What to look for when buying used 1st gen RDX
09-22-2018, 02:29 AM
#1
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What to look for when buying used 1st gen RDX
Hi, im new here, i am planning on getting a small reliable suv under $10k canadian and got interested in the RDX. I can find 07/08 with around 180/200.00km (NOT MILES) on the odo for that budget. I did some research and saw that they can last a lot longer, so i wanted to ask, what are the common issues and what to look for when buying an older one like this? What to expect?
Thanks!!
Thanks!!
09-22-2018, 11:17 AM
#2
CSmoney28
What’s that in miles? Lol. The only problems I have had are as follows new struts needed, new transmission pressure switches needed, new window regulators needed, new speakers needed, new batteries needed, new compressor needed, and regular maitnence parts needed. That’s for a 2009 with 150,000 miles. Hope that helps you out.
09-22-2018, 02:19 PM
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Thank you for the reply, 200.000km is about 124.000miles on the odo. What would you say is thhe most expensive service you had?
i was reading a thread about the P2263 code a lot of people had around this mileage. Should i expect to have to deal with this problem at this mileage?
i was reading a thread about the P2263 code a lot of people had around this mileage. Should i expect to have to deal with this problem at this mileage?
09-22-2018, 02:28 PM
#4
CSmoney28
The rotors are the most expensive service, then pads, the rear differential, then transfer case, then transmission, then coolant, then brake fluid, then power steering fluid, then alignment, then tires, and then engine oil with a new filter. I only serviced my truck at the dealiship I bought it from so I never experienced any trouble codes.
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mass978 (10-29-2018)
09-22-2018, 09:14 PM
#5
I just recently got a 2010 Tech for $10,500 with 155,000 Km on it. I had it for a month but I've had to change the speakers (last person probably didn't bother since they wanted to sell it) and the AC is giving issues, which needs to be addressed over the winter. Remember if you are buying now you need to factor in cost of winter tires, which on average i'm seeing about $800 used on kijiji with rims. I also learned that most places will not budge on price. I tried to compare, or just walk away and people didn't give a shit. It's a nice vehicle at a good price point, it's popular.
09-22-2018, 09:43 PM
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Very true, you sure got a really good deal. I saw one from a private seller where i live that they were given a second set of wheels of new winter tires. But 07 and 200k km on odo.
But what scares me is not that, is things like ( https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-rdx-...-861782/page7/ ) where lots of people had similar issues with their turbo around this mileage. I dont want to pay $8/10k and then have to spend another $5k in a new turbo.
But what scares me is not that, is things like ( https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-rdx-...-861782/page7/ ) where lots of people had similar issues with their turbo around this mileage. I dont want to pay $8/10k and then have to spend another $5k in a new turbo.
09-22-2018, 09:44 PM
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I just recently got a 2010 Tech for $10,500 with 155,000 Km on it. I had it for a month but I've had to change the speakers (last person probably didn't bother since they wanted to sell it) and the AC is giving issues, which needs to be addressed over the winter. Remember if you are buying now you need to factor in cost of winter tires, which on average i'm seeing about $800 used on kijiji with rims. I also learned that most places will not budge on price. I tried to compare, or just walk away and people didn't give a shit. It's a nice vehicle at a good price point, it's popular.
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09-22-2018, 10:42 PM
#8
Yup, I'm in Toronto. I got it from the dealership in Brampton. To be very blunt here reliability is key (especially in a Canadian winter), I love my RDX and for the time being am planning to upgrade to a newer one in a few years. But 10,000 all in will be very hard with good mileage/Km. If you can, save a another 1 or 2 grand as there are a few decent ones for around 10-11K +tax.(like this https://www.autotrader.ca/a/acura/rd...0316093722913/) I forgot to mention i believe mine was cheaper because it had a $2600 insurance claim on it from 2012, which according to them was that the previous owner backed into something and the rear bumper had to be replaced. I took a good look at it with my mechanic and sure enough there was a half and inch or less indent on the heat shield over the muffler (https://i.imgur.com/3SDAxJM.jpg) but no apparent damage anywhere else, i checked the hatch and the wheel well where the spare is and nothing was out of place. $2600 really isn't much when you think about the costs of towing, rental car for a week, a new bumper and paint for a 3 year old car.
A few more tips from my search:
Most places for cars this old will be selling them as-as so you will need to get it certified this could run you a few hundred more from a dealership if you don't have a good mechanic.
