Faults:

Air conditioning needed a re-charge.

Rear wiper blade came off.

Front rotors need replacement.

Tachometer will sometimes stick on cold mornings, but is fine once engine warms up.

General Comments:

This has been the best $500 I've spent in my life. My newer vehicle was getting 16-17 mpg and I needed a way to cut down on fuel costs. So, I purchased this from a second owner and never looked back. On top of being the most reliable vehicle that I've ever owned, it still pulls 32-35 mpg. It sits low to the ground and handles well. Visibility can be a problem, even with a large sedan in front of you. The seats are very comfortable and everything works.

Faults:

In the ten years I have owned my Accord, I have had few major repairs.

I had to replace the steering rack twice (but the first was a faulty install).

The brakes have required a good deal of attention. I have replaced the calipers at least once, and the rotors a few times.

The air conditioning and cruise control both quit around 100,000 miles.

These cars tend to rust around the rear wheel wells.

Otherwise, this has been an absolutely fantastic car. It has served me from high school, through college, and well into graduate school- and it still runs well. 20 years going strong, and mine just passed the Colorado emissions test again, even though she's a low-altitude car.

My car is no special case, either. Here in Colorado, I see other 1983 Accords on the road all the time. I was never ashamed to drive an old car, when it looked and ran like this one.

Faults:

Power steering went out, had to replace entire unit.

Brakes had to be fixed three times.

Fuel pump went out (I think) the mechanic said that was the problem, but it still has a problem somewhere.

General Comments:

Great little car, besides the fact that it seems to break at least once a week. When it runs it's a dream. Looked brand new when I bought it (it was 20 years old) but quickly got hailed on, the same thing happened to my supra. You can read that review on this site as well. Car has good quickness for it's size, and feels really sporty. Very comfortable on long trips, but not having a cup holder is bad.

Faults:

I was 3rd owner of this car.

Had previous owners taken better care of it, I would've kept it.

At time of purchase, 175K miles, few things were needed.

New clutch.

New tires.

New radiator cap.

New muffler.

General Comments:

Paint was nearly gone, and the clutch was a bit tricky.

However, this car did great for the time I had it.

I rebuilt a whole new fence perimeter around our back yard - this car carried all the supplies, including the wood needed.

Car, regardless of questionable maintenance history, never once stalled or left me stranded.

Had the car been better maintained I would've kept her, she was great.

Faults:

Replaced radiator at time of purchase.

Replaced thermostat at time of purchase.

Alternator failed due to contamination from engine oil.

Low-beam headlights no longer work, and Hi-beams are sporadic at best. Suspect wiring problem or bad combo-switch.

Rust is a major problem on these Accords, and mine is no exception.

General Comments:

I bought this car for $400 (CAD) in March of 2002. The thermostat and radiator, which I knew the vehicle needed at time of purchase, brought the initial cost to $606.

This has been a great car! I often use it to go rescue my Mom when her more expensive vehicles leave her stranded. (I would give it to her, but she hates manual transmissions.) I highly recommend the early-80's Honda Accord to anyone who needs a very reliable vehicle, but cannot afford ideal maintenance - it will run for extended periods without it, and still not let you down.

My Accord loves road trips to Washington state... I've driven there four times, putting 2400 extra miles on the car. Seems to actually run better afterward :) It is also stable at very high speeds, does not vibrate or make you think it is going to fly apart, even at 107mph. (This was going downhill, though. Maximum emergency speed on level ground seems to be around 90mph.)

Home repair and maintenance of this vehicle is easy. The alternator, thermostat, radiator, and oil filter are especially easy to remove.

A very worthy successor to my previous vehicle, the ultra-reliable 1988 Chevy Cavalier. Died at 226,800 miles (!!)... and only because I was asleep in the passenger's seat when my friend continued to drive it even after it had suddenly lost all engine oil.