1996 HONDA Accord

230K and still runs like a "Top"! BUT...

Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 5

Perform regular preventative maintenance, and you have a forever friend. It is the very definition of "reliable". Period. The only other vehicle I have ever owned, and still own, as reliable as my 96 Accord, is my 04, Odyssey. However, one issue consistent with 1990's Hondas is rusting upper arch wheel wells. The design flaw is how the rubber molding/weather stripping attached to the inner wheel well arch flange consistently traps enough moisture to cause premature rusting. Longtime owners of Hondas of this era know exactly what I am referring to and would agree. Unless of course, a quick fix rust repair had been performed prior to selling the car, in which case the next owner would disagree while unknowingly to become the next victim. However, if you took the best advice from Honda enthusiasts on reputable Honda forums, and removed the molding, you then bought a few extra years before having to perform body work. The rubber molding simply and easily tears away by hand, and I, of course, was too late removing the liners. No need to worry about aesthetics as the removed weather stripping is not noticeable, and, does not affect the lines of the car. I repaired my rusting wheel arches by sanding and applying fiberglass cloth tape affixed with fiberglass specific, Bondo. Sand, prime, paint. Done. The second issue would be the specific and unusual placement of O-rings under the rocker arms. It does not matter if you changed the oil every 3K miles, the O-rings under the rock arms inevitably become stiff and brittle, leaking small amounts of oil into a cylinder(s), wetting the spark plug(s). You may or may not notice a change in performance, other than slightly decreased gas mileage, until you see a fouled plug(s) during a tune up. The initial, and common instinct to blame it on failing cylinder rings in this era Honda is more than likely, not true. You can do nothing and be fine as long as you are frequently checking and topping off your oil. OK. That's it for the body and engine complaints. I will say, regardless of the couple of annoying things born into the 94-97 Accord, which is truly nothing when comparing cars in general, I am not letting go of this stalwart Accord until it, not me, says, "it is over."