# What is the most reliable type of car. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005 "2003-03-09T01:17:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AntaresJB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AntaresJB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntaresJB)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/21 "2003-03-09T20:48:26Z")
I would just like to pop in and say that my sister’s '90 Volkswagen Fox has survived two floods (He floats!), four small accidents, has almost 200,000 miles on him and still runs great. My dad’s '89 VW Fox just died recently after over 250,000 miles - but my dad treats his cars like crap, so I think he could have lasted a bit longer if dad wasn’t so hard on him. All the VWs my family has ever had have been great. And whatever you do, don’t buy a Ford. For god’s sake, don’t buy a Ford. ::grumble:: damn Aerostar new engine and two new transmissions in a year and a half piece of crap ::grumble:: ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/22 "2003-03-09T21:20:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spectre \* > \*\*Wouldn’t the most reliable car be the one with most spare parts available for it? I would be asking questions like what range of parts are readily available for this particular vehicle. You may say that if it has many parts available its because it breaks all the time, not always the case. If a car is more popular than others there will be a greater range of parts available. In the end reliability is a function of build quality and build quality is a function of price. \*\* The most reliable car will be the one which doesn’t break down and need spare parts. But you make a good point about parts being more easily available for a common model. It will be easier to find parts for a Toyota Camry than a Toyota Paseo. ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/23 "2003-03-09T21:30:52Z")
My Miata may not be practical for some people, but it’s derned reliable. It just turned eight and has needed only one repair-- an a/c hose cracked last summer. I second the suggestion to check out Consumer Report and Car and Driver, while you’re at it. I was absolutely smitten with my car, but wouldn’t have bought it if it’d had bad reviews. After what my parents went through as owners of a Pinto, I learned there’s nothing that sucks the joy out of life more than a lousy car. Good luck shoppin’! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/24 "2003-03-09T21:36:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AntaresJB \* > \*\* > And whatever you do, don’t buy a Ford. For god’s sake, don’t buy a Ford. ::grumble:: damn Aerostar new engine and two new transmissions in a year and a half piece of crap ::grumble:: \*\* I bought a ranger because many of the reviews by owners i read on the internet said they could get to 140k miles with either no problems, or just transmission problems. [http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detailv2.jsp?CONTENT\<\>cnt\_id=113417&FOLDER\<\>folder\_id=113261](http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detailv2.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=113417&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=113261) ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/25 "2003-03-09T21:50:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jman \* > \*\*I had a '92 Honda Civic that was fantastic…the only problem I had aside from normal wear and tear (brake pads, etc) was the distributor went at 120,000 miles. \*\* I had the same thing happen - had a '92 Honda Civic that’s distributor went out around that time. Turns out it was a known problem with that model, and the car dealership fixed it at half price. ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/26 "2003-03-09T21:54:33Z")
I have a 95 Chevy Blazer, the transmission has gone out ($2500 to replace), oil cooling lines died, and most recently a cylinder was misfiring, as well as the car getting stuck in 4 wheel drive ($1800 - 1/3rd of my car’s value). But I have an old 85 Toyota pickup truck that has never had a problem. Needless to say I probably will lean towards a non-American vehicle next time. Is it true that in America most of the best engineers are in the high tech industries, whereas in Japan the cream of the crop design cars? ---
**Author:** ![IEatFood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c5a1d2/32.png) [@IEatFood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IEatFood)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/27 "2003-03-09T22:00:31Z")
> [@](#): > > First of all, stop buying GM vehicles. Lol, yes. I’d rather push my Accords up a hill than drive a Chev accross town. Toyota is decent for reliability, but then look at their competition, & it’s a no-brainer. Now, if you want real quality & reliability, go for Honda. First of all, the build quality is just plain better than what Toyota will charge you more for anyways. Comapared to the Camry & the ES300 my father owns, the Accords that I have, (both respectively older, btw), run smoother, have almost no squeaks or rattles, and seem to be in the shop about 40% less at the last comparison. Also, (personal prefference here), the accords I have light up much nicer at night too. One thing about Toyota that drives me nuts is that crappy LCD they use to display the HVAC numbers & those for the Stereo. Turn away from the sun, & they wash out completley! I have no such problems with the Accord, even with the headlights on (when the display is naturally dimmer.) So, here is where I will destroy my credibility. Much as I love my cars, what I am really saving up for is a new Audi S4. I’m still another year or two off, but I already know just how MX intensive those ladies are, & I still want one! Morale of the story, you cannot go wrong w/ Accord, even on with 260,000 on it. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/28 "2003-03-10T00:43:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > **The two most reliable car brands are Honda and Toyota. And that’s that.** Are these American statistics? Don’t get me wrong, both brands are fantastic in terms of reliability, but I always heard that on a global scale, the two leaders in reliability were Toyota and Subaru. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/29 "2003-03-10T03:06:12Z")
