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I'm in the process of buying a used 2004 Acura RSX automatic from a Toyota car dealership. It has 55,000 miles on it and has been driven in ny/pa its entire life. It has a fairly detailed carfax report that shows it as having two owners and no real problems. It is listed at $9995 and I am told it was a trade-in two months ago. They said they spent $1200 in replacing four tires and touching up the brake pads and rotors. It seems like a good deal but it has been sitting on the lot since 12/20/09 and I first looked at it on 2/5/10. Seems like this car would have gone a lot sooner. Any advice?  

That seems like a fair price.  Be careful to inspect the car for any damage and make sure they are offering some sort of warranty.  
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It is no surprise a used car can sit on a dealer's lot for 60-90 days. Take a guess how long a Ferrari sits before its sold. It doesn't mean its a bad car. Anyways it is good news actually because dealer now will be more likely to offer you a discount since it is aged inventory. So you should be able to get a better deal. The brakes after sitting will have some minor surface rust. Make sure to look at that again before buying the car. For more used car buying tips try used car buying articles  

To determine whether it's a good deal, I'd suggest a couple of steps on you part:

1 - Check the wholesale/tradein value of the vehicle.  Get that from Kelley Blue Book (or, my favorite, NADA DEALER EDITION).  That right there will clue you in as to whether the asking price is reasonable.

2 - If you're truly nervous about the car's condition, get an independent inspection performed.  While it's true that a car may be "Certified", some conditions (ie: gasket or valve problems) may not fully reveal themselves until just after the warranty has expired.  An independent mechanic can shed a lot of light on those potential problems.

3 - Ask for real proof of the $1,200 investment.  I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the dealer is spouting RETAIL value of those alleged repairs.  You should allow only for his true cost in those things.

And, as others have stated, the fact it's been on the lot since 12/20 means only that the asking price is higher than the market will bear.  This means you have plenty of leverage for negotiating with the car dealer.

I hope this helps!

Jon Anders  
http://www.OutfoxTheCarDealer.com