how reliable is a 90 accord?

[Asakite420]

I am looking to buy a 1990 honda accord. i do not know much about hondas but would like to buy it and eventually make it a project. I was curious if anyone could tell me how reliable they are? it would be my daily driver and my only mode of transportation. it has 139k, and appears to be well maintained. any help would be appreciated

[JoshM]

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=172136

[Accrdwgnguy]

I rely on a 92 Accord with 209K miles, daily, 50 miles at least. Maintenance is key

[JoshM]

1st CB = 240K miles
2nd CB = 199K miles
3rd CB = 275K miles


Nothing but routine maintenance, and driven on a daily basis.

[Asakite420]

well that made my decision easy. thanks for the feed back

[Ralphie]

I bought mine with 130k and sold her with 187k.

Only things i replaced were the thermostat and the starter.

Never left me stranded.

[sin2k5]

I bought mine with 130k and sold her with 187k.

Only things i replaced were the thermostat and the starter.

Never left me stranded.

My car has left me stranded before when I first bought it at 178k. Those things happen sometimes with older cars (rubber clutch line, distributor), but I'm going to say that with such a common car, the parts are cheap/easy to find and easy to fix with the detailed info. from this site.

With up to date maintenance since buying it, it starts every time 225k, going strong and leaks/burns no oil.

[Pali_Mo]

well, one guy came to my brother-in-laws tire shop while i was hangin around. his 91 had over 600,000 miles and counting, no lie. original motor and all, but it was ugly fron the inside and out. if thats not reliable, idk what is

[h22sparkle]

It is as dependable as you maintain it. maintain it and your car will thankyou for it. If you dont take care of it and do it the right way it will remind you the hard way.

[Daheavyking]

Here's an example, my 1990 accord LXwith 200k on the clock made it to Florida and Georgia in a couple of months time. I live in NYC and drive it daily. Maintain her and she will love you. The only time she was a bad girl is when she let her original alternater die in New Jersey. Stupid state!

[deevergote]

It is as dependable as you maintain it. maintain it and your car will thankyou for it. If you dont take care of it and do it the right way it will remind you the hard way.

This.

If you know anything about cars in general, then look it over before buying it. If you know nothing, bring someone you trust to look at it with you (preferably someone you trust that knows cars... grandma is probably trustworthy, but maybe not the right choice here...)
It will be reliable if it was maintained. These cars can put up with quite a bit of abuse, but even the best cars will fail if they've been neglected too badly! If you find that it's in good shape, then go for it... replace anything that needs to be replaces ASAP, keep an eye on all known trouble spots (we can help you identify those...) and keep up with your maintenance. The car is old enough to drink, so things WILL need to be replaced... but these cars are VERY well made, and will treat you well as long as you treat them well.

Here's an example, my 1990 accord LXwith 200k on the clock made it to Florida and Georgia in a couple of months time. I live in NYC and drive it daily. Maintain her and she will love you. The only time she was a bad girl is when she let her original alternater die in New Jersey. Stupid state!

Hey, it's not New Jersey's fault your car sucks! You were probably driving like a New Yorker, and Route 80 could sense it.

[crazymikey]

Previous maintenance and your maintenance will be the key factors in how reliable it is. The last 2 Accord I purchased had over 200 000km on them, and neither had any service history with them. They're great running cars, but you still need to take the same maintenance precautions as with any car.


For instance, my dad bought a 2002 Mazda B4000 pickup brand new in 2002. In 2008, I took ownership of it with 380 000km on it. He babied it, dealer maintained it and always took good care of it. I sold it in 2009 with 430 000km on it.

My friend just bought it off the guy I sold it to, today for $3000 with 447 000km on it, and it's still running as good as new. That is a testament to a vehicle that has been well maintained. In the year and a half I owned the truck, I lifted it, put bigger wheels on it, off roaded it, drove it through rivers as deep as the doors, mud, snow, hauled trailers and large loads in it and that truck never let me down.

[Asakite420]

thanx for all the help. bought the car. it runs like a boss. as it turns out. i bought it from the original owner who was an old dude who babied the hell out of it

[JoshM]

thanx for all the help. bought the car. it runs like a boss. as it turns out. i bought it from the original owner who was an old dude who babied the hell out of it

Hope you enjoy it! Keep it maintained and it'll go on (almost) forever!


I just figured out your s/n

[Accrdwgnguy]

Only time I got stranded was when the ignitor suddenly died, which is a common thing. Otherwise no serious problems.