Car brand that burned you so bad on reliability you'd never buy again?

Originally Posted by Blkstanger
I've owned 44 vehicles and have been pretty lucky with most. The worst was a Dodge PU I had. I had the trans rebuilt twice and the rear end once. It was using oil on top of that. I do own a Jeep made by Chrysler that has been pretty good to me.

I had a Dodge van IIRC 1970 with the Slant 6. It was clearly the biggest POS I ever owned, and as a result I could never understand the fascination with the Slant 6, and stood clear of them.
27.gif
OTOH I had a 72 Satellite with a 318 which was great, and my two Jeeps [current] have been problem free.
 
You've heard this from me before on here...........HYUNDAI . They don't even try to fix that Theta 2 debacle and just keep cranking out those same engines since 2011 and they just keep tossing bearings, guzzling oil or knocking themselves to death.
Dishonorable mention goes to JEEP. I changed parts on that car that just NEVER wear out on any car, along with the usual stuff.

These days it's hard to find any brand that doesn't have some sort of major issue mainly due to mileage / pollution demands by governments. There's so much new high tech 🕷ðŸœSTUFF coming out so fast it's no wonder reliability is universally suffering. They are truly heading towards the disposable car. The one difference between the Timex watch and Timex car is the watch really works. It's a sad decline
 
I've been driving BMWs for 23 years. Is that why my partner's '14 Focus seems so reliable? But seriously, aside from a clutch replacement that Ford paid for and a battery that it didn't really need, the Focus has been 100% reliable at 90k.
 
I've been pretty fortunate, have not had any real lemons. I know a lot of people don't care for them but I have driven Saabs for 35 years now and have gotten many miles of excellent service out of them. Prior to that there were a variety of Japanese and U.S. made cars, mostly 1960s and 1970s vintage. (The only GM vehicle was a Corvair. All my Saabs have been pre-GM models.)

As far as friends and family the ones that have the most problems seem to be owners of late-model General Motors products. After a relatively few years they frequently experience problems I haven't even seen on my decades-old high-mileage rides. (Decades ago British Leyland and Fiat were the worst.)
 
Originally Posted by jeepman3071


Makes sense. With many of these cars the more expensive they are, the more complicated and troublesome they become. I wouldn't buy any V8, V10, or V12 BMW with the intention of it being a daily driver. They are rolling nightmares. Ironically the cheaper models with the 4 and 6 cylinder engines can be quite reliable. Dealerships are also a huge no-no with these cars. Many dealers need people to keep coming back for "repairs" so they can refurnish their fancy showrooms. It happens across the board brand-wise, but often the dealer techs who are hired fresh out of school only know the cars on the lot.
I've fixed a few older 3-series cars that were almost scrap-yard worthy with the problems they had just because someone had not taken the care to work on them properly. They really aren't difficult cars to work on, but there is a way everything comes apart and goes back together. Screw it up and it will cost you.
Like I stated in the brand loyalty thread, there are cars I like from certain brands, but that doesn't mean I like everything the brand makes or that I am loyal to them. I've never purchased a new car anyway, so technically I'm loyal to nobody.
lol.gif

The post earlier in the thread about the people who kept buying Silverados and Equinoxes even though they have trouble with them is a bit interesting though, not sure I understand that.



One of the two BMW's Im calling " mine" was a Z3 I bought for the x wife.
Fun to drive, lot of little things broke and the dealer refused to fix them calling it wear and tear.

When the X moved back to Montreal I bought her a Honda pilot which worked perfect for her needs.

Not being content with such a plebian ride she spent money she didnt have to upgrade it to a X3 which turned out to be a complete money pit I refused to bail her out of.

Its a bummer too because aside from the problems I love driving them.

UD
 
Originally Posted by UncleDave
Originally Posted by jeepman3071


Makes sense. With many of these cars the more expensive they are, the more complicated and troublesome they become. I wouldn't buy any V8, V10, or V12 BMW with the intention of it being a daily driver. They are rolling nightmares. Ironically the cheaper models with the 4 and 6 cylinder engines can be quite reliable. Dealerships are also a huge no-no with these cars. Many dealers need people to keep coming back for "repairs" so they can refurnish their fancy showrooms. It happens across the board brand-wise, but often the dealer techs who are hired fresh out of school only know the cars on the lot.
I've fixed a few older 3-series cars that were almost scrap-yard worthy with the problems they had just because someone had not taken the care to work on them properly. They really aren't difficult cars to work on, but there is a way everything comes apart and goes back together. Screw it up and it will cost you.
Like I stated in the brand loyalty thread, there are cars I like from certain brands, but that doesn't mean I like everything the brand makes or that I am loyal to them. I've never purchased a new car anyway, so technically I'm loyal to nobody.
lol.gif

The post earlier in the thread about the people who kept buying Silverados and Equinoxes even though they have trouble with them is a bit interesting though, not sure I understand that.



