My Keeper Car

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Aug 16, 2019
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To pass the time sometimes I look at used cars online, then I go to carcomplaints dot com and check on their complaint history and see all kinds of engine problems, transmission problems, electrical problems, and then I realize the car I have is probably much more reliable than anything I could replace it with.
In over 2 years my car has not had a single issue.

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My Camry is coming up on 7 years now. In that time I've replaced a squeaky blower motor and a seeping water pump. I might have been premature to replace the pump as the new pump seeps a little, too, and I read this is somewhat normal. Two years isn't a long time but lots of cars do show failures in that short amount of time.
 
I go to carcomplaints dot com and check on their complaint history and see all kinds of engine problems transmission problems, electrical problems, and then I realize the car I have is probably much more reliable than anything I could replace it with.
Any site that logs complaints is generally going to be one sided. Nobody posts about their car if it runs great and doesn't have an issue. People normally only post about problems. So the 100 people posting about an issue make it seem much worse than the 100,000 that don't post about not having a problem. Best to go to a mechanic based site that has data from people that actually work and repair that particular model.
 
Any site that logs complaints is generally going to be one sided. Nobody posts about their car if it runs great and doesn't have an issue. People normally only post about problems. So the 100 people posting about an issue make it seem much worse than the 100,000 that don't post about not having a problem. Best to go to a mechanic based site that has data from people that actually work and repair that particular model.
I agree that it's only a small % of cars that have problems, however, it's more of a gamble than I wish to take on a car.
 
I've been driving my '03 Civic EX for 19 years and definitely have an attachment to it now. In the last year or two it's finally starting to have some problems, but I'll gladly put money into it rather than have another car payment. Enjoy your baby!
 
I’m hoping my Camry hybrid works as well as our older Camry, if not better with this hybrid system. Almost did 10 years without issue, so if a hybrid can do it better, then I will be a happy camper.
 
Buy a car with a poor reliability record and you might get a reliable car. Some do.

Buy a car with a good reliability record and you are more likely to get a reliable car. Many do. It's all about playing the odds.

You could draw to an inside straight too, but "the odds don't ride with you".
 
I bought a new '81 Toyota Celica Liftback. The knob that adjusts the driver's seat lumbar support fell off in the first few days. That's everything that went wrong in the first 5 - 7 years. And it was easy to maintain.

It was regarded as a very reliable car and it was. The body eventually rusted around the wheel wells (stainless steel against carbon steel will do that). But my daughter sold it for an astonishingly good price when it was 13 1/2 years old, rust and all. She was leaving the country for a teaching job and didn't want to put it up on blocks for an unknown period.

The lower models didn't have that stainless steel trim and didn't rust there.
 
I've been driving my '03 Civic EX for 19 years and definitely have an attachment to it now. In the last year or two it's finally starting to have some problems, but I'll gladly put money into it rather than have another car payment. Enjoy your baby!
I had a Nissan Sentra I drove for over 10 years which is the longest I've ever owned a car, and after I traded it in for a newer used car, it took me quite a while to stop kicking myself for parting with it. It was a very reliable, solid car. But sometimes some of us get bored and want something different to drive.
 
Any site that logs complaints is generally going to be one sided. Nobody posts about their car if it runs great and doesn't have an issue. People normally only post about problems. So the 100 people posting about an issue make it seem much worse than the 100,000 that don't post about not having a problem. Best to go to a mechanic based site that has data from people that actually work and repair that particular model.
Many used cars around here have had 3 or 4 owners, and have a CARFAX report with few oil & filter changes on record, which IMHO is very risky to buy, no matter what carcomplaints or mechanics have to say about it. People swap cars quite a bit around here for some reason.
And prices of cars seems to have increased a lot lately due to many factors which is another reason to keep what I have.
I got my car for $6800 which was a very good deal, IMHO.
 
Is 20+ Years of ownership since new long enough to get an idea of a cars issues? Our 2002 Buick Rendezvous (180K miles) has had an alternator replaced and a thermostat go bad. That’s it other than tires, brakes and a new battery every 6 years or so. Oil changes done when the OLM says to do it. Still has the original muffler and catalytic converter too. It’s mostly pot luck from what I see. Still own the Buick.

Two Camrys bought new in my family and both needed new transmissions before they were out of warranty. It was covered but another 10k miles and it wouldn’t have been. After the new transmissions they were great cars. So would you rate the Camry‘s as having been trouble free Just because it was warranty work?
 
Toyota builds ridiculously reliable cars. Not the most exciting, but what's exciting for some is totally different for others.

My Camry has 245k on it, but doesn't see the major miles anymore. The only issue I've had the last 6-1/2 years is the rubber intake hose turned to plastic and broke (5 minute repair) and the plastic fuel pump housing cracked at the top, replaced with a junkyard part. Other than that it's just been some suspension bushings, struts, brakes, and a timing belt. What more could I ask for?
 
My current keeper car is 2010 Volvo XC70, currently at 268k miles. Here she is when I bought it. Took a bit of a gamble on a high mileage (252k at the time) P3 platform Volvo, but so far no regrets. 3.2L Inline-six (transversely mounted) doesn't consume any oil in 5K OCI. 6-speed Aisin Transmission shifts smooth. AWD spins all 4 without issues.
Currently I only see 3 scenarios where I would be getting rid of it.
1) Mechanically totaled. As in sudden repairs in the ~$3000 range or higher.
2) Collision totaled. That one would be hard to do though... Saw some photos and videos of this exact model in car accidents, and usually the other car is totaled, while Volvo just walks away with a scratch/dent. Truly a tank when it comes to collision safety. Proof is in the pudding.
3) Or if I find a good deal on Prius C. Wanted one of these ever since my friend had one. On one of long trips he managed to keep it at steady 72 MPG without slowing down traffic... Quite impressive for a basically Yaris Hybrid.

P.S. Off the pavement this Volvo keeps up with Jeeps and 4Runners, as long as rock-crawling or 4LO aren't involved. It doesn't have very good departure angles or 4LO. But in low traction conditions (mud/sand/snow) this thing is a tank, despite lower clearance than previously listed vehicles. Thank you Haldex AWD. Love the deer-in-the-headlights look of Jeep boys when a Volvo rolls by on what they considered a "tough" 4WD-only trail. I may have a thing for underdogs, and "wrong" tools for the job.
 
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Toyota builds ridiculously reliable cars.
TrueDelta.com has real world, long term reliability information. They used the data to prove which cars, and which manufacturers, were (in general) the most reliable.

Answer: Toyota
Best car: Camry

While the conclusion information is no longer on their webpage, the data is still there. One can look at the costs involved in the repairs too. Toyota tends not to have expensive major engine or transmission failures. VW on the other hand, had some very expensive years. They are doing better now.
 
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