Looking at getting my first honda,

EP3 for a commuter while VW gets torn apart then Honda Project .

Looking at the cheap side of things, probably 03ish with 150k+ miles. What service items need to have been done / should be done?

I come from the land of VW so a good example of this would be the Cam Follower on FSI motors from 06-08

 

If you find one that's completely stock and was never beat on then just change all the fluids (oil, trans, coolant, brakes, clutch), change all the filters (air and cabin) and you might need a new clutch kit. I've had to replace or repair the following in the 2 years I've owned my EP3:

New duralast gold battery (OEM battery no longer held a charge) - $120
Defouler for cel P0420 - $30
All 4 rotors and brake pads (front rotors were warped, rear pads were worn down to the metal) - $180
New rear right and left caliper (calipers were seized) - $140
Exedy OEM clutch kit (stock clutch went out on my way to work) - $120 for clutch, $320 for labor
2 wheel studs (broken) - $2 for each stud, $30 for labor
New lug nuts (previous owner had the wrong kind on the car) - $25
New left and right lower balljoints (stock balljoints were done) - $40 for parts, $120 for labor
New endlinks for front and rear sway bar (stock endlinks were broken) - $80
05-06 RSX-S 21mm rear sway bar (performance mod )- $50
DC5 Type-R suspension (stock shocks were blown) - $200 for suspension, $100 for labor due to rear shock bolts being seized
RSX tie rod ends (due to DC5-R suspension and stock ones were on their way out anyway) - $40
New Falken Ziex ZE-912 225/50/15 tires (tires on car were bald) - $320 plus $160 for installation, balancing and alignment
VTC oil control solenoid valve sensor - $200 for part and labor
Driver side CV axle (snapped on my way home from work) - $50 for axle, $50 for labor

Things I still need to repair:

Passenger side CV axle (I like to replace any suspension or drive-train parts in pairs)
E-brake cables (my cables are stretched)
Serpentine belt (makes that wining noise when cold)
AC compressor (no longer works)
Front LCA bushings (torn)
Valve lash and valve cover gasket (noisy valves)

This isn't even counting any regular maintenance (oil changes, trans fluid changes, filters). Every car is a struggle man but I've had worse luck with other cars (cough, integras, cough) so I'm not complaining. My car's never been off the road for more than 2 days. I bought my EP3 with 144k and I've done a good number of repairs but she was slightly abused by previous owners. I'm at 184k right now so she should run forever....

 

Thank you! Most helpful!

 

I know those german cars are not cheap to maintain so I'm sure the prices I'm giving you aren't that bad lol

 

That's why I'm looking at buying a Honda to be honest. Guy I work with has 212k+ on his EP3 and said he hasn't had to put any real money into it

 

Spend a little extra to get a stock one with a mature owner/service receipts.

Bought mine at 44k miles, currently 110k miles.
Non-scheduled maintenance items: $2.50 replaced hose clamp on cat. heat shield.

Here's a link to the service manual, check out pg. 30-34 for the 'regular' and 'severe' service intervals:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31251643/H...Service-Manual

 

Thank you sir! Awesome information

 

Keep an eye out for cam gawling in the 02-03 ep3's

 

Cam gawl shoudn't be an issue if you use 5w-30, stay away from 5w-20

 

I have an 05 that i purchased with 14k miles. In the 6 years that I have owned it the only maintenance it needed was the usual oil changes, transmission fluid and tires. Right now it has 106k miles on it and still runs strong with no problems