nguyenjay

Greetings! I've been lurking the forums for awhile now and just recently registered to ask a few questions.

I'm going to sell my current car in about two weeks to bump my budget up to about (fingers crossed) 8k for a second gen TL.

I've been reading up on the second gens and it seems they're cursed with transmission problems This is my main concern because once purchased, I don't want to run into transmission problems without getting a good run out of the car, first. In addition, I won't be able fund a replacement/repair if it were to run into problems right after purchasing, for a month or two, and I can't be car-less for that long because I commute ~40 miles to work everyday.

To my knowledge, the '99 TL has a different transmission from the '00 - '03 and it still runs into transmission problems, just not as often. Because of this, I've been looking strictly at '99s, but, now I would like to broaden my search. At what mileage should I look into to avoid transmission problems shortly after purchasing, for each year? And, just to make sure I'm on the right track, I have a list of questions to ask the seller when I check out the car. Such as, has the tranny been replaced/rebuilt? Shop or recall? How many miles since? Maintenance history? Are there any other questions that I should ask? Also, what are key signs I should look out for for when I test drive the car?

Sorry if these questions are somewhere on the forum. I've read what I can about the transmission problems amongst other things. I have about 3 weeks for the right one to pop up and to make a decision. So, specific information will help me make that decision quickly once it does pop up.

I've been looking at the classifieds on this forum, craigslist, autotrader, and carmax. Are there any other favorites out there that you guys recommend?

Thank you greatly in advance for any responses!

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

If the Dealership replaced the transmission post May 2005, then it has a new design that is less prone to failure. The 99TL transmissions are also a little more reliable.

Still, I wouldn't get a 2G TL. It's NOT going to be worth it. No matter what type of transmission you get, it WILL auto suicide. If you're expecting to get a good run out of an already old tranny, you need to look elsewhere.

Swapping in a 6 speed manual is an option, but it's not cheap.

Sperry

iTrader: (1)

Wow! Eight grand? You can buy two decent copies!

For $5500 one could buy an '03 with the new transmission, ≤60K miles, and a near-perfect interior.

ou sig

I would not completely agree with this. there are tons of people with 100k+ miles on the original transmission - 4 and 5 speed models. With any used car you are running a risk of a maintenance problem. With the TL I think your risks are VERY low other than the transmission. any car with 100k+ miles on the original transmission is in a higher risk category for needing replacement. I have had very good luck with my car and have only replaced regular wear and tear items and the starter. Everything else (even the HID headlights) are original.
If you have an $8k budget I have seen some lower miles (90k or less) 99' TLs with navigation on Autotrader for under $5k. then keep the extra money on hand just in case for repairs. That is ALWAYS a good idea for ANY used car. you never want to blow all of your money on the car and risk being SOL to cover a possible repair.
FYI I have 181000 miles on my original transmission.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

why not step up to a 3G TL?
they can be had for about $8-10k

JohnieG87

Where do u live? Minimum a 3g in FL is 15k for decent condition.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

$8-10k with lots of miles.

01tl4tl

forget the TL as a `trouble free` `no extra cash outlay` used car purchase
Its simply not going to happen

Who sells theirs when its running perfect or had the 105 just done?
or has awesome recent dealer trans and new brake rotors etc
not going to happen!!!!!

take that money and get a nice used Honda with its use of 87 octane gas and usually good trans- cheaply replaced if ever needed, and much lower cost insurance

The TL is no gas miser,,it will get decent mpg on a 40 mile solid freeway drive,,
but throw in stop and go traffic- city driving,, and the needle moves much faster, approx low to mid 20s mpg

expect any used car to need an immediate 500-1000$ in tires or repairs soon after you buy it
there is always a reason the car is being sold,,,often hidden problems

accord trans are good--ck one of those out!
See out Used Car link at top of pages for member cars for sale,
could be something for you there

ou sig

you people sure are negative about the TL in this thread!
ever thought people may sell a car simply because they 1) got more money so they can buy a newer one or 2) need something different because of family reasons?

since when is the accord transmission so much more reliable? it is basically the same as the TL one but the Accord is lighter and a bit less power - that is why it lasts longer.

the TL is tons nicer than similar year Accord models

01tl - you make it sound like every used car out there has "hidden" issues and that is simply not even close to being true. low to mid 20s MPG for mixed driving is pretty much standard for a mid sized V6 sedan even new ones.

to the OP you need to do the proper research and like I said earlier, do not blow all of your $$$ on the car purchase alone. you must have money ready for any possible repair and this goes for buying ANY vehicle

01tl4tl

ok I agree there are a few good used cars where the owner was simply upgrading
BUT
a gen2 TL is a rare member of that club

