How reliable or unreliable are your vehicles?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have a 2000 Honda Civic with 180,000 and at this point is very unreliable and needs more attention than a newborn baby. I know a few other Honda owners and it's the same thing. I think Honda owners either out rate lie or under report their problems.
 
2015 Honda Accord - Nothing yet, 21,000 miles

2010 Honda Accord - Traded in at 75,000 miles, fixed a rattle and brake rotors under warranty

2009 Ford Fusion V6 - 230,000 miles, replaced ABS module, axle boot, PS pump. I replaced the entire drivers side of the car from head light to tail light at 49,000 miles from a bad accident when some one ran a stop sign. I can't count that against the car.

2006 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP - Worst car I have ever owned for repairs. Traded in at 80,000 miles, replaced transmission, water pump, PS rack, PS line recall, steering shaft X3, climate control module, interior temp fan and sensor, wheel bearing, front struts, front strut mounts, left rear brake caliper, sway bar end links, multiple alignments, burned quart of oil every 1200 miles, PCV valve system, valve seals, broken wire at pass seat, multiple interior rattles. Mufflers had holes in the top seam by 40,000 miles not covered under extended GM warranty.

I had various other GM cars from the early 2000's and constant repairs but not to the extent of the 2006 Grand Prix.
 
Last edited:
12 civic, 105K miles. not a single issue yet. jsut fallow the maintenance minder.

93 toyota 22RE 5 speed. 430K best darn truck i've ever owned. adjusted the valves once.

early 04 dodge cummins 2500. 230K miles. rear pinion seeps,
front pinion seeps, rear main on the engine seeps. great truck.
 
Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD

2003 Chevy Tahoe
45K...steering column replaced
67K...steering column replaced
96K...steering column replaced
125K...steering column replaced

^ My 2005 Chevy Avalanche was recalled for this, and repaired free.
 
Last edited:
1986 Olds Custom Cruiser Wagon
Belonged to my parents, owned from new until 180,000Km.
307 backed by a 700R4?

- Multiple brake boosters
- Rear shocks
- A/C system
- Alternator
- AC-Delco/Bose head unit
- Various suspension components
- Window regulator
- Door lock actuator
- Multiple entire cat-backs (Speedy Muffler, not the vehicle's fault)

The one door latch mechanism would always hang shut when it was cold resulting the door banging into the latch and you having to manually click it back. This was my mom's car which I got when they purchased their first Expedition in 1998. The tranny was starting to go at this point and the car had roughly 180,000Km on it. The engine (Olds 307) was also tired at this point and we got rid of the car a few years later.

1987 Mustang GT
Purchased with 180,000Km on it drove it until 330,000Km when it was totalled.
302 backed by a T-5

- Valve cover gaskets
- Rear main seal
- T-5 transmission (dragstrip abuse, not the car's fault)
- Brakes twice
- Tires. Several sets.
- Oil pressure sending unit
- Map light
- Ball joints
- TFI Module

At around 250,000Km I did heads/cam/intake on it, 3G alternator conversion, electric fan, aluminum DS....etc so not much after that point was "normal".

1989 Lincoln Town Car

My dad's car, bought it when it was one year old. I recently gave it to a friend of mine with 347,000km on it. Has over 400,000Km on it now.
302 backed by an AOD

- Rear air shocks
- Valve cover gaskets
- Alternator
- Coil. Twice
- Radiator
- Tie rod ends
- Steering box
- Ball joints
- Brake lines
- Fuel feed line
- Cat-back
- TFI Module

This was probably the most reliable car we've ever owned and was owned in parallel with the Olds Wagon which was a maintenance nightmare in comparison. Most of the above was when the car had over 200,000Km on it, it needed nothing but tires and brakes up until that point. When I gave it to my buddy the door lock actuators were acting up on a couple of the doors, don't know if he ever replaced them.

2001 BMW M5
Purchased with 130,000Km on it, owned until 190,000Km
5.0L V8 backed by 6spd manual

- Camshaft position sensors
- tie rod ends. Both sides.
- Brakes
- HVAC blower resistor module replaced at around 150,000Km
- Clutch (insanely expensive, done at BMW dealer) replaced at around 150,000Km
- Guibo replaced at 160,000Km
- EVAP solenoid needed replacement (never did, traded the car)
- Needed driveshaft replacement (not done before trade)
- Needed headlight adjusters replaced (not done before trade)
- Needed tie-rod ends again (not done before trade)
- Needed pads and rotors again (not done before trade)

Definitely my favourite car that I've owned at this point. Quality was incredible, interior materials were likewise fantastic and it had the best seats I've ever sat in.

