Faults:

The rear driver side automatic lock sticks, but that's it.

General Comments:

I just got this car about a week ago and the previous owner has had very good luck with this car. The only major thing that has happened to the Accord was that the tire once went flat. If it weren't for the style of the car everything looks brand new. There are only a few cosmetic errors caused by the sun and that is nothing.

Faults:

A few coolant hoses needed replacing.

Low coolant causes the idle to pulsate.

Sun roof leaks in hard rain.

Transmission shudders between first and second (automatic). But it has been doing this since I purchased the car (8000 miles ago).

General Comments:

I love this car. She's got 176,000 miles and still runs good as a daily driver (60 miles round trip per day).

I have owned many other makes of automobiles, but have never had as much success as with Honda.

The fuel injection, engine idle has been a mystery to me, but I finally found the right screws to slow her down.

All things considered it has been a good car.

My son owned it the first year and only drove it two miles to school and back. This is hard on a car as it never gets warmed up. She never balked and is now running well for me. If anything major happens to her I will let her die in peace and marvel at Honda's engineering capabilities.

Faults:

Both front axles have been replaced. They seem to be good for 40K to 60K. common repair. Cost: $135.00 to $ 165.00. Warning! If this repair is done carelessly, the transmission seal could be punctured, thus resulting in a loss of transmission fluid and lead to total failure of the transmission.

Transmission seal replaced.

Valve cover gasket replaced.

Timing belt replaced.

Cam and crank seals replaced.

Thermostat for engine cooling system replaced.

Radiator replaced ($300)

Steering gear box and tie rods replaced ($1000.00)

Radiator hose replaced.

Both headlights have been rewired. I paid an electrical specialist $100 to do one and later I did the other myself in about an hour. Both repairs have held for two years.

Brake lights failed and I paid the electrical specialist another $100 to repair the problem. This repair lasted just beyond the 30 day warranty period. I replaced all tail light and brake related bulbs, even the ones that still worked. Before I installed the new bulbs, I cleaned the bulb sockets with contact cleaner and 600 grit sandpaper. I haven't had a problem with any rear lights in the two years since. Cost: $20 and an hour of my time.

The center console that holds the radio and climate control cracked and then completely fell apart. The entire dash had to be replaced as a result. Be very careful with the dash as the plastic gets brittle over the years and will damage easily. The dash and center console are one big piece and replacement is difficult. Good news is, a replacement dash can be bought at a junkyard for less than $100.

Speedometer cable broke.

General Comments:

This was a well made car and has outlived most of its mid eighties peers. Unfortunately, when they get over 200K miles on them, they need major repairs to keep running. I paid $1000 for mine, but spend that in a year to keep it going. Still is cheaper than a car payment.

Insurance is cheap on Accords.

Good leg room up front. I am 6'2 and am comfortable in this car.

Paint looks good for a sixteen year old car. It could use a pro buffing.

The bumpers turn white, but can be restored with a 3M pad, oil and elbow grease. This takes the better part of an afternoon and lasts about three months.

I like the steering. It's tight on the Freeway, but easy in the parking lot.

This car is quick. It has enough zip to get around in city traffic.

On the down side, my Accord doesn't start well in cold weather. If it gets below sixty degrees, the car takes several minutes to warm up. The problem becomes more severe as the weather gets colder. This is caused by oil leaking through the valves into the combustion chamber and fowling the sparkplugs. Huge clouds of blue smoke pour out until the oil is burned off. The car simply will not drive well until you wait for it to warm up. On the bright side, once the engine is warm, you are usually good for the rest of the day unless you are in sub freezing climate. If the engine cools completely, you will have to sit and wait again. Unfortunately this is a very expensive repair and may not be prudant to perform unless you consider a total engine rebuild.

If you like to work on cars, consider an '86 Accord. There are a lot of these still on the road, and parts are easy to come by, new or used.

These cars could be the Japanese version of a '57 Chevy. They mark a point in automotive history when Japan first dominated the American car market, and they did it by making a superior product. The 1986 Accord was so popular when they came out, buyers would pay thousands of dollars over the sticker price just to have one. My Accord was one of these, its original sticker has a list price of 12,666 and a final sale price of $14.666.