how many miles should a used mid-nineties honda civic have on it before i dismiss it off the bat?

Answer 1

The answer to your question totally depends on how much you want to pay and how much risk you want to take. Here are a few pointers:

1. Timing belt is scheduled for a change every 90K. If it hasn't been changed, it will probably break before 150K and has a good chance of ruining your engine. Make sure the seller has records of a change. If not, take the agreed selling price and knock off $500. Buy the car but take it to a mechanic that knows Hondas and get the service done immediately.

2. I'm not sure whether you want a manual or an automatic, but a lot of old Civics are stick, and it really improves the driving experience. Honda clutches tend to last a long time - well over 100K - if the car is driven correctly. But you never know if this was the case. I would want proof of a new clutch on a car much over 100K. If the clutch is original, count on replacing it soon and adjust the price accordingly (600 - 900).

3. Depending on where you live, rust is a huge issue. Here in the mid west, Honda engines and transmissions tend to far outlast Honda bodies. Look for rust under the car in the very front and back, at the bottoms of the doors, and above the rear wheel well. Unless you are out west, you won't find a mid-nineties Honda without rust. Take a look and decide if you like what you see - remember though, it is only going to get worse.

4. Where I come from, there are more Civic buyers than cars for sale. This means they sell fast and the prices are high. Remember, with patience, you can always find another one to look at. So add the expected cost of service to any used car you look at, think real hard about it, and walk away from anything that costs too much.

Good luck!

Answer 2

For a used Honda Civic I would have to say anything over 60K. 60K is where Honda recommends tiing belt replacement. ALOT of people do not replace the timing belt and around 90K it'll break causing catastrophic engine damage. IMHO any car that requires major engine maintenance (timing belt) as part of the regular tune up procedure isn't worth buying. OHHH and Mr. Younghawk, Ford Inline 6 300's are know to EASILY surpass a million miles the majority of those miles is done under constant load driving a pump since the rest of the truck crapped out at a half million or less. The MOST reliable motor is the Ford 300-I6 PERIOD!!!

Answer 3

It really depends on how the vehicle was taken care of.

Mine has 174k and still runs very good (it's a 1996) with minimal repairs. The important thing to look for on a Civic is how it was kept up. If they changed the oil regular and changed the timing belt at or near 100k miles, then everything should be OK.

If repairs start to come on a regular basis, or exceed the value of the vehicle, then you should look at buying another vehicle, but $500 is a low number to replace a vehicle for a repair (that less than 2 car payments for the cheapest new car, less than one payment for many).

Answer 4

If it has over 100,000, i would make sure to get some proof of maintenance records, like timing chain replacement.
and Keith C, i agree with you when you say the Ford 300 is a good motor, but i don't know if it's the best...generally all the American inline 6 engines were bulletproof from that era...the chevy 292's were good too. i've seen over a million miles on them.

Answer 5

You will definietly turn out to be having the stability of your cavalier tacked on in your new fee. I would not suggest doing this should you desire low per month repayments. Hold directly to the cavy for one other yr then attempt to promote it privately. You gets more cash for it this manner. I simply traded my 2002 Elantra in for a 2008. The automobile used to be paid off and the dealership handiest gave me $1700 for it. I handiest did this for the reason that I wanted a brand new automobile ASAP and could not wait to uncover a individual customer.

Answer 6

You need to know something more than that. Ripley's Believe it or Not learned of a vehicle with over 2 million miles on it. The owner took care of it. He's reported to still be driving it. You need to know more than the number of miles. Learn as much as you can.

Answer 7

as long as it's in okay condition, it should last until 200k. If it's in really good condition, and was never driven too ruffly, then it should last to around 230-50k miles.

and i don't know what this "Jack" guy is talking about, because you would have to replace the motor several times in order to get 2 million miles. That's probably around 10 motors.

Answer 8

unless it has been maintained perfectly at around 150K the cost of repairs start to exceed the worth of the car. machines do wear out and break, it is normal. it is a real pain when it all happen at the same time. Carl

Answer 9

You buying it or driving it? If ya own it drive the wheels off of it untill a repair cost more than $500

Answer 10

100,000 Miles. Because once you surpass 100,00 miles you will have to change major components like timing chain, shocks, underchasis, CV joints, AC, etc. Good luck, hope I help a little.