How reliable or unreliable are your vehicles?

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I another thread, I questioned people about buying a used Audi at a good price. I could not believe some of the horror stories that come with certain German cars. It led me to appreciate how reliable my cars have been.

I thought it would be neat to list our recently owned cars and what work, other than routine maintenance they needed. Lets not list brakes, spark plug and fluid changes obviously. Timing belts or drive belts don't need to be listed unless they snapped before the recommended change interval.

Here is my list...

1994 Toyota Pickup, 22RE, Auto trans. Family owned since new, 200,000 miles.
-40,000 Drive belt snapped. I replaced it on the side of the road.
-128,000 Timing chain guide cracked. Replaced guides, chain and sprockets.
-160,000 o2 sensor.
-190,000 water pump and front oil seal
(This truck still has the original R12 a/c system that has never been serviced or topped off. It still runs cold)

1999 Mazda Protégé 1.8. Auto trans. Purchased at 128,000. Currently at 209,000
-150,000 Struts
-170,000 Power window motor.
-185,000 Low beams stopped working, cleaned corroded switch contact.
-195,000 o2 sensor.
-200,000 Added 1 can of R134a to a/c system.
(This car has a couple broken door lock actuators but it is my beater car and I'm not going to bother fixing them)

2003 Toyota Rav4. Manual trans. Purchased new. Totaled in collision at 257,000
-180,000 Power door lock actuator.
-210,000 o2 sensor.

2005 Toyota Highlander V6. Auto trans. Purchased 120,000, currently 160,000
-145,000 Power door lock actuator.

I think what is most shocking is the 2003 Rav4. We drove that thing 257,000 miles and only had to put in a power door lock actuator and an o2 sensor. It still had the original clutch and never needed an a/c recharge.

I do all the maintance and repairs myself. So not only have the repairs been very few, but they have also been very cheap since I am only paying for parts.
 
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I would say your experiences with Japanese vehicles is more the norm than the exception. My experiences are similar to yours with my Nissan and Toyota vehicles I have owned over the last 40 years.
 
2002 Ford Ranger, Auto Trans,V6, 3.0 L, Bought NEW
40,000 ..... U-Joints
98,500 ..... Timing Cover Gasket (leaking)
128,000 .... Axle Shaft "Oil Seals"
132,500 .... Throttle Position Sensor

I do a lot of PM, I enjoy doing it.
Small - Medium repairs I do myself.

In 2 Weeks it's going to Indy Mechanic for Timing Cover gasket,,,, again.
Dealer didn't do correctly first time.
 
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None of the many Toyotas and Hondas we have owned in the past fifty years(1966 Toyota Corona-2004 Camry) given us any problems with the exception of the 04 Camry. The accelerator pedal electronics failed in 2013 at about 65,000 miles and had to be trucked to dealer. I might also say that the Chevys and Fords we drove also were very reliable and none had mechanical failure.
 
There have been quite a few more prior to these, but here is the short list.

1993 Chevy C3500
135K...no repairs (normal maintenance)

1996 Dodge B1500
140K...no repairs (normal maintenance)

1999 Ford F-150
155K...no repairs (normal maintenance)

2003 Chevy Tahoe
45K...steering column replaced
67K...steering column replaced
96K...steering column replaced
125K...steering column replaced
140K...traded on 2008 Acadia

2008 GMC Acadia
55K...computer replaced
98K...water pump replaced
106K...traded on Ford F-150

2010 Ford F-150
21K...rear main seal replaced
86K...a/c fan relay replaced
158K...traded on Ford F-250

2014 Ford Explorer
30K...front seal replaced
30K...rear passenger seat belt replaced (BLIS problem)

2015 F-250
700 miles...replaced tie rod and body mount
 
I owned an 07' Subaru Impreza WRX I purchased new. Sold it with 136K and its only issue was the clutch slave cylinder going out. Ordered a rebuild kit at the dealer and fixed it for $20. The front brake pads and rotors never made it past 30K on it unfortunately, even though my wife did a ton of freeway driving with the car.

I feel too many people only consider Toyota or Honda and disregard the other Japanese brands. Some Nissans don't do a good job at representing Japanese quality however.

My wife and I know very well the risk we took buying German. Her driving requirements are more unique than most peoples. She wanted an AWD car with a stick that had a comfortable drivers seat. Subaru didn't do it for her.