2002 Expedition Eddie Bauer
Purchased with 150,000Km on it, now has 297,000Km on it.
5.4L backed by the R4100

- Upper and Lower ball joints (needs them again now)
- Tie rod ends (needs them again now)
- Thermostat at 180,000Km
- Alternator at around 240,000Km
- Launched #4 spark plug at around 250,000Km
- Four coils replaced, #4 twice because it was damaged when the plug launched. Various mileages.
- Right rear axle seal at around 260,000Km
- Studs broke on passenger side exhaust manifold at around 220,000Km (IIRC)
- Has needed brakes twice including the replacement of two calipers at around 260,000km
- Replaced radiator due to pin-hole leak at 270,000Km
- A/C stopped working at around 260,000Km, have not fixed because it is only driven in the winter at this point.
- Drivers seat heat failed at around 260,000Km, have not repaired.
- ABS Module failed at around 260,000Km, have not replaced (just pulled the fuse)

A number of items seemed to reach their end of life after 250,000Km. My parents have had similar repairs on their 2000 at similar mileage. They had their A/C compressor replaced and they have had to replace their starter (ours is original). Trans cooler line is currently leaking and needs to be replaced (my parents had theirs done last year).

2006 Dodge Charger R/T
Purchased with 126,000Km on it, currently has 142,000Km on it
5.7L backed by Mercedes NAG-1 Auto

- Outer tie-rod end on passenger side
- Brakes
- Left-rear caliper replaced due to sticking at 135,000Km (approx)
- Currently needs left inner tie-rod replaced

Great car, it is my wife's, but she's currently trying to get me to agree to her trading it on a Durango
smirk.gif


2014 Dodge Charger SRT-8

Purchased new, now has ~9,000Km on it
6.4L backed by Mercedes NAG-1 Auto

- Update U-Connect to latest version via USB
- Update ECM programming
- Update Airbag Control Module programming (last week) via Recall
- Update TCM programming

I check the vehicle for updates periodically since I have access to the dealer software, these were not to deal with issues the car was experiencing.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Well, here it goes.

1997 Toyota Camry 2.2L - Owned for 8 months from 185k to 197k miles

Needed 0 repairs. Only oil changes.

2004 VW Beetle TDI w/DSG transmission - Owned for 16 months from 158k-176k (sat in garage for 4 months in the end) - I'll also post the previous repairs that my aunt had, she bought it new and had it meticulously maintained at the dealer. (A good dealer).

-Multiple seat belt sensors, caused airbag light to come on periodically
-Engine coolant temp sensor
-Glow plugs replaced under recall
-High pressure fuel pump replaced under recall (and leaked afterwards)
-Thermostat
~6 CV boots torn
~7 windshields
~6 headlight bulbs
-Windshield washer bottle broke at about 80k miles
-Was on it's 3rd alternator
-Starter replaced
-Lower control arm bushings and upper strut mounts replaced
-Large engine cooling fan died & replaced
-High pressure A/C hose broke off
-Ate a battery every 2 years religiously, last battery made it 8 months though.
-Was on it's 3rd dual mass flywheel (still chattered!)
-Transmission was failing, specifically the mechatronics unit. It CRUNCHED like crazy, and when I say crunch, I mean CRUNCH. It also slipped pretty bad when taking off from a light
-Motor mount replaced
-Camshaft was worn out
-Turbo actuator set check engine light, was able to be cleared. If it stayed on, entire turbo would have had to be replaced
-Airbag light came on, was also able to be cleared. If it stayed on, the leather on the passenger seat would have had to be removed to replace the sensor in the seat.
-Fuse box melted on top of battery
-Door panels completely broke apart. Had to glue and rivet them together ($1000 a piece new)
-Volume knob on stereo failing, left alone ($1,000 for a new one)
-Door speakers quit working. Cost me over $300 for new ones and I rivetted them in myself.
-Tie rods had some play in them, replaced myself with Moogs
-A/C compressor was very very loud in the end and needed replacement
-Blower motor was also very loud
-Seats didn't fold forward 50% of the time
-Sunroof was getting stuck so I quit using it
-I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of stuff. It also rattled like you wouldn't believe

2000 Toyota Camry 2.2L - Owned for 8 months (so far) from 194k to the current 210k.
-Maintenance history from the dealer shows it got valve stem seals and lower control arm bushings with a previous owner
-Air tube from air filter box to throttle body rotted from the heat.

