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1963 Chevy SWB fleetside.
50k miles on and off over the last nine years.
Has over 400k miles in total.
Not so reliable but most every issue has been fixed in an auto parts parking lot with basic handtools.
A+++ because it's my baby and it will be the one vehicle I'll never willingly let go.
199something Geo Metro Hatch
I have no idea how many miles it had. I know I got it from someone that owed me money. I treated like crap for a few months. It had a burnt exhuast valve so it was down a cylinder which on a 3-cyl was a big deal. It also drank a quart of oil every few days. I don't even know what happened to this car, I loaned it to someone and forgot about it until now as I'm trying to recolect what I have owned.
I feel it unfair to rate this car based on my experience.
198something Chevy Camaro
Also on a trade for money owed. Couldn't get the quadraflood tuned to pass emissions. Sold it as it was for more than I was owed.
1987 Honda Prelude.
5k miles from 2006 to 2007.
Bought it with 87k on the odo on eBay. Overheated without warning after a few weeks and warped the head. Had a backyard mechanic do the work. It never ran the same. Unloaded it but still made a couple hundred bucks all said and done.
C because it still went from point to point and I can't blame the car for my poor selection of a mechanic.
2001 Dodge Neon (wife's car)
35k miles from 2005 to 2009.
Bought from rental fleet with 55k on the odo.
A completely cheap econobox that was extremely reliable. Got stolen once and broken into two other times.
A+ for reliabilty. C for the car as a whole.
2002 Lincoln LS V8
65k miles from 2005 to 2012
Bought with 112k on the odo.
Non-stop expensive problems but it was nice to drive.
D for reliablity. B for the car as a whole.
2001 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner
70k miles from 2005 to 2007
Bought with 25k on the odo.
Very nice truck. Wish I had held on to it. Never gave me any trouble.
A+
1998 Honda Accord
55k miles from 2007 to 2012
Bought with 99k on the odo.
Good car overall. Never any unexpected mechanical issues.
A+
1997 Honda Accord (wife's car)
35k miles from 2009 to 2012
Bought with 198k on the odo.
Decent car. Got broken into twice and stolen once. Tranny went at 218k but that was beyond my expectations anyways.
A+ I consider the tranny a routine repair after 218k.
2012 Subaru Impreza (wife's car)
3k miles from February 2012 to Present.
No isseues yet. CVT auto is neat. Wife is happy, so I am happy.
A+
2012 Subaru Impreza
3k miles from April 2012 to Present.
No issues as expected. Manual tranny, fun to drive handling. I wish I had sprung for the WRX but the base flat four sounds good, is buttery smooth and peppy enough for daily driving.
A+ so far
Bah, I'v eowned over a hundred cars from most manufacturers worldwide. Most of them were well used with a lot of miles and their reliability had everything to do with how they were treated. The few new cars I've had have never been unreliable, no matter how long I had them or who made them.
That's what I meant - all those cars were either bad or good because of how well they were treated before I got them. Most were 15+ years old, cost a few hundred bucks and had over 100k miles.
1971 Camaro D (but mostly because of some ill fitting performance upgrades done by the prior owner)
1979 (or was it 80?) Honda CVCC. D (but it was super easy to repair. I could lift the engine out with my hands).
1980 Pontiac Sunbird E - - - - Can I give it a Z? Possibly the worst cat ever made.
1980s Mazda RX-7 A- (mostly because the dash and other interior parts dissolved in sunlight)
1980s Tbird Turbo Coupe D. We only had it a month and then forced the dealer to take it back due to all of the problems.
1973 Jensen Healey - come on, you do not buy these for reliability, they have Lucas electronics for crying out loud. On each trip you are happy to reach your desination without something breaking. This one does not count. Anyway, if you can still get it started and drive it home (frequenetly by push starting it) or at least push it home, is it still reliable? Now I have another one. It realiably sits in my driveway waiting for me to finish putting a new head on it.
1988 Huyndai Excel - Second worst car ever made? This one can have an X
19?? (cannot remember) Suburau XT Turbo - if you ignore the coolant leaking into the exhaust through the turbocharger in an unrepariable manner, it was otherwise reliable. Buy some stock in Bars leak and you are good to go. B- (due to turbocharger issue)
Late 1980s Dodge Ram Van: - this was a decent van withthe 318 engine. B.
1995 Camaro Z-28. B+. 17 Years of service with only a few significant problems (transmission had an issue from new and was replaced the first week, head gasket, cooling problems and that stupid ABS module).
2000 Dodge Ram Van: D - (pieces would fall off it as we drove around, even when it was brand new).
1998 F-150. C- Mostly due to the stupid Coil on plug configuration. Then there was the three starters in two years, and the failure of the oil pump but no indication that it occured and ultimate siezed engine.
2002 Chevy Express Van. C-. Lots of problems and some really stupiud design related issues (like hinges that sieze up)
2006 Chevy Express Van. C They really have not improved these all that much.
1997 and 1998 Dodge Grand Caravans. D- Almost down there with that POS Hyundai. Almost daily problems both major and minor.
