Is 123,000 "too many" Miles?

I am a college student looking to replace my 1987 Accord with a 1998 Accord with 123k.



New tires, timing belt has been changed, etc.



My mom is telling me that it is “an awful lot” of miles and is therefore trying to talk me out of the car.



I was pleased with the test drive and under the hood, clean car fax report.



Thoughts? Ideas?

Price?? The car should provide 200K miles of decent service excluding the transmission…(if it’s an automatic) So you are buying 75,000 miles of transportation and figure in a transmission rebuild somewhere along the way…

The car market is VERY soft. Bargain HARD…

Have it thoroughly checked out, bargain for a very low price (it’s a buyer’s market) and expect to do an occasional repair. But the car if properly maintained and driven conservatively should be reliable for 200,000 miles or more.

The car is 10 years old beyond the 123k miles. Make sure the price reflects well and the timing belt has been changed.

That’s What College Kids Drive!

Make sure every thing discussed above is in line. Check for rust damage if this car lived in the “rust belt”.

I bought a 2001 car for my college son (he paid 1/2) with 132,000, a year ago. The people had maintenance records and it was priced close to “trade-in”. He loves it!

I bought my '88 Accord LXi with 112k. I got a great price because the brake master cylinder was shaky. It now has 218k and has never broken down on the road.

This is one of those “received wisdom” things. Years ago 100,000 miles was about it for a car. By the time most got to that point they were pretty well worn out, but that was the 1950s and 60s. Cars have improved since then, and 123,000 is not all that much. If it was over 200,000 I’d say you mom has a point, but assuming it’s been properly cared for it should be good for another 123,000 miles.

Pay attention to what the other posters have said. Make sure there isn’t some hidden problem, but the mileage alone isn’t that big a deal.

Why replace your '87 Accord? Is it broken?

The driver side window is jammed - stuck in a “cracked open” position. The track for the window itself is all bent to hell and would require replacing the entire door to fix properly.

Carb. is pretty much shot. Car starts and runs but runs like garbage when cold, after starting hot, and has barely enough power to even get on the freeway as it is.

Needs new tires on top of all that.

It’s time.

Thanks for all the helpful responses! Just to clarify the car has a standard transmission and the dealer is asking $6800 for the car to include a 1500 mile / 90 day “powertrain” warranty. However I think I can negotiate this car down to around $6000 because the KBB value is $6100 and the car has the original clutch in it, I believe. Or should I push it down even further than that ?

Did a quick check on edmunds and an v6 EX sedan is about $6500 private party, $8200 for retail.

Depending on the model and engine, I’d offer $4500 and see what they say.
Also, get it checked by a mechanic BEFORE you finalize the deal. If the salesman gives you the run-around, walk away. Accords are fairly common, so the one you’re looking at isn’t the only one for sale.

That’s the I4, right? Before you go back to him, make sure you check what else is in your neck of the woods, Accords with 123k miles aren’t rare, check cars.com, craigslist, etc. You’ll have no leverage unless you can at least show him you have alternatives at lower prices, whether or not you’d actually use them.

There is no way of knowing about the vehicle condition based on miles alone. Some vehicles are in excellent shape at 123k miles and will easily go 3-400k.
Many others (and I’ve seen more than a few) are ready for the crusher by 40k miles.

It all depends on maintenance and driving habits.

(And don’t put all of your faith into a CarFax report; they’re frequently wrong and/or incomplete.)