That's it. You can see why I went back to Toyota...


I remember the good ol days when you'd actually back up the poor Bug saying something like "Yeah its a chick car, but it gets 55 mpg" in your signature.
Lol yeah, that was before the engine, transmission, and the rest of the car was failing
 
2001 Saturn SL Manual Trans 1.9L 100HP
At 19, I bought my first used car with 88,000 miles on it for $3,200 cash in 2007 I made working a summer construction gig. This was big money at the time for me and I remember watching the seller count out the crisp $100 bills I got at the bank.
Prev. owner had every receipt for oil changes at Jiffy lube with 4-7k mile oil changes on bulk Pennzoil. No repairs were made before 88,000 miles. While in my possession other than general maintenance it required:

98k - New Clutch (Prev. owner did mostly city driving)
100k - Replaced Engine Coolant Temp Sensor to resolve Rough Idle
110k - Muffler Hanger and Strap
115k - Throttle Position Sensor
120k - New Intake Manifold Gasket
123k - Thinking vehicle would run well after the $$ I put in I bought all new brakes and four new tires on.
132k - Donated car due to bad clutch hydraulics, engine knock or failing timing chain, leaking water pump and bad wheel bearing which all manifested in about 2-3 months. Decided to dump the car after I had an interesting experience merging onto the interstate with an 18 wheeler in the right lane with a slipping clutch and 100hp engine.

As you can see, prev. owner dumped this car at the right time! This was the car I drove through college and my early working years. This was a decent college car (other than the repairs required) because I could fill up the 12 gallon tank with a $20 bill. I routinely got 38-40mpg with this hog so I could afford trips home to see family. Many of these repairs were done in the college parking lot.

2011 Mazda6i Manual Trans 2.5L 170HP
Bought new with 132 miles. Presently at 78k miles.

70k - Exhaust work to repair damaged exhaust flange at muffler. A Meineke in SC did some sweet backwoods welding job on it for about $100 to fix. Dealer wanted $600+ to replace exhaust pipe and muffler as the damage was where the two joined together. Thanks Meineke!

So far I've only replaced four tires, rear brake pads and rotors, 75w90 gear oil change on the manual transaxle, three or four front headlight bulbs (these seem to burn out fast), air filters, cabin filters and oil changes every 7-10k miles.

When I bought this car I bought the base model with zero gadgets except A/C and a CD Player. The base model included power windows which at the time I wished were crank windows. Not surprisingly, I have an issue where the driver and passenger side front windows rattle when the windows are partly rolled down. May need to replace the window regulators. I hate power windows for this reason - they always have issues. Will also need four new tires soon. The Generals have 50k miles on them and are at 4/32. Best of all is this baby is paid for which leaves more money for
beer3.gif
Last I checked the original front brake pads still have 50% remaining!
 
Last edited:
2009, F150, 4x4, 5.4L Supercrew w/tow package, 95,000 miles.

Not one, that's right, not one fault, failure, issue or glitch.

The other 2 F150's, a 1998 w/4.6L has 300K miles has had it's share of minor issues

The 2011 w/3.5 Ecoboost has 55K miles and has experienced multiple water ingestion events (the intercooler fills with condense and when "floored" it goes into the engine, causing a temporary misfire. Otherwise, no issues.
 
My '96 Maxima has 323,000 Miles on it, that's 519,818 Km for the other 99% of the world. It has never left me stranded and has never left me at home looking for a ride to work. I have replaced the radiator, one driveshaft, two CV boots, 1 O2 sensor, and struts/shocks once.

Worst I had was a Fiero, cant remember what year. Seems pontiac was the dumping ground for defective GM parts.
 
Last edited:
04 Escape...

End links at 88K
Brakes at 95k
Replaced 3 COP's 142k.. just one was bad changed all the front ones
Back shocks at 119k

Nothing I can recall except the COP's would be considered normal maintenance. At 148k I'd consider it one of the best I've owned. Not planning on getting rid of it till 250k or it becomes the worst I've owned.

