I am new here, doing some research on a potential car purchase and I hope to find some helpful opinions.

Looking to buy my first Accord and since it's a used car I'm wondering if there is anything in particular I should have checked out. The car is a 2002 Accord EX V6 Sedan, automatic transmission, with 93,000 miles. Party is asking $6,500 USD for the car here in the northeast US.

Thanks in advance!

 

If this car has timing belts (I think yes, but not sure), be sure they have been replaced or adjust price downwards to allow for $800-$1000 for this service.

Drive car long enough (10-15 mins) at highway speeds for any DTC's to reappear that may have reset. If any faults appear, be sure they are resolved fully, or price adjusted appropriately.

Perform some relatively hard stops from 50-60 mph to check brakes for vibration/pulsation. If you get pulsing feedback through the brake pedal, you may need new brake rotors and brake pads ($200-$400) to resolve.

Check transmission shifts under firm acceleration. They should be smooth and quick w/ no rpm flare at shifts. Check trans fluid color on white paper. It should be pink-dark red w/o any burnt smell. Any trans problems are reasons to back off the purchase altogether.

Also, have a good shop or car inspection service perform a detailed inspection. It should cost $200-$300 for a good thorough inspection. This sounds like a lot, but one problem avoided will pay for the inspection. Check around for recommendations on shops or inspection services.

good luck

 

FYI: The 98-02 accord had transmissions that failed due to a design problem. The V6 accords seem to be more common to fail from the posts on here. Try to get the service history of the vehicle.

 

Very helpful information - thank you!

 

Follow up.

I had my mechanic look the car over. A new timing belt is due in 10k miles, which is normal maintenance. The car needs new tires and front brakes/rotors to pass state inspection. He also recommend front sway bar links and bushings to address some noise from the front end. This seems like a normal maintenance issue for a car with 93k miles.

No codes present. Mechanic noted that even if the battery had been disconnected, some data is stored in nonvolatile memory and would have appeared.

This is an auto V6 with EX trim level. I've read that Honda issued extended warranty on 98-01 for transmission issues, but stopped at '02 - presumably the issue was addressed. Consumer Reports reports "average" transmission for this year.

Following my inspection report, the seller has agreed to drop the price to $5700.