German auto companies like to reinvent the wheel. You can often get a very reliable German car if your buying the last model year before the "new and improved" model comes out. In my experience, German auto makers are the best at making parts revisions. But buying a newly designed German car with a newly designed engine or transmission design will cost you.
 
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"02 ford Explorer bought used in '04 with 60k on it. Normal brakes and tires,oil and filters, plugs, 1 alternator, valve cover gaskets, coil pak, egr switch, just now doing struts @ 180k miles on originals.I'm not complaining. I hope to get another 100 k out of it.,,,
 
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:

62,785 - 21 SEP 2009 - $60.15
. Rear sun shade switch trim replaced

72,626 - 19 APR 2010 - $559.66
. No start caused by break in wiring harness behind telescoping steering wheel.

88,570 - 05 MAY 2011 - $1122.93
. Replace wheel housing liner/low speed fan making a noise and speed below specification.

96,850 - 06 DEC 2011 - $477.80
. Replace window regulator.

106,811 - 22 OCT 2012 - $311.85
. Right rear quarter glass sunshade damaged.

110,691 - 01 FEB 2013 - $492.40
. Replace both front tweeters

112,314 - 18 MAR 2013 - $3561.15
. Replace front upper and lower guide links, upper wishbones, mounting brackets and sway bar links. Replace rear suspension upper links, lower links, and sway bar links.

114,436 - 04 SEP 2013 - $727.00
. Replace TPMS controller

114,771 - 18 SEP 2013 - $2945.54
. Engine out service for replacement of oil cooler union.

128,923 - 20 OCT 2014 - $1774.17
. Replace rear glass to correct defroster concern/replace drivers mirror for motor failure

130,705 - 19 JAN 2015 - $2482.61
. Right headlight adjuster failure. Replace left and right headlight, headlight washers, and all bulbs per customer request.

Obviously with wear and tear items such as brakes, tires, oil changes, etc the number would be high. This car has had every service performed on time or ahead of schedule.

Since taking ownership , I've done one DIY oil change and a paint correction. I have another oil change as well as a transmission and differential service lined up for my next trip home.

All systems are functioning as designed.
 
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08 Matrix, 80k Miles. Nothing but regular maintenance while we have owned the car.

'10 Rav4, 90k Miles. Nothing but regular maintenance on this one as well.

However, before I owned both cars, they had some major service quite early in their life. Our Matrix had an oil leak, and a water pump leak, and needed seals in the engine replaced with like 10k miles on it according to Toyota service history.

Our Rav4 needed an alternator, battery, and starter with like 15k miles on it.

My key to car maintenance is to keep all the fluids and filters clean, and take care of stuff before it becomes a problem. I stock up when there is a sale and do everything myself if possible.
 
only one of note that i'm going to mention is our farm truck

2000 chevy silverado 2500, 123k on odo

we have owned it about 8 years and only 12k miles, but they have been very hard miles towing POS vehicles, cactus, scrap wood, metal, furniture, etc

radiator replaced, hairline crack caused slow leak
overflow container replaced
alternator replaced, roller bearing was squeaking

the exhaust manifold is slightly leaking from a broken exhaust bolt head, i will buy one of those clamps eventually, it is only causing a slight miss which is not significant.

will replace the fan clutch, water pump / thermostat in the fall, the fan clutch i suspect is on its way out.
 
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2000 4runner: Starter replaced at 125k.
Pinion bearing replaced, 160k
Brakes all around, 180k
Fan clutch replaced at 250k.
Original clutch, uses no measurable oil between changes.

2005 Tacoma: Two teeth off ring gear, 60k.
(Reason became clear when the used unit I bought would not fit, until I ground the differential housing.)
Replaced rear springs with aftermarket HD units, 95k. Originals were pretzeled.

2012 Subaru Outback: 112k miles so far. At 15k, a check engine light was corrected by a dealer with a new gas cap. Otherwise, nothing but maintenance.
 
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Very reliable actually. Just regular wear items occasionally. Put over 40k on my 87 f250 with zero problems since I bought it 4 yrs ago. Just brakes and the radiator on her Tahoe with 151k on it now. Jeep is the worst of the bunch.it has had a few sensors over the years.now the rear end is getting a growl @160k
 
I've never really had serious problems with my cars, and being an older guy, I've had many.

