1990 Honda Accord ex 2.2 from North America

Summary:

Very tight, high quality little car, but still a car with many parts that don't last forever

Faults:

The first couple of years where uneventful, car required usual things for its age: CV/axles, exhaust, radiator, brakes, tires, hoses, I maintained per schedule and it never let me down.

Then: this past year or as soon as the car hit 190k all heck broke loose.

New Door Latch, surprisingly expensive!

New Distributor/Coil.

New Speed and O2 Sensors.

Oil pan gasket.

Turn signal/headlight stick.

Another round of exhaust/ tires/ brakes while paying for other things.

Repairing rear fender rust again.

AC needed freon, no leaks found.

General Comments:

Even with the wallet draining past year, this has been a good car. Not the most fun, but the least overall cost of ownership. If you maintain them they will run forever.

Car has 200k and uses 1 qt of oil b/t changes (5k-6k)

Seats are comfortable, I'm 6ft 230lbs.

Very little UV interior fading.

Paint still shiny, I wax twice a year.

My only complaint is I wish these little cars could tow a small trailer, 1000lb capacity isn't worth putting a hitch on it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th May, 2003

17th Jul 2003, 07:58

Things (freon) don't last forever. They eventually run out.

3rd Oct 2003, 20:20

The A/C system is sealed and rarely if ever will need more freon. Only if there is a leak, and even a small leak over 13 years will eventually need recharging.

13th Jun 2012, 20:40

All heck broke loose at 190 K??? ROFLMAO... ever own an American car???

1990 Honda Accord EX-R 2.4L 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

The perfect first car for a sixteen year old

Faults:

Engine stalled out while driving at about 120km/h.

Paint keeps chipping.

Both the cruises and air conditioning's electronics have quit.

Power mirror motors are broken.

Clutch is wearing.

Rust is a problem only around the rear fenders.

The valve lifters need adjusting.

General Comments:

The interior on this car is mint.

The car has about 125hp (stock), so it can keep up with the crowds.

It's a 2 door, but getting into the back is no problem because the doors are fairly long.

My sister says the back seat is uncomfortable, but I think shes just jealous.

The car handles well.

It starts great in winter, even though it doesn't have a block heater.

It feels very low (and is), but very comfortable.

The insurance is only $800 a year, and I bought the Accord for only $4000.

It also seems to be very popular with my friends.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th May, 2003

14th Nov 2003, 02:10

Hi. I also own a 1990 Honda Accord EX-R, and also have the rust problem. But right now, my car has about 195000km on it, and is still running. It needs, soon, a CV joint, rad, struts (these cars don't have shocks), stereo, clutch (it's a standard 5 speed), and a few other things, and I have 2 young children. I would recommend a Honda to anyone who asked me, they are very reliable, and if I trust it with my kids, its very dependable, even with troubles as listed above.

13th Jun 2006, 00:27

I purchased a '90 Accord in 2001 with 169k miles on it. The car now has 297k on it and I plan on driving it for another 30k! It has needed some maintenance along the way. I've replaced the timing belt w/water pump twice (maintenance), exhaust, CV boots, radiator and ignition module. I replaced all brakes at 175k miles, and am still running on those! I'm a firm believer in using OEM Honda parts. All in all, this car has NEVER left me stranded on the road and there is not a single rip or tear on the seats/interior of the car. The automatic transmission started to slip around 220k miles, but it has not gotten worse and is not even noticeable if driven in "S" mode - change tranny oil every year.

With almost 300k miles on this motor, I sent an oil sample in for analysis. The results were incredible! No blow by, only 3 ppm of copper, 9 ppm of iron, 11 ppm of lead and 0 ppm of chromium. The level of contaminants in that oil sample are safe levels to have in your bottled drinking water according to the FDA!

28th Oct 2007, 00:39

I own a 1990 EXR Accord. I have put 55k on it with no problems and it is at 355k now. I also have a 1990 lx Accord that I have put 110k on. It now has 210k. And I own another 1990 ex with 600k. No problems with any of them. Regular oil changes and replace the timing belts every 100k and the car will run forever.