you ask for a drain and fill?" well because the last time it changed was back in 2019 approx 15k miles ago.

at the 200k km you are looking at smaller item such as motor mounts, valve cover gasket, spark plugs, lower compliance bushing etc.....

Being Canada vehicle most importance is looking for rust and hidden rust, start with the Honda famous rear quarter panel.

 

The good:
1) Sounds like a good price for the lowish mileage.
2) Definite trade up.
3) No expensive routine maintenance for a long time.
4) Unless something hidden by current owner, low probability for too many issues in this first year.
Concerns/suggestions:
1) If he wasn't owner at timing belt change AND car only 124k, he has owned very short time. Something come up?
2) Try a carfax type report, pretty cheap, sometimes service notes are listed and can see if routine maintenance done (unless DIY owner). Also, if there WAS a repair or service during current owner's time, then you have more info to inquire on. And maybe ask for records/receipt (if done at stealership or some shops, they sometimes list things that need addressing near future).
3) Were spark plugs also replaced at 105k? Pull one and look...should not be that worn. If severely worn, that I would be concerned maintenance track record poor.
4) I do not know your national or local safety and emissions laws, but any recent ones that current owner can show you?
5) If no records available for any maintenance, I would do the following routine maintenance regardless - oil and filter, transmission (just a pan drop/refill as others have said), brake fluid replacement (easy DIY but be careful about it).
6) If you have an OBD reader, plug it in and see if you can see codes/old codes/erased codes. Or take it to an auto parts store to have done (many free). Honda/Acura dealer will have the very expensive readers that can pull any code, but likely hit you with a substantial fee.
7) At that young age, there should be no oil leaks.
8) A suspension check would be good, as at that age sometimes we see worn bushings and ball joints. Youtube has some good videos on how to take a test drive over bumpy roads/parking lot and listen for suspension clunks. Of course, to lift the vehicle and feel for play with sway bars/links, tie rod ends, ball joint assessments jerking wheel etc best.
9) OEM windshield pricey, and "engineered" for noise reduction. On an older TL I had, I just replaced with an aftermarket FAR cheaper replacement and couldn't tell a difference.
10) Drive at highway speed - should be dead smooth without pulling. A TL I bought had a vibration above 40mph, was hoping it was a wheel needing balancing, ended up all aftermarket rims were bent so replaced all.
11) One would hope water pump got changed, but if not not end of world. I really would try and confirm timing belt change though. Check carfax (low prob it will be listed but may), and look for evidence of work done on passenger side of engine (may be hard to detect).

Overall, sounds like a deal to pursue though.
Cheers
Carl

 

Hi Carl,

Thank you very much for the comments and your detailed response. I appreciate the time you spent on the answer.

I got the CARFAX report as you suggested. The report is attached if you are interested to take a look at it. Unfortunately, there is nothing here about the timing belt and water pump and there are a few services here and there.
The current owner has had the car registered at least for 1 year according to monthly registration renewals, however, the car seems to had some other owners as well.