A V6 Honda Accord Coupe Joined the Million-Mile Car Club – Can Your Car Do the Same?
We see all kinds of older Honda Accords on the road daily and know they’ll likely last a lifetime. But what constitutes a “lifetime?” 20 years and 300,000 miles? How about 1,000,000 miles? If that’s the case, then Justin Kilmer, an owner of a 2003 Honda Accord V6 coupe, recently crossed the threshold of the lifetime mark by logging seven figures on the odometer (well, kind of). Can your car do the same?
The 2003 Honda Accord V6 coupe joined the million-mile car club
Whether or not your goal is to drive your car for 1,000,000 miles, it’s nice to know how some car owners got there. Fortunately, Justin Kilmer had documented much of the necessary maintenance on his car on his YouTube channel on its way to the seven-digit mark. The videos are helpful and show how well the 2003 Honda Accord EX V6 has held up throughout the years and miles. Oh yeah, it’s also cool that it has a six-speed manual transmission.
Most of the maintenance included replacing the transmission at 320,000 miles due to a griding third gear. Kilmer also replaced the catalytic converter at 500,000 miles, and he told The Drive that he only uses OEM replacements for parts like the CV joints, ball joints, wheel bearings, engine mounts, clutch cylinders, and belts.
However, he has used some aftermarket parts for items like the brakes, air filter, exhaust, and wheels. Kilmer said he also keeps up on the routine maintenance and fluid changes religiously.
How did Kilmer rack up so many miles on his Honda Accord?
Kilmer’s wife originally purchased the 2003 Accord brand new from Pensacola Honda and drove it daily for 12 years. The Satin Silver Accord accumulated 185,000 miles by 2015, but he then began driving it for his job as a medical courier. That’s when the miles started racking up.
Kilmer added 815,000 miles over a 7.5-year period, which equates to an average of 109,000 miles annually. Kilmer documented his Accord’s legendary milestone with a YouTube video to commemorate the long-awaited million-mile mark. Unfortunately, the car’s six-digit odometer wouldn’t display a million miles, so he used the trip odometer to count the final mile when it rolled over to 0.0.
In the video, the check engine light is on because the Accord was only running on five cylinders at the time for the last 80,000 miles, Kilmer explained in an Accord enthusiasts’ forum. He also stated that an engine replacement would be coming soon.
With this achievement, Kilmer joins a couple of million-mile Accord owners, including Joe LoCicero of Norway, Maine’s 1990 Accord, and Rodney K. Beattie of Columbus, Ohio’s 1991 Accord LX. Autoblog reported that Kilmer’s Accord is the only known model to achieve the million-mile mark with a V6 engine.
Can your car last up to a million miles?
Although Kilmer’s achievement may seem like a pipe dream for many car owners – whether or not they own a Honda Accord – it can easily be a reality. With the proper care and maintenance, any car can theoretically last a million miles or more. Back in 2006, a Saab 900 that belonged to a traveling salesman did it, as did a 2013 Hyundai Elantra back in 2018.
According to iSeeCars, plenty of cars and SUVs, like the Toyota Tundra, Honda Ridgeline, and Kia Sedona, can easily cross the 200,000-mile mark. So there’s no reason your car can’t – provided you rack up many miles every year.
If you do, it’s important to keep up with the car’s routine maintenance and repair any major issues along the way. It’s easy to neglect parts like CV boots, belts, hoses, and even tires, but those are the vital parts that keep the car on the road. If you can address those repairs and maintain your car, you may be able to join the million-mile club one day as well.
