Cars

[epic]

I was just wondering if anyone else thinks the same thing about this topic.

Couldn't the auto-industry make a car that last longer than a couple years without having all the problems they have?

I use to work as a mechanic and people would tell me, "I just spent $30k for this and it's already having problems 2 months after I bought it?"

With all the new technology they have, don't you think they could atleast give you something worth your money or atleast drop the prices down?

I wouldn't mind spending $30k on a car as long as it was worth it. But I think it's a conspiracy

Mechanics and car dealerships work as one to gain more money, the dealer ships sell you the car for couple more $k then what it should go for, then it breaks down or something breaks and you have to get a new one to replace it or fix it, which is most likely over 200$.

I don't know, just my opinion.. anyway else feel the same?

 

[1X83Z]

Yeah, really. That's a fair point. Though to be perfectly honest, a friend of mine has had a 1998 Toyota Camry since February 1998, and he has not had a single unscheduled trip to the dealer with it. I suppose truly reliable cars are out there. Of course, for those of you who've been in a Camry, the next question is 'at what price?' They're dull. But so are their owners. If you want somethinge exciting, perhaps you're willing to get things fixed every once in a while, too.

 

[vat_man]

If you check reliability and quality surveys, you'll find Japanes manufacturers have far and away the best records in this regard.

Fair comment on the Camry, Doug - when we bought the Super Sube, the other half wanted to look at the Accord. I said that if we were to look at the Accord, we had to look at the Camry - and that stopped the Accord option dead in its tracks. The Camry is actually a damned good car, well built, drives well - it's just as exciting as a beige cardigan.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man

Fair comment on the Camry, Doug - when we bought the Super Sube, the other half wanted to look at the Accord. I said that if we were to look at the Accord, we had to look at the Camry - and that stopped the Accord option dead in its tracks. The Camry is actually a damned good car, well built, drives well - it's just as exciting as a beige cardigan.

That's a basic problem, though -- both the Accord and Camry are plainly dull cars but also extremely reliable. It's almost hard to find a vehicle that isn't dull but is reliable. Only the Legacy 2.5GT and Altima 3.5SE come to mind right now.

 

[frestkd]

Originally posted by epic
I was just wondering if anyone else thinks the same thing about this topic.

Couldn't the auto-industry make a car that last longer than a couple years without having all the problems they have?

I use to work as a mechanic and people would tell me, "I just spent $30k for this and it's already having problems 2 months after I bought it?"

With all the new technology they have, don't you think they could atleast give you something worth your money or atleast drop the prices down?

I wouldn't mind spending $30k on a car as long as it was worth it. But I think it's a conspiracy

Mechanics and car dealerships work as one to gain more money, the dealer ships sell you the car for couple more $k then what it should go for, then it breaks down or something breaks and you have to get a new one to replace it or fix it, which is most likely over 200$.

I don't know, just my opinion.. anyway else feel the same?

I don't buy new cars...at least not yet about two years ago I bought a 1997 BMW 528i w/ 5 speed stick for $26k its starting have some rattles now but with over 90k Miles I don't complain.

Kristof

 

[epic]

Toyota without a doubt, their cars are prolly the most reliable. My Dad use to have an 89' Celica, and even though the outside looked like a rusty old plane that's been shot down in WWI, the car ran like it was just a few months old.

But that was then, I'm talking about the present, as car prices tend to get higher and higher for less car.

I also think that a '96 Impala is much more reliable and not as dull as an accord or camry.

Basically the only people that you really get what you pay for I would have to say is Caddy. Even though the cars are expensive, it's truely luxury. And for the most part, they seem to out last just about every other brand in reliability in that price range.

 

[Alec]

I agree, cars should be very long lasting and advanced instead of them screwing you once you have it for about a year and then you have to throw your money to just fix it and what's the point you ask.....to get yanked.

