Based ONLY On YOUR Personal Experience, WHO Makes The Least Reliable Vehicles Today?

Based ONLY On YOUR Personal Experience, WHO Makes The Least Reliable Vehicles Today?
We see so many of these articles claiming 'WE make the MOST reliable cars' that claim to be based from outside firms research like JDPower (who buy the way receive HUGE sums of money when manufacturers use their claims/awards/logos) that I think we all assume this is the gospel truth.

But IS it?

What methodology do they use and is it fair across the vehicles they research?

Are there less obvious variables embedded in their research that skew the vote towards certain companies?

And on, and on, and on.

So rather than TRUSTING them, let's do some informal research.

Based ONLY on YOUR personal experience (either your vehicles or close friends who've had issues), who REALLY makes the most unreliable vehicles?

Please tell us not only the manufacturer but also the actual models that are rolling pieces of citrus fruit, what issues you've had and how they were resolved or not.

Spies...Discuss




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momentofsurrendermomentofsurrender - 2/18/2011 12:34:10 AM
+7 Boost
Audi. My Q7 has been appallingly unreliable.


LexusLexus - 2/18/2011 12:40:54 AM
+5 Boost
A 1992 Dodge


Tilps5Tilps5 - 2/18/2011 1:21:42 AM
+8 Boost
mercedes, audi.


enthusiastx11enthusiastx11 - 2/18/2011 10:34:45 AM
-2 Boost
which ones did/do you own?


sdcarguysdcarguy - 2/18/2011 1:29:00 AM
+2 Boost
My BMW has been built twice, once by them, the other by Del Mar Auto Repair.
My Mercedes (knock on wood) has been the most reliable vehicle I've had - its a 2002.
My Porsche 911 had to have a tail light bulb replaced.



NostradamusNostradamus - 2/18/2011 1:48:08 AM
+10 Boost
Land Rover


WorldofLuxuryWorldofLuxury - 2/18/2011 2:24:32 AM
+7 Boost
Personally, if I don't raise my expectations for certain brands, such as Lexus,... and if I only consider the vehicles I purchased new... they're all pretty much the same. Ultimately, I think my Lexus vehicles were more reliable than my Bimmers (I haven't owned many cars, btw).


BabyBaby - 2/18/2011 11:56:14 PM
0 Boost
ACTUALLY~
As far as Lexus goes the GS 350 is their problem child. But only because of recalls and cabin rattles. Lexus recognized that they didn't do so well with their build of six bangers.


TehShibbsTehShibbs - 2/19/2011 9:45:53 AM
-1 Boost
Don't forget the fuel pipe recall, and the fuel injector rail recall, and the valve springs, and the brake squeaks, and now the fuel pressure regulator recall....


TehShibbsTehShibbs - 2/19/2011 10:31:29 AM
-2 Boost
Oops, even I forgot one - the brake master cylinder recall, too.


528i528i - 2/18/2011 4:26:03 AM
+4 Boost
BMW and Mercedes Benz.



upwardsupwards - 2/18/2011 4:43:01 AM
+5 Boost
Mitsubishi


kpaxxkpaxx - 2/18/2011 8:45:55 AM
+1 Boost
Believe it or not my least reliable vehicle I have experienced was a Honda Accord. The transmission was rebuilt twice and replaced once and after that the engine needed a new head gasket, not to mention the numerous niggling problems the car also gave me. I was happy to see that car go. This is coming from someone who maintains their cars very well and does not drive abusively.


5spdE305spdE30 - 2/18/2011 12:18:18 PM
+1 Boost
My dad also had to rebuild the transmission on his 03 accord 2 times in under 100k miles. He drives like an old man and takes very good care of his cars.

That being said the 1992 civic si that I used to own was indestructible. I got hundreds of thousands of miles out of that car with very few problems.

My BMW E30 gives me a new problem every week, But It is over 20 years old.


