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Hey guys, i am in the market for a cheap commuter car and I've been looking around at some civics. I know nothing about civics other than the fact that they are usually pretty reliable. I found a 2004 civic dx for about $3000, but it has 245,000 kms (150k miles) on it. I asked the dealer if they had any maintenance records from previous owners but they don't. My question is, should I keep looking? How many kms is too much for a civic? I only need a car to last me about a year, maybe 2 (I would put on about 20,000 kms a year). Let me know what you guys think. Thanks!

 
Rep Power: 209

depends entirely on how it is maintained,



if i was to purchase the car you are describing i would count on spending at least another $500 right away on general maintanace, and that is doing the work myself,

i would do the following immediately.....

- oil and filter
- transmission fluid
- coolant
- timing belt
- drive belts
- water pump
- timing belt tensioner/spring
- spark plugs
- air filter/pcv valve

keep in mind im a bit OCD,

or you can just roll the dice, drive it, and hope it lasts you for the time you need it,

 
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150K miles is too much even for a 2005.

 
Rep Power: 209

are you kidding?

that's nothing on these cars if well maintained,


i have well over 300,000km on an 05, still going strong

 
Rep Power: 203

If your really only going to drive it for 2 years and a total of 40k then it'll probably be fine without any maintenance.

The problem you get into is the car is only worth a couple thousand so if you dump a couple thousand (ie brakes, clutch, timing belt, struts, tires, ect) into it then the car is still only worth a couple thousand.

The dealer is usually your most expensive way of buying a used car... you can probably get better value (and history) buying privately. If your expectation is that you're going to get financing through the dealer make sure you figure out out the terms first. By the time the car is paid off you might be well over the original $3000.

 
Rep Power: 149

Well said Stock 99!
jfin1995, its a gamble, no matter what you buy.
We all take some risk with these 7th gen cars. If you keep putting money into it, you certainly won't get it back if the car is totaled (and almost any accident will have the insurance company write it off).

Dealers are the most expensive. The types of dealers who sell these old cars are some of the worst. They mark it up and do almost nothing for the car. The independent dealers and Craigslist dealers are the worst. Some will change the instrument cluster with a low mileage cluster!

For inexpensive transportation, CL is frought with peril but some good cars can be bought there. I bought my 01 LX 5speed manual from the original owner and I have bought 2 other older cars off CL.

For 7th gen Civics, I worry about the automatic transmissions. If the tranny goes, it can easily be more than the car is worth.

On the plus side, this forum has a ton of information to help you diagnose and fix issues. So if you buy a Civic you will have a great resource.

Good Luck!

 
Rep Power: 133

The head gasket seems to be a weak link in the 2001-2005 engines so it would be nice if you knew the history of that repair, if any.

 
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Mmmmm yeah kinda, I heard the average rate for a car should be around 10k per year, so a car that is around 10 years old should have around 100k miles on it on average.

 
Rep Power: 511

10k miles? I figured it was more like 12k miles, since most factory warranties run that kinda year/mileage limits (e.g. 3 year 36k miles, except for hyundai, with their 10 year, 100k deal)

 
Rep Power: 149

Insurance companies say 12-15K is average. Plenty of folks drive more.