 

[DGB454]

I have a Dodge Pick up with 100k on it and not a single problem in all that driving. There are some out there.
I have had too many problems with the last Japanese car though but luckly the dealership was good about it and let me turn the car in when I threatened to turn it in under the lemon law. Got all my money back on it. . A good dealership is hard to find though.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by DGB454
I have a Dodge Pick up with 100k on it and not a single problem in all that driving. There are some out there.
I have had too many problems with the last Japanese car though but luckly the dealership was good about it and let me turn the car in when I threatened to turn it in under the lemon law. Got all my money back on it. . A good dealership is hard to find though.

What, praytell, was the offending car?

 

[DGB454]

Hyundai Accent.

 

[epic]

lmao@buying an accent.

sorry I had to

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by DGB454
Hyundai Accent.

That would be a Korean car.

 

[epic]

Japanese and koreans look the same

no pun intended lol

 

[frestkd]

Originally posted by DGB454
I have a Dodge Pick up with 100k on it and not a single problem in all that driving. There are some out there.
I have had too many problems with the last Japanese car though but luckly the dealership was good about it and let me turn the car in when I threatened to turn it in under the lemon law. Got all my money back on it. . A good dealership is hard to find though.

I have friends who have a BMWs that have over 750,000 miles on the original driveline. If the car owner does a little maintainence the car will last.

Kristof

 

[milefile]

What year was the Accent DGB? I bought an Elantra in September. Too soon to make a judgement. But I think it's an okay car.

I had a Jeep with 120,000 miles and had only minor problems: radiator hose and a belt. Other than that is was fine. And my current Jeep has 62,000 and the only problem is a bad wheel bearing that I have to get fixed someday. Squeak.

 

[Pupik]

I've seen both sides of the coin:

I owned an '88 Accord: A great first car (my parents owned it since new), not very sporting, but beset with all sorts of silly, unscheduled problems. The factory radio broke after 5 months.The driver's window motor had to be replaced 3 times in the 8 years of the car. Two other window motors needed replacement after 50k and 60k miles (that makes 5 new ones total!) The water pump broke after 35k miles. An alternator after 40k. The headlights burnt out on a yearly basis. I think the car was electrically-bedeviled, for some reason. Anything electrically-related was trouble for the car.

Yet, every other Accord owner I've met never had a problem with that car...even our CR-V has been of no trouble since July 2000.

On the other hand, when I bought a Neon, people told me woe after woe "Sell it!, sell it!" about their Dodge product. Yet, I only had two problems with the car: the clutch cable broke at 48k (replaced under warranty), and the a/c evaporator went bye-bye at around 75k. I replaced a tail-light bulb (by myself) once. That was it, except for the Taurus-to-the-front end problem I encountered last month! So it will be a halthy donor car...

 

[Giancarlo]

My family has owned a 2000 Dodge Durango since January 2000, and we drive it everyday. It's a great car, we've yet to have a major problem with it. We recently put some of that STP forumula that gives you better gas mileage, and it even made the car ride smoother!

 

[DGB454]

Sorry about the mix up between Japanese and Korean.
They all sound alike. Not the people but the cars from either. Anyway the point was if you get a dealership that buckles under threats then that's the dealership to go to...Unless of course you happen to find an honest dealership.(Not likely.)

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by DGB454
Sorry about the mix up between Japanese and Korean.
They all sound alike. Not the people but the cars from either. Anyway the point was if you get a dealership that buckles under threats then that's the dealership to go to...Unless of course you happen to find an honest dealership.(Not likely.)

How old was your Accent?

I have a 2002 Audi A4 that has been impeccable since I was given it by my company (I paid for part of it), which was only a few months ago.

I bought a 1999 Mercedes ML430 about seven months ago and I'm amazed at the total lack of dependability. Its starter went out, which forced us to call a tow truck to pick it up, which required most of a day off work. Then, while sitting on the dealer lot, a dealer employee bumped it while moving cars around and the entire front bumper fell off. The part was on back-order for a month. Fortunately, they did it for free, but the starter still cost more than some old used cars. A few weeks ago, we began to notice a problem with the rear window brake light -- sometimes it wouldn't come on. When we took it to the dealer to get the bulb(s) replaced, they said it wasn't a bulb problem, but instead a short in the rear liftgate which would need re-wiring for all the brakelights. $500. Uh, no. So now we're waiting for all of the rest of the brakelights to go out, which, said the dealer, is bound to happen before we sell it in May.

