New Import reliability really seems to be going down the tubes

Dasfinc

Ready for the EVlution
Sep 28, 2007
20,919
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Wheaton, IL
There has been a huge wave of "Car reviews from owners" on VWVortex lately, mostely 2007-2009 models. (GTI, Civic SI, Camry, Accord, etc) and they all seem to think their cars have been 'problem free for the most part'

The most recent one that REALLY annoyed the hell out of me is for a 2008 accord...

Guy goes on and on about how unreliable his past 2005 VW Passat was and bought the most reliable thing he could think of, a 2008 4 cylinder accord. He ends his review with this: "And other than a dead battery at 27k and a faulty gas lid release lever at 31k and the aforementioned brakes (replaced the rear brake pads TWICE), no issues whatsoever." He traded it in at 36K miles...

I bought a 2007 ford focus SE Sedan for $15,500 back in Dec of 2006 brand new. and I can't help but laugh because you know what went wrong with my car?

NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I put 54,000 miles on it within 2 and a half years before trading it in, and fed it gas, changed the oil, and replaced the tires at 36K.... That's it.....

I don't understand why this isn't the expectation out of brand new imports? Or how a person can accept a dead battery, a bad gas lid release lever, and 2 sets of brake pads before 36K as being "Reliable" on a 25K+ Import....

*Rant Off*

For all the people that work at shops/dealers, what cars are you surprised to see in super often, or not often at all?
 

Intel

TCG Elite Member
Oct 28, 2009
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Palatine
Meh, they aren't as reliable as they have had to cheapen up a the parts a bit to stay solvent and making money. The most reliable cars from the japanese were from about late 80's until about 1998-1999 and then most of them ran into financial issues and restructured their supply chains and methods of design to keep parts from being over designed and more expensive than they could be.

The biggest problem Ford and GM had in this time is they had a lot more teething issues with iron blocks and aluminum heads, paint that wouldn't stick, and I felt a lot of interior electronics in comparison. I mean beyond the venerable 3800 and the LT1/LS1 there were a lot of dogs for motors in the GM area in the early 90's. Once somebody gets bit in the butt by that it is hard to change their mind. Ford is finally doing this I feel, with GM getting there.

VW's had their bad years plain and simple.

Had alternators on our old Nissans last 150-160k miles before death, radiators that lasted 160k, etc etc. Only real issues were window regulators (new regulator fixed the issue with a bad plastic clip design) and injectors that weren't designed to be used with ethanol.

You just won't see that out of the newer japanese cars plain and simple. I mean the stock turbos on my 300zx are still turning at 140k with just a bit of smoke.

It still doesn't change the fact that I like the interiors better but that is a different debate.
 
I didn't have to replace my battery under warranty, nor the rear brake pads twice, not the gas release cable... so I'm not sure how that would make it 'just as reliable' as my focus that required nothing?

The battery and brake pads probably shouldn't have happened but it really isn't that terrible. The gas release thing is a common Honda problem. My buddies 04 Civic did the same thing. I totally agree and understand what you are saying but I'm sure there were people that bought the same exact Focus as you too that had problems. It's just a luck of the draw thing really and how you treat it.
 

muskie

TCG Elite Member
May 26, 2011
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Palatine
I had a Hyundai for 6 years, 2005 Elantra, and when anyone asks I reccomend them. In my eyes it had zero problems.

I mean looking back I had a bad mirror swich, a vacuum leak, battery, starter, and it ate through rear pads and headlights but most of that stuff is designed to be replaced.

My friend has a 2005 Cobalt SS and the thing has had more work done to it and has a 1/4 the miles as my car did. Things like calipers freezing, exhaust leaks, power steering went, the interior is scratched to hell cause of the waulity. These to me seem like issues.

All cars have their problems, electronics go bad, things rattle and get loose. Driving style, conditions, and mileage have a huge factor too.
 

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
61
My Fusion has been very reliable. I took it is for a slight "shake" at 40 mph, not terribly concerning, but figure it was in for an oil change might as well have them check it out. They cut the rotors, which kind of pissed me off, didn't solve the problem either. Otherwise I have had to do NOTHING except put gas in it, and change the oil. Actually aside from putting in wiper fluid twice, I wouldn't have had to open the hood.
 

machausta

Slow VW driver
Sep 18, 2009
1,020
2
Eastern Tennessee
I had a Hyundai for 6 years, 2005 Elantra, and when anyone asks I reccomend them. In my eyes it had zero problems.

I mean looking back I had a bad mirror swich, a vacuum leak, battery, starter, and it ate through rear pads and headlights but most of that stuff is designed to be replaced.

My friend has a 2005 Cobalt SS and the thing has had more work done to it and has a 1/4 the miles as my car did. Things like calipers freezing, exhaust leaks, power steering went, the interior is scratched to hell cause of the waulity. These to me seem like issues.

All cars have their problems, electronics go bad, things rattle and get loose. Driving style, conditions, and mileage have a huge factor too.

My 1999 Hyundai Tiburon had a bad habit of eating engines....

