Good cars & reliability
10 March 2006, 03:17 PM
#1
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Good cars & reliability
A lot of people go on about bad reliability. Things have changed over the years and what goes wrong with cars have changed. Engines/gearboxes rarely 'go' these days, it's more niggly electrical related things etc.
However, with any car, unreliability is only a problem if you get a bad one. Manufacturer don't make all their cars unreliable, they just have the odd bad one. The chances of getting a bad one is higher with some manufacturers than others granted. However, looking at all the owner satisfaction surveys, it would appear that they all get over 80% in all the satisfaction surveys so looks like it's only the odd car here and there that goes wrong (from new/almost new at least).
This then raises the point about expectations. Jap cars are now expected to be reliable whereas, say, french/italians ones aren't. We then get to full circle where cars don't meet their high expectations and they then get a (sometimes undeserved) reputation as being unreliable.
For example, take 2 cars (A & B), A has a reputation for reliability and B has a bad one. A breakes down one this year and B breaks down twice.
Car B is more unreliable, however 2 breakdowns was less than the owner was expecting thus they are happy with their ownership experience etc. Owner of car A, although having the more reliable car, is less than happy as he expected the car to no break down at all. And so on.
The other 'flaw' with all these surveys, warranty company stats etc. is that they look at relatively new cars. What about the reliability of cars 5yrs old +? Which ones are good? Which are bad? How would you find out in a consistent manner?
Cars are only bad if you get a bad one.
However, with any car, unreliability is only a problem if you get a bad one. Manufacturer don't make all their cars unreliable, they just have the odd bad one. The chances of getting a bad one is higher with some manufacturers than others granted. However, looking at all the owner satisfaction surveys, it would appear that they all get over 80% in all the satisfaction surveys so looks like it's only the odd car here and there that goes wrong (from new/almost new at least).
This then raises the point about expectations. Jap cars are now expected to be reliable whereas, say, french/italians ones aren't. We then get to full circle where cars don't meet their high expectations and they then get a (sometimes undeserved) reputation as being unreliable.
For example, take 2 cars (A & B), A has a reputation for reliability and B has a bad one. A breakes down one this year and B breaks down twice.
Car B is more unreliable, however 2 breakdowns was less than the owner was expecting thus they are happy with their ownership experience etc. Owner of car A, although having the more reliable car, is less than happy as he expected the car to no break down at all. And so on.
The other 'flaw' with all these surveys, warranty company stats etc. is that they look at relatively new cars. What about the reliability of cars 5yrs old +? Which ones are good? Which are bad? How would you find out in a consistent manner?
Cars are only bad if you get a bad one.
10 March 2006, 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Dracoro
A lot of people go on about bad reliability. Things have changed over the years and what goes wrong with cars have changed. Engines/gearboxes rarely 'go' these days, it's more niggly electrical related things etc.
However, with any car, unreliability is only a problem if you get a bad one. Manufacturer don't make all their cars unreliable, they just have the odd bad one. The chances of getting a bad one is higher with some manufacturers than others granted. However, looking at all the owner satisfaction surveys, it would appear that they all get over 80% in all the satisfaction surveys so looks like it's only the odd car here and there that goes wrong (from new/almost new at least).
This then raises the point about expectations. Jap cars are now expected to be reliable whereas, say, french/italians ones aren't. We then get to full circle where cars don't meet their high expectations and they then get a (sometimes undeserved) reputation as being unreliable.
For example, take 2 cars (A & B), A has a reputation for reliability and B has a bad one. A breakes down one this year and B breaks down twice.
Car B is more unreliable, however 2 breakdowns was less than the owner was expecting thus they are happy with their ownership experience etc. Owner of car A, although having the more reliable car, is less than happy as he expected the car to no break down at all. And so on.
The other 'flaw' with all these surveys, warranty company stats etc. is that they look at relatively new cars. What about the reliability of cars 5yrs old +? Which ones are good? Which are bad? How would you find out in a consistent manner?
Cars are only bad if you get a bad one.
