[nico08]

Hi. I am the original owner of a 2007 Honda Accord v6 with about 175000 miles on it. I recently had the following work done by a local reliable mechanic. Timing belt and tensioner replaced, water pump replaced, serp belt and tensioner replaced, thermostat replaced, spark plugs replaced, coil repaired, motor mount replaced, radiator replaced, trans fluid changed, 2 ps lower hoses ad ps reservoir replaced, synthetic oil change, accelerator pedal sensor replaced. I bought most of the parts myself. The parts cost about 681 and the labor was about 740.

Prior to this work being done, I thought I would try to get to 200000 miles with the car and then buy a newer used replacement vehicle.

What do you think may be the next thing that will need to be repaired or replaced on the vehicle? My mechanic suggested future possible problems- oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, cv ball joints and that he sees the transmissions failing on these cars sometimes at around 220000 miles.

My questions.

1. Now that I have put this money into the car, I am wondering how many more years/miles I may get out of it? I understand it’d only be a prediction. I keep up with the maintenance, I don’t drive the car aggressively, I live in the northeast USA. I put about 10,000-15,000 miles on the car a year, but in 2020 I didn’t put many miles on the car at all.

2. If the automatic transmission fails, do you think that is the time when I should get a replacement vehicle?

3. How much does it cost to rebuild a transmission on a 2007 Honda Accord v6?

4. About how many miles/years does a rebuilt transmission last?

5. How much longer would you use this vehicle as your primary mode of transportation? As long a the vehicle is safe and reliable, I am happy to drive it.

 

[WiiMaster]

I believe the transmission issues weren't as common with the later years, including 2007, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just keep up with transmission maintenance. Regular fluid changes.

 

[WABOOM]

It will last as long as your desire lasts to put money into it.

 

[nico08]

I believe the transmission issues weren't as common with the later years, including 2007, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just keep up with transmission maintenance. Regular fluid changes.

Ok, and yes I will keep up with the transmission maintenance on the vehicle. Thank you.

 

[capkirk123]

Yeah, early gen V6 accords loved to destroy their transmissions, but with the 2006 facelift they beefed up the transmission a good bit. Heat is what kills them, so if you live somewhere cold that will help a bit too. You can also try using D3 when driving in traffic to reduce wear on the torque converter.

If you really want it to last you can install a transmission cooler. T-RD has a write up on it, it's not a difficult job, just requires lots of flexibility or good tools to get the return hose off.

Transmission rebuild is around $3000 from what I've heard? There are shift improvement kits and such that will let you rebuild the transmissions even stronger than it was from the factory.

Otherwise it'll last a long time. The V6 is a very solid engine, and the transmission will last if taken care of. If you can tolerate replacing the various suspension components as they go bad, it'll probably last until the rust eats it. There are V6 accords with 500k+ miles on this forum, although most of them are manual transmission models.

(My V6 is from the midwest, and still shifts perfectly at 210k miles)

 

[nico08]

Yeah, early gen V6 accords loved to destroy their transmissions, but with the 2006 facelift they beefed up the transmission a good bit. Heat is what kills them, so if you live somewhere cold that will help a bit too. You can also try using D3 when driving in traffic to reduce wear on the torque converter.

If you really want it to last you can install a transmission cooler. T-RD has a write up on it, it's not a difficult job, just requires lots of flexibility or good tools to get the return hose off.

Transmission rebuild is around $3000 from what I've heard? There are shift improvement kits and such that will let you rebuild the transmissions even stronger than it was from the factory.

Otherwise it'll last a long time. The V6 is a very solid engine, and the transmission will last if taken care of. If you can tolerate replacing the various suspension components as they go bad, it'll probably last until the rust eats it. There are V6 accords with 500k+ miles on this forum, although most of them are manual transmission models.

(My V6 is from the midwest, and still shifts perfectly at 210k miles)

Thank you for the D3 idea and I will look into the transmission cooler. Good to know your V6 is still going strong at 210000.

 

[KW2004Accord]

Things will eventually start to wear out, only you can make that decision of when to get rid of it.

 

[DerekWildstar]

I dunno… maybe @TX Accord can comment on how long a 7th-gen V6 can last?

Seriously, though, the 7.5 generation Accord is nearly bullet-proof. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things to keep it on the road. As for fixing the car after a major component failure vs. getting something new, that’s really an individual choice. Even if the transmission went and you spent $3k replacing it, that’s still far less money than you’d spend on a new or recently used car (especially in our current bubble market). On the other hand, if you’re dying for a new car, well, we all get that itch… it’s your call whether you want to pull that trigger or not.

The wild card is rust - if that sets in and you don’t want to spend time and money chasing after it, it’s time for something new.

 

[TX Accord]

🤔 TBD

 

[visionguru]

...
What do you think may be the next thing that will need to be repaired or replaced on the vehicle? My mechanic suggested future possible problems- oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, cv ball joints and that he sees the transmissions failing on these cars sometimes at around 220000 miles.
...