1st one at 33k, 2nd at 90k, 3rd (and final before it being towed away) at 122k.

Needless to say, I don't recommend them to anyone, ever.

Stupid 2.0L Beta engines.
 

machausta

Slow VW driver
Sep 18, 2009
1,020
2
Eastern Tennessee
I will admit that Ford's go through ball-joints and tie-rod ends like no ones business. Of the 4 Ford's I've owned, I replaced ball-joints and tie-rod ends on all of them except my current car.

I had to replace ball joints and sway bar endlinks, as well as strut rod bushings on all my MN-12 Thunderbirds (yes, all 3 I've owned). Being that the youngest any of these cars had to have these parts replaced was at 13 years old, I'm not too sure it was a major issue.
 

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
61
I had to replace ball joints and sway bar endlinks, as well as strut rod bushings on all my MN-12 Thunderbirds (yes, all 3 I've owned). Being that the youngest any of these cars had to have these parts replaced was at 13 years old, I'm not too sure it was a major issue.

I did my MN-12 when the car was 8 years old, my Panther at 5 years, and my Contour at 9 years.
 

Dasfinc

Ready for the EVlution
Sep 28, 2007
20,919
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Wheaton, IL
I had a Hyundai for 6 years, 2005 Elantra, and when anyone asks I reccomend them. In my eyes it had zero problems.

I mean looking back I had a bad mirror swich, a vacuum leak, battery, starter, and it ate through rear pads and headlights but most of that stuff is designed to be replaced.

But we are talking about a 2 year old car having as many problems as you had basically over the course of 6 years as being 'normal' or acceptable.

My friend has a 2005 Cobalt SS and the thing has had more work done to it and has a 1/4 the miles as my car did. Things like calipers freezing, exhaust leaks, power steering went, the interior is scratched to hell cause of the waulity. These to me seem like issues.

All cars have their problems, electronics go bad, things rattle and get loose. Driving style, conditions, and mileage have a huge factor too.

my 07 Cobalt SS had both rear calipers freeze, power steering issue, and a slew of other problems... owned it for 3 months :bowrofl:
 

Turk

Lt. Ron "Slider" Kerner
TCG Premium
Jan 21, 2008
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Perception is reality. I go into a dealer and sit in an American car, and I laugh at how cheap it feels inside. The parts may last longer, and be more reliable, but there's no doubt you feel cheaper inside an American car.
 

machausta

Slow VW driver
Sep 18, 2009
1,020
2
Eastern Tennessee
Turk I've sat in a Fusion and an Accord recently, and to be honest they both felt about the same inside -- each had their own annoyances and points that I like. IMO the new Taurus feels cheaper than its midsize cousin.

I'm not sure if you mean compared to the Japanese imports or BMW cars, as I didn't care for the plastic-ish feel of the new Mini and the only other BMW products I have any familiarity with are in the 3-series.
 

jason05gt

TCG Elite Member
Jan 17, 2007
15,307
7,195
Naperville
Perception is reality. I go into a dealer and sit in an American car, and I laugh at how cheap it feels inside. The parts may last longer, and be more reliable, but there's no doubt you feel cheaper inside an American car.

That used to be true. The new domestic products have improved a ton over the last 3 years. You are also comparing Apples to Oranges though. You are used to a luxury car interior. Your M3 looks cheap inside next to a A8.
 

Oreif

Crazy Little Child
Oct 17, 2008
1,168
2
Schaumburg
In 2002 we bought a BMW 325xi and a 2002 Pontiac Montana.
The BMW had poorer reliability than the Montana.
In 2008 we got rid of the BMW with 76K miles on it as something always broke every 3 months. Minimum cost to repair always seemed to be +$1000
We still have the Montana at 120K miles and no issues.

The BMW was a nice car in terms of handling, ride, construction, interior, etc. But having something go wrong every 3 months sucked. Many problems started to happen once it had about 60K miles on it. Some of the initial problems were covered under the extended warranty. That ended in January of 08 and by August 08 we had spent over $4500 in repairs. Needless to say we traded it in for a Pontiac Torrent.

In 7 years of owning the BMW which had the 6y/75K warranty we spent $4500 in repairs.
In 9 years of owning the Pontiac Montana we have spent $495 in repairs.
BMW's are very nice cars but I would trade it in before the warranty expires.

(costs are repairs not regular maintenance)
 

Turbocharged400sbc

3800 & 4T80E > ALL
TCG Premium
Jun 16, 2007
32,542
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hangover park IL
Perception is reality. I go into a dealer and sit in an American car, and I laugh at how cheap it feels inside. The parts may last longer, and be more reliable, but there's no doubt you feel cheaper inside an American car.

lol

yall dont seem to realise that car issues/etc can come down to more than make/model....

its better to buy a car that wasnt built on a monday where all the workers are hungover, or on a friday where they wanna get hungover :bowrofl:

not all of us can be like panda where the motor,trans, and other sub assemblies managed to get built midweek
 

ls6velless454

Regular
Jan 19, 2010
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