Honda Accord Problems

Very little. If all was well with the car, and it was in good driving condition it’s only worth $3000-$4000, but if the automatic transmission has to be replaced it’s probably worth $500 or so.

This car was built before LED lighting became popular in new cars, so you should be dealing with a simple, replaceable, conventional globe. Even cars from this era that had LED headlights would also probably have had conventional indicator globes.

The trick is in finding the precise one to replace the blown one. While the rear globes may match the front ones in your Honda, I wouldn’t put money on it. The best advice is to remove the blown globe and take it to a parts store that will be able to match it precisely. Even though the two may look the same, you may find there are detail differences in the way they insert into the holder that locates and powers them. Sometimes the contact points can be different, sometimes the physical size of the globe will be an issue.

Removing the globes should be a simple matter of removing the covers over their mounts (from inside the engine bay and the boot respectively) and giving the globe a gentle push and an anti-clockwise quarter turn to release it. When replacing them, remember not to touch the glass surfaces with your fingers as this can leave a hot spot which could lead the globes’ early failure.

The Focus is a good car with a serious flaw; it has a dual-clutch automatic transmission that gives trouble. I would happily have a 2012 Focus with a manual gearbox, but I wouldn't buy one with a dual-clutch auto. I'd be looking at a Japanese or Korean brand and going for something like a Mazda 3, Honda Civic or Accord, Hyundai Elantra with a good record of reliability.

The question of a Honda Accord timing belt or chain is not exactly a simple one to answer as there have been various permutations of the Accord theme sold in Australia over the years. In fact, even though they all bore Accord badges, the various Accord models have often been quite different from each other, including some very different models that sold alongside each other at the same time. So here’s how it pans out:

Very early Honda Accords sold here used toothed rubber timing belts, but those cars from 1977 through to the mid-90s are now pretty old, hard to find and don’t really make it to most people’s short-lists when shopping for a new second-hand car.

Fast forward to 1997, and we start to get into cars that might still have some broad appeal as second-hand buys. Of those, the 1997 to 2003 Accord used two engines, a 2.3-litre four-cylinder and a 3.0-litre V6. Both those engines used a toothed, rubber timing belt which needs to be changed at 100,000km intervals.

For 2003 to 2007 Accords, the engine choices remained a four-cylinder and a V6, but now the former was from Honda’s K Series of engines and featured a timing chain rather than a rubber belt. The V6 remained the same as the previous model. For 2008 to 2013 Accords, the news was similar with the four-cylinder carried over (with its timing chain) and the V6 enlarged to 3.5 litres but still from the same family of engines (and still with its rubber timing belt). In fact, that was to remain a theme for the whole of Accord production with the smaller engine using a timing chain and the V6 getting a rubber belt. Even the very last Accord, the current-model, uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a timing chain, while the hybrid Accord uses an unconventional petrol engine, also with a timing chain.

If, however, we’re talking about the Accord Euro which was sold here right alongside the Accord between 2003 and 2015, the question is a bit simpler as only one engine was offered in that car; a 2.4-litre four-cylinder which used a timing chain (it was also from Honda’s K Series family).

Beyond that, the task of the timing chain or timing belt is exactly the same: They take drive from the engine’s crankshaft to the camshaft and, in the process, keep all the moving parts in harmony. Many car makers moved away from a timing chain to the rubber, toothed drive belt as a way of simplifying engine design and driving down the cost of each engine. The rubber timing belt is also quieter in its operation and is also less prone to stretching (as a timing chain can) so the camshaft (commonly referred to as the cam) stays in perfect synch with the rest of the engine’s rotating parts. The timing belt is a simpler design because it doesn’t need to be tensioned via oil pressure from the engine as many timing chain systems are.

The timing chain, meanwhile, is preferred by some manufacturers because it should last the lifetime of the engine and never need replacement. This isn’t always the case, however, and some engines designs from a variety of manufacturers suffer problems in this regard. But, in a properly maintained engine of sound design, the timing chain should never need attention, while the rubber timing belt generally requires periodic replacement.

Until you described the condition I would have said the Mazda, but if the condition were only fair I would think twice about it. On the surface it’s the better option, but I would want it checked by an expert to get a true reading on the overall condition. The Honda could be a good buy, the mileage isn’t excessive for the age, but you have to think about the future and what could happen in the next 2 to 3 years.

Without knowing more it's hard to give an accurate answer. There are circumstances where you can go to an automotie locksmith if a dealer is hard to get to. You can read more indepth information about how to replace your car keys here.