I’m looking to purchase a 2013 Acura TL from an Acura dealership in Wisconsin, but I wanted to make sure rust wasn’t an issue.

ANSWER : Rami: The areas of immediate concern when it comes to rust are brake and fuel lines and suspension or frame components. Rust on exterior sheet metal (body panels) is somewhat "cosmetic" although of course I understand that nobody wants to drive a car with visible rust. Technically speaking, and from the standpoint of safety and the cost of repairs, what you have to look for is rust on steel tubing carrying fluids and rust on the frame or suspension components. Typically, on a 4 year old car, you are not going to see anything meaningful in the way of rust in the underhood area. It will be difficult to determine the complete condition of the tubing through photographs unless they are incredibly numerous and complete.

Inasmuch as used car repair, maintenance, and restoration costs are highly dependent on the actual, as found, condition of the vehicle, the only way to get a reasonably precise estimate of costs you might face, and also to protect yourself in the transaction, is to request a pre-purchase vehicle inspection. That inspection, carried out by a certified Mechanic, dispatched to your location, will give you the exact data that you need to make a fully informed, intelligent decision and minimize your risk in buying a used car. If you look at the just cited link for YourMechanic’s inspection service, you will see a long list of the vehicle systems that must be inspected as well as details of YourMechanic’s inspection methodology. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Hi there. The noise that you are hearing is the control arm bushing are hard and need replaced. If you need further assistance with your control arm bushings, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

ANSWER : Hi there. The replacement of a VTC Actuator is not really complicated. However, it will depend on your familiarity of the Honda four-cylinder engine and whether you do the right thing and purchase a service and repair manual for your Honda CR-V; which should give you detailed instructions for completing this service.

ANSWER : This problem may be related to a dirty or faulty idle air control valve. This valve is a unit that reads the air intake as it is mixed with fuel, prior to being injected into the motor. The computer then uses this information to make fueling adjustments.

When the idle air control valve is not working properly, this may cause the motor to be over-fueled or under-fueled, depending on the conditions. This will cause a rough idle as you have described.

It is recommended that you get a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, to come to your location and replace the idle air control valve for you.

ANSWER : Let me answer your last question first regarding ultimate longevity. So long as the vehicle does not have, or does not develop, extensive (frame damaging) rust the vehicle will last forever, simply because any and all mechanical components on any vehicle can be repaired or refurbished endlessly. So, economically and technically speaking, the only thing that ends the life of a motor vehicle is rust (extensive rust on a motor vehicle frame is NOT economic or practical to repair). Most cars are sold prematurely because people get bored or, and this is a serious impediment to longevity by a given owner, can’t find an economical enough source for repairs (that’s why YourMechanic is a good solution for the public, by the way, due to the lowered costs of repairs). At any rate, my car is 27 years old. It works just like the day I bought it more than a quarter century ago and if I don’t get another 20 years out of it, I will complain to the manufacturer. In comparison to my car, your proposed 2003 model is brand new! If you bought the 2003 car, it could last you another 20 years or more.

With regard to the vehicle you are interested in, you want to confirm that the vehicle has NEVER been in a collision (Carfax might be helpful) and that the vehicle does NOT have any outstanding recall-related repairs. Apart from that, inasmuch as used car repair, maintenance, and restoration costs are highly dependent on the actual, as found, condition of the vehicle, the only way to get a reasonably precise estimate of costs you might face, and also to protect yourself in the transaction, is to request a pre-purchase vehicle inspection. That inspection, carried out by a certified Mechanic, dispatched to your location, will give you the EXACT data you are seeking. If you look at the just cited link for YourMechanic’s inspection service, you will see a long, long list of the vehicle systems that must be inspected as well as details of YourMechanic’s inspection methodology. You have additional valuable options, too, insofar as getting useful data about the vehicle model. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a free database of consumer complaints, official recalls and factory service bulletins for all makes and models, by year. I encourage you to go to the NHTSA website and enter your vehicle’s specific year, make and model and review the existing reports which will give you an excellent overview of what has actually been experienced by other owners insofar as faults in the particular vehicle you are interested in. I would post the text of the reports here, but they are detailed so it will be more practical for you to view them online (it is free). In addition, "Consumer Reports" publishes system-by-system vehicle reliability data for all years, makes, and models. This data is available free in the library or on-line if you are a paid subscriber. That reliability data will give you an excellent indication of the relative likelihood that key systems on the model (and year) of interest to you will fail at greater, or lesser, frequency compared to those rates reported for other vehicles. Obviously, what you want to be looking for in that database is an indication that the vehicle "make and model year" is not a "lemon" insofar as reliability. If you are unable to access any of these resources, or desire data of a different type, please do not hesitate for a moment to re-contact YourMechanic and we will assist you further in your attempts to make a wise used vehicle purchase.

ANSWER : Since this car is well over 30 years old then it is not valued anymore by the book value but by its collectors value. You need to keep in mind that the parts for any repairs it may need minor or major parts may not be around anymore. If a fender gets damaged then it cannot be found. The ignition and carburetors on the car are not very reliable after the age sets in. You can run into a lot of repairs and finding mechanics that know these older cars are getting hard to find. I recommend having a mechanic like one from YourMechanic do a pre purchase inspection to look for major issues with the car before you purchase it.

ANSWER : Hi there. Typically when you hear a grinding noise when you move forward or in reverse it’s usually an indication of a gear fault either in the transmission or another driveline component. If this occurs only when in reverse, it’s likely a damaged reverse gear. It is also possible that it’s a hydraulic fluid issue not supplying enough lubrication or pressure inside the lines to fully open the gear. I would recommend having a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a car is hard to shift inspection, so they can diagnose the source of your issue and recommend repairs that should resolve this problem.

ANSWER : Since the car is still new, the vehicle should be taken back to the dealer to be checked under warranty. You may need a repair or replacement of the engine assembly. The engine may have an imbalance causing the problem. There is a technical bulletin that may pertain to this vehicle and call for engine replacement. The TSB is 09-008-16 and is dated June 16, 2016.