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The Honda K-Series is something of a holy grail for engine tear-down YouTubers like I Do Cars. One, because some of the most epic high-performance versions of the engine are known for their use in Japanese vehicles that never made their way to the US, and two, because finding one that’s in poor enough shape to be worth tearing down is easier said than done. These are engines that you can keep running for a million miles or more with routine maintenance.

What’s truly remarkable about the turbocharged K20 2.0-liter engine from a 2019 Honda Accord that made its way to I Do Cars’ shop is that it almost looks new at a glance, and Eric, the mechanic tearing it down, actually struggles to identify why the previous owner bothered replacing this motor in the first place. To even call this a failed engine would be a stretch, and this tear-down should help to illustrate just how hard it is to ruin one of these legendary powerplants.

A Look At Honda’s Legendary K-Series

Honda’s K-series engine family was first introduced in 2001, with the naturally aspirated K20A performance engine delivering up to 217 hp in the 2001 Integra Type R in its first incarnation, and the K20A eco engine delivering 153 hp in the 2002 Accord, or up to 158 hp in models like the Honda CR-V. The engine I Do Cars is tearing apart in this video is a K20C4 turbo, which was pulled from a 2019 Honda Accord with just 94,000 miles on the odometer. The K20C4 was found in this car’s Sport, EX-L, and Touring 2.0T trims, and can also be found in the Acura RDX since 2019, where it produces 272 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque.

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A quick look at the K20C4’s specs in a 2019 Accord:

There’s Practically Nothing Wrong With This Engine

Watching the full breakdown for this K-series engine largley amounts to an exercise in frustration. The spark plugs aren’t in great shape, but other than that, it’s hard to find anything truly wrong with this engine. The exhaust manifold is a bit dirty, but generally in better shape than most direct-injection engines, everything under the valve cover is spotless, the timing system looks perfect with no debris or metal shavings, and you may get tired of hearing Eric say “I don’t see anything wrong here.”

With the lack of clues he’s finding by the end of the breakdown, Eric is starting to sound like the detective in one of those movies where they never even catch the bad guy. Ultimately, the only conclusion he can come to, based on some stuck oil control rings, is that the engine may have been burning oil. This is supported by the gnarly-looking spark plugs and a bit of cylinder wear, but even so, Eric isn’t willing to confirm with 100% certainty that this is the problem, only that this is as close as he can find to a problem.

Why Replace A Near-Perfect Engine?

It’s a bit of a shame to see this engine torn down when it was still salvageable. But, fixing stuck oil-control rings is the kind of task that could have you rebuilding the whole engine. In some instances, it may be possible to clear carbon build-up with engine-cleaning solutions, but if that doesn’t work, replacing the engine might be seen as an easier fix than knocking those rings loose, especially in a relatively new car like a 2019 Accord.

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This may have been an instance where a warranty covered the swap, and the gang at the dealership didn’t feel like creating extra work for themselves while Honda was footing the bill.

Finding A K-Series Engine Of Your Own (Now That You Know How Reliable They Are)

If you’re handy with a wrench, this tear-down is extra frustrating because you’re imagining how many more miles you could get by clearing those rings and putting this thing back together. Well, the good news is that it shouldn’t be too hard to get a K-powered Honda of your own.

Some of the earlier iterations of the K family only made their way to Japanese and European cars, but the one you really want is the turbocharged 2.0-liter K20C engine, found in the Accord, the RDX, and the Acura TLX since 2021, where the K20C6 produces 272 hp.

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The Accord packed a K-series 2.0 as an optional engine from 2018 to 2022, so you’re specifically looking for the Sport, EX-L, or Touring 2.0 Turbo trims if you’re buying an Accord for its K-series engine. To get an idea of what this will cost you, at the time of this writing, there is a listing on Cars.com for a 2018 EX-L 2.0T with just over 78k miles on the odometer selling for $20,950. Another listing, for a Touring model, is selling for $24,495 with just under 37,500 miles on the odometer after a $1,500 price drop.

These listings might not still be up by the time you read this, but they should give you an idea of how easy it is to get a K-powered Honda or Acura of your own. The truth is that most people driving these cars don’t exactly know what they have, so you’re looking at a $20k-$25k used car that could go another decade or longer, just so long as you’re not skipping oil changes and keep on top of its maintenance schedule.

A New K-Series Engine Might Have To Be Included In Your Will

If you’d rather have a brand-new K-series, you’re probably looking for an Acura RDX, which packs a 2.0-liter K20C4 as its only engine, with a starting MSRP of $44,700. In our 2024 review, we recommended the $46,700 Technology Package trim as the best value version of the luxury SUV, with premium Milano leather upholstery and 12-speaker ELS audio.

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Whether you’re going new or used, a K20 could be your ticket to the high-mileage club, just so long as you practice routine maintenance, and maybe don’t scrap it the minute it starts burning oil.

Sources: I Do Cars, Cars.com.