Your Most RELIABLE, TROUBLE-FREE Vehicle?

[shiny]

As a bookend to the Most unreliable car you've ever had thread, I'm wondering what is the most reliable vehicle you've ever had?

For me it's been the Ford Panther platform. Sure, they don't have all the modern bells and whistles, but with the exception of the stupid heater blend door motor being a POS and a pain in the tuckus to replace, my Crown Vics have run like tops, needing little beyond routine maintenance. That maintenance has been affordable, which is important because I can't work on my own cars and must take them to a mechanic.

But since the Panther platform was discontinued in 2011, I'm starting to think about what to buy when or if I ever need to replace my Crown Vic. What vehicles and/or platforms have been the most reliable and trouble-free in your experience?

 

[KGMtech]

2009 Ford Flex SEL 2WD with NA 3.5v6. It has given reliable service for 9.6 years now with 199,150km, it is throwing a code on occasion for a suspect cat on rear bank, but no drivability issues. I will do the water pump service in Spring 2019 as a preventative measure.

Tires, brakes, oil & filters, couple of batteries sums it up.

 

[IveBeenRued]

2012 Subaru Impreza with the FB20 motor and the CVT. 125K+ miles with no issues whatsoever and still on the original pads and rotors all around.

 

[N3OO]

Mine was a 1978 Toyota Celica automatic with 349k miles that was trouble free......tires , oil changes, brakes and plugs. It had original timing belt and water pump . The car rusted away.......you could actually hear it rusting away in the drive way. I miss it.

 

[marc1]

First Place - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix - quarter million kilometers, zero issues just routine oil / tires, not even a battery or a light bulb.
Second Place - 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo - 140,000 miles, timing chain ($40 and a few hours in my backyard) and rear axle bearings ($40 and a trip to a machine shop to borrow a bearing puller)
Third Place - 1977 Dodge D100 - quarter million kilometers, one starter ($60), one ujoint ($28)

 

[Cadenza]

2015 Toyota 4Runner SR5.
Never a clunk, a squeal, a code, or a light. Only routine maintenance of the oil, trans fluid, and driveline.
All interior pieces are still very nice - upholstery, switchgear, wear surfaces.
It tows a small Casita trailer and has plenty of room. Nearly 75k miles and never a complaint.

 

[buster]

2001 Toyota Corolla - sold it with 190k. Ran like new.
2005 Accord - sold it with 180k. Ran like new.

Both cars consumed oil over a 5k internval, but never had any issues with either car.

 

[vwmaniaman]

Has to be my 1965 VW bug that have owned for 35 years. Always starts, runs and stops. No AC, no power anything, no electric windows, no fancy radio, no computer anything. Still has points and condenser too. Just good old reliable transportation.

 

[Starman2112]

Our 2010 Camry with 95k on the clock. Nary a problem, just routine maintenance.

 

[supton]

I think my wife's Camry might be ours, although it's not been trouble free--
-60k needed new rear brake pads
-100k, because I used cheap pads, had to do it again, and new rotors
-125k, had to do front pads & rotors, despite only being half (quarter?) worn they were showing delamination after 5 years
-around this time some resonator popped off the intake tract, causing rough idle. I was able to shove in for a zero dollar repair
-and around this time I did the battery, IIRC I did this proactively
-once in a while it tosses a code for a wheel sensor, but it sounds like that is from wife not properly tightening the gas cap--I clear the code and that's that

Otherwise it's a set of wiper blades every year and tires every other, oil every 5k or 10k, doesn't seem to use any oil. Did plugs and serpentine at 120k but that's on the maintenance schedule thus they don't count. About 176k and 7.5 years now.

 

[DirectRejection]

2005 Tacoma 2TR FE 4 cyl 5speed.
One of the very first Gen 2 Tacos off the line from nearby NUMMI Plant.
Crashed at 750,000 miles.
Oil consumption starting @250k...top 'er off.
Clutch replaced @200k.

That truck was the best darn girlfriend I ever had.

 

[OVERKILL]

Thus far, our 2002 Ford Expedition. Thing was a tank.

