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Can any one explain what is reliability? I often hear this word when talking about cars and everyone says only Honda and Toyota are reliable. ( I visit a place every weekend where people from my home country come and I see only these two brands. Even for space rockets we think about mpg and resale value ) . Why does an American brand such as Ford, Chevy or GM have such a poor resale value? Are MB's really bad as I read in this forum ?
I drove a Hyundai Elantra for close to a year. It was a 90k and 5 year old by then. I did not face any problem even though there were a couple of potential issues detected while doing a 100$ FDA something inspection. I performed only oil changes and tire change and I had no problems. If I had a chance I would really buy that car back for its "reliability" .
Reliability is when you have a car that has no problems and the only reason you would take the vehicle in is for normal maintenance. For example, I bought a used 2010 Corolla in 2011 and have never had to take it in for a repair. So 3 years and 30K miles and no problems past or present. That is a reliable car. I bought my wife a CRV in 2004 and never had a problem until last month when the check engine light came on. I replaced the sensor for $100 and all is good. Her vehicle has been super reliable. For me, 1 year is not long enough to determine if a vehicle is going to be reliable.
By the way, what is a $100 FDA inspection? I have never heard of that.
People say Honda and Toyota are reliable because, historically, they have been. Chances are good that if you buy a used Civic, Corolla, Camry, or Accord it will have much fewer issues and breakdowns than many other cars with a similar age or mileage.
Are there other cars that are just as reliable? Sure. But not many brands have the consistency of Honda and Toyota. For example, there are some GM cars out there that can get to 300k miles with just oil changes and brake jobs. But GM also put out a LOT of crap in the 80s and 90s, so people don't have the same confidence with that brand.
Past performance dictates people's opinions on new and current cars - that's just human nature.
All makes and models have issues no car is 100% reliable. I have 2 auto repair shops on my block and i see plenty of imports there and it's not for regular maintenance, they are sitting in the lot for repairs.
From my experience, Honda and Toyota has been the best to me. But I've owned others such as a Ford E-150 Van that also went a lot of miles without any major problems (300K). 2006 Mustang GT that is still running strong without issues and a 2005 Ford F-150 4.6 L that is also running good. A friend of mine had a 1991 Chevy Cavalier that ran well until the suspension fell apart 2 years ago (wasn't worth fixing anymore). It also has to do with the way the car is treated when driven and regular maintenance is a must.
I have an '05 Camry with 120K miles on it now. Bought as a CPO with 34K miles on it. Since 2008, I have put a new set of tires, done routine engine oil change, transmission fluid change, one coolant flush, change spark plugs and air filter along with cabin air filter. I changed the front brake rotors and pads before they wore out because it was close and also I wanted ceramic pads with no dust. These were all maintenance & wear and tear items. The only non wear and tear "repair" has been the brake lights that needed to be changed. Now that is a reliable car (so far, obviously tomorrow it is going to have an issue).
I also had a 2000 Dodge Caravan, bought at 60K miles and sold at 175K miles. Other than wear and tear items, it needed two window regulators, an alternator, a started, radiator (X2), 3 new brake calipers and brake master cylinder, rear shocks, sway bar links and bushings and a few other things that I do not recall. So not very reliable.
People say Honda and Toyota are reliable because, historically, they have been. Chances are good that if you buy a used Civic, Corolla, Camry, or Accord it will have much fewer issues and breakdowns than many other cars with a similar age or mileage.
Are there other cars that are just as reliable? Sure. But not many brands have the consistency of Honda and Toyota. For example, there are some GM cars out there that can get to 300k miles with just oil changes and brake jobs. But GM also put out a LOT of crap in the 80s and 90s, so people don't have the same confidence with that brand.
Past performance dictates people's opinions on new and current cars - that's just human nature.
This is fair.
Some of it is perception - but the reputation Honda and Toyota have is generally earned. Consumer Reports, JD Power, etc. confirm it over a long period of time. Not all Hondas and Toyotas are trouble free. Certain years of Hondas have had transmission problems. Certain Toyotas had an engine sludge problem. The problem a lot of people have though is they base their opinion on the few cars they have owned. Things change over time. Chrysler/Dodge have been poor for a long time, but are improving.
#1 thing about reliability though is "will the car strand you on the road?" Some cars in the past, like Fiats, Chevy Vegas, did that regularly.
Location: Danbury CT covering all of Fairfield County
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My 1999 Jeep was trouble free, enough without proper maintenace for the last 1.5 I had it. Hit about 170,000 miles
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