How reliable has your car been?

[pow]

Here goes the official C&G "How reliable is your car?" maintenance thread/survey/poll/thing... 2000 BMW 528i 12,044 - Oil Service ($0) 18,682 - Replaced front brake pads and rotors, camshaft sensor/pulse generator replaced ($0) 24,104 - Inspection 1, thermostat recall, final stage replaced, broken cupholder, burnt brake light, power outlet door stuck ($0) 33,187 - Burnt brake light, emissions recall (crankcase vent hose), door panel noise ($0), Yokohama AVS dB tires (~$500?) 35,804 - Replaced front brake pads and rotors, replaced wipers ($0) 38,467 - Oil Service ($0) 39,323 - Burned left headlight bulb ($0) 39,880 - Replaced rear brake pads and rotors, performed brake flush, replaced broken trunk catch ($0) 42,325 - Replaced camshaft pulse generator ($0) 47,472 - Replaced DSC module, broken cupholder replaced ($0) 49,643 - Inspection 2: incl. replaced leaking power steering hose, replaced alternator belt tensioner; noisy door panels (replaced clips and seals), creaking/clicking front seats (resecured seatback panel, replaced seat rails), faint clicking from front seatbelt anchor (replaced new-style spacer rings), wipers replaced, replaced front brake pads and rotors, replaced rear pads ($0) 52,876 - Replaced camshaft pulse generator ($394.27) 53,920 - Alignment ($100), Bridgestone Turanza LS-H tires ($490.90) 55,000 ~ Self oil-change: preventative maintenance (~$40) 60,000 ~ Replaced front rotors ($135) and pads ($46), labor (~$50), self oil-change: preventative maintenance (~$40) 60,208 - Coolant flush ($135.79) 65,000 ~ Self oil-change (~$40) 65,124 - Brake fluid flush (~$50) 69,604 - Stealership suggested $3,100 in repairs (replace front control arm bushings, replace valve cover gasket, replace front sway bar links, replace driveshaft coupler, replace upper wishbone boots, replace idler and tensioner pulley, replace wiper inserts, replace shock absorbers) and required a minimum of $300 for the diagnosis of what was to be an irrelevant noise from the pulleys; went ahead and changed the pulleys and valve cover gaskets ($608.86); the rest of the repairs were deemed unnecessary by an independent shop 70,000 ~ Self oil-change: preventative maintenance (~$40) 75,000 ~ Self oil-change: preventative maintenance (~$40) That's it... I know it sounds ridiculous, but during the ownership experience, it didn't seem unreliable at all. It started every time, and I wouldn't hesitate to take it on a long trip. The engine and (GM) transmission are flawless, and the interior and exterior quality is holding up.

[capriceman]

Replace A Camshaft at 42,000? My 01 truck has gone on 130,000 with 71,000 drivshaft and rear diff. replacement like $1200 tires at 65,000 $800 toyo's Trans flush at 100,000 $40 5 right fog lights $50 each Sparkplugs $20 bucks And oil changes and air filter every 3,000 miles I never replaced an alternator or any thing in the engine. I would hop in it right now and drag a Travel trailor to Alaska right now! Very pleased and if I lay off the racing and beat downs of every RAM I see, I think the Rear Diff would last longer.

[pow]

Replace A Camshaft at 42,000?

[post="68127"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

My bad... add "sensor" after generator.

[NOS2006]

130000 miles in 5 years?! Holy shit!

[Cory Wolfe]

Well... I would rather forget the reliability our Blazer has had. And my Grand Am... I only put 3000 miles on it. Most work was done while it was sitting in my garage. During the time that I drove... no mechanical problems until the rod bearing.

[Satty]

In the 13 months I had my L200 I had to replace the exhaust manifold (something like $600 bucks, at around 70,000 miles) and the front pads and rotors (I *only* paid $350 for this) and got new tires, I went cheap and got some Fuzions, like $300 total. Right at the end I shelled out like $26 for some new bulbs for the CHMSL (I got them at cost, normally it would have been like $55). Some of the things I never bothered with were the AC compressor that died and took one of the lines with it (I figured it would have been in the $500 region to fix) and then there was the driver's seatbelt that didn't want to retract and the keyfob that ate batteries like crazy. *Edit-Had it in, right at the end for the taillight recall, I replaced the buld a couple of times then I figured out that if you jiggle the plastic thingy the bulb sits in, it'll work right for a little while. Would I have driven it across the country? Yeah but it would have been incredibly hot in any weather warmer than 70 degrees (black leather does that) and my body would have ached because of the seats that weren't very good for long distance driving and the wind noise and the buzzy engine. The Solara just got its first oil change, I've only put about 4000 miles on it (I've had for a month now) so I cant say much on its reliability. Edited January 5, 2006 by Satty

[Bimmer325]

Our '01 IS300 has hasn't had a single problem since it left the dealership. Not one.

