Used Car Buying Guide: Honda Accord

The Accord is one of Honda’s oldest cars. It has been in existence since 1976 marking its 42

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birthday this year!  The Honda Accord was launched in India way back in 2001 in its 6

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Generation avatar. Back then it was quite a hot seller despite the high price since there was barely any competition in the premium segment. But as time progressed the Accord’s sales dwindled due to rising fuel prices and the lack of a diesel option. This led to the discontinuation of the model by Honda in 2017 leaving only the overpriced Hybrid variant for India. While it is suspected that the 2018 variant will be launched in India, there is no official word from the company regarding this. Despite the fact that it is currently discontinued, there is no denying that the Honda Accord was a wonderful car in its 17 years of existence. In today’s date, the older Accords go at extremely affordable prices as low as 2.5-3 lakhs in many cases. This makes them really tempting purchases because of their “premium” factor. So here is our list of the essential things you need to look out for while purchasing a used Honda Accord so that you can make a more informed decision.

The Essential Things to Look Out for While Buying a Used Honda Accord:

1. Test the Brakes

Almost all Honda Accords worldwide are prone to very frequent brake warping. Brake warping is the phenomena when the brake rotor surface becomes uneven instead of being flat. This is caused due to an uneven deposit of material from the brake pads. Due to rotor warping, the brakes will start to shudder if you apply medium-hard levels of effort on the brake pedal. The intensity of the shudder is variable on the amount of uneven deposit. Rotor Warping is caused primarily due to poor braking habits or excessive heat action on the calipers. So if you are buying a used Honda Accord be sure to test the brakes thoroughly before purchasing. The shudder effect is rather apparent so detecting it isn’t going to be much of a problem.

2. Look Out For Doors Locking/Unlocking Automatically

This problem is a bit particular to the 8

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generation Accord (3

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in India).  When you are driving on the roads, the doors of the car will randomly unlock/lock. The culprit behind this issue is a faulty door lock actuator. The issues in the case of this malfunction occur randomly. Your car can be stationary or be moving, the actuators will start acting up out of the blue. Apart from that when you intentionally wish to lock the doors or unlock them, they often won’t respond at that time. Keep in mind the door actuator can’t be repaired and can only be replaced. This issue can’t exactly be detected very easily since it is very intermittent. But in case you do observe it in the used Honda Accord you intend to buy, you know the reason.

3. Gearbox Issues

This issue is kind of generic for the Automatic variants of the Accord. The automatic variants have a torque converter that takes care of the shifting. If you notice the “D” light blinking on and off on the dashboard, it indicates a problem with the gearbox. The problem is caused by internal damage on the torque converter or lack of transmission fluid pressure/ leakage of fluid. Due to these issues, you will notice jerks a slight distance creep the moment you shift the car into drive mode. Apart from that, you will notice the car move very sluggishly when the gears shift. On 4

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gear, the accelerator output will feel almost non-existent. When you take a test ride of the used Honda Accord you wish to buy, take it for a thorough test drive and work it through the gears to be sure it’s working correctly.

4. AC Giving Out Hot Air

This problem is particular to the  2003-2007 generation model. The Honda Accord has a really efficient and powerful Air Conditioning System. The problem, however, is with one of the key components of the Air-Con System, the Condenser Unit. The Condenser unit on this model literally has no protective grille over it. And with its convenient location up front right above the car’s front grille, it literally takes the brunt of all the road debris that will be hitting the car from the front. This makes the condenser highly susceptible to malfunctions. This malfunction will reflect itself in the form of less powerful or warm air from the Air-Conditioner Unit. So be sure to check all the different functions of the Air-Con and check if they are working properly as they are supposed to.

5. Vibrations From the Engine

The Honda Civic actually has a really refined and smooth powerplant. But it is pretty likely that you might notice small vibrations creeping up from the steering area and dashboard. These vibrations will evolve and become harsher day by day to the point where it becomes very cumbersome to drive the car. Indeed, if you are investing in one of the more premium cars on the market, vibrations and harshness is the last thing you would want. The root of this problem is faulty engine mounts which deteriorate with age and in case your car has too met too many harsh potholes in a short durations span. You will easily be able to detect this unnatural rattling when you test drive the used Honda Accord you are considering to buy.

So that sums up our list of things you will have to look out for when you intend to buy a used Honda Accord. We hope you find these tips useful and if you intend to sell your used Honda Accord, then definitely visit our

website

for a hassle free sale and the best price.