Mine 1 owner '01 was being sold due to family size upgrade to suv, and owner thought it was perfect car, shop they always used replaced ac belt and changed oil (yet missed the noise coming from ac belt tensioner dededeeee)

Needed brakes of course, and the trans died within 4 months (in warranty)
the old owner was even certain the trans was replaced at recall- nope- just oil jet kit install
So you have to inspect ANY used car, have a tech look at it on the lift
and never trust the owner to have the history correct

the accord trans may be similar to ours but have different clutch plates or amount of them etc. possible different oil passages
The weight of the car isnt causing poor fluid flow/no cooling to 2nd and 3rd gear parts!
maybe honda changed them on the TL and it didnt work out~

accord trans is a recent addition to the diy ideas floated here
oddessey trans was the original suggestion,,we are waiting on real life info on accord and ody for years and bolt up/modify info

WE all love our gen2 TL but the reality of cars approaching over 150kmiles and didnt get fluid services will encounter ps pump- steering rack issues, no 105 means tbelt living on borrowed time,,did they replace tensioners then,, or will it fail and cause massive destruction?
brake fluid goes bad and caliper seals are destroyed, pitting occurs = new (rebuilt) calipers
eventually ABS controller/modulator/pump gets me$$ed up
None of those are cheap

When someone ask about a g2 here, I look at their age and stated useage, factors of upcoming years worth of service and more. Some do get a green light!!

As a 2nd car for long freeway trips, its awesome
As a primary/only car-- daily driver in commute traffic - where the mpg drops to about 11, its a bad idea

I use honda as a generic referance on decent used cars with few reported problems and expenses, there are plenty of options

We are not trying to be negative about the car- just realistic about its purchase today- with no warranties in effect

phee

iTrader: (5)

my advice, buy and infiniti i30 or i35

vale76

The TL tranny can self destruct at any time get something else.

JohnieG87

Yes I bought my car with 151k miles on it and a bad trans. The dealer replaced it but dont know wether it was factory or used tranny. All i know is it made it from fl to tennessee and from fl to louisiana twice. Its a great car. Yes save money for repairs. So far they havent been expensive. They are nice good cars. Its my daily driver and have had it for 3 months.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I still suggest finding a clean 3G.
with 8G's! thats a nice down payment for a 12-15k car.

JohnieG87

I agree w/justnspace

brnm8brn

or just look till you find a deal you can't pass up. i got my 01 tl for 2k, only problem i'm dealing with is the random misfire that i am working my way thru and i think it has the original tranny with 130k miles on it, runs like a dream even with the misfire. just sayin don't rush just wait until you find something you can't pass up

nguyenjay

I would like start off by thanking you all for the responses and info!

Now, I've talked to several friends about getting a new car by next month and what my budget is. They, too, have told me I can get something better with the budget I will end up with and I'm aware of this, myself. But, I'm just so sprung over how the 2G looks, especially with the OEM lip kit.

My commute to work is mainly highway, but, of course, L.A. traffic is inevitable. So, there are stop and go's here and there. After reading the replies, the positives about the 2nd gen outweighs the negatives. I'm not worried about the minor repairs. It's the transmission I'm worried about most because, like I stated in my original post, I can't be without a car for too long. I'll still be keeping my eyes peeled for one, and will probably venture into looking at the 3rd gen's.

Thanks again for all the replies! And, I'm always open to more information and suggestions!

phee

iTrader: (5)

^change your plugs and all coil packs. clean injectors, problem solved

pickler

im the first owner of a 2003 TL still running on original transmission. I have done only fluid, tire and brake changes in the past 8 years. very reliable car 5/5. Only thing is the fuel economy. In the city i sometimes get horrible mileage ~14mpg. This car is a great Highway cruiser and you can score 27 mpg easy in the freeway but it seems to me you drive only city. The gas costs is really busting my wallet in mostly city driving. So i might recommend you look at the TSX instead.

yeedatoy

14mpg!? what spark plugs are you running?

brnm8brn

already went thru all of that, pulled the front fuel rail last night and had two broken injectors gonna replace those today and see if thats all it needed, by the way even with the misfire i get 19mpg in town and 29 on wide open highway

Edward'TLS

The 2G TL has a faulty designed transmission. It's tranny failure rate is abnormally high. The Acura extended warranty coverage for 2G TL's has all expired. A tranny rebuild/replacement cost is ~$3-5K.

BUT it doesn't mean all 2G TL's will have premature tranny failures. However, not even Acura knows which 2G TL's will, and which 2G TL's won't.

All above are FACTS. The only negative thing about the TL is that Honda has designed a crappy tranny and has put this crappy tranny in the 2G TL's.