2000 ( I think Subaru Outback Anniversary edition). D. Only had it a short time and took it back to the dealer. After some fighting they took it back and junked it.
1994 T-Bird GT: B This is pretty reliable. We have not had it that long though.
1992 Lincoln Town Car. B Suprisingly reliable. A few issues here and there, but pretty decent so far.
2003 Ford Ranger. A. You cannot kill these things.
2003 Saturn ION. Not sure yet, but it was $11,000 brand new, how reliable can it be? However it does have 207,000 miles and still running. Theat is pretty impressive for a cheapo car.
1968 Galaxie rust issues killed it
1976 Grand Prix should have kept it but got a
1979 Grand Prix smoking car, had the bad transmission
1984 Cavalier bullet proof, went 300K with only normal wear items
1989 Reliant poster child for POS, electronics, transmission, AC all went bad
1991 Lumina bought from mother, replaced head gasket, developing rust issues
1995 Taurus Wagon still going strong at 250K
1995 Taurus Wagon still going at 150K
1995 Taurus Sedan good car, replaced it with
1998 Taurus Sedan good car, kid totalled it in 2004 with 125K on the odo
2002 Cavalier four cylinders of fury, totalled by another kid
2002 Taurus Wagon still going at 180K, wear items, O2 sensors
2003 Focus still deciding, lost 3rd gear when it was a year old
2003 F-150 it's a Ford truck
2010 Forester Mrs. NBP running the crap out of it
Auxiliaries owned by the kids or Mrs. NBP
1974 Mustang wouldn't start in the cold
1978 Impala Detroit steel, weak transmission
2001 Frontier lost 4th gear at 110K
1997 Ford Ranger XLT 5 speed - A+ totaled at only 92k
2002 Mitsubishi Mirage auto, many mods A++++ NEVER broke down, drove from 113k to 190k in two years ran perfect, sold
2000 Dodge Stratus, mods auto, D- Broke down more then once, tranny pump let go 150k
1998 Chevy Blazer LT auto, mods, C+ owned for a month, broke down twice, totaledat 77k
1994 Golf III, lowerd on cut springs 5 speed, B had for 6 days 147k, totaled
1997 Saturn Sc2 auto. F, had for a month engine seized 106k
1997 Mitsubishi Mirage 5 speed, mods A++++ never broke down, resold made a profit 147k
2000 Saab 9-5 5 speed, stock new turbo, A never had a problem 195k
1995 Chevy Blazer auto, F----- so many problems 177k
1995 Mitsubishi Mirage 5 speed , C+ had a problem I couldn't fix 153k
I haven't owned many cars since I keep them for awhile:
'83 Ford LTD (fox body): A, for a long time, then turned into a D after lots of electrical problems brought on by a bad voltage regulator (burned out a lot of stuff), then turned back into a B. The old 3.8L V6 and AOD just wouldn't die. It's my project car now.
'83 Mustang GL: Fox 5.0 (LX style) hatchback w/ manual & radio delete. No grade because it was a project car. Didn't take much money to make that thing run like a scalded dog. Sold that car to an 18 year old, should've never gotten rid of it in hindsight, but it comforts me to know someone still has it and is taking care of it.
'03 Dodge Intrepid, A-, the coolant pipe/bleeder valve needed replacing once, and the car always needed a new radiator fan motor every 2 years, but it never left me stranded. Had the notorious 2.7L but still kept running like a top. Bought with 7k, traded it at 231k miles because it started having a bunch of glitches by then, but I'll bet someone will take that original drivetrain to 300k. Still wish they made big, cheap American FWD cars with the longitudinal engine layout. Traded it in for...
'11 Dodge Journey, A, not a single problem yet but still too new to rate as I've had it only 1 year. Driveline is the 4 cylinder "World" engine + the old 41TE transmission, should be bulletproof. So far the brand new electrical system has performed flawlessly. (We may have another good Dodge here.)
'03 Saturn Vue: D, not because it left us stranded, but it had tons of problems a new car shouldn't have had. Ecotec 2.2L and a seeping Getrag 5 speed with axle shafts that were shot after 5k miles. The warning signs were bad enough to trade it in @ 20k miles for....
'05 Pontiac Vibe, A+, Toyota in disguse not a single problem in 150k miles, changed the belt and spark plugs once around regular oil & filters. It was a bit uncomfortable to begin with, but got extremely uncomfortable after time and as I got into my mid 30s. Exterior was about as tough as a beer can, but I've seen wrecked ones and they all held up very well. Whatever the case, this was mechanically the best car I've ever owned. Sold it on the street and bought a...
'11 Chevy Malibu LT, can't grade it yet, bought it with 9k and now has 13k. So far so good. I can't really think of anything outstanding about this car, but also don't have any real complaints. I almost bought a Fusion but liked how the Malibu rode & handled better (long wheelbase). The Malibu also looks better on the outside, too. We'll see what happens.
