honda car advice

[rock n roll kid]

08 model with 3.5 v tech engine . 195,000 . looks very well cared for inside & out . $ 5000 out the door .
never owned a honda but i know their reputation . how good a motor is the 3.5 ? buddy who does car work says the engine in question has a lot more miles to go . i will only use for fall & winter driving as i have an other car i mostly garage in bad weather .
opinions from honda owners & those with good car knowledge much appreciated .

 

[Tradewind36]

I've put over 250,000 miles each on 2 Accords, and 150,000 on another. And they were still running strong when I sold them. It really comes down to how it was maintained. I'd have a mechanic check it out and if you get a good report you'll probably get a lot more miles out of it.

 

[joeldd]

I am pleased with my 09 Accord 3.5L. Biggest 3.5L miss is the VCM system that shuts off 2 of the 6 cylinders when little power demand. If your car has VCM a plug in called VCMuzzler (via eBay around $90) can help disable it. Plug in works by telling computer that engine is cooler than reality. Does not run hotter as it has no effect on the thermostat.

Mine is now more fun to drive, stops engine oil consumption, spark plugs last longer before fouling. Minor downsides are price and my MPG went down around 0.5 per tank full (23 instead of 23.5 mostly around town) .

Now it accelerates and drives better than new. Not attached to company, just a satisfied customer.

Most Hondas also need timing belt or chain replaced around 100k too.

Very reliable cars. Happy with mine.

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[erics]

200,000 miles the car will soon require a timing belt. Not a small item. I have had several different models and 300,000 is not unrealistic.

 

[Ethang]

I have almost 280K on my 08 Civic. I've only had two issues, one wheel bearing and the A/C clutch. I would not hesitate to drive across the country in the morning with this car.

Want a new one but just can't justify it. I expect an easy 350K before the Michigan rust becomes the problem.

 

[PJO1425]

I sold our '99 Accord to neighbor with 202000 on it; it now has 240000 on it & still running strong. Repairs since new: several sets of tires, timing belt (by mileage), front wheel bearings, hydraulic clutch cylinder, spark plugs. We replaced it with a 2010 Accord, which is running strong @ 125000 miles.

 

[e3mrk]

We had a 2000 Honda Civic that was salvaged and repaired before We bought it,Since then it has been totalled once and I was able to repair it,The darn thing ran like a scallded Dog,It was like You couldnt hurt it and it had well over 150,000 miles on the odometer at the time.Finally My Son was rear ended at a light and the Car was beyond repair so the junk Man got it but all in all I think Hondas are great Cars that with propper care just may outlive You.

 

[snowman]

I had a '91 Civic which was my everyday, primary transportation for 13 straight years; it was in every way a superior car to all my others put together. As I understand it, though, Honda got complacent/slack and quality took a significant dip in the early 2000s. I'm assuming that they've righted the ship in more recent years, but I have no evidence at my immediate disposal. You may want to read carefully the Consumer Reports buyers guide to get a more accurate, complete picture of things. Also check Eric The Car Guy's YouTube channel; he was a Honda technician for a number of years and has inside information on the ups and downs of the brand.

Regards,
Andy

 

[bamabiker]

Let's see, my wife had a CR-V with well over 200,000 when we sold it and she got a Pilot.
We bought one daughter a CR-V that had over 200,000 on it when she was in high school and it had over 300,000 when we sold it and she got an Element.
My oldest daughter had an Accord while in college. She graduated and got a nice job and bought a newer Accord. I kept her old one an use it for an extra car and it has about 245,000 on it now.
My other daughter just sold her 2002 CR-V with 240,000 on it and bought a Pilot.
I guess you could say we like Hondas.
I know you asked about a certain motor but to be honest I couldn't tell you what motor was in any of those cars.

 

[gman51]

5 grand with that mileage is unreal holding resale. Hondas are excellent vehicles and people often get rid of them way before they should. I would check on cost for timing belt replacement at that mileage if it hasn't been done already.
I had an 1984 Toyota p/up with a 22r 4 banger I bought new and sold it 10 years later with 228,000 miles on it. Still ran like a top. I saw it a couple years later and it still was running great. Someone turned the mileage back to around 80,000.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I'm a car guy. I love to drive, and I buy a new car every four years or so. I've owned several Hondas, and have driven them up to 125,000 miles with no problems.

My friend Pete, however, is NOT a car guy. To him, a car is an appliance, a tool, nothing more. He buys them, drives them and maintains them, and then gets rid of them when they wear out.

He just turned 65, and has owned about 6 cars in his life. Two of them have been Honda Accords. He put almost 400,000 miles on his '86 Accord without ever having to open up the engine or do any major work on it. (He sold it to his mechanic for parts because the unibody was severely rusted.)

In 1998 he bought a new Accord, which he still has. That car now has almost 400,000 miles on it, and is still running strong.

That Honda you're considering has a lot of life left in it...good luck.

