Cars that "everyone" says are reliable but aren't

[Farnsworth]

First-gen Mazda(Speed)3.

Toyota Camry's (especially where engine oil is concerned).

http://toyotasludge.com/victims

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/...sumption.shtml (this one's legit, it's happening to my Father-In-Law and almost all of his prev.-gen-Camry-driving coworkers)

Next?

[BattleRabbit]

Honda automatics when paired with V6s*... That's all that comes to mind right now.

*This may well be fixed in current Hondas. In the 90s and early 00s that wasn't the case.

[ABATurbo]

Some people will tell you Volkswagens are reliable... They definitely aren't for the most part. Ask me how I know.

[BattleRabbit]

Some people will tell you Volkswagens are reliable... They definitely aren't for the most part. Ask me how I know.

My Mk.III ABA is less reliable than my Saab. Guess which has the better reputation for being reliable

[SMG]

Honda automatics when paired with V6s*... That's all that comes to mind right now.

*This may well be fixed in current Hondas. In the 90s and early 00s that wasn't the case.

This was the first thing that came to my mind as-well. My mother's '00 Odyssey is getting ready for its 3rd transmission.

[NoXenons]

No one really claims these are reliable, but the 3VZE is one of the worst engines Toyota made.

[Shomegrown]

Many Subaru models IMO.

[lowblackdub]

Mk1 Ford Focus

[adrew]

Hyundai Sonata, Ford Ranger

[ToucheTurtle]

German cars pick one.

[PJA]

Old Saabs, Volvos, and BMWs. Everytime I see them glowingly endorsed on here, I always flinch a little. I've owned numerous cars from these makes, and yes, some parts are cheap. Some things are easy to fix...but by and large things go wrong in old 240s, 900s, and E30s that not only are problems specific to them, but also very expensive. Are they strong, well built, and solid? Sure. But they are temperamental machines built for a different time and set of expectations. I never discourage anyone from buying any of these cars because I like them all very, very much, but I feel as a responsible former owner to offer fair warning that they are not reliable in the modern sense. Caveat emptor.

[manol2]

Many Subaru models IMO.

This. I've spent more $$ on a Subaru 2.5, than on anything that i've ever owned

[PJA]

I, too, agree with the Subaru sentiment. Also lump in there Mitsubishi. "But isn't it Japanese? Aren't they all reliable?"

[PowerDubs]

I'll take a '90-93 camry across country coast to coast, regardless of engine, regardless of miles on it.

I've seen multitudes of these that run foreeeeever

[emmettlodge]

[DerSpiegel]

Honda automatics when paired with V6s*... That's all that comes to mind right now.

*This may well be fixed in current Hondas. In the 90s and early 00s that wasn't the case.

'98 through '02 V-6 4-speed automatics only. It affected Accords, the Acura TL, and the Honda Odyssey.

EDIT for accuracy: Early 5AT boxes had troubles too, '03 and '04.

[BRealistic]

Mileage may vary.

With vehicle reliability- it is a game of numbers.
Some vehicles - on average- have less issues than others.
But that doesn't mean a vehicle with a general reliable history won't have unreliable examples, just like a vehicle with a poor reliability history won't have some very reliable examples.
But in general- the data doesn't lie.
The only real mistake is taking the experience of one or two examples over all the available data.

[mx07gt]

MKIV with auto trans... Been there... The car was a ticking timebomb.

[emmettlodge]

MKIV with auto trans... Been there... The car was a ticking timebomb.

VW really should have its own entire sub-thread for this thread

[deadernie]

This. I've spent more $$ on a Subaru 2.5, than on anything that i've ever owned

Put over 210k miles on my 2000 2.5RS with only oil changes, plugs and wires, and a clutch. What a POS that car was

Would probably still be driving it if somebody that was too old to drive had not ran into me and killed it.

[Haynie]

Some people will tell you Volkswagens are reliable... They definitely aren't for the most part. Ask me how I know.