Allocate around $200 give or take for plates and stickers if you are not re-using your current ones
You will most likely need to changes the Air Filter, Cabin Air filter, Brakes and Oil very soon so budget for that, in all i think paid $100 for the air filters and oil with oil filter. Changing the air filters is very easy and with the right tools both can be done in 5 minutes. Changing the oil is also stupid easy on this vehicle. If you have ramps, you just roll the RDX onto them, slide yourself under and the oil pan nut and oil filter are right there. Unlike my old mazda where i had to reach around the back of the engine and barely get my fingers on it.
The reliability of the speakers from these years suck. if you need to change them stick to OEM unless you are planning to overhaul your sound system (i learned the hard way) with the right tools its a fairly easy job and all 4 door speakers can be done in an hour. However the replacement speakers seem to be better quality (at least now they are). They are about $40 a pop from the dealership
Good luck out there.
A few more tips from my search:
Most places for cars this old will be selling them as-as so you will need to get it certified this could run you a few hundred more from a dealership if you don't have a good mechanic.
Allocate around $200 give or take for plates and stickers if you are not re-using your current ones
You will most likely need to changes the Air Filter, Cabin Air filter, Brakes and Oil very soon so budget for that, in all i think paid $100 for the air filters and oil with oil filter. Changing the air filters is very easy and with the right tools both can be done in 5 minutes. Changing the oil is also stupid easy on this vehicle. If you have ramps, you just roll the RDX onto them, slide yourself under and the oil pan nut and oil filter are right there. Unlike my old mazda where i had to reach around the back of the engine and barely get my fingers on it.
The reliability of the speakers from these years suck. if you need to change them stick to OEM unless you are planning to overhaul your sound system (i learned the hard way) with the right tools its a fairly easy job and all 4 door speakers can be done in an hour. However the replacement speakers seem to be better quality (at least now they are). They are about $40 a pop from the dealership
Good luck out there.
09-22-2018, 11:39 PM
#9
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Yup, I'm in Toronto. I got it from the dealership in Brampton. To be very blunt here reliability is key (especially in a Canadian winter), I love my RDX and for the time being am planning to upgrade to a newer one in a few years. But 10,000 all in will be very hard with good mileage/Km. If you can, save a another 1 or 2 grand as there are a few decent ones for around 10-11K +tax.(like this https://www.autotrader.ca/a/acura/rd...0316093722913/) I forgot to mention i believe mine was cheaper because it had a $2600 insurance claim on it from 2012, which according to them was that the previous owner backed into something and the rear bumper had to be replaced. I took a good look at it with my mechanic and sure enough there was a half and inch or less indent on the heat shield over the muffler (https://i.imgur.com/3SDAxJM.jpg) but no apparent damage anywhere else, i checked the hatch and the wheel well where the spare is and nothing was out of place. $2600 really isn't much when you think about the costs of towing, rental car for a week, a new bumper and paint for a 3 year old car.
A few more tips from my search:
Most places for cars this old will be selling them as-as so you will need to get it certified this could run you a few hundred more from a dealership if you don't have a good mechanic.
Allocate around $200 give or take for plates and stickers if you are not re-using your current ones
You will most likely need to changes the Air Filter, Cabin Air filter, Brakes and Oil very soon so budget for that, in all i think paid $100 for the air filters and oil with oil filter. Changing the air filters is very easy and with the right tools both can be done in 5 minutes. Changing the oil is also stupid easy on this vehicle. If you have ramps, you just roll the RDX onto them, slide yourself under and the oil pan nut and oil filter are right there. Unlike my old mazda where i had to reach around the back of the engine and barely get my fingers on it.
The reliability of the speakers from these years suck. if you need to change them stick to OEM unless you are planning to overhaul your sound system (i learned the hard way) with the right tools its a fairly easy job and all 4 door speakers can be done in an hour. However the replacement speakers seem to be better quality (at least now they are). They are about $40 a pop from the dealership
Good luck out there.
A few more tips from my search:
Most places for cars this old will be selling them as-as so you will need to get it certified this could run you a few hundred more from a dealership if you don't have a good mechanic.
Allocate around $200 give or take for plates and stickers if you are not re-using your current ones
You will most likely need to changes the Air Filter, Cabin Air filter, Brakes and Oil very soon so budget for that, in all i think paid $100 for the air filters and oil with oil filter. Changing the air filters is very easy and with the right tools both can be done in 5 minutes. Changing the oil is also stupid easy on this vehicle. If you have ramps, you just roll the RDX onto them, slide yourself under and the oil pan nut and oil filter are right there. Unlike my old mazda where i had to reach around the back of the engine and barely get my fingers on it.
The reliability of the speakers from these years suck. if you need to change them stick to OEM unless you are planning to overhaul your sound system (i learned the hard way) with the right tools its a fairly easy job and all 4 door speakers can be done in an hour. However the replacement speakers seem to be better quality (at least now they are). They are about $40 a pop from the dealership
Good luck out there.
