Q: Question

The specific data that you are seeking have been complied and published by Consumer Reports (CR), based on their periodic vehicle reliability surveys and, as well, reliability can be easily inferred by reviewing the relevant model years in the NHTSA database. The Consumer Reports reliability data is extremely detailed (system by system) and will thus will give you an excellent indication of the relative likelihood that key systems on the model (and year) of interest to you will fail at greater, or lesser, frequency compared to those rates reported for other vehicles, in your case the Accord versus the Camry. Obviously, what you want to be looking for in that CR reliability database is an indication that the vehicle "make and model year" is not a "lemon" insofar as reliability. All of this data is contained in various CR issues indexed in the public library. You have additional options, too, insofar as getting useful data about the vehicle model. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a database of consumer complaints, official recalls and factory service bulletins for all makes and models, by year. I encourage you to go to the NHTSA website and enter the vehicle years, makes and models of interest and review the existing reports which will give you an excellent idea of what has actually been experienced by other owners insofar as faults in the particular vehicle model that you are interested in. I would post the text of all these reports here, but they are so detailed it will be more practical for you to view them online (and, it’s free, too).

If you are contemplating a used car purchase, you want to confirm that the vehicle of interest has never been in a collision (Carfax might be helpful) and that the vehicle does not have any outstanding recall-related repairs. Apart from that, inasmuch as used car repair, maintenance, and restoration costs are highly dependent on the actual, as found, condition of the vehicle, the only way to get a reasonably precise estimate of costs you might face, and also to protect yourself in the transaction, is to request a pre-purchase vehicle inspection. That inspection, carried out by a certified Mechanic, dispatched to your location, will give you the exact data you need to make an intelligent, informed decision about any car. If you look at the just cited link for YourMechanic’s inspection service, you will see a long list of the vehicle systems that must be inspected as well as details of YourMechanic’s inspection methodology. If you are unable to access any of the CR or NHTSA resources, or desire data of a different type, please do not hesitate for a moment to re-contact YourMechanic and we will assist you further in your attempts to make a wise used vehicle purchase.