Engine: potentially lasts 1,000,000 miles (@TX Accord)
Transmission: depending on the driving style, for example: grandpa vs spirited driving.

At 175K miles, the suspension components, such as ball joints and bushings, are tired. Surprised that your mechanic didn't mention any.

 

[nico08]

Are there any things I should look out for that would indicate that the car is having problems with the ball joints or bushings?

 

[visionguru]

Click/clunk noises need immediate attention.
Also, check the ball joint boots (lower, upper, tie-rods), if boots are ripped, ball joints need replacement.
Have you done any front suspension checks?

 

[nico08]

Ok thank you for the tips. I have not yet heard any click/clunk noises but I will keep my ear open for those sounds. I had an alignment in January 2020, would that be considered a front suspension check?

 

[TX Accord]

When my ball joints went bad, it sounded like someone was rapidly banging on metal with hammers when I turned. It was atrocious.

I strongly recommend you only go with OEM lower front ball joints for your car. Get them from a true online OEM dealer site like hondapartsnow.com. Moog lower ball joints are trash for these cars.

As @visionguru said, your suspension parts are getting tired at this mileage. It's just part of the game with this mileage. I've had a couple times when I've spent 2-3k on my car (used transmission, clutch, flywheel, struts, timing belt, motor mount, and tie rod ends all replaced at the same time at 320k). Do I regret it? Not one bit

 

[t-rd]

The engine will last indefinitely, just ask @TX Accord , he's got over 800k miles on the original engine. Oil pump will start leaking around 250k miles, but it depends on whether you start your car in very cold weathers and heat it up to temp frequently. Rear main seal might also start leaking at around the same time. Suspension gets tired, the rest of the car is bulletproof. You can rebuild the power steering pump and starter, I have DIY written on both. For the alternator, just change the brush, the voltage regulator rarely goes bad. The valve cover gaskets will leak, especially the front one. Intake tube will rip, cheap to replace. The EGR might get stuck open, also cheap to replace using the one from Standard Motor.

I had my V6 auto trans rebuilt at 275k miles or 13 years old for $2300, the torque converter clutch was wearing out. I drove frequently in heavy Chicago city traffic with my last job. If you do not drive in city traffic conditions, you'll go past 300k without any problems. The key is to install a trans cooler (I have a DIY written on this) and change the trans fluid at least once a year. 3 drain and 3 fills every 30k miles. The trans rebuild with translab shift kit fixes valve body defect issues that causes the torque converter to overheat. It is bulletproof after the rebuild. I'm at 325k miles now, or 50k miles on rebuild trans without any problems. I don't foresee myself buying another car unless this one rots out completely from rust. Call us nuts, but why get into another monthly loan payment or pay $30K+ for a new 2022 Accord? Perhaps it's over $40k+ now.

If you want to keep this car or any car for a long time, start wrenching, especially the timing belt / water pump job.

 

[nico08]

Thanks for all the good tips. And I agree with you, who needs a monthly loan payment when this car can last so long with relatively few repairs and replacements.

When my ball joints went bad, it sounded like someone was rapidly banging on metal with hammers when I turned. It was atrocious.

I strongly recommend you only go with OEM lower front ball joints for your car. Get them from a true online OEM dealer site like hondapartsnow.com. Moog lower ball joints are trash for these cars.

As @visionguru said, your suspension parts are getting tired at this mileage. It's just part of the game with this mileage. I've had a couple times when I've spent 2-3k on my car (used transmission, clutch, flywheel, struts, timing belt, motor mount, and tie rod ends all replaced at the same time at 320k). Do I regret it? Not one bit

My mechanic also suggests that I use oem parts for most things that need replacement.

 

[t-rd]

Thanks for all the good tips. And I agree with you, who needs a monthly loan payment when this car can last so long with relatively few repairs and replacements.


My mechanic also suggests that I use oem parts for most things that need replacement.

Use OEM parts for all engine components, especially starter, alternator, and timing components. You can buy low mileage used ones off crashed cars for cheap. I have a backup alternator and starter sitting in my garage. You can use aftermarket brake parts all day long. For suspension, you should use selected OEM parts, for some others, it doesn't make sense to use OEM. Some will argue with me to use OEM bushings only but that's only if you have tools or a press capable of pressing out old bushings. It does not make sense to use OEM struts and springs because it'll cost you over $1000 for an entire new set. For axles, use OEM only, more people will argue with me on that how they got something off Rockauto for $50 and it's fine. But ultimately, it's your choice what you want to install on your car. Lastly, use only OEM front lower ball joints.

 

[MLRey]

I got 260K miles out of my 02 Accord V6 before I sold it. Synthetic oil changes ever 5K miles and drain/fill on the automatic every 10K miles. All was working when I sold it but it needed new bushings up front and probably in the rear as well. Sold it cheap to a kid so they would have enough for repairs. Easy to find parts in the junk yards so that makes repairs even cheaper.