Older Acura TLs

billyperks · March 2003

I bought mine 12/30/02 and I did not receceive any extended warranty.My car was manufactured 11/02, so far 1900 miles trouble free.

richard52 · March 2003

I just received the Consumer Reports April auto issue. They continue to give their highest rating for reliability to the TL transmissions on all but the 01 models to which they give their second highest rating ( above average reliability). Either their research is flawed or this transmission problem is over blown. They also continue to reccomend used TLs as best bets. Acura is also listed as the most reliable brand over all.

junebug56 · March 2003

Thanks for the info. I have wondered where all this would go. I have looked at Camry's and some GM's. They all have their issues and problems. I do think the TL is a 'cut above' the rest. Does anyone know if the stereo system is XM ready?? I heard it this past week-end and was blown away. It would sound awesome in the TL. 181 channels and only $10 a month! What a deal! With the sunroof open on a sunny Florida day-life doesn't get much better than that! Thanks for the info. That makes me feel more at ease about the TL and it's problem.

fwatson · March 2003

"I just received the Consumer Reports April auto issue. They continue to give their highest rating for reliability to the TL transmissions on all but the 01 models to which they give their second highest rating ( above average reliability). Either their research is flawed or this transmission problem is over blown. They also continue to reccomend used TLs as best bets. Acura is also listed as the most reliable brand over all."
=======================
It also shows the Toyota Camry with their best reliability ratings for the engine for the past five years. This despite an apparent oil sludge problem that has been hotly debated on the web for a long time now.

It is really confusing as to why both cars are suffering from negative posting on the internet about these supposed problems while the CR Owner Survey does not turn up evidence of either problem.

kyfdx · March 2003

Not really confusing. People that have problems tend to sound off more. The CR owner survey is sent to all subscribers, who tend (speaking from personal experience) to fill out the surveys whether they have problems or not. I would think a survey of a cross section of consumers would be a more reliable barometer of reliability than anecdotal "evidence" in a chat room.

dulnev · March 2003

My understanding that 2003 TL's radio is not XM-ready. The '04 TL's stereo is rummored to be.

In any case, adding an XM receiver to any car is not big deal at all. I'm planning to get the Pioneer one installed in the next couple of weeks. It's the best choice for me, since I don't ever intend to use it outside of my car.

richard52 · March 2003

My personal experience backs up CR's conclusions. Ther are 4 TLs on my street and many of my colleagues drive either a CL or a TL and to date I have found none with a problem with their transmission. This leads me to believe that maybe the problem is a bit overstated by some unlucky owners.

junebug56 · March 2003

Thanks for the info. I know quite a few people that have TL's also. None have ever had transmission troubles. I have spoken to each owner and they all LOVE the car and it's drive and all the "stuff" it comes with. I do know, I had never heard of the trannie problem until I logged into Car Discussions and read the postings. After reading LOTS of boards about other models, I'm convinced every car will have something go wrong to someone, somewhere. We all just want to find the best value for our money and have fun with the car we end up with. It's all a matter of our personal choice.

randomguy11111 · March 2003

Hi guys, good to see owners so enthused on their cars... I am looking at getting a pre-owned or just used 99 3.2 TL. I was curious what you guys thought about:

1. The interior. It looked very nice to me, but I read a lot of people complaining about it for some reason.

2. The ride/handling. I drive an old Altima and occasionally a BMW so I have range of experience, but wanted to hear from owners.

3. Just out of curiosity, how is the sound system? Are their radio controls on steering wheel? I heard a complaint or two here, but at least on the '02 sounded great to me...

peter7777 · March 2003

Can the steering wheel radio control on the TL be set to access a series of FM and AM stations? In other words can it be programmed to FM 90.9, FM 88.1, and AM 1500 so that these 3 stations can be accessed by pushing the steering wheel control three times?

amazon · March 2003

randomguy11111
1. I like the interior in my '03, except for the lack of headroom.
2. OK. Try it.
3. Sounds good. Yes, it has steering wheel controls.

bear2day · March 2003

Select Fm, you get FM preset stations, CD, you can change cd tracks. AM, am preslected stations.