Its been hard to find a low km one around here for $10k.
09-23-2018, 11:50 AM
#10
Three Wheelin'
thank you very much for the tips, i am in BC, so other side of the country. I will keep that in mind when buying it. I will definitely take it to a mechanic i can trust before buying it. My only concern is this known turbo problem. 150k or 200k, if it never had this problem, it can appear at any time i think, not sure.
Its been hard to find a low km one around here for $10k.
09-23-2018, 12:15 PM
#11
CSmoney28
I think 🤔 he’s talking about the waste gate acuater not being able to open fully due to a worn down nut hole. Which I’m sure is causing an over boast code on some rdx’s.
09-23-2018, 02:40 PM
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Would you guys rather get an RDX with 200k km for $8/$9k or 140k km for $11/$12k?? I was taking into consideration Sparkles advice, but since i will probably have to spend money with some small things, wouldnt it be better to save the $3k to spend with small things that might appear? I do want to keep the car for a good 4 years and i maybe drive around 15k km a year.
09-23-2018, 03:56 PM
#13
CSmoney28
The lower the mileage the better off you are and if your getting it from a acura dealership try to get an extended warranty. They have a number to bumper from originale sale date until eight years or 120,000 miles. I don’t know km I only know miles...but it all depends on your budget. Get what you can afford and leave some money 💰 laying around for small issues of you don’t go with the lower mileage one.
09-24-2018, 12:21 AM
#16
Three Wheelin'
09-24-2018, 12:23 AM
#17
Three Wheelin'
exactly!
Would you guys rather get an RDX with 200k km for $8/$9k or 140k km for $11/$12k?? I was taking into consideration Sparkles advice, but since i will probably have to spend money with some small things, wouldnt it be better to save the $3k to spend with small things that might appear? I do want to keep the car for a good 4 years and i maybe drive around 15k km a year.
09-24-2018, 12:58 PM
#18
exactly!
Would you guys rather get an RDX with 200k km for $8/$9k or 140k km for $11/$12k?? I was taking into consideration Sparkles advice, but since i will probably have to spend money with some small things, wouldnt it be better to save the $3k to spend with small things that might appear? I do want to keep the car for a good 4 years and i maybe drive around 15k km a year.
The things i talk about are needed for any used car purchase and more or less amount to a few hundred bucks. that $3k will go much farther in a lower mileage car, especially at around the 200+Km mark other repairs will go in and unless you are able to do them yourself it could easily hit $3k depending on who is doing the work.
Another thing to realize is while you are buying a car for $10K you are repairing a $40K car. Parts and work will reflect that. This is why you see car lots full of higher end cars for cheap, the repairs on them are a lot more. One place was offering me an X5 for less then the RDX, but repairs would have been far more expensive in the long run. It's a well known fact that lots of people go out and buy the used luxury cars because they can afford it but get rid of it after a year because they can't afford the repairs
I'm not trying to discourage you but just making sure you know what you are getting yourself into and are ready for it.
09-24-2018, 01:52 PM
#19
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Im choosing the RDX due to the honda reliability. I dont like the looks nor the drivability of the CR-Vs, etc, i need the sportiness of the RDX. Overall, maintaining a proper maintenance, I can count that it will last a long time right?
09-24-2018, 02:39 PM
#20
Based on the number of posts I've seen about P2263, you may want to try and go 2010+ if at all possible. Not sure if the part design changed at some point, but it sure seems like the post-refresh 1st gens have this issue much less often.
09-24-2018, 02:43 PM
#21
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I saw some people with 10+ having the same issue. Even though acura told them to replace the whole turbo, no one had to do it. Apparently it is just a part of the actuator. I will take the car to my mechanic before buying and ask him to do an entire check up PLUS this little part. I also saw that the people in the forum that rebuilt this part were in Canada and willing to ship it.
09-24-2018, 05:53 PM
#22
CSmoney28
All you have to do is have a turbo shop rebuild your turbo for $600 then have them build you a custom waste gate acuator for another $150. The only problem is the cost to get it shipped both ways. As well as the install and removal of it. Proper care won’t help now if the car was beaten for the first 100,00 miles. You need to find one with a good service history. Like everyone else said good car car is crucial because oil flows through the turbo so late oil changes can really ruin this motor. Also since the injection placement is after the valve if they used poor gasoline the inside of the motor could be all carbon build already.
