How reliable or unreliable are your vehicles?

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Originally Posted By: carguy996
Worst vehicle I have owned, 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4.0. Too many problems to list. Bought new in January 2011, it was in for service 127 times between January 6, 2011 and January 26, 2016 when it was replaced with a Honda Odyssey. Only had 55,000 miles on it. Next was a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am, had the 2.4 Motor replaced at 1800 miles from a bad head gasket and the transmission went out at 6000 miles. Had all sorts of electrical issues. Traded it in at 10,000 miles.

Best vehicles have been:

1991 Eagle Talon 2.0, 100K with a timing belt replaced at 60K and the idle control motor at 80K
2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse 3.0, zero issues, traded at 36K
2007 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0, zero issues, traded at 55K
2006 Mazda 3, only issue was the factory camber on the rear wore the rear tires quickly. Mazda replaced under Warranty. Traded at 21K.
2006 Mazda 6 3.0V6, only issue was the flex pipe came loose while driving. Owned form 2006-2012, traded at 39K
Why didn't you lemon-law the van?
 
So far I have 21k miles on my 2015 Frontier with zero repairs. The driver's window did get tough to roll down two times, but it cleared up on its own.

Other than killing a couple batteries from intermittent use, short trips and a cheap alarm the wife's 2004 Corolla has been pretty much flawless. Although it does need to go in for the airbag recall I can't knock the mechanical integrity of the thing one bit.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I'm going to skip warranty claims as they were growing pains, and they show no charge any way. I'm the second owner, the original owner had it serviced at the same dealer since new.

2004 VW Phaeton V8, excluding wear items and warranty claims, here it goes:



All systems are functioning as designed.


That's nearly $14,500 in repairs! In about 80k miles. That means over $.18/mile in repairs.
 
Originally Posted By: clinebarger
You mean the Lower Column Bearing was replaced along the Intermediate Steering Shaft?? For Knocking Noises over rough pavement? Very common on GMT800 Trucks & SUV's with a steering gear box, Less likely on Rack & Pinion 2wd Pick-ups. The main issue was the Collapsible Intermediate Steering Shaft. The assembly grease gets forced out between the 2 shafts, Then the shafts have slack between them & that's where the noise comes from.

I have 2 effective solutions...
1. Disconnect the Intermediate Steering shaft from the Lower Steering shaft, Fully stroke the Intermediate shaft in & out a good 20 times, This will redistribute the original grease & quiet things down for 15,000 to 25,000 miles.

2. Install a Grease Zerk At the end of the Intermediate Steering Shaft, (Directly rear of the pinch bolt holding the Lower shaft to the Intermediate), GM 19257121 High Temperature Special Lubricant seems to be the best.

I do agree, GM should have got it right, They did redesign it a few times & never got it right.
They replaced upper, intermediate and lower many times. The problem (knocking and looseness in the steering system) always resurfaced no matter what they did. For me having to keep going to the dealer was a PITA and after the second time, I came to realize that it was a "forever" problem and when time/circumstances allowed, I dumped it. I have to say that was the only GM product that I owned with such a problem.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Funny you mention the rocks. Their road used to be dirt back in the day and I recall a rock getting stuff in the brakes 1 time. They had 17's though.
Yeah, I had to remove the wheels a few times when they were 16". The 17s never had that problem.
 
The old white van is as reliable as a rock.

The Saturd has developed the tendancy to eat coils/ignition modules. I may need a new ECU. Otherwise, the only things that have failed are from me damaging it: a tie rod from me driving into a huge hole and the engine from me drowing it in a giagantic puddle.

The Bug, surprisingly, is also extremely dependable. In fact, it may be the most reliable of them all, despite being by far the oldest and also heavily modified. Since I dropped the turbo and went back NA, I have had 0 issues with it.
 
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2001 acura integra 5spd- bought at 55k, current ta 181k. These are parts that were failing or failed and had to be replaced.

i dont recall the mileage but here is what ive had to replace
-2x driverside window switch, $20 each (used units)
-rear hatch actuator motor, $3 bucks
-oem ignition coil, $80
-radiator, $70

All changed by myself...this car is ROCK solid and very inexpensive to operate.

2006 acura tsx, bought brand new and has 75k
Driverside lock actuator $25
an interior light bulb $2
 
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Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I'm going to skip warranty claims as they were growing pains, and they show no charge any way. I'm the second owner, the original owner had it serviced at the same dealer since new.

2004 VW Phaeton V8, excluding wear items and warranty claims, here it goes:



All systems are functioning as designed.


That's nearly $14,500 in repairs! In about 80k miles. That means over $.18/mile in repairs.


Yes but it's a brilliant car! I tried to go back and edit out the bushings/control arms, as they weren't an unscheduled item. On all cars, but heavy cars especially, suspension bushings are wear items. I figure I'll have to replace them all again when I start approaching 200k.