LexSucksLexSucks - 2/18/2011 5:51:49 PM
-4 Boost
Honda/Acuras are known for weak transmissions. Nothing new there.


jlkoolcatjlkoolcat - 2/18/2011 9:02:35 AM
+11 Boost
It's got to be a GM. My lemon has so many issues. You almost want to donate the vehicle for parts research, DNA. Want to find history on who built this piece of crap. It was considered new when I purchased it. To me it should have never left home. Yet they get bonuses for making this piece of crap. Where's the logic. You can tell I have no loyalty no more for GM.


HoorayforpeepeeHoorayforpeepee - 2/18/2011 10:01:43 AM
+4 Boost
I've had an Isuzu trooper that was fantastic, 140K with only brakes, battery and wiper blades !!!

Neighbour has a '92 Camry V6 that has 300K, he lives by the Toyota book

My wife drives a new 2011 Toyota Highlander, it's her 3rd, no problems whatsoever.

Worst experience ever, VW Rabbit 2008 I got as a daily commuter, driving gently I'd get 20 MPG on a 5 Cyl 2.5, it was horrible, in the winter traction control would go into '' panic mode ''

The wheels would refuse to turn ... quite simply


RomanRoman - 2/18/2011 10:07:22 AM
-8 Boost
The recall king








toyota!


boogboog - 2/19/2011 1:36:43 PM
+2 Boost
First of all, Roman, you are full of crap (sh.., but trying to be nice). Toyotas have been and still are the highest quality vehicles made. There is no doubt that the honor here goes to:
Fix
Or
Repair
Daily

Followed very closely by GM products.


mre30mre30 - 2/18/2011 10:22:49 AM
+8 Boost
Audi A8 of a few yrs ago. Niggling stuff, but worst was when my large coffee in the cupholder spilled on the center console. MMI, start button, various controls all shorted out by the spill...very costly to fix..had to take the whole IP apart. Huge design flaw...placing all those electronics literally right next to the shallow cupholders.

All Audi's now seem to be designed this way..happen to anyone else?


momentofsurrendermomentofsurrender - 2/18/2011 11:51:02 PM
+2 Boost
Had minor spills on my Q7 but not catastrophic. Just some sticky buttons now.



I95SPEEDINGTICKETSI95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 2/20/2011 1:53:24 PM
0 Boost
So you equate a coffee spill on electronics to be an indication of unreliability ?

Maybe Cretins should not put 1 gallon cylinders full of hot liquids in a holder designed to hold 330cl cylinders.


clsboyclsboy - 2/18/2011 10:30:38 AM
+7 Boost
Depends on how you define "reliability".... But personally, the three Mercedes and one Audi I have had have been outrageously expensive to maintain...... The famous "check Engine light" comes on willy nilly!!... On the other hand... NO such issues with the 2 Lexus and 2 Acura's that I owned.... simple brakes, wiper blades & oil changes.... And yes.. I live in the North East and beat my vehicles up & down I95!!..


texigetexige - 2/18/2011 10:54:48 AM
0 Boost
My 08 Range Rover with 50,000 miles has been the most reliable of my cars. The Range Rover was transformed in 07 and most are relatively problem free. A Mercedes G was the least reliable and I had a few problems with a new Tundra. My BMWs have all been pretty good except for a Mini S which rattles like crazy.


imbrettscottimbrettscott - 2/18/2011 12:31:31 PM
+3 Boost
cars ive owned:
1. 1987 subaru gl wagon 220000miles replaced the clutch
2. (ashamed) 91 geo storm 156000miles cv joints needed when purchased
3. 1994 mercury tracer 146000miles 0 issues
4. 1986 subaru gl-10 wagon 306000miles ZERO issues (favorite car)
5. 2001 VW GTI 45000miles Brake switch went out 2x seizing the car in its tracks, leaky rear passenger window filled gas with 1.5 inches of water while car was parked for 2 months due to 2nd brake lockup, power windows stopped working, center armrest fell apart, reverse lights failed and needed to be rewired, full transmission rebuild
6. 2003 ford focus 88000miles faulty fuse that left my wife stranded on a busy road, in the street. $4.50
7. 2008 hyundai accent 2miles 0 issues still own
8. 2010 kia soul 230miles 0 issues still own


vw sucks


800over800over - 2/18/2011 3:55:16 PM
+2 Boost
VW non diesel jetta & several GM products.


