Reliable sedan under $17k with under 70k miles?

Based on the data available, the Honda Accord is the only sedan with concrete owner-reported issues that affect your budget and mileage range. The Camry and Mazda 6 have no owner data supplied, so I cannot make a factual recommendation for them. Your $17,000 out-the-door target, under 70,000 miles, and under 10 years old likely puts you in the 2016-2019 model years for the Accord, but the reported problems make that a risky buy.

The Accord’s 1.5L turbocharged engine shows recurrent failures, including blown head gaskets and fuel injector problems. Owners describe the frequency as “staggering,” and call ownership a “hit or miss.” That means a used Accord in your price range could easily need thousands in repairs shortly after purchase. The CVT transmission also draws complaints: it feels sluggish, has a detached driving feel, and makes a “weird” sound under hard acceleration. While some owners say it works fine for daily commuting, long-term reliability is a real concern. These issues appear across the model years you’d be shopping, so you can’t simply avoid a bad year.

On price, the Accord’s typical used range is $14,767 to $27,819, with a median of $23,426. That median is above your budget, but lower-mileage, older examples can fall near $17,000. Still, the engine and transmission risks outweigh the price fit. If you must have an Accord, look for a non-turbo engine and a traditional automatic, but the data does not confirm those versions are trouble-free either.

For the Camry and Mazda 6, I have no owner-reported issues, price data, or model-year guidance to work from. Without that, I cannot tell you if they are more reliable or if they fit your budget. You should not assume they are better just because the Accord has known problems.

My recommendation: do not buy the Accord with the 1.5L turbo or CVT based on the recurrent failures. Since no reliability data exists for the Camry or Mazda 6 here, you need to seek out owner reports from other sources before committing. If you cannot verify those cars, your safest move is to expand your search to a different sedan with documented reliability in your price range, or wait until you have concrete data on the Camry or Mazda 6. Spending $17,000 on a car with a known engine failure pattern is not worth the risk.