Cor-El

Is it worth it to buy a 2004 Acura TSX with 265,000km on it? The car has had no major issues with it. No major repairs. Well maintained. Highway km. Interior is mint. Exterior no issues. No accidents. No rust, no scratches. Rock chips at the front of the car.

The price: $8000

Is it worth it? How long will it last for? What issues could arise?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

PS: I'm in Toronto

Miamicarfan

How do you know it has no issues?

Have you driven car for extended period of time?

2004 TSXs have had several issues. They include:

1) AC compressor failure which corrupts whole AC system. Very expensive fix

2) Center Stack lights failure

3) Some Canadian members have complained of excessive oil usage. I don't know how you can detect this without driving it for a while.

4) Timing Chain stretch. However, this problem seems to be rare so far but there is possibility

4) Failure of Center Stack lights

I would stick to a 2005 TSX and newer.

davidspalding

I think the 2006 model had a few enhancements to the engine (negligible to some, but if you're buying your first...), and added Bluetooth HandsFreeLink standard. 2007 only added TPMS. Personally, and I'm a little biased, I think finding a 2006 or 2007 would be a good bet for you.

If you're only asking KBB or Black Book value, consult Edmunds and Kelly Blue Book online.

curls

One way to tell, unless the seller has been meticulous in cleaning before selling, is to look at the rear bumper near the exhaust tips. ANY black soot, run away. Swipe the inside of the exhaust tip with a paper towel (dry). Excessive soot, run away. If it looks as though the tips have been polished INSIDE, be very very skeptical (and then run away).

Itchytoe

I would avoid any vehicle with 250,000 miles or more on it. That's beyond the average life for any engine so you're just asking for trouble. Eventually it will break and if it hasn't in the last 250,000 miles, it probably will soon.

cwhsu

yo thats high better be for like $3,000

hope you get one though~ tsx are the Sh*T

LuvMyTSX

He said km not miles. Either way, I'd stay away. 2005 or newer.

CiViCKiDD

2005's give you an awesome bang for the buck (from what I've seen at auction sites), but the 2006-8's give you a lot of amenities that make it SO worthwhile.

Wolfy

if you can afford it i would go with the 2006 or newer for the above reasons. but i doubt that you will get a 2006 for 8K, but you never know

CJams

164,663 miles = 265,000kilometers for those that didn't catch that.

My car has 122,000miles on it. (Only 6 more payments baby!) $8k is hella cheap, i'd check it out good though.

Itchytoe

At 165,000 miles, I'd consider it. It's alot of miles, but it's not too bad for a K24. They last a while. Just don't expect it to make another 165,000. Not many make it that far. For $8,000, I'd definitely consider it, but would have it checked out before the actual purchase. Alot can happen in 165,000 miles.

LuvMyTSX

My concern wouldn't be with the engine, but with the air conditioning, HVAC lights, etc. Basically the other common stuff that goes wrong with 04s that could cost you some big money.

suzook

I think its worth it for the price. I would go for it. Just have it checked by a mechanic for piece of mind. If properly cared for, it will go another 60-80k more miles.

CJams

I'm thinking that with 165,000 miles on it, a previous owner has dealt with most or many of the '04 issues by now and they've been corrected.

davidspalding

I thought that there was something that recurred, either the central console lighting (head unit) or A/C, or.... but I could be wrong. Seeing a complete service record would go a long way to building confidence.

moda_way

DITTO, AGREE, CONCUR!!!

I wouldn't sell my 2004 at this point, but I will drive it into the ground. The motor is also the least of my worries. I fully expect that I'll be driving with no A/C in 2 years. I'm probably one of the luckier ones when it comes to A/C because I rarely if ever use it. I simply enjoy the open air and rarely have passengers. Having said that, I will be getting an A/C recharge done, not that it needs it, but I think one of the biggest misses with regards to the A/C compressor is making sure the R134 has enough lubricant in it for continuance of service. I'm at 96k miles and I'm due to visit my bud at Honda to get a recharge.

