what are typical honda problems, your experiences

Hi,
I need to get a used car as mine (a truck) is in need of a engine
rebuild soon. I would like to get a used honda of 90's vintage. Maybe
a newer one if the price is right. I was wondering what are the
typical problems. Do engines or drivetrain have a history of going
out? Any info will help.
Thanks

 

It depends a lot on where you live and where the car has lived. In the
frost belt, radiator, front springs and brake calipers/rotors are often up
for replacement over 100K miles or 8years or so; C/V joints seem to vary -
I have ones with 130K miles/12 years which still feel OK with boots which
look good, others have had to replace earlier. Early 90's models have had
trouble with distributor bearing, ignition igniter and main (fuel pump)
relay - usually a simple replacement in each case, which is best done with
Honda parts. I've never owned an auto-trans but Honda's design will not
take some of the abuse which others might be OK with, e.g. rocking when
stuck in a slippery situation. From '98, the Accord/Odyssey auto-trans has
gotten a bad reputation, with a limited extended warranty for some years
only - see:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002-09-20-honda-warranty_x.htm

I've found the engine and manual trans bullet proof but I follow
maintenance fairly strictly and do not abuse my cars... other than with my
right foor occasionally. If you buy, make sure to find out when the timing
belt was last replaced, or plan on replacing shortly after purchase. Pay
particular attention to keep the cooling system in tip-top condition - one
seemingly minor overheat can do serious damage.

Use Honda coolant, power steering and transmission fluid, even for the
manual trans and your favorite for any other consumables. For brakes, the
Honda parts seem to work best too.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??