Faults:

I had a recurring problem with warped front brake rotors causing shimmying when braking - most noticeable at 25-45 MPH. The problem was fixed when I replaced the rotors. I think the seller installed cheap junky rotors or lied about replacing the rotors when I bought the car.

Clutch got sticky - hard to start smoothly, whole car would shudder - when driving around for a long time in the city. I think the seller lied to me about putting in a new clutch.

Engine has slow oil leak - down 1 to 1.5 quarts by the next oil change.

Alarm system sounds when I unlock the doors with the key (I don't have key-less entry) so I need to leave a door unlocked or disable the alarm somehow. It only shuts off after extensive jiggling of the key in the cylinder lock. The seller played stupid so I thought he was operating it wrong when I bought it.

The heat shield on the left tail-pipe fell off.

This car likes to stall in warm weather after highway driving (summer 2000) when the clutch is released.

Power steering squeaks/loses power in cold weather.

There is a rattling metal or knocking noise in the engine compartment at idle rpm, and at 3500 RPM when accelerating hard.

At a mechanic's suggestion I had the clutch master cylinder replaced because it was leaking. After that the clutch would slip in warm weather or after 15 miles of highway driving. Probably mix of new and old hydraulics caused the slave cylinder to fail?

The motor started knocking terribly when I was driving to a transmission shop to fix the clutch, and the car wanted to stall all the time the last couple miles of the trip. Mechanics say it's in the lower end of the engine and the cheapest solution is to put in a used engine. OUCH!!! I suppose that I wasn't watching the oil levels closely enough between oil changes (do it myself every 3500 miles), and neither did the previous owners.

The transmission crunches or grinds into 5th gear at speeds above 65 mph when accelerating.

This car had been abused by former owners - center air vent in the dash was missing up/down fins, leather was stained, carpet was OK, but the stock stereo was missing and replaced with cheap junk.

But it came with Eagle alloy wheels and back windows tinted and nearly perfect paint, except for rust on rear quarter-panels, which was not too costly to fix.

General Comments:

This car's combination of comfort and power is the best I've ever driven of older model cars. The clutching action is so easy and delightful!

It seemed like a steal of a deal when I bought it last summer for $5500, based on the test drive and Honda's / Acura's reputation.

Except for the alarm, the electrical system of this car is still perfect.

The suspension / handling is very comfortable and tight.

Seems like this car is a mechanics nightmare. It's packed up like a Rubicks Cube! Labor for any operation in the engine is out the wazoo! And quality parts are very expensive.

Of course, you get what you pay for. I have to ask myself if I want to afford this car - yes, but I may be sorry if things keep breaking.

Faults:

The ABS system computer went out the day I traded it in.

The oxygen sensor went out at 64,000 miles.

Small backseat for passengers and a babyseat.

General Comments:

Other than the 2 listed mechanical problems above the car is bulletproof. Runs solid and started everytime.

The car had plenty of power for me. Interstate driving was a joy. I had the car top ended around 135mph and the handling was very impressive with the factory setup.

I only got rid of the car to buy a sport utility vehicle because I had a child. Other than that, I really miss this car.