[IridiumB6]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say any generation Jetta was reliable..

[2Cor]

My Mk.III ABA is less reliable than my Saab. Guess which has the better reputation for being reliable

I've had a mkiii and a mkii; my mgb has been far more reliable than either.

[bwk]

I've had a mkiii and a mkii; my mgb has been far more reliable than either.

My mk3 was my most reliable car. My basis for comparison, however, is an e39 540, b4 a4 1.8t and 02 wrx (all were salvaged).

[bustedbucket]

Early-mid 2000 era nissan.

[C4 A6]

Honda automatics when paired with V6s*... That's all that comes to mind right now.

*This may well be fixed in current Hondas. In the 90s and early 00s that wasn't the case.

That's just a specific problem though. Overall Hondas are one of the most, if not THE most, reliable cars on the road. Toyota comes to mind as well. So does Porsche, though maintenance costs...eek.

[RobMarkToo]

I'll say this for my mk2, it hasn't stranded me yet and nearly everything works. I will also continue to spend money on it, but thats the same thing as a new car with monthly payments. I think of it as I paid the same amount to buy the car outright as I would have put as a down payment on anything new and not as cool, and also would have to pay more monthly just to continue owning it than I am paying on average now for maintenance and repairs.

[ModelCitizen]

Hyundai Sonata, Ford Ranger

I will second the Ranger. Mine was a pile.

[kingrukus]

'98 through '02 V-6 4-speed automatics only. It affected Accords, the Acura TL, and the Honda Odyssey.

the 5 speed auto in our '04 v6 accord went and so did the 5 speed auto in the '02 odyessy that we had.

[Cushy]

Ive had my Mk1 GTI for 3 and half years. I bought it used, it is daily driven, only replaced a battery and an alternator. Hasn't left me stranded ever. I don't carry around any tools are parts with me. Im under the impression that any car can be reliable or deemed unreliable depending on the care taken of it. At the end of the day, its an appliance made for use and consumption, so eventually any and every car will break and cease to be reliable. That being said, the FRS has a terrible track record going for it so far, particularly for a new car. The ability to engineer is making certain qualities of cars better in any respect, but the quality of the whole has dropped in my opinion. I dont think that a current economy car in any guise 30 years from now will run like my Mk1 does after the same time.

[Shomegrown]

I will second the Ranger. Mine was a pile.

Mine was fine despite being abused and neglected.

[HerrGolf]

Volvo 850s. Excellent body, AW automatic and solid engine? Yes. Everything else, not so much; and the PCV issues make for an important qualification on "solid engine."

[TM87]

I dont know anybody, not even VW hard fans or fanbois that will state VWs are reliable. I had some reliable ones, actually most. Most of my 16 VWs have been fine engine/drivetrain wise. Very few didnt have secondary issues like window regulators or random headlights dying.

On the other hand, my fiance has spent more money on fixing a 2004 beige Camry w 75k then i did on my mk4s. Does this mean Camry is unreliable?? Deff not.

For me, being a car person, i consider "unreliable" a car that will live you on a side of the road any given day, rather then cars that might have window regulator problems. I guess not everybody is like that.

It came as a suprise to me Subarus unreliability. Wouldve never expect it.


I love VWs, and would always get one. Older the better, yet i would never recommend it to my father. He doesnt keep up w any maintenace at all. Not even oil changes. Unfortunatley very big number off people are like this.

[Ross1013]

the 5 speed auto in our '04 v6 accord went and so did the 5 speed auto in the '02 odyessy that we had.

Yup...I was going to reply that the 5AT+V6 was also bad, and wasn't really and truly resolved until around 2005.

[BattleRabbit]

I've had a mkiii and a mkii; my mgb has been far more reliable than either.

Ha! My uncle has a couple of 80s Chevy trucks and vans for himself/his business. His reliable daily is an MGB. MGB's seem more reliable on the whole than most British cars, mainly because they are so simple and unstressed in stock form.