That said, the worst car I ever owned was our bought new 2001 Subaru Outback (manual trans). It had terrible and ongoing clutch problems, head gasket leaks, and bad wheel bearings. Total [censored].

Another [censored] car was our bought new 1993 Mazda MPV. Chronic, unrepairable valve lifter problems along with an auto trans that constantly hunted for the proper gear. One time I actually tried to kill this piece of [censored], without success.

Our best vehicle by far was our bought new 1982 Volvo DL (manual trans). That car made it to 172K without a single problem. I sold it to a good friend who drove it to 400K. It burned oil at this point but all he did to it was put in a new clutch. Body remained bank vault tight its entire life. Amazing.

My bought new 2003 BMW 330Ci is on the path to greatness. A fantastic driving car and totally trouble free. Also, our bought new 2010 Honda Element....incredibly reliable. Runs like new. It has 130K and still has its original brakes!

Scott
 
2003 Jetta TDI, 233k to 305k: Never had a failure of any kind, except when the wife nudged a parking barrier and then it needed a radiator. Hardly the cars fault! Never had the power windows fail, the locks, the sunroof, any of the "problem areas" and it was still a beautiful car when i sold it.

1998 T100 220k to 240k Leaking clutch line, went out as i rolled into the garage, fixed for $10.

14 Accord 6MT, went in for a warranty battery and then starter the next day at 24k miles.

16 Golf, warranty secondary water pump due to stuck internal thermostat, 3k miles.

2000 540 Sportwagon In about 10k miles i had 2 window regulators go out, wheel speed sensor issues, $500 air springs, hydraulic brake line leak, and of course the gas tank always needed a refil. That awesome V8 was worth it! Friend now owns it and has had no further issues. His BMWs never break somehow.
 
Worst car I had was a 96 Plymouth Grand Voyager. That thing ate 2 transmissions within 2 yrs. Also had typical Chrysler electrical gremlins that we could never chase down.

Best car was my 91 Camry. Never needed anything besides a starter in the 12 yrs I owned it. It's no surprise why that gen Camry's considered one of the greatest cars Toyota ever made.

Like most 6th gen Accords, my 02 had its tranny grenade. Only other repairs have been tie rod ends, front motor mount, leaky distributor o-ring, leaky PS return hose, valve cover gasket, O2 sensor and a gas cap. Next to the Camry, this is my favorite car. At 200K, I still wouldn't hesitate to drive it cross-country.

The I35's needed a radiator, struts, rear caliper, and complete exhaust from the flex pipe back in the 4 yrs I've had it. The high pressure PS hose leaks but it's small enough where I don't need to top off the fluid yet. The power of the VQ35 still puts a smile on my face every time.
 
Well, here it goes.

1997 Toyota Camry 2.2L - Owned for 8 months from 185k to 197k miles

Needed 0 repairs. Only oil changes.

2004 VW Beetle TDI w/DSG transmission - Owned for 16 months from 158k-176k (sat in garage for 4 months in the end) - I'll also post the previous repairs that my aunt had, she bought it new and had it meticulously maintained at the dealer. (A good dealer).

-Multiple seat belt sensors, caused airbag light to come on periodically
-Engine coolant temp sensor
-Glow plugs replaced under recall
-High pressure fuel pump replaced under recall (and leaked afterwards)
-Thermostat
~6 CV boots torn
~7 windshields
~6 headlight bulbs
-Windshield washer bottle broke at about 80k miles
-Was on it's 3rd alternator
-Starter replaced
-Lower control arm bushings and upper strut mounts replaced
-Large engine cooling fan died & replaced
-High pressure A/C hose broke off
-Ate a battery every 2 years religiously, last battery made it 8 months though.
-Was on it's 3rd dual mass flywheel (still chattered!)
-Transmission was failing, specifically the mechatronics unit. It CRUNCHED like crazy, and when I say crunch, I mean CRUNCH. It also slipped pretty bad when taking off from a light
-Motor mount replaced
-Camshaft was worn out
-Turbo actuator set check engine light, was able to be cleared. If it stayed on, entire turbo would have had to be replaced
-Airbag light came on, was also able to be cleared. If it stayed on, the leather on the passenger seat would have had to be removed to replace the sensor in the seat.
-Fuse box melted on top of battery
-Door panels completely broke apart. Had to glue and rivet them together ($1000 a piece new)
-Volume knob on stereo failing, left alone ($1,000 for a new one)
-Door speakers quit working. Cost me over $300 for new ones and I rivetted them in myself.
-Tie rods had some play in them, replaced myself with Moogs
-A/C compressor was very very loud in the end and needed replacement
-Blower motor was also very loud
-Seats didn't fold forward 50% of the time
-Sunroof was getting stuck so I quit using it
-I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of stuff. It also rattled like you wouldn't believe

