I need a reliable commuter for college in the fall.. I stumbled upon a 94 Accord 4dr automatic on CL. Its got 127k.

Basically I'm wanting to know any known failure points on these cars.

I've read that the auto tranny's in the 5th gens are fairly stout and are reliable. Is this right? The car looks stock with exception of a CAI. Do I need to look for the typical signs of auto tranny problems (fluid, shifts, and slipping)?

I assume like most Honda's the engines are reliable and don't have many problems. Anything obvious I should look for other than if the timing belt has been changed? Its supposed to run great.

Another is price. It's listed for 2600 obo. I think that's kind of high even if it's in perfect condition. What is reasonable for this car?

http://springfield.craigslist.org/cto/2823938202.html

One thing I'm worried about is because it has a lot of mods it's been someones first car and has had the snot beat out of it. Anyway I'm going to look at it tomorrow.

 

LMAO, this has gotta be a joke right???
Don't buy that damn ricer crap!!

 

 

Much better options -

One owner, looks to be completely stock and excellent condition (possibly touch overpriced)
http://springfield.craigslist.org/cto/2872642207.html

Doesn't look to be terrible - check the CEL before buying (could just be VSS which is a cheap/easy fix)
http://springfield.craigslist.org/cto/2881851736.html

 

Automatic+intake= transmission replacement in the near future.

 

That first one is way out my price range. I have 2500.00 tops and don't want to spend that if I don't have to.

Unfortunately I think you may be right. I'm guessing there will be some signs of abuse in the tranny though. Thats why I'm asking what I need to look for when I drive it.

I know the car is a little ricey. Obviously that ridiculous wing needs to go. I think without the wing and a cleaning it's a pretty sharp car. Assuming the interior hasn't been dismantled and painted green. I will still go look at it.

Thank you to the people who actually took the time to provide a useful response..

 

A LITTLE ricey lol???
Thats like saying Richard Simmons is a LITTLE gay.


Not only is the wing awful, but so are the taillights, the valve cover, the paint, probably everything.

Its cars like this running around that give Honda owners a bad name.

 

I've been offered $2000 for my 95 lx with body damage from a mailbox i hit so i don't think $2600 is bad for a *unmolested* *clean* accord with *no ebay parts*
i'd be more interested in the second one themuffinman suggested

 

Regardless of what the car looks like, I still don't really know what to look for in the trans other than stinky fluid and obvious slipping. What are signs of it being weak?

I don't think the car looks that bad other than the wing. And it's my opinion that matters, I am still gonna go look at it. If it's a beat piece of crap I'll walk.

 

If that's the type of car you're looking at, I don't think you'll be able to make an accurate determination of the quality of the engine/transmission on your own.

If you are seriously interested in a vehicle, take it to Honda (or any trusted mechanic) for a Pre-Purchase inspection. The owner should oblige and if they decline then they are probably selling a car with known issues.

You aren't going to be able to smell the fluid easily - you could check the dip stick of course. And try to floor it and see if the RPM's climb correctly or if there are slips/delays. The one you posted has so much random **** on it, I wouldn't even bother looking at it. Those headlights have worse output than stock, the taillights and bumper lights are definitely cheap. Who knows who did the paint/bodywork and what condition it's in.

And not to mention when you can't even bother forming a coherent sentence with proper structure you probably didn't take good care of your car either -

No pictures of the most likely beat up interior either.

*edit*

You have everyone in the thread telling you to pass on it - you should probably pass on it.

 

You bring up some good points... I think I will take your advice. Thank you for taking the time and actually helping me.

 

In all honesty, in your pricing range you may be better off looking at a 93-95 Civic or saving up a bit more for a better condition 94-97 Accord.

The Accords are awesome cars, but it isn't worth throwing $2500 at the first one you see that may or may not have reliability/maintenance issues. You are far better off spending say, $3500, on one that has some paperwork behind it and will last longer with less headaches than the $2500. It really is a "you get what you pay for" situation.

 

X1000, it is possible to find them clean and in good running condition for $2500, you might just have to sit on it and wait a little while and look in the surrounding areas to where you live. where i live right now, you could buy a running clean great condition 95 for $2500, or a 96 with no engine for $2000. The prices vary from seller to seller. So it's not impossible to find one, your just going to have to wait for the right one to come along. The craigslist pricing on these cars is bi-polar, at least where i live it is. Just don't rush yourself

 

Yea, DEFINITELY pass on that one. The reliarbility of a car is largely influenced by how well the previous owners took of it. Any car that look like that, I can immediately tell that the owners possibly only have 2 modes for pressing the accelerator... foot off (on brake) or foot on, floored= beat to hell. Even though he says it has 127k miles, I would not trust a person like that to try to deceive me.

Wait and look around. You can find some good deals out there if you are patient. I bought my 94 Accord in 2002 with 84k miles for $3,600. I have over 240k miles now and still going strong.

I was car shopping for my sister last year. I got a 97 Integra, ugly peeling paint (= she hated me for that), but oh boy, it was totally stock, unmolested with 120k miles. I got it for $2,300. I was also looking on a 98 Civic with 110k miles for $2,800, where the owner (who seemed honest) claimed that the timing belt was changed. I decided to go with the Integra, because after the savings, I could change the timing belt myself and be sure that it was changed.

You can find good deals if you look hard enough and you are patient. Ugly is fine, as long as the car is unmolested.

-Look for single owner cars if you can. If a car is sold too many times, that tells me that the owners did not think much about the long term reliability of the car, hence they might neglect performing basic maintenance.

-Look for receipts. I love people that keep receipts. That means that they at least tried to keep up with maintenance.

-I NEVER buy a car with a freshly washed engine. I like to see an engine that has not been washed for about 6 months. That way I can tell if there is a leak somewhere. If they clean up the car too much, all my evidence of problems to come are washed away. I will buy a dirty car, and clean it up myself.

Since this is your first car, when you find one that you are serious about, purchase the carfax for it, and then take it to a mechanic to get it inspected. Trust me, it is investment well spent.