Acura TSX Forum banner

Purchasing 2010 Acura TSX. Need advice!

7K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  tsx780 
#1 ·
So I was interested in a first gen TSX and I thought I had found one. 06 automatic with 93k miles. Went to check it out and I really couldn’t fall in live with the interior. Wanted black but this one was gray. Also I think there was something wrong with it cuz it seemed like it took a bit for it to get up and go when I would floor it.

Anyways, when I got there I noticed he had A 2010 TSX for only 2k more and it only has 59k miles So after I drove the first gen I drove the second gen and I fell in love with it lol.

Are the second gens as good as the first ones? What are the common problems for this year

also if there a decent market for aftermarket parts? Looking to mod it a bit.
 
#2 ·
2nd gen TSX is a very nice car and does have a more upscale look and feel than the 1st gen. You’ll for sure have an easier time finding a clean 2nd gen.

The main issue with the 2nd gen is the excessive oil burning issue. You can read more about that in this link: TSB 13-006. One indicator of the oil burning issue is the dreaded VTC rattle on cold start. You’ll have to leave the engine off overnight and start it the next morning to duplicate the failure. Not all 2nd gens have this issue and they’re generally really reliable, but the excessive oil consumption is something important to confirm if you’re in the market for one.

2nd gen doesn’t have nearly as much aftermarket support as the 1st gen. Not sure what type of mods you are interested in, but I recommend you checking out heeltoeauto.com to see what is available for your that TSX vintage.
 
#3 ·
Is there a recall for the burning oil issue? Man I would hate to have to deal with always putting oil in. Or is there a fix? The 2nd gen I want is a 2010 with 59k miles. Probably wouldn’t be showing signs of burning oil that early huh? I want to lower it for sure. Maybe an intake. Exhaust. Just things to make it a bit more quicker. Is there headers and stuff like that for it?
 
#4 ·
There was a recall, but it was only up to 8 years or 125,000 miles, whichever came first. This means the 2010 models are no longer covered. The fix requires the engine to be torn apart and refitted with new piston rings... not cheap.

Unless the seller was upfront about the oil burning issue, you can check the oil level to see if it's low or confirm the VTC rattle on cold start. With the VTC rattle, you would need to make sure that they leave the car overnight and not have them start the car until you get there to witness the rattle. If you want to avoid the problem altogether, the 2012+ models supposedly doesn't have that problem.

You may have 1-3 options for suspension, intake, exhaust, and header. I believe you're from California, so the aftermarket header will for sure not pass the smog test.
 
#6 ·
Hard to say when the problem will start. Haven't seen any definitive data that proves what mileage the problem starts happening. All I can say is that it happened to enough 2nd gen TSX's between 2009 to 2011 that Honda had to issue a recall.

The VTC rattle is a symptom as a result of the oil consumption issue. When the rattle happens, it generally means that the engine oil was low at some point which caused damage to the VTC actuator. You can replace the VTC, but that doesn't resolve the oil issue.

To have some piece of mind, I would get a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) done by a 3rd party shop. They may be able to find evidence of high oil consumption and uncover other issues that need to be addressed. If they find issues that you can live with, then that's great leverage you can use to negotiate the price of the car. I would personally pay extra for them to do a wet and dry engine compression test to confirm the health of the engine. This is what I typically do for every used car I buy.
 
#8 ·
3rd party shop simply put is an auto shop that does not have any relationship with the seller. I would look for a shop within a 5 mile radius of the seller with really good Yelp reviews or go to a shop you have a good history with. That way, it's not too out of the way for the seller and you will get an unbiased pre-inspection report.
 
#9 ·
I had mentioned that I would like to have a shop do a inspection before I get it and he was like “oh we don’t just let the car go anywhere. If you want to have it inspected I would have to call the Acura dealership and set up a appointment” but I think he was just saying that because he just wanted me to get it without having it inspected first. Cuz I’m from out of town and he knew that.

I’m saying all that because I had read some reviews on his businessand They were mostly good. I remember reading one where the guy said the owner of the dealership let him take the car to have it inspected at a shop down the street, but yet he told me they don’t let the car go to just any shop. Seem fishy to you?