tedescm1 · March 2003

Does anyone know when the 2004 TL will be released? Has anyone seen a picture of the new body style?

jchan2 · March 2003

I believe that the TL will be Accord based once again and that it will come out for the 04 model year. Another good possibility is sticking with FWD for design purposes. Hope this TL is a good one, bigger than a TSX and less sportier but smaller than and sportier than the RL.

peter7777 · March 2003

I guess that I can get used to selecting FM or AM on the dash. I kind of doubt that the 04 TL will expand the steering wheel radio control options since the re-designed '03 Accord appears to have the same basic channel changing capability as the TL. Hope I'm wrong on that though.

dan_bmw · March 2003

I own a 2001 3.2 TL which is basically the same as the 99. I think you are making an excellent choice but I am partial to the TL Type S in the 02 and 03MYs. The car is very quick due primarily to a great engine, 5 speed OD transmission and a 4:11 rear. Mine does 0-60 in 6.8 seconds. It handles ok but does not compare to my BMW. I would add 17" mags with conti or Michelin Perfomance road tires when you need new tires. I would also consider Koni Shock upgrades if you want great handling. My only problems were minor and all fixed by the dealer...Sunroof rattle...Torn leather on the drivers seat and a passenger heated seat partial failure. I love my Acura TL and so does my wife. Best Wishes

Dan

dan_bmw · March 2003

I just reached 36000 miles and it is time to buy new tires. The only thing I really dislike about my TL is the ugly tires and rims and I would like to replace them with 17 inchers. I saw a nice set of chromes at the dealer but I do mot know the cost. I like tires that show the thread and stand out with a high performance look. Additionally I am looking for a high quality, high performance road tire. Can anyone suggest any combinations of new mags and tires based on your experience or knowledge?

Thanks

Dan

ant_live01 · March 2003

Dan, check out my post #1913 I really did a lot of research on which tires are best all season high performance. The Bridgestone Turanza LS V's are great. Go to http://www.tirerack.com and look at the rating. I'm very pleased with them, they have brought new life to my TL.

satire · March 2003

I sold my 99 TL to my best friend who is just now coming up on the 30K mileage mark. He read the manual and it says a few things should be replaced with a whole list of things to be "checked". Marin Acura quoted him a service price of $480. That seems a little high for an oil change, air filter, a couple of other small items and then several things just being "checked". Anyone else had to pay this much? If not, what should it cost? All comments most appreciated.

ant_live01 · April 2003

My suggestion is don't do it. The only thing that really needs to be done is the oil change, Air filter and inspection of the brakes. All other things are just as they say. Inspections of things, which is not worth $480. I have 66,000 on my 2001, dayum I know thats a lot but its mainly highway, anyway, I never get those service check ups and my car runs great.

acur8 · April 2003

One of the more expensive (recommended) procedures done at 30,000 miles is the air CONDITIONER filter change. Perhaps that's why the $480 quote.A dealer told me the dashboard had to be removed to replace this filter...? Anybody have any experience with this? Also..my ('01) manual says oil capacity is 4.6 qts with filter change - but an old sales brochure says 5.0 qts - which is correct?

fredvh · April 2003

Approximately what kind of mpg are you getting on your TL? Have you had any problems?

ant_live01 · April 2003

I'm getting around 27-29 mpg and had no problems except for the tranny issue. I was told that if you didn't live in a area where there is alot of dust and the weather is not hot, changing your air filter is not neccessary for 30,000. For the oil, I believe it 5qts.

s852 · April 2003

If it needs to be changed every 30K miles, it is outrageous that they made it so inaccessible that the entire dashboard needs to be disassembled to reach it.

dulnev · April 2003

I took my 2000TL to a local mechanic specializing in Honda/Acura and paid $140 for service which included the oil change, changing air filter, changing transmission fluid and inspecting everything else.

acur8 · April 2003

Did some research on the cabin (or air conditioner)air filter. You don't need to take off the dashboard. You do need to remove the glovebox and some plastic parts. I believe it's within the grasp of most mechanically-inclined people. There's a good description of how to do it at acura-tl.com. Plus I found over there that apparently Purolator has an exact OEM
replacement filter...and Pep Boys charges $5.99 each for them (much less than what dealers want.)

