Japanese technology

Hi

I have a quick question

I bought a used Honda accord from Honda dealer in 2005. It was 1998 Lx with 123K miles on it. The dealer told me the the car was in good condition and has highway miles on it. I bought it and have been driving it since. Now it has 170K miles on it. Recently my father in law had a chance to drive it and noticed that it needs tuning. He took it to a mechanic who after having a look on the engine, mentioned that it has never been serviced before not even spark plug has been changed. he did few necessary replacements like fuel filter, spark plugs etc.

My question is that is it possible that a Car can have 170k miles on it and has never been serviced/ tuned , and had absolutely no problem in driving. If this is possible Can you expect the same from any GM car or Ford car of the same level model? In these days of discussions about American car builders bailout, my question is why cant American car builder make a car like this. I am sure they have the expertise and technology.

Don’t make the mistake in believing that the Japanese auto industry has not produced junk,provided poor customer service. What they have done very well is create a image.

So you have owned this car for three years and 47,000 miles and you have never had it serviced yourself? Do you not want the car to last for some reason?

Your mechanic has no way of knowing whether the spark plugs are the originals or not. If the original owner bought OEM parts, they would appear to be original.

Definitely possible but won’t happen every time. There are some owners who will never do any maintenance unless they are forced to; so you will find examples of running forever on next to no money.

It’s highly unlikely that the car lasted 170K miles with no maintenance. Possible, but highly unlikely.

If you want to keep this car I suggest you follow the maintenance schedule as specified in the owner’s manual. I also suggest you have the timing belt replaced, because if it breaks the engine will be severely damaged, and you have no way of knowing how old the timing belt is.

Why Do You Ask A Question Like …

" If this is possible Can you expect the same from any GM car or Ford car of the same level model?", to which I would answer, “Absolutely!”, and then you proceed to say, [i]" … my question is why cant American car builder make a car like this."/i

[b]If you want to make an uninformed statement, then make it. If you want to ask a serious question, then ask it. I have owned several GM and Chrysler cars that would surpass that Honda in reliability, cost of maintenance, safety, comfort, and cost to insure, whether or not both cars were ever serviced or not. One who does not know cars from Shinola, but has an opinion, needs to have the body parts to just state it! I get really tired of this Japanese Cars are superior to other cars Myth.

What a lame statement … [/b]"Hi
I have a quick question "
[b]

No, You don’t!

America, What A Country!

P.S. Maybe you and your Honda could be guests on “Oprah”.

P.P.S. Now, I have an actual question. Since my “low tech” GM car outweighs that Honda by 650 pounds and has more horsepower, why is the fuel economy the same for both vehicles? Being of “higher technology” and lighter, the Accord should deliver much better fuel economy. When it comes to your Honda Accord, “I am sure they have the expertise and technology” to be more economical in regards to gas consumption. The real question is “Where is that extra gasoline going in the Accord?”
[/b]

Whitey makes an excellent point.

Whether the previous owner had maintained the car properly or not, if the present owner has driven this car for 47,000 miles/3 years without doing any major service, then the present owner is clearly NOT someone who is knowledgeable about car maintenance and is clearly NOT someone who is interested in longevity for this car.

Like others who have responded, I question whether someone with this level of irresponsibility and lack of expertise has the background necessary to draw any conclusions regarding car quality. My advice to the OP is to stick to topics with which you are knowledgeable before drawing flawed conclusions like this.

I agree with the other responses up to this point and want to put it this way:

How much abuse a car can take is a poor measure of its quality.

Well said; the definition of quality is “Fitness for Purpose”! Old style, over-built US cars could take a lot of “abuse”, but did not last any longer than other cars. Modern cars are built to tigher tolerances and minimal weight for fuel efficiency reasons. If used and cared-for as intended they will outlast older designs.

On the Web today,GM appologizes to America for sub-standard automobile design and marketing,never thought I would hear it,should Wagonner go?

Honda does an excellent job with ergonomics and have products with demonstrated longevity. Outboards, 4 wheelers, gen motors and cars. Their nitch is their reputation. They work hard for it. But though I have had owned Honda products, they are not always the best buy. The same can be said for all cars.

One of the best buys IMO is a year old Ford Taurus. Keep it for 5 more years, trade for another and you’ll always have an up to date safety wise vehicle that has reasonable reliability for a very inexpensive investment.

One reason Ford is doing better…

Gm really doesn’t need to apologize to any one…they owned the rental car business for years with their choice of engineering goals, and they made money in the areas they choose. Times are hurting for everyone…
Camrys maybe a better quality car than some Americans, but I’d certainly buy a Malibu if it were cheap enough and the dealership was better.

I Too Have Owned Honda Products (Still One In The Garage). They’re Alright, Usually.

I prefer GM and Chrysler. They give me excellent service and value. Friends and relatives have owned Ford cars that I get to work on. Too much rust. However, very recently I see fewer really rusty ones. I don’t do Fords for my own use.

However, these newer Ford Taurus models have been well received in terms of safety and reliability. I like your logic concerning buying a 1 year-old, every five years. I usually buy used and try to drive until the wheels fall off (but they never do). I understand the update for safety, though. The big 3 cars generally don’t have high resale prices, making them fantastic bargains, from where I’m sitting. Who knows, one of these days I might even try a … you know … that kind of car you were talking about.

How much abuse a car can take is a poor measure of its quality.

Well said!

Speaking of Fords…I’ve always had used Toyota trucks, my bros Ford Rangers. He complains about their performance much more but puts much less money into them when you include purchase price…in the many years we have informally compared.

By the way, a few squirts of motor oil in the body cavities every two years of so, stops internal (not surface) rust in it’s tracks; of ANY car.

Well, as far as I know, the 1965 Chevelle I had kept going and going and going and sat for about 10 years then went through 3 people, including me, before most of the body rust was taken care of. The original 283ci v8 and 2 speed powerglide transmission were still going strong when I sold it to a guy in Oklahoma back in January. If that’s not build quality, I don’t know what is.
How many older American cars do we see on the roads as opposed to the foreign models? Ever seen the original 70s model Civic on the road, or even a car show? Neither have I.

It just occured to me the OP also evidently bought a seven-year-old used car with 123,000 miles on it without first getting it checked out by an independent mechanic. If the car had never been serviced, THAT would have been the time to discover it.

Talk about quality American cars…what about the indestructible 225 slant six in the Plymouth Valiant used by Dennis Weaver in “Duel”. That baby was some abused the entire show and still had enough to ram that truck in the climactic scene…scared the truck driver so much he drove over a cliff.

That’s American reliability you can depend on.

I had an old Doge Dart scream by my performance sedan two nights ago. That was funny.

Post your name and address so that none of us have the misfortune of buying a used car from you-Did you really drive this thing for 47,000 miles wihtout doing an oil change?