Faults:

Nothing has failed on the car, other than normal wear items, ie: windshield wiper blades, replaced both headlight bulbs and a new set of tires.

Very low maintenance car. Basically all I do is change the oil and rotate the tires every 10-12000km. I use Castrol Syntec. Lower maintenance than a Civic.

I changed the front brake pads at around 160000km and the rotors looked like new. Didn't require the usual turning of the rotors.

General Comments:

Great car. Wonderful engine. The manual tranny makes all the difference.

Faults:

The only things that have gone wrong with this car are general maintenance items... brakes pads and the like. The original tires were Michelin MXV4 Energy tires. I had to replace the front tires at roughly 36,000 miles a year ago due to wear. The rear tires will be replaced in just a few day. I would have expected more mileage out of a set of these tires. I will replace them also with Michelin tires, but with a higher mileage rating. In case they don't last as long as they are rated, I'll get an allowance toward a replacement set.

There is the noise that comes from under the hood that seems to be the AC compressor belt. It squeals from time to time. I only hear it do this when at idle and am stopped. Revving the engine causes this to stop. I've had it at the Honda dealer and they swear they've been able to fix it only to have it reappear just days later. That is my only complaint. I wish I could get this problem resolved. The sound isn't deafening, but when the radio is low or off I can hear it - but not all the time. The problem is intermittent.

General Comments:

I really love my 2004 Accord LX! It is the first brand new car since I bought a 1991 Honda Civic LX new in the summer of 1991. This car reminds me of a BMW. Many Bimmer owners would rightfully scoff at that remark. I've driven a 330xi and really enjoyed it. I however have kids to put through college and mortgage to pay, so the BMW is out for me. The Accord was the obvious choice. I have had 3 Accords and at one time my wife and I both had '91 Civic LX's. I think it is safe to say we are a Honda family.

The car drives beautifully and is a much better, "mannered," car than is the Toyota Camry. I rented a Camry a couple of years ago and drove it from Seattle to Vancouver and up to Whistler. It is a nice car, but when I got home and drove my Honda Accord I knew that I'd made the right choice. You just can't go wrong with Honda. It is fun to drive and a joy to own.

Faults:

CD changer gave out.

Michelin front tires wore out at 30k.

General Comments:

I have owned this car for three years, and with the exception of the CD changer, not had one problem. The CD changer was changed by the Honda dealership without complaint, and I had the cleaned car returned to me.

LIKES:

Comfortable refined drive.

Power when you need it.

Comfortable and supportive seats (I am over 6 ft).

Manual transmission is smooth as silk.

Not one squeak, rattle or hum in five years.

Quiet engine noise; I sometimes turn the ignition without realizing the engine is already running.

VCS works very well.

VTEC between 5,000 RPM and red line.

Back seat passengers like the room and seats.

Automatic temperature control.

Almost problem free.

DISLIKES:

Stereo system, whilst good is not as good as some of the competition.

Leather seats although soft, have minor cracking.

Handling and road feel is for long distance, for the twisties driving.

No one-touch close for moonroof, plus the switch is in a weird place.

No lights on steering wheel controls (corrected in 2006).

No daytime running lights (for this price you think that would be included).

No fog lamps (and my cheap Vibe had them!).

Somewhat weak headlamps.

The car is a real pleasure to drive. I have had a Nissan 300SX turbo, Shelby GT Mustang, and many other sports cars in the past, yet this car blows them away.

I looked at the new Altima Coupe with the upgraded engine last week, and thought that there was such little difference it was not worth trading. A compliment to the Accord, plus this car has been the least problematic of all the cars I have owned, so I plan to keep it for a couple of more years.