02 Focus.. CURSED!

2 ignition coils
EGR Tube
Bad DPFE sensor just bypassed
1 temp sensor
1 serpentine pulley
The ignition will need fixed someday
The AC twice, over 1k both times!
Front struts due to broken springs
Passenger and dog bone motor mounts

It was free and has been making up for it ever since. You know that pain in butt little sister growing up.. well I inherited it after she passed and she's still being a pain in my butt! The positive is it does run and drives great 99% of the time.
 
Originally Posted By: clinebarger

I'm also a mechanic, But for the most part buy new vehicles besides my Camaro which I built from the ground up mechanically. I just CANNOT pay the price wanted for ABUSED used cars.



Originally Posted By: Silk
You are paying too much - I ran my NX Coupe for 9 years, and it was free!



That's your opinion..... My truck has over 300,000 miles on it and has never left me on the side of the road, It has paid for itself...And still worth over $10,000 if I decided to sell it today.
 
07 Focus in sig.
Bought at 62500 miles.

So far it's needed new tires, brakes, and battery all within the first month or so.

Recently the front motor mount has been replaced making the car much quieter and comfortable to drive.

More recently the front wheel bearings have BOTH failed. I've never replaced a single wheel bearing on the 97 Escort I had several years ago, and we sold that car with 150k miles. My first and second BMW"s went well past 170 k miles on original wheel bearings as well (I blame the large wheels and low profile stock tires).

Honestly, I'm not sold on this cars reliability. I've heard of common alternator failings as it's placed directly above the exhaust manifold (really Ford?!?!?) AND it's not easy to access either.....ugh, I tell ya, it's like re-inventing the wheel with some of these stupid design changes. Seriously considering selling this thing if these premature failings keep happening. Only thing that keeps it around is that it's paid off, and I hate being in debt
 
I don't have great news about your Focus, mine hasn't been terrible, but its needed new ball joints, and recently a new front caliper and rear cylinder. As the alternator, I'd try to make a point of not letting it idle for long periods of time. I stopped to talk to a neighbor one hot day with both kids sleeping in the car so I left it running with the AC and after 10 minutes or so I could smell a hot electrical smell. That was a couple years ago and no troubles with the alternator yet but I never sit in traffic and rarely idle the car for more than a couple minutes so my alternator is pretty cool most times.
Its still the best cheap wagon though. And I think in its price range as a 4 door, its probably atleast average in reliability.
 
How on earth do you already need new ball joints?!?! maybe you guys have worse roads than we do.

I agree, I also try to avoid sitting in traffic but on the commute coming home over the Lions Gate bridge I am forced to creep along for about 7-10 city blocks before going over the bridge. It's actually the primary (and only) reason why I bought an automatic.

My Focus currently has about 145km. I have reduced it's workload to commuting within the city and errands. Any longer trips outside of the city for more than an hour warrants a large car rental (roughly 20-30 for the day). Far cheaper than getting stranded on the side of the road, and saves wear and tear on the old gal. Also more comfortable and no worries
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: dareo
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Well, here it goes.

1997 Toyota Camry 2.2L - Owned for 8 months from 185k to 197k miles

Needed 0 repairs. Only oil changes.

2004 VW Beetle TDI w/DSG transmission - Owned for 16 months from 158k-176k (sat in garage for 4 months in the end) - I'll also post the previous repairs that my aunt had, she bought it new and had it meticulously maintained at the dealer. (A good dealer).