Both headlights also didn't need replaced for a failed adjuster on one housing, but they were also yellowing. The previous owner (who was my customer when I worked for VW) wanted them both replaced.

I would cut it loose, but the car is paid for and it costs me less to maintain than it would to replace with an equivalent new/CPO car. It is better in every way to my previous "luxury" car, a 2011 750i.

It costs even less since I can and do DIY everything excluding an engine-out service. For now it's all cost of parts + a little time in the garage.
 
I've never really had an unreliable vehicle... so far, my list:

1970 VW Bug
1967 VW Bug
1966 VW Bug
1984 VW Scirocco
1988 VW Jetta GLI
1998 VW Jetta Wolfsburg
2003 VW Jetta GLI
2008 VW Rabbit
1997 Toyota Tacoma
1999 Mazda Miata
2001 Honda S2000
2012 Ford Expedition

Pretty much have just done the normal maintenance on most all of these. All of them have had little things pop up, like the 2003 had a bad brake light switch and the Tacoma had a bad headlight connector. The Scirocco lost 5th gear because of a failure to follow an updated procedure when filling the transaxle. Hmm.

robert
 
Good to see someone who had such good luck with VW products.

By far my most unreliable vehicle was a 2006 VW Jetta TDI. Yes it did get 54 mpg even @ a steady 70 mph cruise, but that was it's only positive.
At less than 300 miles the satellite radio augured in. Replaced by dealer and it suffered a similar fate in less than a year. The memory drivers seat lost it's "memory" after ~ a year and had to be manually reset every time the car was entered.
The clutch engagement was a little grabby from jump and progressively worsened to the point where driving was very difficult. Upon research, found that VW had a world-wide recall on the DMF flywheel used on the manual TDI's everywhere except North America. Local dealer insisted the clutch issue was cause by driver error, despite being presented a copy of the VW world-wide DMF recall. Fixed the problem myself by installing a solid flywheel/clutch assembly from a VR6 which bolted right to the TDI engine. The DMF flywheel was in the process of self destructing upon disassembly.
Read about premature camshaft failure on the PD diesel engines due to undersized cam surface for the injection pump follower compounded by insufficient lubrication. Upon inspection, found that 3 of 4 injection pump cam surfaces showed signs of serious wear, as well as 2 of the valve followers, with only 45,000 miles. (And yes, the proper 505.01 VW spec oil was used) As this was a very expensive fix, traded the car.
Would not get near another VW product.

Other vehicles owned:

1992 Ford Explorer - @ ~1000 miles 5-speed locked up in 5th. Towed to dealer for replacement transmission.
~4000 miles alternator bearing began screeching; replaced under warranty.
~ 6500 miles water pump began leaking; replaced under warranty
~25,000 miles bad vibration at speeds between 50 and 70 mph. Dealer said was an issue with motor mounts, however re-engineered replacements not available for at least 6 months. Traded the vehicle.

1995 Jeep Wrangler - normal maintenance, no issues for 120,000 miles
2003 Jeep Wrangler - normal maintenance for ~100,000 miles. 5-speed began jumping out of gear while under way. Replaced transmission with new unit sourced from Ebay. Traded for new Jeep @ 125,000 miles
2012 Jeep Wrangler - @ 5000 miles dealer replaced leaking door seals. Seals replaced again as water leak not fixed. 29,000 miles drivers side cylinder head replaced under warranty. Water leak returned @ ~30,000 miles. Traded vehicle.

2000 Porsche 911 - no issues, normal maintenance
1995 Dodge 2500 w/ Cummins. Replaced ball joints @ 74,000 miles and rear pinion seal @ 110,000 miles. Traded vehicle @ 155,000 miles.
2009 Subaru Outback XT - no issues, normal maintenance
No issues with any signature vehicles, just normal maintenance.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: carguy996
Worst vehicle I have owned, 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4.0. Too many problems to list. Bought new in January 2011, it was in for service 127 times between January 6, 2011 and January 26, 2016 when it was replaced with a Honda Odyssey. Only had 55,000 miles on it. Next was a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am, had the 2.4 Motor replaced at 1800 miles from a bad head gasket and the transmission went out at 6000 miles. Had all sorts of electrical issues. Traded it in at 10,000 miles.

Best vehicles have been:

1991 Eagle Talon 2.0, 100K with a timing belt replaced at 60K and the idle control motor at 80K
2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse 3.0, zero issues, traded at 36K
2007 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0, zero issues, traded at 55K
2006 Mazda 3, only issue was the factory camber on the rear wore the rear tires quickly. Mazda replaced under Warranty. Traded at 21K.
2006 Mazda 6 3.0V6, only issue was the flex pipe came loose while driving. Owned form 2006-2012, traded at 39K
Why didn't you lemon-law the van?