 

[CDailey]

Originally posted by M5Power
How old was your Accent?

I have a 2002 Audi A4 that has been impeccable since I was given it by my company (I paid for part of it), which was only a few months ago.

I bought a 1999 Mercedes ML430 about seven months ago and I'm amazed at the total lack of dependability. Its starter went out, which forced us to call a tow truck to pick it up, which required most of a day off work. Then, while sitting on the dealer lot, a dealer employee bumped it while moving cars around and the entire front bumper fell off. The part was on back-order for a month. Fortunately, they did it for free, but the starter still cost more than some old used cars. A few weeks ago, we began to notice a problem with the rear window brake light -- sometimes it wouldn't come on. When we took it to the dealer to get the bulb(s) replaced, they said it wasn't a bulb problem, but instead a short in the rear liftgate which would need re-wiring for all the brakelights. $500. Uh, no. So now we're waiting for all of the rest of the brakelights to go out, which, said the dealer, is bound to happen before we sell it in May.

That's the SUV right? No wonder i havn't seen many of those lately(actually, i havn't even seen one for the past 3-4 months or so)

 

[Acid X]

I did notice this about newer cars. They make them to break.

Back in the day when muscle cars/old cars ruled the land, cars barely had problems, and if they did, it wasnt any 2 months after you bought it.

Stupid cheap Japanese cars. All about the Muscle.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by jubula
That's the SUV right? No wonder i havn't seen many of those lately(actually, i havn't even seen one for the past 3-4 months or so)

Indeed - Mercedes's "cheaper" SUV. Evidently, not to maintain.

 

[DGB454]

Originally posted by M5Power
How old was your Accent?

I have a 2002 Audi A4 that has been impeccable since I was given it by my company (I paid for part of it), which was only a few months ago.

I bought a 1999 Mercedes ML430 about seven months ago and I'm amazed at the total lack of dependability. Its starter went out, which forced us to call a tow truck to pick it up, which required most of a day off work. Then, while sitting on the dealer lot, a dealer employee bumped it while moving cars around and the entire front bumper fell off. The part was on back-order for a month. Fortunately, they did it for free, but the starter still cost more than some old used cars. A few weeks ago, we began to notice a problem with the rear window brake light -- sometimes it wouldn't come on. When we took it to the dealer to get the bulb(s) replaced, they said it wasn't a bulb problem, but instead a short in the rear liftgate which would need re-wiring for all the brakelights. $500. Uh, no. So now we're waiting for all of the rest of the brakelights to go out, which, said the dealer, is bound to happen before we sell it in May.

It was brand new. We bought it because of the price. We needed a 3rd car for so we could keep some of the miles off the T/A. We returned it within a month after purchase. For now we are sticking with just the 2 vehicles plus the Chevelle.

 

[Wastegate]

I'm pretty amazed at how reliable modern cars are in general. They're quite amazing pieces of kit when you think of the speeds and forces involved and sheer thousands of parts that could go wrong, break or fall off. Cars have to work in temperatures from way below freezing, to pretty damned hot, the parts are subjected to constant vibration, the frame of the car they're bolted to twisting as the car goes over bumps and round corners. And nowadays the service intervals are huge.

Of course they could be made more reliable, though. To an extent is just a matter of quality control and over-engineering parts. Both are expensive, and over-engineering will tend to make the car heavier, slower and thirstier.

Exotic (interesting) cars are by their nature less reliable than ordinary ones because extra demands are made on the components. You want more bhp for the same size engine? Pay the price.

 

[DGB454]

Good point Wastegate. I remember the first few cars I owned. If you had more than 75,000 miles on them they were close to the end of their life. Now at 75,000 miles the car is just near middle age.