JWaldz

I'm on the hunt for a 6th gen coupe. Preferably a '98 or '99 with a V6. Considering newer within my price range. What are some things I should look out for upon finding a car. What are questions I should be asking aside from the common sense/typical ones? I'm not too familiar with Honda's (or cars in general, always been a truck guy) so I'm needing help on this.

I know some of the 6th gens were prone to transmission failure, some of the newer model ones had air bag issues, and all of them have sunroof issues. Other than that I'm really clueless. What should I stay away from and what are the things more sought-after?

BTW, I'm NOT looking at any modded cars but I do plan to do some very minor mods to it. Maybe lower it, roof rack, wheels, other cosmetic stuff.

Thanks in advance,
-J

MAD_MIKE

V6s were all Autos, look closely at the automatic. Pay attention to shift quality. Pay attention to the fluid, is it in good condition? If it is fresh the seller may be trying to cover up a trans issue, unless there is paper work showing it is just on schedule for normal maintenance.

Have the car warmed up fully and go get stuck in some traffic. This is when any problems with the trans will rear its ugly head. Heat soak and low rpms will cause it to shift erratically or cause the CEL or D4 light to turn on. Bring an OBDII scanner to check for any stored codes. Not all codes will activate the CEL or D4 light.

Verify all the warning lights work. If the CEL/ABS/D4 light are not working when the key is turned to ON, walk away. Either the seller is trying to hide a problem, or the warning light has been on for so long the bulb has burnt out.

A OBDII scanner may catch a code, but if the seller has cleared codes prior to your own scan then you may not have all the information. Usually a 'readiness monitor' note will pop up for OBDII cars if a code was cleared but the car has not been driven the required mileage to fully clear the code.

bigbee

Check for the rusty subframe on the passenger side where the A/C drips down on. Very common and worrying problem with the 6th gens.

Also this- http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Accord/1999/

JWaldz

Thanks guys. bigbee, thank you a lot for that link

"We recommend avoiding this model year like the plague."

That's comforting

bigbee

You're welcome and kudos to you for doing the research before buying. Wish I had...

JWaldz

I tend to research to death any vehicle I've ever owned. However, sometimes used (and in this case, older) vehicles are just luck the draw. You could get a vehicle that has good reviews and be one of the few that has problems with it or you could get a vehicle with not so great reviews and never have one issue out of it. I'm still adamant about finding a 6th gen accord. It's just going to take me longer to find one with good specs due to their issues. That and some people still want way too much money for them.

holmesnmanny

Thats not to say that the sixth gen v6's are all going to have trannies that go bad but it tends to come up more than other cars on here imho. The key is always to get a good test drive in before you buy and really punch it. If any issues dont buy.

Lost Again

And then be sure to take good/extra care of the trans - regular fluid changes.