Should I Consider a 2008 Civic with 135,000 miles with rust on frame - drivers side?
I came across a used 2008 Civic (automatic), and the seller (private) says the transmission and motor are in perfect condition, and the car still drives, but the driver's side of the frame has rust. From the pictures, the body and interior seem to be in good shape. The seller is asking $1600.
Is it worth pursuing or will it be too much of a hassle to deal with?
body rust is ok. Frame rust is not. The frame is what holds the car together.
You should not go for what the seller tells you (it will always be 'the best') and from the condition on photos.
You should inspect the car in person, with a mechanic you did bring with you, and let him and you make a testdrive.
Never believe a seller's description. Everything has to be verified. If the unibody frame rails have rust perforation, forget it, the car is scrap. However if it's just surface rust it may be OK. (The hammer test will quickly show up how bad it is.) Have the car looked at by a mechanic.
Note that year Civic is known to be prone to engine problems, the most severe of which is a cracked engine block. So that's something that needs to be carefully checked.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Civic/2008/
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Civic/2008/engine/