[Flybrian]

2000 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi
<1000 miles - Numerous small problems taken care of at time of delivery, including loose glue on astroroof sunshade headliner, ill-fitted right rear door sill, and pitted chrome wheels. Headliner and sill repaired and four brand-new 17" chrome wheels ordered and mounted at no charge.

~20,000 miles - Left license plate bulb burned out. Replaced at no charge.

~40,000 miles - Inboard left taillamp burned out. Replaced for cost of bulb.

~62,000 miles - Car would not crank over. Jumped and driven home, then towed to dealership where new batter and leads were replaced. Offered to charge only 60% of new battery cost, we decided to pay the full cost of a better battery. No labor charge.

~80,000 miles - Oil pressure sensor malfunction, reads high pressure and pegs the gauge on the high side. Fixed for ~$75 IIRC (father did this).

I'm not including the at the time endless alignment issues and an air conditioning compressor that blew out as these things and other were a result of a major accident with the car and are related to the dealership's work and my father's and my own high expectations of perfection in these repairs.

This vehicle is now nearly six years old with about 105,000 miles on it. Since about the 50,000 miles mark, its been averaging between 200-400 miles a week as my father's commuter/mobile office. It drives mixed highway/city mileage and has a/c running all the time. Only one problem persists and that is the adhesive on the aforementioned headliner and window molding that seemed to degrade faster than it should. Truly minor, inconsequential issues for a car its age and complexity.

1996 Oldsmobile Aurora

<62,000 miles - I have no knowledge beside the typical NO HISTORY courtesy of CarFax.

~68,000 miles - Wiring harness fried out. Replaced under warranty for $50 deductible.

~75,000 miles - Misfire in cylinder #1. Repaired under warranty (after heavy bitching by me at the dealership) for $50 deductible.

~86,000 miles - Transmission turbine speed sensor and alternator failure. I posted about this a little while ago. Fixed under warranty for $50.

This also does not include numerous issues related to my two accidents to the front end of the vehicle. The right rear air shock also gave out around 80k, but this and other things were maintenance issues as I suspect this car was cared for somewhat as evidenced by the lower mileage, but not looked after alot otherwise. Lots of equipment on this car I suspect is standard equipment and I'm half willing to write the misfire incident as a maintenance issue as the dealership attempted to argue with me. After bitching about the high estimate ($450), I got them to cover it under warranty and I no longer use my dealership for service. Sad, I know.

Other problems with the Olds are limited to condensation in the right rear backup lamp and two interior lights burning out, the driver's side DOOR LOCK button and the small red gearshift indicator lamp. I care about these things about as much as I cared about the Corolla I had for a rental.

Overall, very satisfied GM owner/driver. Given the age, wear, and complexity of these cars, they've proven to be consistantly reliable and show little evidence of their age. To Orion Township: You guys kick ass.

[Hudson]

Initial quality problems...rear window washer hose detached from nozzle and driver's side door seal incorrectly installed. Aside from regular maintenence (wiper blades, timing belt and oil changes) over 14 years and about 150,000 miles: Seatbelt recall at 40,000 miles Hoodlatch recall at 50,000 Thermostat at 65,000 Brakes at 75,000 (pads and discs) Alternator at 140,000 Brakes at 145,000 (pads and discs) Exhaust and catalytic converter at 145,000 Two batteries. Foglights ($10 a piece) all the time...they fail every two months or so, so I stopped replacing them. And headlight bulbs maybe twice. Can't think of anything else.

[sciguy_0504]

Zilch at 17,000 miles.

[PurdueGuy]

No problems at all with my '99 SC1. I've had it since about 50K miles, now at about 70K (about a year and a half). I've only done regular maintenance.

[CSpec]

My Intrigue has been quite unreliable (this is in the span of a year): the infamous GM intake manifold gasket, new rear brake rotors, both electric window motors on the passenger side broke, and now the power steering is losing fluid. It'll be for sale shortly.