LuvMyTSX

Both of those are recurring issues. There have been many people on here who have had problems more than once. Unfortunately, fixing it once does not guarantee that it won't happen again.

mrgold35

I have a Honda Accord with +190,000 miles and I purchased the car used as a CPO with 30,000 miles. This car is a perfect commuter car; but, I’ve always done all scheduled maint which can get expensive.

With that high mileage, you will need to have $3,500-$4,500 in cash/credit to address any unexpected problems along with any scheduled maint. Just in the last 5 years on my Accord (from 150,000 to 190,000 miles) I’ve:

- replaced the radiator
- replaced starter
- replaced spare tire (too old, would not hold air pressure)
- replaced belts
- replaced radiator hoses
- replaced 4AT
- replaced front rotors
- AC compressor failed (haven’t fixed)
- Flushed power steering fluid
- replaced the electric radiator cooling fan

The unscheduled maint along with the scheduled maint cost me about $4,000 in the last 5 years. $4,000/60 months = $66 per month. You can add the monthly cost of $66 to $100 + car payment and see if it is more cost effective to purchase a newer car at a higher price or go for the cheaper car.

The TSX is not very cheap to work on compared to Honda Accords.

Dktran31

i personally wouldnt buy any 04 car with that much mileage, so id say spend a lil more and get a 06 or newer

Aman

I think that after 165K most of the problems have been taken care of, unless they're recurring, at which point I'd ask for the service record to see if they've recently been done.

Ask why so many kms? Why selling?

Auto? 6MT? Nav?

JimHolloman

Others have made some good points.

Here is another way to look at it. Make a guess as how many miles you will get on the engine before replacement or major rebuild. For example, in USD:

Let's say you guess you will get 200,000 miles (you do the conversion to km as required). Then, 200k - 165 k = 35k. How much per mile is $8,000 / 35,000 = 22.8 cents per mile.

The 2004 originally sold for 26-27k. How much per mile = $26k / 200 k = 13 cents per mile. Thus, your depreciation (per mile) would be much higher than the original owner's depreciation -- and the car would be overpriced. At what point (how many miles) would the depreciation be equal? But, be assured that the original owner ought to incur the bulk of the depreciation.

The answer: the car would have to go about another 74,000 miles, without any major expenses, for your depreciation, per mile, to equal the original owner's depreciation per mile.

Were the car to be involved in an accident, the insurance company would likely claim that the car was worth only a few hundred dollars because of the high mileage (the high mileage would give them an escape route).

I will leave it to you to do any applicable conversion and to verify my math. The point I am making is to look at it from a financial, and accounting, perspective; rather than just emotional. Naturally, the enjoyment of driving a TSX has some value -- but, I consider it like "good will" in accounting; hard to determine and too easily overstated.

I believe that I would seriously consider purchasing the car only after determining how much it would cost to do a major rebuild of the engine -- or to purchase a rebuilt engine and then factor that cost into my calculations. In other words, rebuilding or replacing the engine would be factored into my plans -- and once done I would send applicable documentation to the insurance company asking them to reset the mileage to reflect that you now have a zero hour, zero mile, engine.

DCyamaha

I don't know what everyone is talking about waiting for the 05 or newer.

Sure you get a couple of extra items, so whatever..

I have an 04 with 97k miles on it and it runs THE SAME as when I drove it off the lot with a couple miles on the odo. Only mod done is brembo blanks with hawk pads for better stopping.

is 8k too much for a car with 164k on it? I dont know... All I know is that with 97k my car runs and looks like new (other than the darn wheels being stained for whatever fricken reason )

LuvMyTSX

Sounds like you got a good 04, then. However, there has been a high rate of expensive repairs on 04s, including the A/C system.

I'm probably jinxing myself, but I haven't yet had the big A/C problem on my 04. But that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future (only 57k on mine). Why take a chance on this model year when the later models fair better?

Read the threads on A/C issues in the problems & fixes section and you'll get why people are saying go with 05 and newer.

curls

Anyone find it annoying that this person asked for a bunch of help, and got it, but enver once came in to thank, acknowledge, or even explain in more detail what ever happened?

davidspalding

Probably bought a Lexus or Beemer instead.