AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
Yeah I agree. It would run fine then shut it off 5 minutes later the needle is in the red on the temperature gauge.
The most reliable car I have ever owned was my.......
- Thread starter Car guy
- Start date
- Status
the beta 2 engines are not powerful by any means but if you change the timing belt they just keep ticking.
Best car was a 1992 Dodge Spirit. Bought it with 41k miles for $2500 in 2004 and had to give it up to Farmer's Insurance to get a totalled payout of $1000 in 2016 with 180k miles after a distracted woman with a Hyundai Elantra bounce off the right rear door, she failing to yield the right of way. The Hyundai had its front end smashed up and my door sustained minor damage. My Spirit was built like a vault.
I had a 2000 F150 Supercab with the V6 and the 5 speed, rubber floors, crank windows, manual door lock. It didn't even have cruise control. Cassette player radio. No tach despite the manual. There was a trick to make the speedometer show RPM that I used to use on long trips.
Super reliable mainly because, there was nothing really to break! After 4 or 5 years I got tired of the lack of creature comforts though, and commuting in traffic with the manual was tiring on my left foot, it was not like an Asian small car manual, the clutch was heavy.
The next car I got was a 04 Titan and it was way, way less reliable than that F150, but it did sound good when you revved it up, and it had a lot of power for that time. It also got about the same mileage on the highway as the F150 while having 105 more horsepower and way more interior room. Still, I kind of wish I would have held onto that F150 because it would have meant keeping a lot more money in my pocket with regards to the payments and down payment money and so forth. Oh well.
Super reliable mainly because, there was nothing really to break! After 4 or 5 years I got tired of the lack of creature comforts though, and commuting in traffic with the manual was tiring on my left foot, it was not like an Asian small car manual, the clutch was heavy.
The next car I got was a 04 Titan and it was way, way less reliable than that F150, but it did sound good when you revved it up, and it had a lot of power for that time. It also got about the same mileage on the highway as the F150 while having 105 more horsepower and way more interior room. Still, I kind of wish I would have held onto that F150 because it would have meant keeping a lot more money in my pocket with regards to the payments and down payment money and so forth. Oh well.
I have had some really good cars and trucks. But, the number one vehicle has been our 2008 Toyota Sienna. It has 352,379 miles on it. It has been outstanding! 20,000 mile oci's and it does not use any oil. It still gets 28-29 mpg and runs just great! I'm going to try and keep the van until I get 500,000 miles on it. It should be about another 7 or 8 years. We will see!
2001 Honda S2000 No problems and needed nothing beyond regular maintenance and consumables....nothing. Sold it when we bought the Lotus.....little bit of a difference
339k mi on my 99GS400.
Bought a foxbody in 00 w/72k mi & sold it in 15 with over 400k on it. Nearly everything was replaced/upgraded before it broke though. Smog pump froze leaving Disneyland, changed that in the AutoZone parking lot. Clutch cable snapped, still drove it home. I miss that rattle-trap
Bought a foxbody in 00 w/72k mi & sold it in 15 with over 400k on it. Nearly everything was replaced/upgraded before it broke though. Smog pump froze leaving Disneyland, changed that in the AutoZone parking lot. Clutch cable snapped, still drove it home. I miss that rattle-trap
No surprise:
1995 Honda Civic EX, 11 yrs/250,000 miles and the only "repairs" were muffler and radiator. Sold perfectly running.
Purchased slightly used for $11,500 in 1996 with 12k and sold for $3500.
1995 Honda Civic EX, 11 yrs/250,000 miles and the only "repairs" were muffler and radiator. Sold perfectly running.
Purchased slightly used for $11,500 in 1996 with 12k and sold for $3500.
1993 Plymouth Sundance Duster. There's no stopping those Mitsubishi engines if you stay on top of oil changes. Never a day in the shop in 4 years and 73,000 miles.
1 - My first pickup truck, 1977 Dodge D100. 250,000 kms, one u-joint was the only repair.
2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, 250,000 kms, replaced noisy alternator (front sealed bearing squeaking) was the only repair.
2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, 250,000 kms, replaced noisy alternator (front sealed bearing squeaking) was the only repair.
2002 ford mustang 6 cylinder, manual transmission. bought it new drove 9 years 123k miles. never broke down.
ex hertz 2004 toyota corolla le, 1.8 engine, 4sp a.t. bought in portland oregon in 2006 on return from s. korea for $10k at 24k miles. road tripped it 4 weeks seeing america on my way to toronto for next assignment. gave it to my sister in 2008. she sold it at 103k miles in 2015 to a coworker (sadly it was t-boned a year later). two sets of walmart g.y. viva tires. regularly serviced, starting with walmart supertech 10w30 oci at 3k miles. when my sister got it went to m1 10w30 oci at 12 mo and one new battery. best little car ever, though my ex hertz 2014 toyota yaris l may eventually claim this title.
You are giving me some great memories, Sir.
I had a 1988 22RE. It was traded in at 421k miles.
In the summer of 2004, I saw and then stalked a caravan of masked 2005 (first Generation 2) Tacomas, following them from Eastbay down to Fremont/NUMMI. I put 750k miles on my 2005 2TR FE date of purchase October 21, 2004.
Both these vehicles were very durable and trouble free. Luckily, you and I do not have to deal with rust. It is easy to imagine a B2200 or Ranger doing the same. Four cylinder, rear wheel drive truck FTW.
Last edited:
So far, I'm shocked to say our 2010 Nissan Altima. About 190k miles and all it's needed besides consumables has been an A/C compressor.
Son has it now, and I've had to tell him to get it out on the highway once a fortnight to make sure he doesn't make a milkshake with the oil by never getting it up to temp.
Son has it now, and I've had to tell him to get it out on the highway once a fortnight to make sure he doesn't make a milkshake with the oil by never getting it up to temp.
I really have not own an unreliable vehicle. Toyota, Honda, Volvo, Subaru, Chevy, VW never stranded, nothing. Not even a dead battery that caused an issue that perturbed me.
That said the worst driving vehicle with the 1988 Chevy Blazer S-10, and that only because the AT was terrible linked to the 4.3L V6. It more or less just randomly up and down shifted. I think it did this to let me know it was still attached. But again reliable.
I did have a fuel pump issue in my 1985 Toyota PU in around 2002, but a smack to the fuel tank would get her going again. Never stranded.
Speaking of battery issues, one recently in my wife's 2017 Honda CRV Touring - that thing had some weird mode that would drain the battery. Was flat one day...........luckily got wife going...........we've gone from hi-rel to device overkill
That said the worst driving vehicle with the 1988 Chevy Blazer S-10, and that only because the AT was terrible linked to the 4.3L V6. It more or less just randomly up and down shifted. I think it did this to let me know it was still attached. But again reliable.
I did have a fuel pump issue in my 1985 Toyota PU in around 2002, but a smack to the fuel tank would get her going again. Never stranded.
Speaking of battery issues, one recently in my wife's 2017 Honda CRV Touring - that thing had some weird mode that would drain the battery. Was flat one day...........luckily got wife going...........we've gone from hi-rel to device overkill
That is a known issue caused by the EPB module. There is a software update available to resolve this issue.
In fact, there is a boatload of software needed for the 17 models to resolve several known issues.
Yes. This. It was weird though........Honda was a bit crappy as in "There is nothing wrong" mode. All seems well now.
- Status