Nguyenjay, just read through all the tranny failure threads in this 2G forum, and you'll know how many people are having problem dishing out the $$$ to have the tranny fixed (without any more factory exteneded tranny warranty coverage) and are regretting buying the used 2G TL's which have tranny failures later on.

So, on the safe side, avoid buying used 2G TL's to protect yourself from potential headaches.

Like I said earlier, not all 2G TL's will have this premature tranny failure. It's like playing Russian roulette, and waiting for the ball to land into your own slot.

Nguyenjay, it's not too late. You are still able to choose.

It's your call after all. But I would play safe.

ou sig

wow 14MPG?
worst I have ever gotten was 19 with 100% city driving. my normal daily commute of 40 miles with about 25 miles of it highway gives me 22.5 - 23mpg consistantly. 100% highway gives me 27 - 28mpg.

Edward'TLS yes I know all about the transmission recalls and issues. I have been on this site for a long time and owned my car for longer. The deal is there are tons of used vehicles and many of them have their 1 or 2 big potential issues or some have 5 - 10 small issues that happen often. of course there are exceptions in all cases but the key is to 1) educate yourself about the car you are looking at and its potential weak spots and 2) keep some money back to keep yourself safe. any car w/o a warranty is a potential maintenance risk.
spending $5 - 8K on a used car even if you have to spend a few grand on it to keep it running is a lot better financially vs getting a $25k loan to pay off in 5 years like many people do. And I dont know of any other 4 door sedan in that price range I would rather have.
of course I am biased because I have not had a transmission failure

my.daily'tl'

Might also wanna get your valves checked. If theyre out of spec or on the way out youre losing power and gas mileage. Didnt see that in your maintenance.

bangdangvn

Just purchased my '99 2g for $1500 with 140K. Couple of hail damage but nothing severe. Spent another few hundred for basic maintenance like oil change, plugs, brakes, etc. so far the only thing I am concern about is the clunk I get in cold morning shifting to reverse. But it's a used car, you can only be cautious, but nothing is guaranteed. Good luck.

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

Motor mount. Easy Fix

Edward'TLS

There's a reason I tell buyers to stay away from used 2G TL's and CL's.

My '02 TL-S had the PCM and tranny replaced once, but the rebuilt tranny wasn't the final-edition revision. Ever since the factory tranny extended warranty had expired, I had been very eager to get rid of it, because I'll rather spend my hard-earned $5K on towards financing a new car (with a properly designed tranny) than on fixing the dead tranny on a car which wasn't worth much more nowadays.

To make things worst, I don't know whether it's in my head or not, I felt that the car had started to make rare occasion jerky hiccups - the exact telltale signs that had spelled doom to my OEM tranny many years back.

Needless to say, I got rid of my 2G TL-S in no time.

I'm pretty sure that hundreds and maybe thousands of 2G TL owners like myself are also dumping their cars with "potentially" failing trannies onto the used car market at cut-throat prices. Since the factory tranny extended warranty has already run out, expect more and more of these cars to flood the used car market with bargain prices.

That's exactly why the 2G TL/CL's are available at such too-good-to-be-true rock-bottom price tags. But these are also potential money pits that could bit the buyers' ass real bad, after a couple months or a year down the road.

There is no free lunch. Think twice before buying something that is priced dirt cheap.

Why buy a used car that has a high chance of the tranny failing ?

Unless the buyers have already bought the used 2G TL/CL's and are stuck with them, otherwise I'll always tell them to stay away from 2G TL/CL's.

yeedatoy

8k will get you a 03 6 speed CL, problem solved

BillThyCat

Unfortunately I am one of the poor saps he is talking about. I bought my 2nd gen TL with minimal research, and 8 days after I drove it off the lot the transmission started slipping. $5500 estimate from the dealer, I am still trying to save money and get it done on the cheap ($2000), not exactly cheap.... I did get it for $3900 tho, and with the extra $2000 into it, I am just arriving near the blue book value. The place I bought it from did give me a check for $550 (50% of the cost of a junkyard transmission and labor from his buddy to put it on.), I opted to take the money and use towards a better transmission than let him do what he wanted. Otherwise I might be back in the same boat in a few months.

I can't just walk away with $3900 thrown away, I'd have a hard time trying to sell it with it's current condition, and would not do the same stunt to someone else like happened to me. So I have to just suck it up and get the trans fixed and baby it along for a few years to get my moneys worth back out of it, and if the trans is still holding up, find a buyer who knows what he's buying, or pass it on to my daughter and let her drive it til it dies. Everything else on the car is 100%, so hoping it lasts for years.

BTC