 

[y_p_w]

1995 Acura Integra GS-R. Granted it was starting to consume a little bit of oil at 135K miles, but it wasn't bad. I'd already gotten another car, so I stopped feeding it Mobil 1 and switched to Mobil Semi-Syn (available at the time) for the low miles. While I did regular maintenance including a new clutch and timing belt, the only unscheduled repairs I had done to it (other than body/paint work) were coolant related. I had the upper coolant hose burst, then the plastic radiator tank cracked. I replaced the coolant hose the same day, but had a shop replace the radiator.

I can't say that other cars in my family have fared so well. I've had various radiator problems in my WRX as well as a transmission rebuild. The mechanic said a used transmission would be easier but he couldn't find one. My wife's Civic just got a rebuilt transmission. Other than that it's been solid.

Kind of reminds me of what life was like back in the 70s. My parents were taking their two GM cars to be fixed regularly. We had a friend who was a retired mechanic and would do stuff out of his home pretty cheap. It didn't seem even so much for the side cash other than he still liked working on cars. Still - this was back when fuel injection was pretty rare and before

 

[DriveHard]

My 2011 Silverado...had it since 2012 and put over 100K on it.

Outside routine maintenance (brakes, shocks, oil changes, etc.) the only thing I have had to fix is a relay in the under hood fuse box. It was the relay that engages the starter so it left us stranded temporarily (about 10 minutes) until I figured out the problem and switched the relay with the fog light relay. So then we went happily on our way. I still need to replace the relay...so no fog lights right now. I do have to say I think it is a stupid design to have the fuse box open to the elements! I took it out a year or two ago and cleaned all the contacts and put it back together with electrical grease (ha, maybe that caused the failure). Anyways...everything else has been just great on that truck!

 

[Nitronoise]

I had a 2004 Sonata 2.7 was a great drive train,,, sold it to a neighbor kid with 294 k on it oil chsnges spark plugs and timing beltd every 80 k

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Thus far, our 2002 Ford Expedition. Thing was a tank.


This Expedition?

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Never had as much as an oxygen sensor die on the Expedition. What was replaced were suspension bits, brakes, alternator, batteries, axle seal, rad and several coils as well as the launched spark plug for #4. The ABS controller died shortly before we decided to sell it.

 

[Snagglefoot]

2008 Chev 3/4 ton Suburban. Bought it new. Closing in on 180,000 miles. Just changed the plugs. Changed the coolant at 5 years and just recently at 10 years. It has 3 busted bolts on the exhaust manifold. Otherwise the motor and transmission are great. Doesn't use any oil. Used synthetic 5w30 all the time. Had to replace the signal switch and electric door lock. (Door lock on warranty). The brake pads made it to 150,000 miles. Had to replace a rear seal on the axle. Changed the transmission fluid and filter at 50 K, 100 K and 150 K with Dexron VI. Now I vacuum and replace about 1/2 the transmission fluid very year and do the transfer case every two years. Diffs every 50,000 miles. I replaced one battery at 5 years, and will replace the 2nd battery as soon as it gives me any grief. Now at almost 180,000 miles, I had the front bearings and the tie rod ends replaced in anticipation of pushing towards 250,000 miles. Funny thing is, Hencho en Mexico.

 

[MNgopher]

97 Ford F150 - Supercab Flareside RWD 4.6 V8 in Moonlight blue.

Drove it out to 163,000 miles before selling. Non routine maintenance:
-Two Tie Rod Ends
-Front Sway Bar Links


Oil changes, 1 Battery replacement, 1 Radiator Flush, 1 transmission service, 1 set of plugs and wires, 2 sets of front brakes and rotors, a set of shocks, and some tires. Nothing else.

Still miss that truck today!

 

[gman2304]

1995 Nissan D24 Hardbody 4x4 truck 2.4 5 speed. Owned it for 19 years with around 200,000 miles. I replaced the driveshaft center bearing and a few minor odds and ends. Running great when I sold it five years ago. I still see it around town occasionally.

 

[Chris142]

Currantly my 87 f250. best ever was a 78 toyota pickup.