1992 Honda Accord EX 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

A solid performer at a reasonable cost

Faults:

Distributor bearing failed just after the warranty ended, but Honda replaced it for free as part of a recall.

The solid state transmission control unit burned up at 88,000 miles leaving me stranded on the road. The dealer wanted $670 plus labor to replace this single circuit board. I bought a used one for $220 and the car appears to be working fine.

The car tends to idle too low and cause a rough vibration at idle, particularly when the air conditioning compressor kicks in. I've had this adjusted before and it needs it again.

The radiator began leaking at about 78,000 miles. The leak is where the top cowling of the radiator is glued or otherwise joined to the actual radiator body. It is not economical to repair the radiator, so I'm about to purchase a new one with a lifetime guarantee from an independent shop for $280 to 300.

At the last shop visit, the dealer also said the CV boots need replacement and that the master cylinder on the brakes is leaking. The valve cover gasket is leaking.

General Comments:

The car has been a very solid performer. Honda has assuaged any major complaints by taking care of the distributor bearing despite being out of warranty.

Now that the car is reaching its golden years, I feel that the Honda dealer service is becoming something of a rip off and I'm shopping for more trustworthy specialty repair shops.

I wish I had known that the gear indicator light on the dash also served as a diagnostic alert. When it failed, I assumed a bulb was just burned out in the dash. In reality, this was an indication that the very expensive electronic transmission control unit was problematic. Had I responded to that earlier, I may have been able to get Honda to give me some credit toward the repair. Instead I waited until it stranded me at 88,000 miles. At that point I did not even bother pleading with Honda.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st June, 2001

29th Dec 2002, 14:06

1991 Accord LX

VIN JHMCB7650MC036275

D4 gear indicator light on the dash failed: Burned bulb or electronic transmission control unit failure (recall)?

1992 Honda Accord LX 2.2 SOHC from North America

Summary:

Great, reliable, and comfortable car

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

Wonderful, reliable car. This car is nice to look at and fun to drive. The 4th generation (90-93) Accord was the top selling new car, and it is still obvious why.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th September, 2000

1992 Honda Accord LX Wagon 2.2 LTR from North America

Summary:

This is a great reliable car!!!!

Faults:

Brake master cylinder went out. Brake pedal faded to the floor when stopped.

Right outer CV boot tore. Replaced it without ruining the CV joint! Check those boots!!

General Comments:

Very reliable car!! I've owned several Hondas over the years. They seem to hold up really well for the money. Make great used cars!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th July, 2000

29th Jun 2001, 11:30

I bought my winged 1992 Honda Accord EX (after losing my '87 CRXsi in a flood & I now have a 2000 EXV6 Coupe, too) and the car looks great and is going strong with 179,000 miles on it. Just change the oil faithfully, an occasional valve clearance adjustment, and get those timing belts replaced between 80-90K. New tires at 85K, upgraded and they still look great at almost 100K later. It took a new distributor at 120K. I didn't even need a new pipes and muffler until 160K. With garage, the body and paint still as nice as the day it came out of the showroom. This car is almost ten years old, and I won't part with it -- it's more valuable to me than the NADA or Kelley prices I read. Long live my Accord!!!

1992 Honda Accord EX 2.2 sohc 4-cylinder from North America

Summary:

Good all around car that needs firmer shocks and more power

Faults:

Electric fan motor.

Trunk leaks.

Short in dash and auto gear selector.

Sun shade to moon roof has been jammed.

Front speaker covers fall off and carpet trim to door near door seal.

Tranmission went out.

Air compressor went out.

Valve cover gasket failed.

Air dam missing bolts.

Car shakes in reverse.

Weird motor sound.

General Comments:

The car is solid, comfortable, and fun to drive. Stable at high speeds even at over 100mph. In the rain the car tends to want to wash out. Very little understeer, slow off the line but not bad after getting up to speed. Good all around car that could use firmer shocks and more power.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th June, 2000

23rd Dec 2000, 15:48

I've experienced excellent handling and grip in the rain. You may want to try a different type of tire.

The strange engine noise you hear is probably the high pitchws sound of the transmission. Most Honda enthusiasts consider this unique feature of Honda powertrains music, but if you're speaking of the valve noise, it is almost unheard of if you stick to the scheduled valve adjustments.

11th Feb 2001, 21:07

I have had just about every single one of the problems described in your review.

23rd May 2001, 13:07

My trunk leaked too. It was toward the back, but it did turn out to be the tail light. Also the hinges drip rain into the trunk - a real bummer.

1992 Honda Accord from North America

Faults:

I have had many cosmetic problems with this car. The windows rattle when rolled down. Screws have come out of the doors. Mechanically it has been more than acceptable. It has 75,000 miles. Paint chips have come off on the rear bumper.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th June, 1998

26th Jan 2001, 16:33

I have a 92 Accord LX. Gear shifting (automatic) became a problem last year. Very jerky. I have 140k miles on it now. Last year I had others look at it and they said my transmission was in bad shape and that this seems to be a common trend with Accords, especially 90-93. Well, the dealer was outrageous on price, could not afford a new transmission, so went with an outside guy for a complete transmission rebuild. Performed well off and on. I have 2 year warrantee with the guy, but have to have him check it again. It's now jerky again on a different gear change. Frustrating.

Today, the dealer wanted to rip me off for $600 because yesterday my driver side window got stuck going up at one point. Said the motor is bad, the gear is stripped, and the labor cost is high when my father and I already removed the interior panel. Checking around again. A little bitter but I still love the car, engine is great but the rest is falling apart prematurely.

Sunny