 

[Breakaway500]

Condition is everything on a car or any machine. Have it checked out by a professional mechanic even if you have to pay one to look at it.You cannot go by just the numbers. I've seen rolling toilets at 80k miles and jewels at 300k..so condition is paramount. Hondas are good cars..but only when given proper care.They are just as much a nightmare when neglected as are all the others.

 

[wingriderz]

Honda are very good 250 to 300 k all day every day

 

[Arik]

Which model Honda?

Guys, let's not compare 80s or even 90s Honda's to 2000 and newer. Completely different things. Honda is good at making 4cyl cars. 6cyl they been having issues with certain models.

Mid 2000 they had issues with the TL transmissions. I don't know if the same transmission was used with the 3.5 engine. Honda never did a recall because they considered if you can get 70 - 100k out of a transmission then it was functioning normally. I don't remember when they redesigned it.

The TL is of course an Acura but I don't know which parts they share and which are proprietary.

Don't just look at KBB, do some research.

More Advice On Acura TL Transmission Failures And Recall » Topix

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[Ranger17]

the miles wouldn't bother me if i was the one who put them on
(or I knew who did).... if not, then i'd definitely take it to a strong mechanic to look over what i could not see to confirm or deny how good the car's value may be

 

[forindooruseonly]

I own a Honda, and have had the V-6 Honda in the past.

Unless you have documentation that the timing belt has been changed recently, that is the first thing you need to do. 200k means that it should have been changed once already, and is at the mileage that it will need it again. They need them about every 100k miles, so it's due.

As far as how much life is left, it's really a case by case situation on how it's been taken care of. However, my 05 accord has just under 430,000 miles on it right now. Take care of it, and it'll last.

Mid 2000 they had issues with the TL transmissions. I don't know if the same transmission was used with the 3.5 engine. Honda never did a recall because they considered if you can get 70 - 100k out of a transmission then it was functioning normally. I don't remember when they redesigned it.

The early 7th gen. cars had the bad V-6 transmission, it was redesigned in 2006-2007, depending on when the car was built. 2003-2005 were notorious for failing transmission. None of the 8th gens like the one in question have the transmission issue. However, I do understand that the 8th gens have been less reliable than the 7th.

However, do your due diligence. Is the tranny fluid dark or burnt? Hows the oil and coolant look? If you aren't sure what to look for, take it to a mechanic.

driveaccord.net is a good place to do a little research

 

[hoosierone]

I've owned a '99 CRV, an '07 Accord V-6 and now have a '14 Accord V-6. The '99 and '07 are currently owned by my grandsons. Zero problems with either car, just routine maintenance. Recently I helped another grandson locate his first car, an '06 Civic.

In my youth I had two Honda motorcycles, both were fine machines with zero problems.

I have had all my Hondas serviced by the dealers. They have been very fair with me.

 

[bgrafsr]

I agree on having the timing belt and water pump replaced, if no documentation that it has been done. Expensive, but a lot less expensive than having engine replaced.

I had a 2012 Odyssey which we bought used. I changed tranny fluid every 25 or 30 thousand miles, and once I found out about the VCMuzzler, I ordered one and installed it on the vans engine. It prevents the engine from going into Variable Cylinder Management, where the engine will shut off up to 3 cylinders according to how the van is being driven. It has been found that the VCM can cause the engine mounts to fail prematurely also, which is another expensive repair, although it may be taken care of under warranty depending on year and mileage. Also some engines needed piston rings replaced too. The VCM fouls plugs and can cause oil loss. With the VCMuzzler, all cylinders fire all the time, so the van has a lot more pep and runs more smoothly.

I traded in the 2012 for a 2016 last Fall, took the new van home with less than 10 miles on it, let it sit overnight, and then the next morning installed the VCMuzzler, which I had removed from the 2012 prior to trade in. I have gotten up to 27 mpg on trips with cruise control on.

There is a very good thread on the VCMuzzler at Honda Odyssey Forum : Odyssey Minivan Forums. A member on that Forum makes and sells them. His Forum name is Verbatim and he sells through the Forum or on Ebay. He is from Canada.

 

[GaryS]

I rate Honda right up there with Toyota. I think you pay a bit more for equivalent Honda models, but they seem to last forever.

My daughter has a 2012 Civic, which she likes very much. I think it's a hybrid.

As others have noted, check to see when the timing belt was last changed. If it needs a timing belt, have the water pump done as well. Unless they are radically different in design than Toyota, tearing down the engine to do the timing belt includes removing the water pump. The part is not all that expensive, but if it has to be replaced later, the labor is a killer.

One question for the Honda owners. Has anyone ever had to brake fluid drained and replaced as part of preventative maintenance?

 

[snowman]

One question for the Honda owners. Has anyone ever had to brake fluid drained and replaced as part of preventative maintenance?

I did it once on my Civic, which, as I mentioned earlier, lasted 13 years for me. As I recall it was kind of a pain to do(I did all the maintenance on the car) due to a frozen bleeder screw or two.

Regards,
Andy