shaselai

http://fayetteville.craigslist.org/cto/3010078551.html

it is 83k miles but asking 10k. I did check on price sites kbb 12-14 . Edmunds 9-11... Is this a good buy? maybe ask 8.5k?

insxtc

I think thats a fair price given the mileage. Offer 8.5k and work from there!

MandoTL

Its not that bad in asking price! But do make sure all documents for anything serviced on the car are checked. Try doing a CarFax report so see if its been in an accident.

I would try $8.9k, IMHO. Looks pretty clean, if you test drive it, do so for a while.
check:
brakes
A/C controls are working properly
signal lights,brake lights, headlights etc.
Turn off Radio to hear any loud rattles or clunks found anywhere near the engine or rear.
And of course how smooth the motor shifts.

Also consider taking it to an indy shop for an inspection or go to the dealer to get it done. (Best $110 I spent)

shaselai

thanks for fast response! in terms of getting the car checked... what is the rule of thumb of who pays for that? is it like the buyer pays if he decides to not buy the car otherwise it gets deducted from the total price?

lusid

You can go about it and say. X Y Z needs repairing, 10k - X Y Z = final price.

Something like that.

MandoTL

^this. thats why you thoroughly check and get it professionally checked, than negotiate from there. But do get it checked out to see if motor mounts need changing etc. I know mine's did, and they were not cheap, the owner refused to pay for them but would lower the price to factor those in.
So i'd bring up the bigger problems and see if you can lower the price that way.

DeathMetal

iTrader: (2)

Check the front control arm bushings.

mY sLOW UA6

Very fair price check it out, and work from there.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Looks good to me.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

The buyer will pay to have the car checked out and whether you purchase the car or not, it will be out of your pocket. The $10k is a very fair price, but I'd like to see what a few cosmetic blemishes might entail. As the KBB, private owner, has a low of $12175 fair condition, $14325 excellent, most all sellers have a good idea of what the asking price should be, so if the price is low, there is a problem or a reason why, so be leery of the advertisement or car. Also see that the car has been debadged.

Mo05TL

+1 The buyer typically pays for the inspection or to get it checked out. Most sellers will price a decent car pretty close to Blue book as a starting point assuming they will get talked down so there may be a known issue vausing him to ask a couple thousand less.

wall e

its 2012 and your looking for a 2004? Its nice to know that you still want a 3G given all the different options available right now. I don't blame you :P

Mo05TL

lol, 3g TL's will never be out of style!

Undying Dreams

iTrader: (3)

If it's in good condition and was maintained properly, then it is a fair price.

Btros

Wow, I must have been looking in the wrong area, because when I was in the market for a TL with similar miles, everything I found was around $14-$15k. I finally got mine with 73k miles for $12,750 and I think I got a great deal. It obviously does depend on the mechanical and cosmetic condition of the car though.

JD TL-S

iTrader: (1)

Thats low mileage. And IMO a good deal at $10k

shaselai

the person is not picking up - goes straight to voice mail the past couple of days...
I found another deal that is a bit risky - kinda interested in you guys' opinions:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/3001272816.html

basically 120k asking 8500. It has some of the 100k maintenance done (belt , pump etc.) but it has a recent transmission replacement from an indy place 2 weeks ago and he wants to sell it now... Should i avoid this like a plague or try it out and offer a low price to cover possible trans replacement? and i doubt the Acura mechanics can find the transmission problem if it has it?

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

I would drive it and see how it goes. Just because the tranny is rebuilt doesn't mean it's guaranteed to fail again. I would find out where the tranny was rebuilt and how much it cost.

shaselai

yeah, the guy said it cost him ~1500 to rebuilt from an indy place. I also called acura dealer and they can provide powertrain warranty on 26k miles for 1700$. it is pricy for sure but if i can knock the total down from (8500+1700+150(windshield)) = 10350 + tags etc. = 10700 to maybe 8k would that be a good deal? this way i am covered for a couple of years and it is a decent car...

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

If he just spent $1500 replacing the transmission, I highly doubt he will lower the price that much. I know I wouldn't.

shaselai

i did get a quote from warranty direct for ~1900 100k miles/5 yrs cover pretty comprehensively. It is contingent on the car being ok for 3 months & 1k miles which i pray to god it would be (or the worst POS ever...). I think I will bring the warranty to the guy upfront so he knows where i am coming from. With that in mind, what would be a good "target" total price to have this worth it? I could try asking 7500 first to see if he budges, if we end up 8000 it would cost me ~10k for the warranty and other fees... which i think it is still relatively cheaper than other 120k 2004 TLs....

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

It might be worth it but that sounds like quite the gamble and headache.

I would drive it and see how it goes. If you're not in love or the seller won't budge, just walk away. It's not worth it.

BeezleTL85

Why are you going to spend 1900 on a warranty that will be up in 17k miles? Seems pointless

shaselai

thats the extended warranty. so from the day of purchase it goes 5 more years or 100k miles, contingent on nothing goes wrong the first 3 months & 1000 miles.

BeezleTL85

100k more miles, So until 183k?

shaselai

until 220k - this is on the 120k car with the repaired transmission.

08TL4ME

IMO on cars like these there's a fine line between book value and market value. Sometimes it really comes down to "wow that's a ton of car for the money" and what else can you get for $10,000? The other thing is buying a TL for $10,000 and selling it in a few years for $7,000 or so is a very small cost to pay for an amazing car. Obviously run a Carfax & get an inspection but if all checks out well than it's a very fair buy, otherwise take the $10,000 less recon and offer the difference.

BeezleTL85

Ohhhhhhhh, well that company is fuckin retarded if they have warranties like that, but you should def take advantage of there stupidity. You'll def be getting another tranny by 220k.
Goodluck with your purchase and remember not to rush it. You'll get the car you want sooner than later

gwiffer

iTrader: (7)

I would never buy a 3rd party warranty. They have too many stipulations on when and how much they'll pay out if something happens.

Do all of the preventative automatic transmission maintenance mentioned elsewhere in this forum and put that $1700/1900 in your emergency fund or invest it conservatively. I assume a "rebuilt" transmission means all new wear parts (seals, gaskets, friction plates, etc.), so I would do the pressure switch replacement, do regular fluid changes, and maybe add an external cooler.

JMiles_T

That's a good price. I'd buy it in a second if I needed a new one.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

While that may have been a good price back in 2012, in 2019 it is a horrible price.