I'm considering buying a used Honda Civic. I found a 2006 Honda Civic LX Sedan Automatic with 151K miles on it which seems like a lot for a 5-6 year-old car. The car *looks* in great condition and the owner says it has no problems. I'm not looking to buy a car that's going to start having problems and need major work. I'm looking for something reliable. How many miles do Civics usually last before they start having problems? Do you think I should buy this car? How much should I offer to pay for it?

Thanks!

 

I think the first thing I'd want to see with a car with that mileage are the service records. Check to see if the timing belt was done at the 90-100k mark.(I think the 06's had a timing belt). Also check that the trans. has been serviced with fluid change somewhere along the line. As far as everything else goes, I'd say it's your call. Look on Kelly Blue Book to see what it's really worth. (Official Kelley Blue Book Values You Can Trust From kbb.com - Kelley Blue Book) These cars last a really long time if they're taken care of properly. My '05 EX has 112k on it and is just getting broken in. Good luck!
Duane

 

Civics are reliable, but I'm not sure I'd buy any used car with 151,000 miles on it and not expect there to be more than usual maintenance.

I suppose it depends on your definition of "problems". At that mileage, if he proved all the fluids were changed on interval, you could be looking at things like wheel bearings, alternator, PS pump, distributor components, and especially the suspension components going bad.