1982 Honda Accord DX review from North America

I had the engine rebuilt at 192k because it was smoking due to auxiliary valves leaking $1900.

New carburetor at 220k: $750 (I installed it). Idle was impossible due to some dirt in low speed jet. I could have rebuilt it, but went for that great Honda quality...

Fuel pump wasn't working one morning - $70 for part.

Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve stuck open, causing vacuum leak at 283k -- $100 part.

Driver's seat got worn, so I had both front seats recovered -- $200.

Rear window was shattered one morning, and when I asked Honda dealer about replacement glass, they volunteered that it was covered under some sort of recall (the defroster caused it?), and so I only had to pay for the install cost.

I bought a Honda muffler in 1990 for $90 and when it burned out, they had to give me a new one because it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

I do a lot of preventative maintenance, so things have gotten replaced before they really needed it. I do almost all the work myself, except when special equipment or lifts are necessary. Filters, hoses, batteries, tuneups, brakes, struts, wheel bearings, timing belt, muffler.

This car is great to drive and I really enjoy maintaining it myself. People are really surprised to hear that I have owned the same car for 21 years. It was damn near new when I bought it and it's getting hard to find the parts at the dealer now, but the newer cars are harder to work on and don't get the gas mileage (up to 45 mpg!)

Some really amazing things: the only lights that have burned out in the 21 years I've had this car are the headlights! All the others -- brake, turn signals, instruments, even glove box lights -- are still the originals! Also-- I still have the original catalytic converter on the car with 283k miles and it still passes California smog tests with ease!

Still has the original paint - only a few parking lot dings. I had someone rear-end me lately and thought "Oh no, my 21 years of driving this car with no wrecks has come to an end!", but it turned out that the damage was only a broken tailight, bent chrome trim, and punctured plastic bumper, so I just replaced the parts and it's cool again.

I take the car for granted at times, but then get in someone else's car and am impressed with how much more solid an comfortable the Accord is. For instance, my Mom's Oldsmobile Cutlass seemed to be falling apart after 100k miles - the unfortunate standard still. A lot of people think that the car is much newer, like 1995, because it's in such good shape, and while I can take some credit, it's just incredibly reliable and solidly built.

If I can continue to get parts for this car, I KNOW that I can get another 100k miles out of it!!