-Multiple seat belt sensors, caused airbag light to come on periodically
-Engine coolant temp sensor
-Glow plugs replaced under recall
-High pressure fuel pump replaced under recall (and leaked afterwards)
-Thermostat
~6 CV boots torn
~7 windshields
~6 headlight bulbs
-Windshield washer bottle broke at about 80k miles
-Was on it's 3rd alternator
-Starter replaced
-Lower control arm bushings and upper strut mounts replaced
-Large engine cooling fan died & replaced
-High pressure A/C hose broke off
-Ate a battery every 2 years religiously, last battery made it 8 months though.
-Was on it's 3rd dual mass flywheel (still chattered!)
-Transmission was failing, specifically the mechatronics unit. It CRUNCHED like crazy, and when I say crunch, I mean CRUNCH. It also slipped pretty bad when taking off from a light
-Motor mount replaced
-Camshaft was worn out
-Turbo actuator set check engine light, was able to be cleared. If it stayed on, entire turbo would have had to be replaced
-Airbag light came on, was also able to be cleared. If it stayed on, the leather on the passenger seat would have had to be removed to replace the sensor in the seat.
-Fuse box melted on top of battery
-Door panels completely broke apart. Had to glue and rivet them together ($1000 a piece new)
-Volume knob on stereo failing, left alone ($1,000 for a new one)
-Door speakers quit working. Cost me over $300 for new ones and I rivetted them in myself.
-Tie rods had some play in them, replaced myself with Moogs
-A/C compressor was very very loud in the end and needed replacement
-Blower motor was also very loud
-Seats didn't fold forward 50% of the time
-Sunroof was getting stuck so I quit using it
-I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of stuff. It also rattled like you wouldn't believe

2000 Toyota Camry 2.2L - Owned for 8 months (so far) from 194k to the current 210k.
-Maintenance history from the dealer shows it got valve stem seals and lower control arm bushings with a previous owner
-Air tube from air filter box to throttle body rotted from the heat.

That's it. You can see why I went back to Toyota...


7 Windshields? Why?!

6 CV Boots? How?! Even on my old 99.5 TDI it had perfectly good stock axles at 320k miles.

I'm not surprised that the DSG trans had problems, that is very expected on that era.

Batteries in hot states like AZ often die in 2 years, diesels draw more power and if you short trip them they will eat batteries. Can't blame VW there.

Camshaft = Very documented and known issue with BEW and BRM TDI (2004+ 2003 and lower are awesome)

It sounds like you got stuck with an unbelievable lemon and i hope some of that is exaggerated.

If a diesel "draws more power" than the maker should have installed a bigger alternator and battery as standard equipment. Otherwise they cheaped out.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
How on earth do you already need new ball joints?!?! maybe you guys have worse roads than we do.

I agree, I also try to avoid sitting in traffic but on the commute coming home over the Lions Gate bridge I am forced to creep along for about 7-10 city blocks before going over the bridge. It's actually the primary (and only) reason why I bought an automatic.

My Focus currently has about 145km. I have reduced it's workload to commuting within the city and errands. Any longer trips outside of the city for more than an hour warrants a large car rental (roughly 20-30 for the day). Far cheaper than getting stranded on the side of the road, and saves wear and tear on the old gal. Also more comfortable and no worries
smile.gif


The one backroad to my kids daycare always turns itself into a crater filled mess after some wet days, so I guess that may help the ball joints along... Oh and front swaybar links! But those are cheap and easy. Only a few months left of daycare though, so maybe these ball joints will last until the end.
 
With the diesels, batteries, and alternators its not that it needs a higher amperage alternator at all. The problem comes from glow plugs, heater grids, ect that draw down on the battery significantly and then the starter motor turns a higher compression engine. This takes its toll on a battery that needs to see a certain number of miles driven in order to fully recharge.

It is also common for people to replace the batteries with lower amp hour capacity batteries to save money and these do not last.
 
Only current vehicles.

Ford Escort 1.3 pushrod 195000, 1993 . Bought new by my parents.
3 cat back exhausts'
1 wishbone
1 starter overhaul
Retired month ago because of rust. Car was used in Alps.

FIAT Stilo 1.9 Mjtd MW, 2006, 160k km. Bought new.
0 repairs.

FIAT Punto Sporting, 1999, 235k km. Bought used with 90k.
1 clutch at 170k.
2 track end joints.
215k failed injector caused hole in the piston. Engine sold for beer money, and replaced with 1.4 16v unit.
229k, new radiator.

Citroen Berlingo, 2008, 1.6 hdi, bought new, 300k km.
Front wishbones' 2x
Track end joints
EGR
Maf
Rear trailing arms 2x
A/C compressor
Front left hub and bearing.
 
Last edited:
Most cars in the family were GM and Chrysler, no major problems.

Some of the parts listed in this thread that people have replaced I never knew broke...

The only cars we've ever had that had powertrain issues were Nissan Maxima and Acura TL. Both had 5 speed auto transmissions that failed pretty early in the vehicle's life.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top