mdxguy · April 2003

My sources tells me that the New 04 TLs will be out around August.

tedescm1 · April 2003

To mdxguy:

Any word on whether there will be price increase?

who is your source?

akal50 · April 2003

The dealer told me the new TL will range between 32-35K and no Type-S is planned for 2004. I think part of the reason for the price increase is to avoid having the TL compete with the TSX and Honda Accord. A fully-loaded Honda Accord EXV6 with Navi tops out at 29K. The TSX ranges from 26-30K and if a Type-S TSX comes along, that might reach 32K. I also think Acura is feeling more confident that they have a good entry-level luxury model that can challenge the Lexus ES300. Before a lot of people dismissed the TL as a dressed up Accord because the interior had cheap materials. Maybe the new TL has addressed this issue.

tmharrell · April 2003

I have read about the TL in several discussions and seem to find two divergent opinions: a) "love it" and b) "not as good as I expected". The "b)" opinions seem to be about small stuff (I am not referring to the transmission problem, which has supposedly been addressed by Acura), varying from squeaks and rattles to electronics to weather seals. I have owned several reliable, trouble free Hondas and am puzzled by these negative opinions. Even the JD Power rating for the 2003 does not look very good for the TL. I guess my question is for the TL owners who love their cars: do you love it in spite of the problems you have or do you have no problems?

Incidentally, I am new to this Edmunds site and find it great for researching cars. I was all set to buy a Lexus ES 300 until I read those discussions.

akal50 · April 2003

If you wanna see the new TL, go to

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=89452

akal50 · April 2003

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=89452

mariner7 · April 2003

Does anyone beside me think RL and TL are redundant? They're both based on Accord platform. Acura could offer one model with options of 3.2/3.5L and FWD/AWD. Especially since its market is limited to NA and Japan.

billyperks · April 2003

No.

lgtltd · April 2003

I have one of the first issue 2002's which came out in 3/01 and have always had high praises for the transmission. It is very responsive and performs flawlessly except for a little slowness in engaging to drive from reverse which it has done from day 1. The service department advised that it was protecting itself from abusive drivers who do not stop before shifting. I just rolled over 20k miles and concerned with comments about trans failure. I would like to hear what the early warning signs would be from owners who have experienced failure. Thanks

acur8 · April 2003

Definitely put me in the 'A' category. Like you I also had a Prelude which I loved. I believe there is some nit-picking on these boards. I know a couple of people who had tranny problems and STILL
love their TL. For the record, I have 32,00 miles on my '01, no tranny problems, and even though I drive over crappy NYC streets I do NOT have the squeaks and rattles that others have complained about.

varmint · April 2003

So, I'm looking at those fuzzy pics of the TL concept and I'm wondering, "does it have the side marker lights in the side-view mirror, just like the TSX?". Then I look closer and notice that I can't see ANY side-view mirrors!

Definitely just a concept car.

chinee · April 2003

Go to acura.com and register on their owner link. There is information there concerning the transmission warranty and what to look for in a poorly operating tranny.

akal50 · April 2003

Yes it's a concept car. That's what it says on the summary above the photos. I'm sure the real TL will have mirrors with the side marker lights.

varmint · April 2003

There are concept cars, and then there are concept cars...

Take the MDX concept as an example. It had wood floors, radical seats, and relatively compact dimensions. The interior of the production version is nearly a carbon copy of the TL (as conservative as possible) and the rig is fairly large.