mggraymggray - 2/23/2011 11:14:31 PM
+1 Boost
Everytime I have a problem with my Mazda my Subaru-owning friends always tell me I should have bought a Subaru instead. I've heard nothing but praises for Subaru.



speed123speed123 - 2/18/2011 1:04:10 PM
+2 Boost
BMW


85bmw745i85bmw745i - 2/18/2011 1:05:37 PM
+10 Boost
GM


theman440theman440 - 2/18/2011 1:25:28 PM
+10 Boost
No doubt - GM


holmstarholmstar - 2/18/2011 1:46:45 PM
+1 Boost
'87 Dodge Omni. Stranded me on the highway once due to a bad distributor rotor (the arm came loose from the shaft). It also was a pain to get running in cold weather. It would start fine rev up and suddenly kill. We determined that it was completely closing off the throttle... wtf? You would have to start it half a dozen times before it would stay running. Gas mileage was good though, had a hard time getting much less than 40mpg.

Other cars: '89 Ford Escort, '01 Chevy Malibu, '04 Mazda 3, '05 Mazda 6, '06 Mazdaspeed 6.


mggraymggray - 2/23/2011 11:10:19 PM
+2 Boost
I had an '88 Plymouth Horizon that was nothing but trouble. It was my first car and I inherited it from my grandmother.

And, I currently have an '03 Mazda Protege5 that's been even worse. If it can fail on my car it HAS. Have you not had many problems with all of those Mazdas?


NeverfollowNeverfollow - 2/18/2011 2:07:25 PM
-3 Boost
Land Rover..........and to all you Audi haters our there.......I've owned 4 of them and still do today. I've put them through everything, even beat on them a little. I've kept them long term also (100k mi) and have never had any major issues with any of them. Towing companies are kept in business however by LR, BMW, and MB. Just ask any flatbed driver on the road and they all say the same.


CaraficionadoCaraficionado - 2/18/2011 2:26:30 PM
+9 Boost
Neverfollow, you are right about Land Rover.


85bmw745i85bmw745i - 2/24/2011 11:46:34 PM
+1 Boost
I must be lucky, MY 02 Discovery II has been very reliable. Bought it with 60k on it and now has 105k and no issues other than the passenger side door lock actuator is going out but I do off road it and it has never let me down, in fact it has saved the day on many occasions. The worst cars I would have to say are GM and Chrysler


LACMANLACMAN - 2/18/2011 2:27:47 PM
0 Boost
Many are not commenting on the topic according to how its stated and instead are commenting on what they read...

Start your statement off like this and it might go differently: Based ONLY on MY personal experience, MY least reliable vehicle was my 88 (ugh, yes short body) Cadillac Sedan Deville. I dont know what it was but the family mechanic got rich off of us with this car. No matter what it went into the shop for, it always ended up overheating and needed motor mounts a year later.

Im only 28, but these are the vehicles I have personally owned in order:
1985 Oldsmobile Regency Ninety-Eight (RIP)
1988 Cadillac Sedan Deville (sold)
1992 Mazda 626 (sold)
1995 Ford Windstar (RIP)
1991 Cadillac Sedan Deville (no comment) :(

(current) 2005 Chrysler 300C / 1988 Chevrolet Caprice Classic


LACMANLACMAN - 2/18/2011 2:30:04 PM
0 Boost
I meant to add that you cant put your finger on who makes the least reliable vehicle today as a whole just because you owned ONE that wasnt...


AlleVierAlleVier - 2/18/2011 2:28:12 PM
+1 Boost
I wouldn't be foolish enough to use my own experience as an indicator of who makes the least reliable vehicles today.


LACMANLACMAN - 2/18/2011 2:31:27 PM
0 Boost
*high fives "AlleVier"*

Exactly what I was just trying to say!


