Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Honda Civic Buying an Older Civic
55 messages, Last post on Oct 25, 2009 at 1:15 PM
You are in the Honda Civic Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
|
Okay, the car I thought I bought turned out to have some problems so it's back to hunting for me! So there's a (somewhat) nearby Honda dealership selling a 2001 Honda Civic LX with 175k miles on it for like $4700. In an effort to just end this seemingly endless search for a car I'm tempted to get it. But with that mileage am I just buying a headache (especially with the 01 Civic having a history of transmission problems, or would it having made it this far nullify that)? Obviously the car had to have passed the dealerships inspection and would have gone off to auction had it not passed, correct?
|
|
|
Replying to: windgrace (Sep 05, 2009 6:36 am) I wouldn't buy a car with a lot of miles on it without knowing its history, unless it were really cheap, i.e. a throw-away car. At any rate, you should have the car thoroughly inspected by a mechanic of your choice. |
|
|
|
|
Hi-- I just purchased a 2002 Honda Civic LX. It was a former rental car. I had it checked out by my mechanic and he said it was in good shape. I just noticed, however, that there is this red light on the instrument panel. It sits between the cruise control switch and the power mirrror switch, to the lower left of the steering wheel. This light seems to be always on. I can't find it in the owners manual (at least, not so far). The mechanic didn't notice it or comment on it--so maybe it is nothing. What is this light? I hope this isn't s dumb question. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: windgrace (Sep 05, 2009 6:36 am) |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: amethyst_wm (Sep 06, 2009 10:40 am)
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: targettuning (Sep 08, 2009 5:18 am) It is unlabelled, but it is not the 'cruise control on' light. Someone on another forum said that it sounds like a light to an aftermarket anti-theft system, and that I should be able to find an alarm box under the steering wheel. I haven't found one, but I am not mechanically inclined, so I may not know exactly what to look for. I don't remember the dealer telling me that the car had an alarm or anything like that on it. |
|
|
|
|
I need to replace a car asap and there's a local civic that leaks oil. Is that a death sentence for this car or worth considering? I suspect they would have had it fixed if it was easy enough because they've done other expensive repairs to the car (radiator replacement). It's a 89 model 3 door (manual). Oh it also leaks brake fluid. Both need topping off once a month when the lights come on (supposedly). (if you are wondering why I am even considering a car with such problems, I have a cash-only very limited budget) Thanks for any advice!
|
|
|
Replying to: needwheels2 (Oct 20, 2009 3:48 am) Long answer: I owned a 92 civic for about 15 years and finally learned that a car older than 12 years is not worth the hassle, because it costs more to maintain and you never know something is going to break down. 92 civic is a very well built car, and I kept it in an incredible condition!! + had everything maintained 100% but it still gave lots of trouble towards the end. See, the problem with a car that is older than 10 years is not just the mechanical issues, its that everything in the car is worn-out including plastics, seals, rubbers, bushings... on an on. When you buy an 5-6 year old used car you only encounter mechanical issues, but past 12 years you are dealing with the entire car that starts to slowly fall apart. At that time it is not worth the cost to repair it. And I would guess is the reason the current owners of the car you are considering have not fixed it because they are tired of fixing all the stuff thats failing.. Cash Purchase I totally agree with buying a used car, and paying cash for it. But if a car already has problems, then the repair cost will make the car more costly. Example: if you buy the car for $2000, you will likely end up spending another $1000 on it (easy). And even then you will never know when the next shoe will drop and car stop working. Instead of buying a car with initial lower price but higher repair bills, I would recommend get $3000 car with no major problems and save yourself the headache. Purchase Options: Consider buying off Craigslist, or ebay from a private seller. You get the best price on the ebay because the cars sell at the whole-sale / trade-in prices. When I sold my 92 civic I purchased my current civic off ebay and am very happy with it. To pickup the vehicle I had to get to another city a few hrs drive from where I live but the $$ I saved off the private party (and retail price) made it all worth it. Buying Local and in Person: If you feel that you have a little less cash for the purchase, let me tell you that just by having the cash in pocket to close the deal on the spot puts you in the driving seat. You will be amazed how many private sellers are willing to talk to you if they know you will buy right now! Feel free to make a good offer and make your cold hard cash work for you. Good luck!
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: crazyfly (Oct 20, 2009 2:11 pm) I guess I should ask the question differently, "what can I expect to fail next on a 89 civic with 150k miles". I am trying to find out if the timing belt was replaced at all since the 120k mark since that's the next big one. So slowly leaking oil and brake fluid are failing seals? I guess that means it can get worse?
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Sedans Honda Civic Buying an Older Civic
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2011 Honda Civic
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
