what are some problems you start to encounter after 200k+ miles on a vehicle with a new engine?

Question

looking to purchase a 1992 civic hatchback with a new engine with 40k miles.-the body has 200,000miles. what kind of things can I expect to replace and what is the the approximate cost?

Answer 1

RUST!

Have a mechanic check out the cassis, very carefully. It could be ready to fall apart.

Unless the car has spent all it's time in the desert.

Answer 2

You can expect a few things that might begin to go wrong. Electrical wiring in the vehicle might be the biggest (and most annoying). If the car has electric windows, locks, etc. they could be getting close to something going wrong. Also, on Civics sometimes the CV joints begin to wear after a large number of miles.

If the vehicle has a new engine, I'd check to see if new engine means new water pump? New Alternator? New Fuel Injection system? New starter? Or does new engine mean, just the engine block? The alternator is the area of prime concern to me. If it hasn't been replaced recently then you could be looking a failure shortly on an alternator in a Honda Civic with that many miles...and those are BRUTAL to replace. Honda mounts them on the bottom of the engine where you can't get to them. Alternators provide constant electricity to your vehicle (to those headlights, powered windows, etc.) so they are pretty important but hardly ever fail under 150,000 miles.

My recommendation on getting a vehicle with that many miles is to not buy one that isn't a real value. Bargain with the person if you can. But if you aren't getting a pretty good deal then I would suggest passing. I hope this helped.

Good luck.

Answer 3

200000 miles huh? Be cautioned, don't pay too much. bearings, joints, seats, carpet, tires, bushings, motor mounts, radiator, paint, door handles, latches, parking brake cables, headliner, exhaust, fuses, wires, dash components, lights lenses, hoses, transmission, axles, heater, ac, ducting, struts, steering parts, fuel pump, fuel filter, air filter, transmission cooler, computer, and etc.

Does new motor mean complete crate motor or that they rebuilt former motor? If so, then there's a whole slew of other parts that are expected to fail soon.

If the car has been maintained and taken care of there could be a lot of life left in the old civic. What repairs / maintenance has been done? If you need to do more than change the filters, oil, and struts, you should probably find something newer. In the early 90's cars were expected to make it about 150k or a little more before being "retired". This car needs someone who likes the make and model, is willing to spend time and money fixing the minor and major problems as they arise, and probably won't mind walking from time to time.