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im currently car shopping (for a prelude) and i found one with 74k miles that is very affordable and seems to be well taken care of. i have never had a car with that many miles on it, my civic has like 22k.

should there be any major maintenance stuff i would have to replace quickly after buying it? i dont want to have to put like $1000 worth of maintenence crap into it as soon as i bought it. i have no idea the problems that you would get with that many miles. and my dad wants me to get a car with WAY less than that. but i REALLY want this car.

anyone have any ideas what to expect? thanks!

 
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74k is scary. Try to make sure you can test drive it first. Really listen to the engine and how it responds while you're driving. Forget about the shape/appearance of the ride is (hey, it's used). You can fix easy stuff like that later. You should really worry about the car's performance at that many miles before buying the car. You dig?

 
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good reply!!

 
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Usually 75k is when things start to go on a car (if they haven't already). The car's owner matters a lot too, was it well taken care of?

 
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im told it is "just like new" but i havent seen it yet. i would have to drive it and make sure they have maintenance receipts, and possibly get it checked out at a shop just to be sure.

yea, i dont really care about some minor cosmetic imperfections as long as it runs well and was well taken care of.

 
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what year is it.. casue if its a really new one... i would worry... if its like a 96 or so.. then it would be ok

 
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Ask the person selling it if you can take it to get looked at with your local mechanic. If they won't let you you know something is wrong with the car. I looked at a Prelude before i got my civic a 98 with the vtec with 120k on it; they let me take it to firestone and get it checked out they said the car was great for having such hi miles on it but i went with the civic new anyways.

 
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Hondas usually last really long but like jwsisme said, it depends on how well the owner took care of the car.

 
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Those were some pretty un-technical replies...
Go through the maintaince schedule and see what it should have done!

1) Timing Belt?
2) How are the tires?
3) Service record? i.e. Oil Changes etc.
4) Has the car been painted? Why?

Common sense really.
Craig.,

 
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I bought a 91 Civic hatch to use as my daily driver, had 180K miles on it. Now it's up to 203K and runs like a champ! Only routine maintenance and a new oil pan done.
Something to think about! You cant kill a Honda!

 
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I say go for it if u got the cash!

 
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if u want it and its a good buy then get it. its a honda it should be ok.

 
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You could easily spend $1,000 on maintence.

TimingBelt, Alternater Belt, AC belt, brake work, complete fluid change, plugs, valve adjustment, shocks,wiper blades and new air freshener.

Other than that should not have to much to worry about.

Slump

 
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75k is nothing on a honda. I drove a 93 accord to 150k with only one $100 repair. My wife drove her '91 accord to 155k with only the replacement of the cv joints at 120k. My integra was running like an absolute champ with never having a problem at 88k. My sister's civic never had a problem with 88k when it was sold. My wife's current accord has 100k and is running perfect. I can go on but you get the point.

The overall condition of the car is USUALLY a good indication of it's current state. If it has been waxed regularly and the interior looks good for its age, it is very probable that the owner did the maintenance on the engine and tranny as well.

You have 3 main concerns:

1)Does the owner have a file of receipts documenting oil change intervals and major/minor services? Where were they performed?

If that doesn't check out, move on.

2)Pop the hood, trunk, and look at all doors and the exterior of the car in general. Look at the bolts where the fenders meet under the hood. A lot of times wrecked cars will have parts bolted slightly off of their original factory positions and you will see indentions or marks from their original location. Paint part is self-explanatory.

3)If one and two check off, what will have to be done to the car in the immediate future (within the next year)? Timing-belt is basically the concern as it is the most expensive regular maintenance item.

Obviously, there really shouldn't be anything wrong with the car, everything should work.

If it was me, if he has ALL receipts for service and the car is in good shape overall with no incidents of damage from accidents, it should be a smart purchase. I look for people who do all their services and work at the honda dealer. These people tend to be very tedious about their maintenance in general. Plus, nobody knows a honda better than the people who work on them day in and day out - period.

 
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yea, take it to an independent mechanic, cause the dealership will probaly tell yo uits good, ask for liek a 30 day warranty if its possible.

 
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i think itd be good to think of what your using it for, cause an engine with that many miles might not hold up to rough treatment

 
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And get a carfax report!

 
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Car fax reports arent as good as every one thinks. When I sold my 94 civic, I ran a carfax on it to see what would come up....That car was in two major rear end, front end accidents and not one of them came up on the report.

I just think you gotta have the car checked out fully by a mechanic...try to find someone that fixes hondas daily. They are usually the ones that know the little things that will keep you from purchasing a bad car.

Find out if the guy has an records of what has been done to the car, Ask if he replaced the timing belt. This should of been done at 60k miles. If the guy is younger, and the car is fixed up....there is a probability of the car being beat on or abused...if so I would stay away from it. Also check the car out for any body damage, or repair that may have been done. Check all the panels for the VIN number....The hood, the fenders and the frame in the front.....the panels in the rear, the trunk and the doors should all have the VIN number on them somewhere. Doing this will tell you if the car has ever been in an accident and to see if the guy is telling you the truth.

Also when you go see the car....Check the guys drive way out for oil spots....If the car is parked, ask him to move it back so you can look under the car....to see if anything is leaking.

All in All 74k miles is low mileage if the car is at least 5 or 6 years old and it has been well maintained, never been in an accident....Then I would say buy it.

Oh how much is he asking?

 
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Yeah what year is this car. my friend has 2001 jeep with 80k miles on it and has no problems with it. But like everyone else said, bring it to your mechanic and get a carfax