Originally Posted By: alanu
The way things go these days alot of people rent a car by leasing it for 4 to 5 yrs. The thing is someone after the lease term will end up with an unreliable chev, ford, Chrysler (stats dont lie nor do shops database)with no warranty to bail them out.
I know I sound like I dislike domestics but that is not true. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have a job. Regardless of statistics of # sold in North America time and time again I see heatercores, headgaskets, fuel pumps and transmisssion problems in very high percentages compared to japanese imports.
Heater cores rarely ever let go in imports. I've seen some late 80 to early 90's mazda's have problems but othewise its almost a rare occurence.
Any honest auto tech or service manager would say the exact same thing in the percentages of domestic vs imports in the maintenance category. Domestics always wins when it comes to trips to the auto repair shop. FACT.
What is the difference in maintenance histories? I think maintenance plays a larger role than design these days. The way domestics are advertised and sold, they are treated like throw away cars. People buy them, run them into the ground, then they are passed around like the village bicycle for years after that. You can only expect so much out of a vehicle that sees use like that. On the other hand, I have seen import dealers that offer maintenance plans, heavily advertise their service department, and since they cost more people have more of an interest in maintaining them.
My Explorer was always maintained. 154K miles/12 years with the original transmission, engine, transfer case, axles, radiator, heater core, head gaskets, power features, etc... The only parts I had to replace were either normal for the miles and age (pinion seal, t-stat), or due to 12 years of heavy salt exposure (parking brake cable). None of the repairs have been expensive. The truck has never been down for more than a morning. I spent $950 on this truck. A $950 4Runner would not be running, let alone able to pass a safety inspection, drive me 40 miles round trip to work, take me on trips that are hundreds of miles long, etc. Are there Explorers with problems? Sure, because Sally Soccer Mom has no idea that her vehicle even has transmission fluid. Maybe she is vaguely aware that it has motor oil, but what the [censored], it can wait 30K to be changed.
I even see differences with the same person. My dad has a 2002 Ranger and 2004 Civic Hybrid. With the Ranger, anything the dealer suggests is a scam, and if he didn't do something with his old Ranger he won't do it to this one. You would not believe how hard it was to try to convince him to change the ATF at 30K. He bought this beautiful truck brand new, and yet he puts up a fight about paying $100 to have the transmission fluid changed at 30K. Diff fluid? Forget it. Brake fluid? Never. Air filter? When the whole thing is black. Engine oil? Never less than 5,000 miles. The old Ranger didn't need those things, so this one sure as [censored] won't get any special treatment. With the Civic it is a world of difference. Only Honda products are ever used on it. When it goes to the dealer, anything they suggest gets done. Oil changes end up being $80 services EVERY TIME. Now here is the kicker...which vehicle has been the better one? Hint...it has a blue oval on the grille. Yep, the Ranger that seems to have to earn every oil change has had fewer issues than the Civic. Neither one has been unreliable, but the Civic does make a number of unnerving noises lately...