09-25-2018, 12:29 PM
#23
It has definitely happened in 10+, but at least from what I've seen, the frequency doesn't even seem proportional with the expected lower mileage of the newer cars. Either way, I'm with you in not replacing the turbo. Some of the folks that have replaced the actuator rod recently have posted up great documentation. If this ever happens to me, I'm a lot more comfortable tacking it on my own that I would have been a year ago. I'm also going to try and just get a picture of the rod next time I do an oil change just to see if it's showing signs of wear - a little advance notice of this type of fix is always nice to have.
09-25-2018, 06:45 PM
#24
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It has definitely happened in 10+, but at least from what I've seen, the frequency doesn't even seem proportional with the expected lower mileage of the newer cars. Either way, I'm with you in not replacing the turbo. Some of the folks that have replaced the actuator rod recently have posted up great documentation. If this ever happens to me, I'm a lot more comfortable tacking it on my own that I would have been a year ago. I'm also going to try and just get a picture of the rod next time I do an oil change just to see if it's showing signs of wear - a little advance notice of this type of fix is always nice to have.
I want to ask one more question, when looking at a CarFax, is there anything in specific i should be aware? Besides big accidents of course. I recently saw one with no accidents, but it came from a different province. It also seems besides the original owner in 2007, between 2011 and 2013 it had maybe 3 owners than it appears that the last owner, 5th im guessing, had it for 5 years. Car has 140.000 on odo.
09-26-2018, 12:47 AM
#27
Three Wheelin'
Many people do keep track of their own maintenance records, even if they do their own maintenance. They keep organized receipts for maintenance items. But without that proof, you can only rely on a thorough inspection.
09-26-2018, 08:39 AM
#28
Suzuka Master
I do my own oil changes for 2008, for which I do not keep receipts. Dealer does transfluid and rear diff changes. With car approaching 200k miles, its not worth much money, I will just trade it in rather than dealing with people asking for receipts or wanting to take it for inspection. Dont have time to waste with all kinds of crazzy buyers that can show up
09-26-2018, 11:02 AM
#29
CSmoney28
Just so you guys know you can sign up on car fax and update service yourself also...the dealership does it for you. So if you have it done at a shop that doesn’t report it you can update the car fax too. If it’s not showing service it probably isn’t the best bet unless your very handy and have a lot of tools. At least set aside a fund for potential issues. My truck gets almost everything done at the dealership so my car fax is always being updated. I bring my own parts to save money with permission of the shop manager.
09-26-2018, 12:14 PM
#30
Suzuka Master
So if you can update service yourself, what is the value of this? If you getting used car with 200k miles, I would not get obsessd with service records. If its single ownwer, and car drives good, most probably its been taken care off. With used car anything can go, missing service records is the least the concerns.
09-26-2018, 01:08 PM
#31
CSmoney28
It’s up to preference, if you take the time to update it then it probably happened. I have all the hard copies of every visit to the dealer or third party mechanic ever since I bought the truck. If you buy a truck that has that it’s less risk that it hasn’t been beaten and has been taken care of it’s life.
09-26-2018, 01:20 PM
#32
Suzuka Master
Well, I end up trading it in or selling it to used car dealer. They never ask for recepts or records. I tried selling my car privately once, and its been big waste of time with all kinds of wierd people that wanted to take it to some shop 40min away. For me personally, its not worth my time.
09-26-2018, 01:41 PM
#33
CSmoney28
Yeah, it’s true. Sometimes I get a good local buying from the neighborhood offering cash. Then you just sign over the title and registration. Take off your plates and cancel your insurance. Other times it’s worth it to trade it in and lose some money for convience.
09-29-2018, 04:54 PM
#34
Three Wheelin'
I've never actually bought a used car before. All my cars were purchased new. I'm probably way too picky to ever buy a used car. And I've never sold a used car before that wasn't worth nearly nothing. I drive my cars until they worth basically nothing and then sell it for someone to just take it away.
09-29-2018, 09:38 PM
#35
CSmoney28
If you like new cars but are on a budget try to get a certified pre-owned RDX. You’ll save a lot of money and it will come with a free warranty and you can even extend it all the way up to 8 years and 120,000 miles for some money. Just try to find the cheapest RDX in your area on the certified Acura website or the dealer websites...
10-26-2018, 06:28 PM
#36
PM me if you need a reply
Look for unusual exhaust smoke or carbon build up in the pipes. Mine was super black and sooty. Turns out it's burning oil and smokes a lot when starting after sitting around.
Maybe another reason to do the blouch upgrade.
Maybe another reason to do the blouch upgrade.
10-27-2018, 03:24 PM
#38
Instructor
I just copped a 2011 RDX with tech with 62500 miles for 13,500 from a VW dealership. Its black on black and in great condition. I want to pick up some black rims and change the grille to a black one. Not sure what else I want to do to it at this time.
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