Faults:

- Exhaust leaks, so most of the exhaust piping has been replaced.

- Previous owner's mechanic only hand tightened the crank pulley bolt down; pulley came off while driving, required a tow.

- Slight knocking noise coming from driver's front area. Have not looked into it yet, but expecting a worn end-link, strut/strut mount.

- Weeping oil pan gasket to be replaced.

- A/C does not work at the moment - to be repaired.

- The ubiquitous Honda rear wheel arch/rocker panel rust.

General Comments:

Virtually everyone knows someone who has owned a Honda at some point. These 4th gen models are fantastic cars. Timeless styling, fairly economical, easy to drive and built to last.

This is actually my girlfriend's car (her first), but I work on it. She wanted new (with payments), but ultimately decided to buy something inexpensive and time tested, and save money towards something nice later. We were actually looking upmarket, but couldn't pass up on this one owner car (and I had always wanted one, but never found the right one until now).

We have the white with blue interior Canadian EX model, which came with the base 125 HP engine. With similarly matched torque, the car is peppy around town and decent enough on the highway to get up to speed. Romping the pedal for passing will require a little bit of pre-planning, however. Fuel economy is dead on or better than the EPA ratings.

This engine is known to be reliable with a few quirks; the main one being valve noise (AKA "valve tap") that is expected for many Honda SOHC engines, and this one is no exception. Valve adjustment will resolve the issue, but it always comes back, however it is more of a noise irritant than anything else, and does tend to go away after the engine is fully warmed up.

Honda's history of having problematic automatic transmissions (notably V6s) has been well documented. Luckily, the automatic in this generation has stood the test of time. They have the common Honda late 1-2 shift point, and on the whole it really isn't the smoothest shifting transmission, but keep the fluid changed and it'll last. General consensus seems to be that with these older Honda transmissions that use the older fluid, try to use Honda OEM or ATF compatible for Hondas.

Like any car, this generation has its own common faults. These include:

- Brake master cylinder (usually the seals fail).

- Leaking valve cover.

- Leaking spark plug seals.

- Leaking distributor.

- Vehicle speed sensor.

- Main relay.

- Slow failing window regulators.

- Clogged EGR ports.

- Ignition coil.

- Trunk seal.

- Power antenna mast.

- Cracked door handle assembly.

- Transmission control unit (capacitors fail, causing erratic shifting in the automatic transmission).

Some of these have been replaced by the previous owner, which is always nice, but most of the repairs are fairly mundane and low cost (even better if you can turn a screwdriver and wrench a little bit). Our stack of receipts do indicate that the previous owner had a reoccurring need to replace parts of the exhaust piping and the muffler (looks like it has been changed at least a half dozen times so far), so take that for what it's worth with the longevity of the OEM exhaust and the OEM equivalents. Come to think of it, we've had to replace the entire mid-section shortly after purchase. Should this issue come up again, I would say it would be best to have the entire exhaust redone at an exhaust shop, using a slightly larger diameter piping with better quality steel and components.

The interior, while dated, is well put together, and the use of different materials removes that cheapness you get even from modern interiors. A few negatives however. The plastic housing around the door handles tends to crack, making door handle use a two handed affair, so consider scouring the junkyard for a spare or two. Bulbs do go out, and Honda's design to have a 1-piece dash cover insert is a bit of a pain in the ass, requiring the removal of a dozen or so screws and gentle maneuvering just to remove the combination instrument panel/center console piece without scratching the vinyl dash. The glove box is also known to warp inwards towards the top left side, exclusively as a result of the driver pushing off on that corner to close it. It can be bent back with some two handed effort. The vinyl roof liner seems like a cost cutting measure, as it does tear and mark easily.

Now onto the rear wheel arch and rocker panel rust. Unless you live in a state like California or Arizona, every 4th gen Accord I have seen has some degree of the rust, from tiny, to weight reducing, eye sore level. The rust is very minimal on both sides, where it is visible just behind the rear doors at the bottom where it meets the rocker panel, but removing the side skirts show the rust's true damage. It's actually quite minor on ours, but absolutely a flaw that the major Japanese manufacturers at the time all share during manufacture. This is such a common problem that you can buy aftermarket rear quarters to replace the cancer, but given the age of these cars today and the cost to repair, it's not worth it for most, and it's best to keep it minimized. We may consider fixing this considering the condition of the rest of the car.

A few other minor things here and there, but definitely a keeper for sure. These cars make excellent transportation for all types (as first cars, beaters, backup cars, why), and despite the physical condition many of them end up looking like now, ours has been well maintained to the point where other people have commented on its condition. It may be a quarter century old car, but it offers very little stress to operate.

Faults:

The driver and passenger windows go off track a lot, the trunk leaks water, and the brake light on the dash comes on and off when the brake light works.

The power seatbelts drive me insane when my oldest rides in front. He likes to undo the seatbelt, and I prefer non powered seatbelts.

Last, the A/C hasn't worked since I bought it; still has freon.

General Comments:

I bought the car from the original driver. I needed a car to get to college, run errands, and take my kids to where they needed to go. When I purchased the car, the hood needed to be repainted, but overall I was very excited to buy the car. I only had $475 on me, and the original owner sold it to me. I have never had any major problems or issues with the car! Still driven to this day!

When I bought the car, the original owner was a mechanic, and had put a rebuilt engine in it and it drove like brand new car! I have never had any problems getting it to pass safety or emissions any year. My husband uses it for a work car now because we have 3 kids, with one who is disabled. When I don't have to take the kids and I'm going by myself, I drive the Honda over our new minivan! We have had tons of people ask to sell them the Honda, but we're not parting with it. When our kids start driving and getting driver licenses, the Honda will be the car they will be driving!

Our Honda was the first car I bought without my husband, and he was very satisfied. Since we have had our Honda, we have had 3 other "second" cars, and only one that can withstand little bumps from other drivers. Our neighbor backed into front of our Honda and left the bumper on the road. It has been screwed back on and still runs like new! In December, my mini van at the time, was totaled, and the Honda would have survived and been drivable after. Cars are just not made like they were before! My husband will be buying another Honda as our kids start driving. I love my 1991 Honda Accord EX!