- Joined
- Apr 13, 2013
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We all know the debate about American vs. Japanese car quality is a contentious one. Over the years, I have owned cars from both and here is my take:
Back in 1991, I bought a new Ford Taurus off the lot. The Taurus had great reviews at the time and I thought it would be a great car. At 3000 miles, the radiator burst on the highway and left my family and I stranded with a pool of coolant under the car. At 15000 miles, the AC compressor went out. At 20k miles, the front wheel bearings were shot. From day one, the cruise control never worked right and the dealership could never figure out the problem. At 37k miles, the radiator went out again. Ford told me I was out of luck since the 3 yr/36k warranty was up. At 40k miles, the driver window motor went out and this was the last straw for me. I dumped the car for a new Camry.
Outside of regular maintenance, I never had any issues with the Camry. Sure, it wasn't the most exciting thing but it was a car I always trusted and felt safe with. In 1998, with the family growing I decided to jump on the new craze sweeping America- Chrysler minivans. Nearly every house on my block had one in the driveway and people had nothing but praises for it. I bought a new Plymouth Grand Voyager and was pretty impressed with it at first. But then the problems began; At 16k miles, the transmission went out. At 25k miles, the tie rod ends began separating and was caught during an oil change at the Chrysler dealership. Like deja vu, the AC compressor went out luckily a few months before the warranty expired. At 45k miles, both rear shocks blew out. The wipers also became possessed, turning on whenever they felt like it. At 50k miles, the transmission bit the dust, again. When the exhaust developed a leak, I had it and sold the money pit off.
I tried giving American cars a chance but both times, they failed me miserably. I rotate cars every 3-4 yrs and would have happily given the Big 3 my business if my experiences would have been better. Since then, I swore off these guys completely and bought exclusively Japanese. My 02 Accord with 166k miles has been the best car I have ever owned. Besides routine maintenance, it has been solid. It still has all original electrical, mechanical and suspension/steering components and drives silky smooth at 75 mph with no rattles. I bought an 02 Infiniti I35 last year and it too is a great, reliable car. I currently own a 2013 Honda Pilot which so far is very impressive.
The Big 3 had an arrogant attitude back in the 80s the and 90s, which is why their quality suffered. When their feets got held to the fire a few years back only then did they try making a comeback and focus more on quality. But I don't know how good it is going to do them now; I personally don't care how much they say they are "new and improved" today, they have lost a customer for life who suffered from their low quality products in the 90s. Don't get me wrong though, there has been a recent downturn in quality from the Japanese. The newer Honda and Toyota vehicles just aren't built the same way they used to be. Their interiors have gotten more cheap and they suffer from mechanical issues unheard of in their older counterparts. I worry about the state of the auto industry overall and don't know which truly reliable brand is left anymore.
Back in 1991, I bought a new Ford Taurus off the lot. The Taurus had great reviews at the time and I thought it would be a great car. At 3000 miles, the radiator burst on the highway and left my family and I stranded with a pool of coolant under the car. At 15000 miles, the AC compressor went out. At 20k miles, the front wheel bearings were shot. From day one, the cruise control never worked right and the dealership could never figure out the problem. At 37k miles, the radiator went out again. Ford told me I was out of luck since the 3 yr/36k warranty was up. At 40k miles, the driver window motor went out and this was the last straw for me. I dumped the car for a new Camry.
Outside of regular maintenance, I never had any issues with the Camry. Sure, it wasn't the most exciting thing but it was a car I always trusted and felt safe with. In 1998, with the family growing I decided to jump on the new craze sweeping America- Chrysler minivans. Nearly every house on my block had one in the driveway and people had nothing but praises for it. I bought a new Plymouth Grand Voyager and was pretty impressed with it at first. But then the problems began; At 16k miles, the transmission went out. At 25k miles, the tie rod ends began separating and was caught during an oil change at the Chrysler dealership. Like deja vu, the AC compressor went out luckily a few months before the warranty expired. At 45k miles, both rear shocks blew out. The wipers also became possessed, turning on whenever they felt like it. At 50k miles, the transmission bit the dust, again. When the exhaust developed a leak, I had it and sold the money pit off.
I tried giving American cars a chance but both times, they failed me miserably. I rotate cars every 3-4 yrs and would have happily given the Big 3 my business if my experiences would have been better. Since then, I swore off these guys completely and bought exclusively Japanese. My 02 Accord with 166k miles has been the best car I have ever owned. Besides routine maintenance, it has been solid. It still has all original electrical, mechanical and suspension/steering components and drives silky smooth at 75 mph with no rattles. I bought an 02 Infiniti I35 last year and it too is a great, reliable car. I currently own a 2013 Honda Pilot which so far is very impressive.
The Big 3 had an arrogant attitude back in the 80s the and 90s, which is why their quality suffered. When their feets got held to the fire a few years back only then did they try making a comeback and focus more on quality. But I don't know how good it is going to do them now; I personally don't care how much they say they are "new and improved" today, they have lost a customer for life who suffered from their low quality products in the 90s. Don't get me wrong though, there has been a recent downturn in quality from the Japanese. The newer Honda and Toyota vehicles just aren't built the same way they used to be. Their interiors have gotten more cheap and they suffer from mechanical issues unheard of in their older counterparts. I worry about the state of the auto industry overall and don't know which truly reliable brand is left anymore.
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