No, it’s the same in the US, **Coldfire**. But I was thinking more in terms of smaller mid-size cars like the Civic or Corolla, and Subaru doesn’t have anything in that price range. It was more of an unconscious thing, really. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/30 "2003-03-10T03:46:56Z")
You could do an informal study and just observe what 20+ year old vehicles you see still in use. For my own experience, my first BMW was a 320i that I bought four years old with 70K miles. I drove it for 11 years with little trouble, and then lost 2nd and 3rd gears one day in traffic. Not wanting to repair it, I gave it to a friend’s nephew who was going off to school. I next saw him right after he graduated and, four years later, he was still driving it with no 2nd or 3rd gear. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/31 "2003-03-10T16:31:00Z")
“The two most reliable car brands are Honda and Toyota.” Ah yes, but aren’t they also on the hot car lists? Usually right at the top, esp. the Camry & accord. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/32 "2003-03-10T16:35:48Z")
‘Hot’ in this case, refers to stolen. ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/33 "2003-03-10T17:55:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*Are these American statistics? Don’t get me wrong, both brands are fantastic in terms of reliability, but I always heard that on a global scale, the two leaders in reliability were Toyota and Subaru. \*\* Actually, yes. The one I quoted are American stats. Subarus are pretty good, but not quite as good as Honda and Toyota, according to the American stats I’ve seen. I have no data on worldwide reliability. FWIW, I liked the Subaru we had, and it _was_ very reliable. But, we didn’t put a lot of miles on it, and it wasn’t as refined as a Honda or Toyota, to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/34 "2003-03-10T17:58:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*“The two most reliable car brands are Honda and Toyota.” > > Ah yes, but aren’t they also on the hot car lists? Usually right at the top, esp. the Camry & accord. \*\* Sure. Because they’re among the most desirable, durable cars on the road. Therefore, there’s a big black market in used parts. TANSTAAFL! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/35 "2003-03-10T18:34:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > \*\*You could do an informal study and just observe what 20+ year old vehicles you see still in use. > > For my own experience, my first BMW was a 320i that I bought four years old with 70K miles. I drove it for 11 years with little trouble, and then lost 2nd and 3rd gears one day in traffic. > > Not wanting to repair it, I gave it to a friend’s nephew who was going off to school. I next saw him right after he graduated and, four years later, he was still driving it with no 2nd or 3rd gear. \*\* I must challenge this argument. A 20+ year old German luxury sedan will still be on the road because its residual value will be high enough that it’s worth fixing. Check prices on a given model of Mercedes or BMW in the 15-20 year-old range, and aside from turkeys like Diesel sedan models, you’re likely to find cars worth fixing, not scrapping, when the transmission goes out. Most lower-cost vehicles you just don’t fix when they’re 20 years old and need a $2000 repair. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/36 "2003-03-10T19:52:43Z")
I’ve got a '95 Toyota Tercel with almost 92k miles on it. I bought it almost two years ago, and initially had to have some work done, but it’s been a doll since. It’s burgundy and has quite a bit of minor dings and scratches but otherwise is in good shape and still runs great. I’m about to buy an '01 Mazda Protege, though, because I don’t like the colour of the Tercel and want something a bit nicer now that I can afford it. The Tercel’s for sale if you wanna come pick it up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/37 "2003-03-11T06:04:31Z")
Sure, we can modify the study parameters and look for cheap 20 year olds. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/38 "2003-03-11T09:10:22Z")
If I ever bought Jap Crap, my father would kill me. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/39 "2003-03-11T15:50:19Z")
It’s very patriotic of your father to be willing to take it in the rear to support the American automobile industry.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005/40 "2003-03-11T16:43:03Z")
King Friday, dont a few american cars have japanese or parts from other countries? …Let’s see, a PT Cruiser I saw on a lot had mexico & canada parts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-reliable-type-of-car/160005.md?page=3)