2003 Accord EX 4cyl 5speed manual vs 2008 Accord LX-P 5 speed manual -Which to choose
 

HEEELPPPPPPPPPP!!!! - Based upon your collective expertise which car is going to be more trouble free - I looked up on line that the 03 accord has 315 or so technical service bulletins(TSB) while the 08 accord has 31 TSB's - I purchased the 03 EX 5 speed 4 cylinder with 129K but had to take it back to the dealer for a P0420 code and the catalytic converter had to be replaced - in the interim the delaer offered for sale an 08 LX-P 4 cylinder with 86 K - they are willing to let me trade up so to speak (of course it is more money) BUT just wondering which car will be more trouble free in the future - thanks in advance for your advice

Happy Holidays Fred

The number of TSBs is not really indicitive of whether one car is more reliable than another. The 2003s and 2008s equipped with manual transmissions both have a good reputation for longevity, so from my perspective, which car do you like more? If you like the 2008 more than the 2003, do you like it $x,xxx.xx more?

Question about TSB's
 

Thank you for your reply. Can I ask about TSB's. Are they not really representative of the problems a car can have? - I was under the impression that every time a car goes to the dealer the mechanics specifcally look for these issues - that being said I thought this would indicate more potential problems. Thanks again for your help.

TSBs are not proactively reviewed when a car comes in for service, they are used *IF* a car comes in with a specific issue. Said another way, say your car has a persistent SRS light on the dash, instead of spending lots of time running down the fault, the technician can check the TSB database to see if other cars have had similar issues and what the resolution (or resolutions) were; this saves time and money both for the dealership and the vehicle owner.

The longer a given model is in service, the greater the number of TSBs for said model; you can bet that by the time the 2008s have been in service for 11 years, they too will have many-many more published TSBs than the current count. The flip side of course is that at some point, most of the issues with a particular model will have been discovered and the number of new TSBs will fall off; my bet is that the 2008s are just getting into the sweet spot for new TSBs while the 2003 have already been well sorted out.

When you try to search some third party sites that are not affiliated with Honda or part of an automotive database used by techs, you get inaccurately compiled data that is overstated and not representative of known issues for a particular year and model. There isn't over 300 Honda Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) applicable to a 2003 Accord. Some third party sites include duplicate info., info. which are tidbit articles from monthly Honda Service News (which are not TSB) which can be about a new tool, fluid, using photos to documents possible warranty claims, etc. that can be applicable to various Hondas.

just depends on what your happy with! as far as reliability I would rank them roughly the same...

Do you realize you revived a 3+ year old thread?