Should I buy Honda Accord 2003 with 207K miles ?

shawn72

Hi, Should I buy a Honda Accord 2003 with 207K miles? How much more could it run with out major problem ? How about the maintenance cost for it ?

Thank you.

mrbill1957

A lot is going to depend on how the car was maintained, how it was driven and what they are asking for it. Do you have any history on it?

Mrbill

shawn72

Yes they have, but I have not taken look at it yet. I first want to be sure if it is worth taking look or not. I am a student and do not want to take risk in spending more in maintenance. Also I am lured with an offer of Honda Accord 2003 at a reasonable price. This is going to be my first car and I do not have any idea about the car maintenance. Most of my friends suggest to go for less miles run car, but some say Accord can live easily more than 200k. So I am confused if I should get it or get one with less miles run.

Thank you.

chucko3

At 207K miles, the car is due for a 2nd timing belt job if it's a V6.
If it has not be done so, the cost would be around $1K.

Other expensive maintenance items are exhaust system, air bag control module (mine went bad at 115K), steering system, etc.
If you don't want to take risk of spending more in maintenance, I would recommend avoiding high mileage car.

I used to own an Accord 03EXv6. Maintenance costs did pick up when the car had over 100K miles.

mrbill1957

200k is high even for a Honda. With that many miles, you just don't know what the future brings. If you were a "back yard mechanic" and were able to do your own repairs, then maybe it would be worth looking at, but if your relying on a mechanic, my suggestion is to look for something with lower miles. My opinion may be different if I knew the background of the car.

Mrbill

shawn72

Hi,
Thank you for your suggestions. I will post more information about the car when the owner responds back to me.
Can you suggest me if it is better to buy an accord of year 98-00 with less miles or better to buy accord of 03 with miles >200k ?

shawn72

Hi:
Information about the car :
The owner says that most of the miles are due to highway miles.
He has not done any timing belt job, air bag control module , steering system as they were fine. The transmission has not been changed.
But the transmission slips a bit when shifting from second to third gear, and the car was in one minor accident back in 2008 that resulted in damage to the rear bumper. All the damage was repaired though. Besides the normal oil changes and emission testing, just the tires and O2 sensors replaced.

Thanks

mrbill1957

By your information, I'm assuming it's a 4 cyl engine?

If the transmission is starting to slip, the problem will just get worse. Personally, I would be looking for something with less miles and signs of a slipping transmission would just reinforce my decision.

As your first car, how about something less $, a Civic maybe?

Mrbill

shawn72

It is a V6.
I am not going to buy the car and look for another one.
Thank you all for your suggestions.

Kirstie_H

Please feel free to come back here as many times as you need to to ask questions about cars you're considering. Our members are very helpful in trying to keep buyers from making purchases they'll regret.

You might want to post in our discussion called Selecting & Buying My First Car. We have a bunch of members who "track" that discussion, who have a lot of experience with a variety of makes/models, who would be happy to offer advice on what vehicles are a good fit for your price range.

jimmyo2123

Should i buy a 2003 accord ex 81000 milrs for $1200

graphicguy

jimmyo2123 said:

Should i buy a 2003 accord ex 81000 milrs for $1200

Kind of the same rules apply as above. It depends on how well the car was maintained. Does it run OK? Any type of smoke (blue or grey) coming from the exhaust when it accelerates?. How do the brakes feel? Any puddles of any sort of fluids underneath the car after sitting for a few hours? Is the title clean? No salvage or rebuilt titles on it?

Hondas are well known for their longevity and reliability. But, all that goes out the window if they have not been maintained.

Personally, I'd spend a few bucks and take it to a Honda dealership and ask their service dept to take a look at it. They'll have a database on any services it has had at any Honda dealerships. They'll also be able to tell you if it has been wrecked and if there are any obvious issues with it.

If everything checks out, then yes, it's worth it.

Good luck. Let us know what you find out about it.

Mr_Shiftright

It's been my experience that a $1200 is rarely a $1200 car. It will definitely need *something* at that price. So the question becomes a) what does it need; and b) do you really have to have it done?

If the car needs tires, it's not a $1200 car, it's a $1700 car. Same with brakes, that's a few hundred. But if a back window doesn't roll down or the radio doesn't work, you can live without it and just keep rollin'.

So have it checked out if you don't feel able to do that yourself, make a list of the needs and see what's urgent and what can wait---then add it all up and compare that $$$ to another car at a similar price. Sometimes it's better to buy the better car for more money.

xwesx

Mr_Shiftright said:

It's been my experience that a $1200 is rarely a $1200 car. It will definitely need *something* at that price. So the question becomes a) what does it need; and b) do you really have to have it done?

If the car needs tires, it's not a $1200 car, it's a $1700 car. Same with brakes, that's a few hundred. But if a back window doesn't roll down or the radio doesn't work, you can live without it and just keep rollin'.

So have it checked out if you don't feel able to do that yourself, make a list of the needs and see what's urgent and what can wait---then add it all up and compare that $$$ to another car at a similar price. Sometimes it's better to buy the better car for more money.

Yes, so true!

There comes a time when most cars are worth no more than $1,200, but you have to recognize that the low price of admission means you WILL (likely) pay more down the road! I have sold a car or two that was worth that much, and while the cars were "need-free" at the moment I sold them, I could make no guarantee that the next item on the list wouldn't die ten miles down the road.

If a PO is saying that they've done nothing to a 200K-mile car "except oil changes," that's a likely indicator that you're about to foot some massive bills. That Accord is likely experiencing some slippage because it has the same oil in there that the factory installed over 200,000 miles prior! /sigh

Do yourself a HUGE favor and get comfortable with basic maintenance as well as learning how to spot well-cared-for cars. Both of these will pay your dividends for as long as you own autos.

andres3

Isn't 1,500 sort of the "if it runs good" it's worth that much mark?

A slipping transmission would scare me away though.

tbirdmarco

no would not bye this car miles to high. look for sumthing with a lot les miles! that was whell caired for! look at lower miles Toyotas hope this helps!

isellhondas

jimmyo2123 said:

Should i buy a 2003 accord ex 81000 milrs for $1200

If you can buy a decent 2003 Accord EX with those miles for 1200.00 I would jump on it.

My guess would be a salvage title or that it has many needs.

In any event, if it's really nice It's already been snapped up.

Pretty hard to buy a car like that if it's halfway decent for 1200.00!

Jestra777

To begin , the V6 Accord is known to burn the tranny to much power , and second the 4 cylinder on 03 and higher have a timing chain , The 4 cylinder is the way better option, I have A 2000 Accord with a 4 cylinder, and a 2011 with a 4 cylinder too both run fine , except the newer is way better on mileage for traveling .

andres3

Jestra777 said:

To begin , the V6 Accord is known to burn the tranny to much power , and second the 4 cylinder on 03 and higher have a timing chain , The 4 cylinder is the way better option, I have A 2000 Accord with a 4 cylinder, and a 2011 with a 4 cylinder too both run fine , except the newer is way better on mileage for traveling .

Most V6 Accords have already had the tranny replaced by now though, so the replacements were more robust.