One of the two BMW's Im calling " mine" was a Z3 I bought for the x wife.
Fun to drive, lot of little things broke and the dealer refused to fix them calling it wear and tear.

When the X moved back to Montreal I bought her a Honda pilot which worked perfect for her needs.

Not being content with such a plebian ride she spent money she didnt have to upgrade it to a X3 which turned out to be a complete money pit I refused to bail her out of.

Its a bummer too because aside from the problems I love driving them.

UD



uncledave
Do you know what BMW stands for ????
 
Ram Trucks.... spent 65k on a 2500 Laramie Longhorn. Within the 1st week of ownership the driver leather seat cover came loose. Long story short after 9 months neither the dealer or FCA could find a properly cut & sewn replacement seat cover. Offered me a free oil change for my troubles.

NEVER AGAIN
 
It's hard to blame a brand for a few lemons. They all have them. Anyone who thinks they don't isn't being honest with themselves.

I can tell you a few dealers I wouldn't do business with though.
 
Originally Posted by dlundblad
It's hard to blame a brand for a few lemons. They all have them. Anyone who thinks they don't isn't being honest with themselves.

I can tell you a few dealers I wouldn't do business with though.


It's much like the internet ratings … not enough go out of their way to praise … but the complaining is thick.
 
Originally Posted by kstanf150


uncledave
Do you know what BMW stands for ????


Ive heard a variety of colorful versions of it

Break my window
B$%^* Moan and Whine
Big Money Waster
Break my wallet
Barely moving wreck

UD
 
Ford is next down from BMW for me.

I enjoyed my Ford products and this I was lucky enough to use extensively.

93 SHO
93 F-150 lightning
I used 2 different 2011 eco boost f150's for a summer (a 373 truck and a 355 truck)

Recommending Ford to my younger boy came naturally.

After his experience with his Focus transmission I felt guilty about that and lost a lot of faith in them as well.

He was "lucky" it was totaled in a non injury accident and loves his Mazda 3.



UD
 
Originally Posted by UncleDave
Originally Posted by kstanf150


uncledave
Do you know what BMW stands for ????


Ive heard a variety of colorful versions of it

Break my window
B$%^* Moan and Whine
Big Money Waster
Break my wallet
Barely moving wreck

UD


Those are good ones to

Bring Money Withya

Is the the one hear most often around here !
 
Originally Posted by kstanf150


Those are good ones to
Bring Money Withya

Is the the one hear most often around here !


Hysterical! Did you think that up all by yourself?
A future in stand-up comedy may await you.
 
Originally Posted by UncleDave
Originally Posted by kstanf150


uncledave
Do you know what BMW stands for ????


Ive heard a variety of colorful versions of it

Break my window
B$%^* Moan and Whine
Big Money Waster
Break my wallet
Barely moving wreck

UD

in Germany:

Bring Mir Werkzeug (bring me tools)

Bring Mich Werkstatt (bring me to the workshop)

Bei Mercedes Weggeschmissen (Thrown away at the Mercedes factory (Scrap parts from Mercedes, but good enough for BMW)
 
My worst cars were Opels. Back in the Early 90s.
Saddly GM saved Money on every part, reliability was horrible. On the other hand, because this cars broke down constantly, i learned wrenching.

Second place goes to VW. I own the second Golf MK III now, the reliability is O.K. but its cheap built and with VERY questionable technical details. Water pump from Plastic, ridicoulous brakes, no points on the sills to jack it up in your garage, and so on and on....Just a ton of little annoinyg things that spoils the car.

I love my Hondas.
 
Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by kstanf150


Those are good ones to
Bring Money Withya

Is the the one hear most often around here !


Hysterical! Did you think that up all by yourself?
A future in stand-up comedy may await you.


...†...†...†
Ive got a buddy who loves his BMW's and spend crazy money everytime he takes one to the shop for just simple stuff to be fixed. So that's what I ask him every time he goes back to pick it up !
 
Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by kstanf150


Those are good ones to
Bring Money Withya

Is the the one hear most often around here !


Hysterical! Did you think that up all by yourself?
A future in stand-up comedy may await you.



Indeed.

I have heard many of the same stories, some are horrible. Many are compounded by ignorant owners and even more ignorant servicing.

What you never hear are the hundreds of thousands of happy owners. They are quiet...
 
Volvo (sworn off since 1992), Any Chrysler product since 1985. Have not even considered either brand since the lemon I got, never will. I don't care how much any company turns around in the future, they sell me a lemon once and I am done for life, only way to punish a company for garbage is to never buy the product again.
 
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