2000 Toyota Camry 2.2L - Owned for 8 months (so far) from 194k to the current 210k.
-Maintenance history from the dealer shows it got valve stem seals and lower control arm bushings with a previous owner
-Air tube from air filter box to throttle body rotted from the heat.

That's it. You can see why I went back to Toyota...
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Well, here it goes.

1997 Toyota Camry 2.2L - Owned for 8 months from 185k to 197k miles

Needed 0 repairs. Only oil changes.

2004 VW Beetle TDI w/DSG transmission - Owned for 16 months from 158k-176k (sat in garage for 4 months in the end) - I'll also post the previous repairs that my aunt had, she bought it new and had it meticulously maintained at the dealer. (A good dealer).

-Multiple seat belt sensors, caused airbag light to come on periodically
-Engine coolant temp sensor
-Glow plugs replaced under recall
-High pressure fuel pump replaced under recall (and leaked afterwards)
-Thermostat
~6 CV boots torn
~7 windshields
~6 headlight bulbs
-Windshield washer bottle broke at about 80k miles
-Was on it's 3rd alternator
-Starter replaced
-Lower control arm bushings and upper strut mounts replaced
-Large engine cooling fan died & replaced
-High pressure A/C hose broke off
-Ate a battery every 2 years religiously, last battery made it 8 months though.
-Was on it's 3rd dual mass flywheel (still chattered!)
-Transmission was failing, specifically the mechatronics unit. It CRUNCHED like crazy, and when I say crunch, I mean CRUNCH. It also slipped pretty bad when taking off from a light
-Motor mount replaced
-Camshaft was worn out
-Turbo actuator set check engine light, was able to be cleared. If it stayed on, entire turbo would have had to be replaced
-Airbag light came on, was also able to be cleared. If it stayed on, the leather on the passenger seat would have had to be removed to replace the sensor in the seat.
-Fuse box melted on top of battery
-Door panels completely broke apart. Had to glue and rivet them together ($1000 a piece new)
-Volume knob on stereo failing, left alone ($1,000 for a new one)
-Door speakers quit working. Cost me over $300 for new ones and I rivetted them in myself.
-Tie rods had some play in them, replaced myself with Moogs
-A/C compressor was very very loud in the end and needed replacement
-Blower motor was also very loud
-Seats didn't fold forward 50% of the time
-Sunroof was getting stuck so I quit using it
-I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of stuff. It also rattled like you wouldn't believe

2000 Toyota Camry 2.2L - Owned for 8 months (so far) from 194k to the current 210k.
-Maintenance history from the dealer shows it got valve stem seals and lower control arm bushings with a previous owner
-Air tube from air filter box to throttle body rotted from the heat.

That's it. You can see why I went back to Toyota...


7 Windshields? Why?!

6 CV Boots? How?! Even on my old 99.5 TDI it had perfectly good stock axles at 320k miles.

I'm not surprised that the DSG trans had problems, that is very expected on that era.

Batteries in hot states like AZ often die in 2 years, diesels draw more power and if you short trip them they will eat batteries. Can't blame VW there.

Camshaft = Very documented and known issue with BEW and BRM TDI (2004+ 2003 and lower are awesome)

It sounds like you got stuck with an unbelievable lemon and i hope some of that is exaggerated.
 
For current vehicles, I bought the Scion new and in 30,000 miles have not had any issues, but I would not expect any either.

My truck, well that I got used and abused. When I got it, the engine was locked up, so that was replaced with another motor. The intake manifold started leaking about a year after that. Replaced it. All the rest I have/will do is because of wear and tear or just plain neglect.
 
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