I guess what I'm saying is that we should not expect the production version to be anything like this concept. I wouldn't get my heart set on the styling of that TL concept. It's probably a pipe dream.

akal50 · April 2003

I have a feeling the production model WILL look a lot like the one in the picture. It's basically a bigger TSX and since the TSX styling is already out there, it seems this is the direction Acura is leaning towards for its cars. I predict they'll add the TSX mirrors with the turn-signal light, give it 16" wheels standard while making the 17" and 18" ones optional. The big question is whether the line along the side will remain and if those will be the actual door handles used.

lenscap · April 2003

As the owner of a 2002 ES 300 I can tell you that any problems you've read are the voice of a very small group of people. My car is the seventh Lexus in the family and is as good if not better than any of the others (and that includes three LS 400s). And between relatives and friends I know three others with the new ES 300, again all with no problems. My advice - don't let what you read on this site necessarily affect your buying decision. It may not be very representative as negative comments seem to be heard far more loudly than positive ones. I believe the most recent research indicates ES 300 owners, along with BMW 3 Series owners, are more likely than anybody to buy the car again if they had to do it all over and have the highest satisfaction with their cars.

That being said, the TL is a wonderful car also (although it has a slightly different mission than the ES 300 - less luxury but more sport). My family has also owned four Acuras over the years. The only problem with any of them is the 2001 CL-S, which needed a new transmission at 15,000 miles. But that was replaced quickly and there have been no problems since. I would highly recommend any Lexus or Acura.

s852 · April 2003

I looked at both the Acura TL and ES300. The New ES300 is so ugly. I liked the 2001 ES300's looks, but it felt so old even compared to a TL when I test drove it. I wanted to like the new, redesigned ES300, but they messed it up so horribly.
It is one of very few cars I would not buy based only on looks. I did not like the styling of the 2003 Accord that much when I first saw it, but it was not bad enough to dimiss it based only on styling.
The Avalon is another car in the same general class with unacceptable styling.

fredvh · April 2003

What did you think about the TL as it compares to the 2003 ES300?

s852 · April 2003

The TL is now old and ready to be replaced. The ES300 is still too ugly, so it isn't even under consideration and I don't bother to look at the ES300 boards.
Maybe the next Lexus IS will be nicer and a little less cramped in the backseat whenever it gets redesigned. The IS300 is looking a little old now also since the Altezza styling isn't aging very well compared to a BMW or Audi or even the TL.

hclll · April 2003

Type-S wheels kook much better than regular TL's starfish wheel. I saw someone selling type-S wheels on ebay, and wanted to buy them.

My question is, can those type-S wheels be installed on regular TL which had 16'rims?

bchandl1 · April 2003

Does anyone know if the 2004 TL will have an
updated nav system similar to the one on the TSX
and will it have built in XM radio?

varmint · April 2003

"In addition to providing a glimpse of the design that will be applied to the 2004 TL when it goes on sale this fall, Acura announced that the '04 TL will be fitted with some of the latest high technology available, including the world's first automotive application of multichannel DVD Audio 5.1, Bluetooth wireless telephone connectivity and XM" Satellite Radio."

Acura News

carguy58 · April 2003

You have to remember Acura's have always been sportier than Lexus's and Acura has a younger audience than Lexus does. On the ES 300 I did think the 97-99 ES 300 had classic looks going for it. Didn't like the refeshening for the 00 model year(it was ok but liked the 97-99 style better.) The new one isn't ugly I don't know it is, its hard to explain: I just think the 02+ ES 300's are awkward and kinda bland looking. TL: I still like the looks of it. The pictures I saw for the 04 TL looked like the Infinti G35: I only caught small glimpes of the spy shots though. On the new Accord: its either love or hate and I'm on the hate side. I did see a guy drving one who couldn't have been older than 30. My Mom likes it too. If I'm looking at an Accord just for style alone give me the 96-97 body style. If I'm going or style now a good choice would be the VW Passat pr Mazda 6 for sedans. Lastly, On the Avalon: The 98-99 body style was beautiful. They ruined the 00 Avalon and turned it into a Lincoln type of car. Toyota also ruined the 4 Runner(97-02 model was classic looking.) The 03 looks corny. I tried to like the Corolla: the shape of the tailights bother me.

robertsmx · April 2003

Couple of pictures of the 2004 Acura TL Concept.
Picture 1
Picture 2

Production variant should be close. Side mirrors instead of cameras and 16" rims instead of 18 or 19 inchers are the best candidates to not make it to production. This version is apparently 'several inches' shorter than the current TL.

More pictures at: www.wieck.com/public.

Older Acura TLs

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