AlleVierAlleVier - 2/18/2011 2:53:53 PM
-3 Boost
I felt kinda counterproductive even saying that as the mere act of posting a response to one of AutoSpies' flamebait articles validates their strategy.


LexSucksLexSucks - 2/18/2011 6:00:49 PM
+4 Boost
But what about other folks' experiences? Audi seems to be in the lead right now. Not a good look imo.


ChipChip - 2/18/2011 3:15:18 PM
+6 Boost
Audi. (2004 Audi S4, 2006 Audi A8)

My experience was so bad with both cars, I will NEVER return.


AussiedriverAussiedriver - 2/18/2011 4:50:15 PM
+2 Boost
2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo - VERY disappointing for this marque.
Bought new - fully spec'ed, in Sydney Australia - scratches on paintwork, roof racks fell apart, homelink remote door opener doesnt work, car broke down = just stoppedmid corner - no one knows why - oil level indicator keeps failing (no dipstick!!), car spent weeks in repair,(there right now) - only five months old. Most unreliable car I ever bought. Also have a Panamera Turbo - great car = go figure


LexSucksLexSucks - 2/18/2011 5:50:45 PM
+5 Boost
Audi. 1998 A4 1.8t Horrible. Keeping that car past warranty would have cost a fortune.


stonestone - 2/18/2011 6:25:17 PM
+1 Boost
I can't logically equate my ownership experience to the reliability of any particular brand. But out of all the vehicles i've owned in my 25yrs of driving, my 2004 BMW 745 Li leased with 115 miles on the odo spent more time in service than any other vehicle i've owned. At the other extreme, my 1998 Nissan Maxima SE also bought brand new racked up over 275K miles and never once saw Nissan service. These are my experiences only...


MBKingMBKing - 2/18/2011 6:28:16 PM
+2 Boost
My 02 C32 was horrific! I had to just stop driving it lol, parked it in the driveway and said enough is enough. It's my fault for buying a car that AMG just decided to stick a Supercharger on a standard mercedes 3.2 liter V6 and call it an AMG. I mean the thing was a walking disaster, from fuel pump to the seats not working correctly, to the supercharger dying, and hilarious idling issues. From now on - NATURALLY ASPIRATED!


CarCrazedinCaliCarCrazedinCali - 2/18/2011 6:33:43 PM
+3 Boost
VW


richard112360richard112360 - 2/18/2011 6:42:06 PM
+1 Boost
1.Chrysler
2.VW
3.BMW
4.Mercedes
5.GM
6.Ford


theman440theman440 - 2/21/2011 1:32:35 AM
+1 Boost
Try again...


Mason3RobertMason3Robert - 2/18/2011 7:21:59 PM
-1 Boost
NOW!!!!! IT'S very interesting how Toyota and Lexus arent being mentioned.....Very interesting indeed!!!! Reliability accourding to individuals speaks far louder than the conspired recall extravaganza...People wake up...TOYOTA is no! for a f$%^^&%^% reason!


tattedtwicetattedtwice - 2/19/2011 3:46:07 AM
-2 Boost
Oh you want a mention? OK. I have toyota loving in-laws, and guess what? Not one single model has been trouble free or without unscheduled service needed.

On the lexus side; broken door handles on ls and es. Dead starter on ls and sc. Intermittent dying when coming to a stop on sc. Dead window motors on es and ls. Sputtering and constant check engine lights on es. Tranmission rebuild, leaky gaskets and electric shorts on ls.

On the toyota side; creaks, rattles, worn leather, dead window motors, oil sludge issues, hard start, engine surge on camry's.

