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.

  • MajorHavoc@programming.devEnglish
    111·
    4 hours ago

    My Honda Accord was the most reliable lowest maintenance vehicle I ever owned.

    I’m always looking for one when I’m car shopping.

    And the ones I find for sale are usually a scam.

    Beware if you’ve come across it online - a used Honda Accord is the most common car to create a scam sales listing online for, (because people like me like them so much).

    Honda Accord is a famously reliable vehicle.

    An older Accord in working condition is more common than many vehicles, but I have found that people rarely sell a working condition used Honda Accord. I sold mine to a relative to keep all that lovely reliability in the family.

    There are two main ways to spot the scam:

    • The car is usually priced substantially below the bluebook value.
    • The seller promises things that rational people would never promise. My favorite that I have seen is “my brother will drive it three hours to a city near you to let you test drive it”. Nobody’s brother likes them “drive 6 hours to lose money on selling a car too cheap to an online stranger”. My own brother doesn’t like me that much.
    • CarFax reports will often contain a warning “this vehicle VIN has been reported as being used in scams”.

    Here’s some resources for not getting scammed when car shopping: These might be really important. The last thing you need is to lose $2,000.00 right now.

    And to be really clear, there is no actual car to sell at all, in these scams. The scam isn’t selling a bad car or a different car. They’re just lying about being willing to sell the car, to get money through unreversable financial transactions.

    I hope you follow safe practices, and get a great little Honda. I’ve had so many people attempt to steal money from me just because I wanted a used Honda Accord.

    Edit: Assuming no scam:

    • I’ve had very old Honda Accords drive quite reliabily with little maintenance.
    • I’ve felt like every 21 year old car I’ve ever driven was at risk of needing $3,000.00 of transmission work. That’s just very old for a car.
    • The Consumer Reports link I put above puts the functional life of a Honda Accord at 200,000 to 250,000 miles. The mileage of this car for sale is a hint. If it’s down near 150,000, I wouldn’t be worried. If it’s up past 200,000, I wouldn’t want to risk it. I can’t imagine a car this old having mileage below 200,000, though. Back to scams, a scammer will tell you any mileage you want to hear. The CarFax report will have last recorded mileage each time the vehicle sold.
    • If you need to risk it, listen to the engine carefully during your test drive. If I heard anything unusual whatsoever, I would walk away at the speed of “I don’t have a spare $3,000.00, today.”
    • And if you need to risk it, drive it to a nearby mechanic during your test drive. (Tell the owner you plan to, of course.) Call the mechanic ahead to make sure they have time, but most will do an assessment for less than $100, and many do it free, particularly if you’re polite and act thankful and catch them at a low business hour (earlier in the day, usually).

    Source: Buying new cars is for suckers. I only buy used. I had to learn a bunch about how to buy safely, but I get my cars for so much cheaper than people who buy new.