Hello, not sure if this is the correct forum to be posting in, but:

I am looking into buying a used car for under $2000. I found a private seller (I don't trust used car lots at all) selling a 1997 Accord LX with 227,300 miles. From the few pictures the body looks good with no rust or anything. Before I call and ask about its history, I thought I'd ask some knowledgeable people about the car. Would that be worth it, or do you think it's past its serviceable life? If nothing has been replaced by the owner, what would probably be my first repair expense? Brakes, water headers, whole new motor?

I won't drive the car too much; my job, home and all shopping destinations are within a 1 mile radius. I just want something for when there's a foot of snow on the ground, or it's raining or there's a gathering of friends/family somewhere not walkable. So I'd guess <10,000 miles/year? Thanks in advance!

 

Oh, and they're asking $1,600 for the car.

 

Where are you located? Hondas seem to vary a lot in value by location. I know in the north east they are a dime a douzen, but down here in the south they can get costly.

A lot depends on the condition and service history. By its mileage it should on its third timing belt or almost anyways. Timing belt is recommended every 80,000ish. It is a bit costly to replace so if it has been replaced recently that is a major plus. The brakes would definitely have to have been done by now, more than once. Is it an auto or a manual? A manual would be needing a clutch soon more than likely if it hasnt been done already.

 

I'm located in the midwest. So it seems the car would still be a good value. It's an automatic transmission and has either a sunroof or moonroof based on the pictures. Are there any problems with those in later model Accords?

 

No known problems with sunroof/moon roof that I know of. Only known problems I can think of with the 94-97s is hub over rotor brakes(just makes them a pain to change), odometer solder getting loose, windows going up/down slow, and glove box light staying on.

 

In later model Accords ('98+) the auto trans can be a problem, but through '97 the automatic transmissions are very reliable if maintained.

 

Nine months ago, I purchased a '97 with 30k fewer miles for a lot more money and learned a painful lesson. Call it a stupid tax or tuition, but I'm kicking myself for not noticing some things. The asking price for yours is way more reasonable than here in the PNW.

Here are some things I would take into consideration and ask the owner about:
Is this a single owner car with a maintenance history? Huge plus for both, assuming the maintenance was done on or before the recommended interval. I've noticed that a large percentage of the population confuses maintenance with repair and assumes that because Hondas (and Toyotas) are reliable, they don't need to be maintained.

Have any of the coolant hoses blown during operation? Are they all the same age or is one new? Has the car ever been overheated? Running out of coolant or overheating and aluminum heads don't mix.

Windows and sunroof are slow to open on mine and I've had 2 that went down, but didn't come up under their own power. I wasn't thorough and didn't check each one when I bought the car. It was raining and I believed the guy when he said nothing was wrong with the car. The problem could be as simple as a little grease in some key locations, but it could be the motors or a switch. Until I fix the two windows, I'm afraid to use them. Check them all for proper operation in both directions and all the way down and back up at a reasonable speed.

Any clunks from the front end? Don't take a test ride with the radio on and/or while talking to the owner. You'll miss noises that shouldn't be there if you're distracted.

Before you start the engine, make sure the check engine light (and all the other warning lights) come on and then go off. Some sneaky people have been known to remove the bulb to hide a check engine or ABS light. My Accord sets the CEL and ABS lights on a frequent basis.