With all these serious problems posted - transmissions going and everything else under the sun - has anyone had exceptional luck with the reliability of their 3G TL? If so, can you share some stories? For example, people with high mileage and little problems? I desperately need to hear some TL success stories to restore my faith in this recent purchase. All this negativity is making me rething my decision to buy this car!

My '93 Accord has 362,000 miles with little to no problems. Maybe I should have just stuck with that. I think Honda may have taken a serious downturn in their quality over the past decade or so.

 

Hmm 05 3G with 92k miles, no tranny problems or any type of mechanical problems except replacing the front brakes! And a rock ding in my windshield

 

Take a look at Consumer Reports or any other used car publication/website and see what they say about the 3G TL-- it should be at the top of the charts.

This is an enthusiast site, so we are probably more critical about our cars than 90% of owners.

BTW, my TL has been pretty darn close to perfect-- only trip to the dealer was for the 2 recall repairs done at once. No other repairs, nothing broken... etc.
You won't see any complaint threads started by the majority of us whose cars are problem-free.

Welcome to AZ.

 

yep.. I had a 93 Accord, sold it within the family, it was a beautiful car. Only minor issues but damn I miss it. In regards to the TL, your issues are pretty minor but you definitely have a case against Acura for not picking up on the failed safety items. Call ACS 1-800-862-2872 ext. 5 and let them know what occurred.. the dealership should pick up 100% of the costs on the items they didn't diagnose in the full safety inspection IMO. Don't back down, even if it doesn't work out & you tell Acura to kiss your ass, the actual work that's required is really minor & the parts are relatively cheap.

The 3G TL is a very reliable vehicle, I think you're really getting wound up & polarized over the issues that have occured with it. It has it's issues but as long as you keep up with the maintenance it should treat you right. Future things to watch out for - transmission, cracked dash, power steering, cheap leather wear, rear shocks. Get a 3x3 done on your ATF, change the AT filter, 3rd & 4th gear pressure sensors, make sure all the recalls have been done & check the wash & wax section for leather care info. Change your PSF, BF, & Coolant while you're at it. <--- All these DIY's can be found here btw.. Unfortunately you cant really do anything to prevent the dash cover from cracking. Welcome to Azine btw.. at least you found the best community to be a part of.

 

Honda's quality is as good as it was before, however the problem is now the introduction of all of these complicated systems and electronics. The TL will easily last you into the 300K range if you keep up with the maintenance, however things like the navi drive may go south or the radio might go south.

As far as transmissions go, it appears that if you do your fluid changes religiously (one drain and refill every 15K) the trans will last a long time.

 

I'm scurred too brah.

I bought my 06 TL last month. I find this site to be very informative, but to be honest, it's also scaring the hell out of me. I stumbled upon the thread about the dash cracking...

 

I've always been problem free on the few Honda's I have owned, as well as my families Honda's, which is why I went with an Acura. No matter what car you buy, there will be problems. Some cars have more than others, which is going to happen regardless. You read more horror stories becasue there is a section for "Problems and Fixes". I'm sure if there was a section for "Good and Fun" there would be more threads. Anyway you look at it, all cars will have their problems, but some less than others. At least that's my take on the situation.

 

Thanks for the replies. Very helpful!

I must say though, that so far - problems notwithstanding - this is one amazing car. The driving experience - the acceleration, handling and just the feel you get behind the wheel of this car - is just incredible. To me it feels like a finely crafted piece of engineering. I can't stop driving it. I drove 40 miles last night to get take-out. My GF thinks I'm crazy. I told her I was going to sleep in the car this weekend. If these problems turn out to be relatively minor, this is the start of an incredible love affair. I'm already gearing up to do some serious sport touring this summer. We're talking some serious road trips to places I've always wanted to go - Blue Ridge Parkway, Jersey Shore, Cape Cod, just to name a few. Don't know if anyone shares GPS tracks on this forum (I'll check that out on the navi forums), but it would be nice to share favorite rides (garmin user here, no navi). Anyway, you'll hopefully be seeing some of my drive reports on here soon! I've been doing mainly motorcycling recently - time to concentrate on some serious driving.

http://rochesternet.com/rides

 

I hear you with being worried about so many problem threads on here.

