I’m currently in a tough financial situation and looking for an affordable car. I’ve come across a 2003 Honda Accord, and while it seems like a decent option within my budget, I’ve heard about potential transmission problems and other issues. Would this car be a reliable choice, or could the repair costs end up being more than I can handle? I’d appreciate any advice or experiences from current or past owners.
A lot of reliable cars are reliable because they’re maintained properly. A super reliable car, can be unreliable if the owner or previous owner didnt maintain the vehicle. If you have no mechanical experience, I would highly suggest to have a mechanic you trust to look over any used car you buy. Ask for receipts as well of previous work that has been done to the car helps as well.
To elaborate here for any newbies reading along, I want to see records of:
Records of addressing any known issues common to that car are a nice plus. In OPs case, a recent transmission repair could mean the expected trouble has already been dealt with. It could come back, but the odds are better on a machine that at least had a mechanic attempt to correct the issue.