1996 Honda accord for $3500?

There's an 1996 Honda accord ex v6 for sale in my neighborhood for $3500 with 90,000 miles. The body has very minor door dings, the dark green paint with clear coat looks good. The carpet and leather seats are clean and in great condition. Sunroof, AC, cruise control and Sony cd player. Completely stock automatic. Rides nice transmission shifts smooth and getting 28 mpg, but I think it needs shocks/struts because of the popping noises it makes going down dirt roads. The owner wants 3500 because of low mileage and condition. Kbb.com values at 3800. How durable is the 96 v6? I've heard the v6's last for over 300k with regular oil changes. How about the transmission? Can I expect to have this car for 6-7 years?

You better run car fax or something… But I have 94 accord that last 210k before I sold it… With no issues at all this kinda accord do go beyond 200k if you change oil on time and timing belt every 90k to 100k

Although the price may seem to be really cheap in reality this is just about right for this car. The average retail for this car is around $4,800 and the average price a private seller would sell the car for is around $3,100. You need to know one thing up front. This car has an engine that uses a belt to drive the cam. The engine is what is called an interference engine. If the belt breaks you will have serious engine damage. Honda recommends the belt be replaced at, 90,000 miles. The water pump should also be replaced at the same time. The cost at a Honda dealer will be around $900. What a coincidence that they are selling it at exactly the time it needs this service. You will also need to replace the spark plugs at this time. So, this car with a retail value of $4,800 will need some service that will cost at least $1,000. Then new struts will be more expense. If the tires are worn out you are looking at more money. And then there are brake pads, etc. Unless they have proof they replaced the cam belt you must assume they did not and pay to have this done. You can't tell by looking at the belt how old it is. The bottom line it this is a good price for this car if it checks out but I would offer a little less. Have it inspected by a trusted pro before you buy. There's no minor or major problems with this year Honda. It is a very reliable car that will last for years to come if you take care of it.

90k miles on a 18 year old car sounds too good to be true my suggestion would be before committing any money to that transaction take that vehicle (with the owners consent) to a REPUTABLE independent auto shop and have them do a pre purchase inspection. It may cost you $100 to $150 but it will save you a ton in the future and may help you lower the asking price if there are any minor issues…

Nice… But only 90,000 miles on a almost 20 year old car is almost too good to believe unless the seller is the original owner.