As was mentioned before, since this is an enthusiast forum, we're going to nitpick at every little problem.

Not to mention that there's really no reason for people to be writing threads for the sole purpose of calling down choirs of angels and pillars of light onto how great the TL is.

Granted, it is deserving of that, since it's a great car...

But most people post because they have an issue that they have questions about. That's what I do, and only once I've mastered doing something in particular will I branch out from simply being a newbie and doing nothing but worrying about the car.

I've had my TL since September and I've been amazingly impressed. I got a crazy deal on mine ($9,500) and I have the sexiest car in my apartment complex by a long shot. For a college student, that's definitely a plus.

I've been doing the service on my car lately, including replacing an O2 sensor and the timing belt this coming week (which of course are pricey), but honestly even without these services the car is working wonderfully. I could not ask for more.

There is a reason this car is my dream car. I still can't believe I own one, and that I'm still in college when I got it.

 

Since this is a TL forum, there will be lots of posts about issues since that's what most people ask about. The TL is a pretty common car and there are TONS of people who probably don't even know this site exists. So don't worry!

I bought mine in August 2009 at 89K, it is a 2006 base. I am at 101k now and I've had to only replace the original battery and the HFL unit (under warranty). For what I paid for it, I got a lot for my money!

 

mmade has over 110k miles on his TL with no big mechanical issues. Acura / Honda is about as reliable as it gets. There are always a few anomolies with any car or with people who don't take good care of their rides, but for the most part it should last 250k+ miles with the proper maintenance like any Japanese car.

 

In all honesty, the only reason my transmission went out was because I was constantly on it; plus I rev match my automatic (sort of what the newer years do for you when you down-shift). Aside from that mistake, which was ultimately (assuming) my fault, the car really has no major issues. Engine components wise, I have no doubt the car will see 300,000 miles on the odo. Maintain your car and it'll take care of you. You can rest assure that you bought ONE HELL OF A RELIABLE CAR! No regrets!

 

Chalk me up in the no-real-problems group. Bought '04 6MT new (with 0.6 miles on the odo) in Nov '03. Now has just short of 88,000 miles. Had the glovebox rattle early, but fixed with a piece of tape. 3rd gear got more notchy every year until I put in the GM wonder fluid. Good-to-go there. If the 3rd gear problem comes back, then I'll swap back to Honda MTF and get the TSB done.

I change the tranny fluid every 25k, coolant 30k, BF every 3 yrs. Used turkey baster for PS fluid once. Swapped serp belt and upper/lower radiator hoses. Went fairly easily. Just changed plugs. Followed DIY section to get the back 3 out. Seafoamed once last year, etc etc. Like most good women, take care of your TL and she'll take care of you...

 

Agreed. I was going to say the same thing. You will usually see more posts with people having problems whether they are major or minor. That is just the nature. You always hear more about people having problems than from those that don't.

As for mine, I have an 04 TL with almost 80k miles on it. The only major issue I have had with mine was the load balance pulley (from what I remember). This was during the warranty period, so it got replaced and no other major issues since then.

 

Why do you say that? What about 303 some of the best sunscreen you can buy for your car



http://www.303products.com/shop303/i...protectant.cfm

 

Ask csmeance or the members on the fb page dedicated to this issue..

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106173928650&ref=ts

 

I bet with a sunshade and 303 you can eliminate your dash cracks

 

You're talking to several guys who garage their cars & use 303 & sunshades religiously..

 

I've used it since the day I got the car and it still happened.

 

If I recall correctly, one of the posters in the "dash cracking" thread said that he had used 303 regularly and it did not prevent it from happening.

EDIT: ^^^ What he said ^^^

 

'04, 154 K. Runs like a watch. Looks as good as the day I bought it. I spend two hours a day in it and look forward to many more. It has an option not available on the new ones--it's paid for. Like any manmade object the 3G has some known issues. For sure every automobile does--BMW doesn't offer that service-included warranty out of the goodness of their hearts. csmeance is right, all the bells and whistles are vulnerabilities, but so what? I say just do your maintenance, keep your ac drain hose open, and enjoy your car.