I tried applying the Lemon Law, Chrysler at the time resisted and instead provided me with a 5 year 100,000 full bumper to bumper warranty w/ rental cars, 1 set of tires and $7,000 back from my purchase price if I kept the vehicle. Part of their other issue was the package I had was discontinued for 2011 so they would have had to replace it with a higher cost Town & Country Limited. I figured in the end I came out ok. I paid $21,000 for a $39,200 van that was brand new. Got another $7000 back from Chrysler so I only paid $14,000 for it and traded it in 5 years later for $12,384. Ended up not doing too bad on it.
 
88 VW GTI, bought new and had a terrible piston slap at 2800-3500rpms. Only had 5000 miles on it. VW wouldn't fix it. That was the last VW I ever bought. Prior to that I had 8 VWs in a row. Bought a honda and never looked back.
 
Originally Posted By: oliveoil
88 VW GTI, bought new and had a terrible piston slap at 2800-3500rpms. Only had 5000 miles on it. VW wouldn't fix it. That was the last VW I ever bought. Prior to that I had 8 VWs in a row. Bought a honda and never looked back.

Vote with your wallet.
 
'14 Durango: faulty TPM sensor @ 1,000k (miles.) Replaced under warranty. No problems since.

'15 Journey: 500 miles/ rear hatch was out of alignment and a front rotor warped. Replaced under warranty.

'08 Accord: worst car I've ever owned. Faulty brake design caused the car to warp front rotors. Calipers also had issues which caused excessive wear to front and rear brakes. Car began burning excessive amounts of oil after 60k miles. Joined a class action lawsuit for the brake design. Received $34 and some change from the suit. My out of pocket expense were way more than that. Sold at 111k

'02 Grand Prix GTP
Both head gaskets replaced at 30k. Sold at 36k.

`01 Civic
No problems. Bought at 40k, sold at 108k to a Co worker in `08. They still have it.

'98 Civic
Traded it in '02, can't remember any issues with 68k miles.

'91 Escort GT bought with 7k miles, sold at 158k. Probably the best car I've ever owned. Catalytic converter clogged at 48k, covered under warranty. I used and abused this little Mazda powered sport hatchback. Loved this car.
 
No more German cars for me. My 1995 Mercedes E320 always had some major problem every 3000 miles. I can't keep up with it anymore. I'm just letting the dashboard slowly light up like a Christmas tree.

Instead of adding features year after year, they would have been much better off spending their resources adding quality and reliability into the existing designs.
 
OK, here's my list of repairs (these do not include normal maintenance, cleaning, batteries, tires, etc.):

2000 Saturn SL purchased in 2003 with 52K miles, currently 113K
Intake manifold gasket replaced at ~80K
Windshield washer motor bad or lines clogged, still need to fix
Burns a good bit of oil, but that's an S-series for you!

2004 Honda Odyssey, purchased in 2009 with 54K, currently 137K
Replaced power mirror switch
Replaced driver side and passenger side power window regulators
Replaced blower motor resistor
Replaced passenger side power door lock (which has since failed again and needs to be replaced)
Replaced air conditioner hose that failed
Replaced starter

2008 Honda Ridgeline, purchased new in 2008, currently ~61K
No repairs so far

2009 Toyota Corolla, purchased in 2015 with 12K, now at 20K
No repairs so far

As you can see, I've had a rash of electrical issues with the Odyssey! Rather unusual for a Honda, but at least the major mechanical stuff (except for A/C) thus far has been fine.
 
1990 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4.0L:
-very reliable, had some age related issues near the end of it's life, mainly rust ~190k miles

2000 Buick Century V6:
-had some very odd electrical and transmission issues given that it had only 30k miles on it. Only owned a short time.

2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0L:
-very reliable, no issues, drove for only 10k miles before it was hit and totaled. Had ~90k miles.

Current 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0L:
-bought with 80k miles, currently has 163k miles. Have owned for 7 years. Had some issues initially with the cooling system due to previous owner neglect, but since then has been pretty reliable.
 
POS 66 Dodge Dart special ordered. Looked like it had been assembled by Hamtramck monkeys. Back-up switch was cross-threaded into the transmission and leaked from day one. Wire assembly to trunk did not contain wires for back-up lights. One good thing about that sorry pos was it put me into Toyota products. Fiat might as well shoot Chrysler and put it out of its misery. "The Italians are coming, the Italians are coming." And what showed up, the Pop 500.And Fiat hasn't had any more success with the current venture into US market than it did the first time around.
 
I see these 1st generation Ford Escapes falling apart from rust all through the rear fender and tailgate and that on top of all the mechanical problems..what a mess.
 
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