04 Accord auto trans 180k miles

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GON

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Hi,

I am looking for a reliable car for my Son who lives 1200 miles from me, in a very rural and cold climate. He is not the greatest with vehicle preventative maintenance.

I came across a one owner 2004 Honda Accord with 180,000 miles. Always dealer maintained with immaculate records.

My concern is the transmission has never been repaired. It has had regular transmission fluid changes. I have read the automatic transmissions in the 2004 Honda Accord typically last about 100k miles. Is it a fluke this trans is ok, or is it a high risk issue?

Thank in advance for your thoughts.
 
Nah,that's definitely bee ess. I know someone who's 02 Odyssey's transmssion didn't start slipping till almost 300,000 miles. Especially since the one you're looking at has had regular service. When I bought my Accord at 70K miles,I did the three drain/refills with Honda DW1,and the drain plug didn't even have a spec of metallic fuzz on it. My bro and wife both drive high mileage 07 Accords with original transmssions going strong as can be!
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I think the problem with Accords is that they're typically driven by younger drivers who trash the heck out of them. I see so many newish Accords that are already all wrecked up.
 
The 4-cylinders are robust but the transmission in the V6 has a reputation of being not as durable.
 
I have my folks 98 Accord LX 4 cylinder. Great car; has all of 80K miles. Drive it anywhere.
The 6 cylinder models of that period had more than their share of problems.
But the 4's had issues as well; not nearly as much.
My Dad's car needed a rebuild at perhaps 60K; it certainly was driven easily.
As I recall, a really good mechanic I knew charged about $800 all in.
You could be getting one of the better ones, especially cuz yours is a later year.
If it went 180K, it is most likely gonna run another 100K.
I bet you will love that car.
 
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How much is the car? 180k is 180k, even on a reliable car.
Whats your budget?

If its a 4cyl then the trans should be ok if the fluid has been changed at least every 50k, I prefer 30k drain/fills but no more than 50k.

If its a V6 I would pass as they have timing belts, let alone the trans issues on the V6's.
 
Honestly man if you want a reliable car with 150k+ you should be looking at manual transmission models. Eliminate that variable and if your son drives a stick he will become a better driver with higher awareness.
 
Something you'll definitely want to do if you get a manual is to replace all the rubber and plastic in the drivetrain. I've replaced all the rubber and plastic in my manual drivetrain with metal. Solid metal shifter bracket,bronze shifter bushings,etc.
 
Originally Posted by qjohn
The 4-cylinders are robust but the transmission in the V6 has a reputation of being not as durable.


This is not true, the 2003-2004 model years in both 4-cylinder and V6 models have a design issue where the transmissions overheat and cause trouble. However, some go out early and some go past 200K miles! Overall the 7th gen Accord is extremely reliable ESPECIALLY the 7.5 gens (2006-2007). If they are selling it for a bargain I might purchase it, just know the trans could go at any time.
 
Thanks for the great replies. The car is $4000. one owner, exclusive Honda dealer service. I like the idea of a manual trans but my Son does not not drive a manual (my first car was a 1971 Mercury Capri, 4 speed manual that burned more oil than gas).

I re-looked the maintenance records and although the owner only went to Honda for service, he was frugal- he did the minimum recommended service.
 
4k is to much.

Look for Elantra 2008+ or Kia Forte. The older ones have a timing belt but as long as it was changed during its 100k it will be good for another 100k. Still looked down on but very reliable and cheaper as well.

The Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent 2011+ are also good cars if taken care of but cheap.
 
$4k for a 14 year old car with 180k on it?

180k is a lot of miles for a good auto let alone one known to be troublesome.
 
The Accord is fine as long as it's not a V6
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If it has had regular transmission fluid changes, and it's not the V6, it is probably a good buy
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For an automatic, Toyota is much better than Honda. If you can get an Echo in good condition at a good price, go for it
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Yikes, $4k is way too much. 180k on any automatic could die at any time. Yes, some go for 300k but who knows if the guy shifted fast first to reverse too much. It could die at any time.
 
Id avoid it. Friend of mine had an 03 that was a money pit, not to say by that 1 fact that the car year was bad but he got rid of it in favor of a camry and has no regrets. Maybe look at newer accords per Gregk24's comment. Id stick to the 4cyl. They are nice rides! Low mileage Camrys seem to also be a good buy, i usually see a ton of them for sale so im sure u can prolly get a fair deal.
 
That's crazy money.

3 years ago I bought my 2000 Toyota Camry with 194k miles for $2,100. I didn't even feel like I got a screaming deal either.

Camry's are bulletproof too.
 
Gents, thanks again for taking the time and posting the replies, your thoughts and experience are having me take a second look at this possible transaction.

I searched for weeks and looked at dozens of cars. I was transferred to Salt Lake City last summer, and have been amazed on how hard it is to buy a used car in this area. I took out a carfax subscription, would google the private sellers phone number, etc. What I found is that in this area, everyone seems to be a used car dealer on this side. Which would be ok if they were properly disclosing, but not what I discovered when I go to look at the cars. I started searching nationwide for this car, for a vehicle that is a non rust belt, one or two owner, proper maintenance records, and a Accord, Camry, Vibe, Civic. I took the Vibe/ Matric out of the search after identifying that they have a huge blind sport, and the 4 cylinder often go through a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. That is also the same reason I pulled the Camry 4 cylinder off the list ( I found a 2004 100k Camry for under 4k, but was driven in a major city and cosmetically shows and looks not well maintained. I did not go with Hyundai/ Kia as I simply do not know about them. My desire was to find my Son GM sedan with a 3.8L. That is a platform I drove for years. Problem is that they do break down (not the engine), and if one is handy with cars they are a great deal, but if not they are a often a costly endeavor. My Son can't afford to take a vehicle to a shop.

So after all that- know you know a bit of why I started to target Generation 7 Accords.
 
I'm an original owner of a 2003 Honda Accord 2.4L EX-L 5AT (4-cyl) with 142k miles. It has been the most reliable car I've ever owned, in fact I want to get a newer car but I thinkit's bad karma to get rid of a working car
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It has lost some power over the years and does consume oil like other Accords > 125k miles but these are reasonable (to me) on a car that I drive 36 mi to work and back. I've done 3 ATF drain/fill (3 qts. each) and the fluid always looks red on the dip stick.

If it's a V6 than I would look at a 2005 or newer where the tranny was redesigned. Price wise, $4k is a bit high but probably ok for an EX or EX-L with dealer records if the struts, brakes, plugs have all be replaced or in serviceable condition. You could easily drop $2k+ on these. And make sure the cruise control works, they had a flimsy design where the cable separates from the throttle body (mine included) when the plastic tab breaks off.

Let us know what you decide!
 
Originally Posted by GON
Thanks for the great replies. The car is $4000. one owner, exclusive Honda dealer service. I like the idea of a manual trans but my Son does not not drive a manual (my first car was a 1971 Mercury Capri, 4 speed manual that burned more oil than gas).

I re-looked the maintenance records and although the owner only went to Honda for service, he was frugal- he did the minimum recommended service.



$4K is a lot of money for a 14 year old car with high miles, IMO....You can get a 2007 or 2008 Fusion with 100K for that price.
Used Honda's (and Toyota's) are too pricey, IMO...unless you buy a 9701 Camry which can be gotten cheap enough and run forever.
 
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