Strictly anecdotal but a lot of issues for a company so "perfect."


boogboog - 2/19/2011 2:40:28 PM
+5 Boost
To Tattedtwice, my personal experience with Fords: '69 Ford LTD - leaking rear oil seal, vent window mechanism broke, inside driver's door release not able to open door. '73 Ford Maverick - coolant constantly corroded even though constantly changed, carburetor problem, could never pass NJ state emissions; '78 Mercury Cougar (Ford) - the body was not properly placed on frame at factory, therefore, left side lower than right side. '86 Mercury Capri 5.0 (Ford) - consumed 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles & when motor started, uncontrollably high rpm; '89 Mercury Cougar (Ford) - water entered front passenger compartment from cowl after rain or a car wash, 1" water on carpet as a result. Surprise! no more Fords. Toyotas since, and they are very reliable.


mini22mini22 - 2/18/2011 8:00:34 PM
+4 Boost
When I partly owned a National Car Rental franchise back in the mid 80's we would try different economy cars in our fleet. Three cars that really stood out as poorly put together were the Cheverolet Chevette,
the original Hyundai Excels and the Renault Alliance.In case some of you are not aware the Chevette was a small RWD Hatchback that Chevy offered under the Chevy Citation and Chevy Cavalier(which I also carried in the rental fleet). Talk about a car put togher with rubberbands. The original Excels had problems with interior trim falling off. The most colorful,however, was the Renault Alliance.I had 2 of them. They had a habit of the door hinge stops falling off so the doors would not stay open.I loved the cars though because their engines were smooth and they rode great.


mini22mini22 - 2/18/2011 8:06:36 PM
+3 Boost
Ok-But in the last 10 years the least reliable car I owned was a Mazda RX8. I took it in 4 times for an ECU recall,once for a suspension warrantee issue,once for a faulty thermostat,and 3 times for fogged up rear tailamps lenses(which never got solved).It used prodigious amounts of oil and got shitty gas mileage.Fun car to drive though.


holmstarholmstar - 2/19/2011 12:42:04 AM
+2 Boost
To be fair, the engine in the RX8 is designed to use oil, and you should have known that when you bought it, or at least when you read the owners manual...


tattedtwicetattedtwice - 2/19/2011 3:49:22 AM
+3 Boost
My worst car was a 1998 Eagle Talon TSi AWD. Went through 5 sets of rear shocks, needed a new clutch and transmission at 19k miles, and had a horrible engine knock right before I totaled it. All others have been wonderful.


M53RM53R - 2/19/2011 2:44:30 PM
+7 Boost
Range Rover.


BimmersNmeBimmersNme - 2/19/2011 10:20:00 PM
+4 Boost
From My personal experience, I would say VW...Real nightmares, from electric shutdowns to engine rebuilt.Had a few electric problems with my old 1987 BMW 325, had to replace the on board computer.(but loved the car though).Owned three Honda Civics with no major problems, one Toyota corolla that needed a new tranny,and engine rebuilt.Also owned Two BMW 328i with only minor stuff(battery,plastic parts).


LJ745LJ745 - 2/20/2011 5:32:05 PM
+1 Boost
2004 Toyota Corolla - Non-stop alignment issues with the rear of the car. Ate through a brand new set of tires. Brakes. Head gasket at 80,000 miles. This car was a commuter, but was very well cared for as I cant stand to have an uncared for car.

2004 VW Jetta - Maybe 04 was just a bad year. This car gets a pass though because it was in an accident and thus alignment problems and a few other things to be expected.

2006 Chevy TrailBlazer - POS of the year. At 40,000 miles this car needed everything, new brakes, rotor, fuel tank, wheel bearings, etc. Won't hold an alignment at all.


knowitall1985knowitall1985 - 2/21/2011 11:08:52 AM
+3 Boost
My Saab 9000 was the biggest POS I ever owned......


carguy68carguy68 - 2/21/2011 6:00:11 PM
-1 Boost
Recall king toyota!!


Mustang953Mustang953 - 2/22/2011 5:53:49 PM
+4 Boost
Audi..the only new car to be towed from my garage. It ate power steering pumps faster then my kids ate candy. It actually upchucked one the day after it was replaced. This problem was so bad Audi was using remanufactured pumps for warranty repairs. Oh, and the right rear brake locked up while my wife was on the interstate. It caught fire. Unfortunately, after my wife stopped, a good semaritan ran over and extinguished the fire. The battery then fried itself itself, and that was it. Traded it, never to look at an Audi again.
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