I ended up not taking the car that day anyways for a different reason. that whole day this whole thing I just explained to you was really bugging me. I kinda felt like maybe he was trying to hide something or maybe he just really didn’t know if there might be something wrong with it and didnt want to take the chance of me finding out so he tried to steer me away from getting the inspection. I called him back later on that day and said “hey so you said if I wanted to have the car inspected first we would have to do it at the Acura dealership right? Ok well can we go ahead and set that up then?” and he goes “ yea ok I’ll go ahead and call them and see what they have available and how much it will cost, And if I can find a mechanic or shop around That can do it sooner I’ll let you know”
 
#10 ·
That situation sounds really fishy. I would avoid having the dealership set any PPI on your behalf. It's fair that they want an actual Acura dealership to do this type of inspection, but the way they are doing this deal sounds like a conflict of interest. Your gut may be onto something.

When I got the PPI done in the past, I provided the shop address of my choice. If they didn't agree to those terms, then it was a no deal. In fact, when we bought my dad's truck, the dealer was willing to give us the keys so that I can drive it myself to another shop for the PPI. Everything is negotiable, so I would just make it clear to them that you want to do the inspection on your terms. If they say "no", then I would use that experience as a data point and look elsewhere.

If you're shifting your search to 2nd gen automatic TSX's, you should have an easier time finding a clean one.
 
#12 ·
Other 2nd gen owners should chime in, but from what I've read, the only other issues reported were speaker blow out, sticky rear disk pads, and some paint quality issues. I don't think these issues were as wide spread as the high oil consumption though and are either easily fixed or identified when you check out the car.

Btw, this is a very good primer that you can use when buying used cars and is simple to do on your own without a shop.
 
#13 ·
I have a first gen - pearl white with tan leather/NAV - with an immaculate interior that I’ve pampered for 11 years...it’s an ‘06 that I bought from an Autonations dealer at the end of ‘09.

I just did new plugs, new brakes, new TOYO tires and had the valves adjusted...runs like new...169000 miles.
 
#14 ·
Stop buying up my future beloved low mileage TSXs yet grrr :p

As far as aftermarket goes they're identical to 8th generation Accords, which aren't many to begin with.
For suspension, there are the usual Honda suspension makers(Hardrace, etc) and SPC offering camber kits.
For coilover you have several options. Teins are cheap & not shitty, add Swift springs for more compliant ride, Koni yellows can be fitted with Ground Control coilover sleeves, and there are companies like Fortune Auto, AMR Engineering, and some custom shock builders in Miata/S2000 forums who are willing to work as long as you send them OEM ones.
UR makes some anti roll bars for 2G TSX although you could get by using 4G TL ones which are way stiffer than TSX ones. If you decide to go this route, remember the 19mm RSB is STIFFER than 20mm because 20mm is mostly hollow inside.

For engine there is Ktuner and bunch of compatible forged internals so your hp can be as high as your budget.

Transmission is thought to be reliable with ATF cooler up to 350whp although I personally don't know how.

And the 1st gen TSX has high-revving engine which means the engine will not make any tangible "power" when below 4000rpm, even if you floor the pedal. Most cars except Honda don't go for high-revving engines so I felt like the car lacked power from the get go when I first drove 3G TL which I ended up owning until present.

2G have unibody rocker panels (no plastic cover, just bare chassis with paint) and I've had crazy people kick it to clean their feet before getting in the car so you might want to put some clear PPF over those areas...

2G TSX V6s require steady diet of premium fuel but 4cyls do not. Just recommended to use premium for rated power.
 
#16 · (Edited)
47213


Text Font Line Screenshot Media




I'm going to take Honda's word over yours. Or you should have said "for optimal performance, i4 requires 91 octane". Unoptimal performance does not equal engine damage, and it is specifically noted that LESS than 87 will lead to damage so 87 will not damage the engine, which should be sufficient unless you are racing for 100's of $$ for 0.001 second.

Required is not same as recommended as many many 3.2 3G TLs, which is also recommended to run 91 but requires minimum of 87, have been running just fine on 87 for decades now.
 
#17 ·
I bought a 2010 TSX MT with 66k miles (now 71k) in December of last year. I definitely have a small amount of oil being eaten by the engine but make sure it is topped up every week or two. Starts aren't the cleanest, but nothing like what I have heard of the dreaded VTC rattle. Recommend to get the piston rings replaced sooner than later? And I have heard of some people getting Acura to cover it still, is that an option?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top