1988 Chevy Cavalier Z24 -C. I LOVED the looks of the car (two toned silver), but it was terrible at safety and always had transmission issues. My dad and I sold it to a family friend, and 3 weeks later he had totaled it. It was extremely unfortunate because my dad put in a lot of hard work to restoring it, and it ran very nicely until it was smashed up. Unsure of the circumstances behind the totaling, but the friend wasn't hurt and it was mainly on the passenger side/back end. He said he might have been doing circles in a parking lot too fast and slammed into some full dumpsters... anyway.
1992 Buick Century - B. Big car, bad on gas, but it was very comfortable and safe to drive. Learned to drive in that one.
1996 Beretta Z26 - B. It was all right, looked nice, good airbags and decent on gas mileage. Just wasn't a car I could see myself driving for long.
1996 Beretta (base) - A. I loved this car, it wasn't as flashy as the other Beretta (the z was a bright red), this one was a darker blue. It was really reliable, I fixed it up nice and got new wheels, refinished the insides. Had to sell it due to utility, it didn't have a very big trunk space and I need it for work.
2002 Saturn Vue - F. This SUV was a piece of crap, never making a mistake like that again. What a waste.
2007 Ford Focus Zx5 - A. This little hatchback is great, it is perfect (utility-wise) and just my size. Very safe, very reliable. The only thing that's happened is that my right turn signal went out last week. Besides regular oil changes, etc, it's a great car. Very good on gas too. Highly recommend!
1982 Toyota Tercel (A+) stripper bought new (back when stripper means no carpets, crank windows, 4 spd manual, no wheel covers, no AC, radio only). Sold it at 120kmi. No problems whatsover.
1884 Camry (A) bought new, sold at 125kmi. Only thing that was replaced was the starter.
1988 Toyota pickup 4x4 (A+) bought it with 30kmi, sold it at 90kmi. No problems whatsoever.
1989 Mitsubishi Montero 4x4 (A) bought at 80kmi, sold at 120kmi. No problems except occasional stuck starter which I never did replace.
1993 Camaro Z28 (F) bought new and sold at 70kmi. Waterpump died, rotors warped prematurely, S-belt snapped all between 30-50kmi.
1995 Audi A6 (B) bought at 70kmi and sold at 110kmi. No major repairs but lots of little niggly electronics problems that are expensive to fix.
1997 Accord (A) bought new and now has 140kmi. Motor mounts and window regulators are the only things that went wrong.
2001 Pathfinder (B) bought at 15kmi, now at 150kmi. Emissions seems to be its weak point. Replaced o2 sensors and ignition coils. Just replaced rear suspension components.
Dodge Intrepid, D many problems, previous accident with last owner
2002 Dodge Dakota Sport V-8 D Many parts needing to be replaces, both lief springs shackles broken, major rust
2006 Nissan Versa hatchback 6 speed B Great untill the engine got a rod knock at 86k, had to sell
2002 Saab 9-3 5 speed, B So far good, big oil leak you can smell
90 something Toyota Camry B ran fine, got rear ended bad, but still drove
1999 i think E-350 cube van for work A ran great sold
that is all i can remember minus a dodge shadow years ago
1978 mini clubman 1100, my first car which I kept for years. It had its share of problems mainly getting it started and tin worm. Sold it due to growing family B+
1984 Austin Maestro 1.6 Vanden Plas, drove like an oversized mini but went through wheel bearings like they were cookies. Had the onboard computer which told lies about oil pressure and other engine events. Grew out of it so sold it. B+
1986 Renault Savannah 7 seater estate, no problems great drive, wrote off after an accident. B
1984 Vauxhall Astra 1.3, looked great, got me to and from work but blew clouds of oil at every possible chance. Swapped for the Volvo. D
1978 Volvo 240DL, our Bessie, fantastic car engine was sweet did everything we asked of it until the rust took over. Went to the scrapyard B+
1984 Volvo 240 GL disaster, previous owner didn't understand the concept of oil change so while the body looked sweet the engine was knackered. Sold C
1990 Nissan Primera, underpowered POS never passed an MOT without needing tons of work. Ex-hub part exchanged it for an Alpha Romeo D
Moved to USA
1991 Dodge Grand Caravan, all that space, all that rust and no transmission after 80K miles. Gave it away to some kid who said he would work on it D
2000 GMC Jimmy,nice suv that suffered from the usual GMC V6 problems, oil in water / water in oil way before it even thought about 100K miles. Ermm .. C
2003 Chevvy Silverado, bought it to haul horses which it did, no huge problems until I went to sell it and the electric windows stopped working. Sold due to only doing 14 mpg. B
2006 Ford Focus, most boring car in the world, bottom of the range electric nothing and no power to boot, only plus was that it did 35mpg, Sold. D
1984 Mercedes 380SL, love love love this 27 year old sweetie, only problems are associated with age but the Mercedes dealer either has parts in stock or can get them within 2 days**, fantastic ride. A
2002 Mercedes 320ML handles like nothing else I've ever driven, is 'needy' in the parts department but the build quality, ride and performance make up for it. B+
** Would like to comment on parts, I live in Alaska where Mercedes can get me a part for a 27 year old car in about 2 days, the local Ford dealership takes up to a month to get parts in for its newer cars.
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anyway.