However, with any car, unreliability is only a problem if you get a bad one. Manufacturer don't make all their cars unreliable, they just have the odd bad one. The chances of getting a bad one is higher with some manufacturers than others granted. However, looking at all the owner satisfaction surveys, it would appear that they all get over 80% in all the satisfaction surveys so looks like it's only the odd car here and there that goes wrong (from new/almost new at least).
This then raises the point about expectations. Jap cars are now expected to be reliable whereas, say, french/italians ones aren't. We then get to full circle where cars don't meet their high expectations and they then get a (sometimes undeserved) reputation as being unreliable.
For example, take 2 cars (A & B), A has a reputation for reliability and B has a bad one. A breakes down one this year and B breaks down twice.
Car B is more unreliable, however 2 breakdowns was less than the owner was expecting thus they are happy with their ownership experience etc. Owner of car A, although having the more reliable car, is less than happy as he expected the car to no break down at all. And so on.
The other 'flaw' with all these surveys, warranty company stats etc. is that they look at relatively new cars. What about the reliability of cars 5yrs old +? Which ones are good? Which are bad? How would you find out in a consistent manner?
Cars are only bad if you get a bad one.
Slightly flawed on the warranty stuff,
All oem manufacturesrs offer a 3 yr warranty (hyundia now do 5)
what you have to understand is that the oem,s offer no warranty really.
Yes they warrant that the car will be defect free for 3 yrs, but in essance its the sub suppliers who give the warranty.
It works like this...
xx oem make they bodyshell, they warrant that to be rust free for xx years. they also warrant that all the other parts of the car will also be defect free. And they will replace the parts FOC, however any parts replaced go back to the supplier, who may pick up the bill if the cliam is upheld. if it isnt then the oem foots the bill.
The oem makes the supplier buy into its warranty programme, and there are some finaincial implications too. (wont bore you).
what happens then is, if there are any issues with warranty,the supplier must make sure they are resolved if any carry over parts are used before the the go ahead to produce the next model in that range is launched, so that the reliability gets better.
Note that the oem, is not actually doing anything, there just passing the problem on. Although if the warranty issue is proven to be oem, then they with the supplier work together to resolve it.
one other factor to think about. a car is a sum total of millions of components all sourced for the cheapest price
Mart
10 March 2006, 07:50 PM
#4
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The surest way to make a reliable car, unreliable, and a liability, is to start messing about with it ...........
Modified cars are bad news when it comes to reliability ....
Pete
Modified cars are bad news when it comes to reliability ....
Pete
10 March 2006, 10:19 PM
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TBH my scooby has been the most reliable car i have ever owned, even tho i blew the engine up 
but i have blown up the engines in every other car i have owned so its no real biggie
apart from the blown up thing (its got 100k on it anyway and it did happen just after a fecken oil change) its been far better then all my previous chariots
but i have blown up the engines in every other car i have owned so its no real biggie
apart from the blown up thing (its got 100k on it anyway and it did happen just after a fecken oil change) its been far better then all my previous chariots
11 March 2006, 12:16 AM
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Had an STi V with ZERO faults in 5 years - very impressed. The engine on my dad's Audi A6 was shot at 60k. Just sold a Honda Civic with 160,000 on it and zero faults or issues in 10yrs. Saabs seemed troublesome and I always had a big list to go with my TVR at every visit to the dealer !
Luck of the draw it may be, but Japanese may seem best [not that I have one].
D
Luck of the draw it may be, but Japanese may seem best [not that I have one].
D
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11 March 2006, 01:02 PM
#8
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Originally Posted by pslewis
The surest way to make a reliable car, unreliable, and a liability, is to start messing about with it ...........
Modified cars are bad news when it comes to reliability ....
Pete
Modified cars are bad news when it comes to reliability ....
Pete
11 March 2006, 02:56 PM
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MY classic was the best car I ever had in terms of reliability. In three years with a decat and scooby ecu The only thing apart from servicing and brake pads to go was the interior light bulb. Newer BM's are shocking if you own them for any length of time the sat nav computer tv stereo thingy always breaks and it always costs loads to fix and yet BM's have a reputaion for being reliable.
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