[Mike The Canadian]

2002 Century (I dont know the mileage for each problem) we've done all the regular maintenance. The only other problem we've had is the brake pads wearing quickly. oh and when we first bought the car we didnt know what the piston slap actually was so we kept complaining about that, that and it vibrates (which I think is normal). other then that, no problems with the century, and it's at 70 000 km. 2005 Cavalier all the regular maintenance then there was the accident.. the radiator fans are really loud sometimes (louder than usual) power mirror fuses blown twice.. I think thats pretty much it. Cavalier is at around 36 000 km

[Nick]

I'd rather not talk about it :P Mine would be similar to empowah's, except the M62 engine had significantly more issues than the M52. I picked mine up at around 90,000 miles. 540's while they are great cars, are deffinitely not the car to go with if you want reliability. The radiator went out while test driving it (a common problem which everyone with those cars experiences...crappy bmw radiators...maybe in time I'll replace with an all aluminum instead of the stupid plastic/aluminum crap it has now). The ABS/traction control module also went out when i first got the car, but both issues were taken care of no charge to me from the seller. The clutch went out, but that was inevitable. The car has 100k and the clutch used on the 540 is not really suitable for the power it puts out, so I upgraded that. Unfortunately, my seal between my tranny and engine is going which is causing oil to leak onto the clutch causing it to slip until it burns off the oil. It has been ok lately, but it needs to be taken care of soon...I don't want to risk glazing the clutch or ruining it...not only was the clutch expensive, but so was the install, which worries me about how much it will cost to replace that damn seal. Another common problem that arises is the water pump failure which I have yet to experience. I don't know if it has been fixed or not. Probably won't be a bad idea to replace it soon. My 100k just came up so I ordered up all the parts and whatnot to take care of the big tuneup. Valve cover gaskets, belts, plugs, thrust/upper control arms, oil/oil filter of course, hoses, fuel filter, I need to find a shop that does injector cleaning because that should be done too. After I do the control arms it could probably use an alignment as well. As far as the suspension goes, I'm going to overhaul that eventually. Koni adjustables, eibach springs, eibach sways (and maybe once I gather up the dinero, both shock/strut tower braces from dinan). It's been a good car though and it is a blast to drive. It has it's little quirks, but what car doesn't. It's my baby and I couldn't be happier with it...well... :P

[NOS2006]

Only things I've really replaced are: Back bumper Passenger rocker panel Brake pads/rotors Thermostat All gaskets (except one valve cover, head gasket, and oil pan gasket) Exhaust system Coolant Oil Things that will be replaced sometime in the future are: Front fenders Front bumper Spoiler Paintjob Differential Final gear ratio Differential oil Transmission fluid

[Mach5GTP]

I personally define reliability as the number of times I return home in someone else's car instead of my own, or am otherwise forced to make special effort to get home in my car. In that light, I'm happy to say the Mach 5 has been very reliable indeed. 1- Spit a spark plug out of a cylinder head at just under 75k miles- and me w/ my 75k extended warranty! Dodged a bullet that time. Drove home from work slowly on 5 cylinders- chugga-chugga-chugga. 2- Left lower ball joint failed on a RH turn, had to be towed. I knew it was bad, and was about 2 days from getting the time to fix it. Nuts. 3- Differential shed its mortal coil in spectacular fashion ~180k, and almost 100 miles fom home. A $250 tow to my garage, which State Farm only reimbursed half of, thanks a lot, appreciate it. :angry: I did get to install a custom-made limited-slip diff kit, tho. 4- Just in early 05, had to repair a couple siezed spark plugs by pulling both heads, ended up doing a full top-end job w/ mild valve and port work and new gaskets. And how am I repaid? EGR is throwing codes now. 5- And most recently, a couple months ago, the factory fuel pump went bad, w/ about 230k. Good times! Those are the major ones, can't recall any more that made me walk home or anything. Keep in mind that, for the first half of her life, this car was seeing almost 30k/year. Go GM! B)

[Drew Dowdell]

The only time the CTS goes to the dealer is for regularly scheduled service and snow tire change overs..... sometimes I drive over there just to get a free carwash out of them.

[pow]

Last time I forgot to tell the dealer not to wash our black minivan, it came out looking something like this:



:o

[capriceman]

130000 miles in 5 years?! Holy shit!

[post="68130"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Its a truck and it gets drivin hard abusivly and alot!

Off roading is FUN!!!

The Caprice is for visting and the Weekends :AH-HA_wink:

[Sixty8panther]

Our '01 IS300 has hasn't had a single problem since it left the dealership. Not one.

[post="68140"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I've owned two cars that required ZERO manitenance... As in NOTHING besides an oil change.


1983 Pontiac Firebird T-top(crate 350)

Bought with 180-something thousand miles and driven for 12K miles in one year.

---

1987 Mercury Cougar XR7

Bought with 83,XXX miles and driven for 16 months and about 15,000 miles.





I also had a few cars which required less than $100 (one hundred) worth of service and never broke down on me, best example:


1991 Chevrolet S10 Blazer 4.3/5speed 4x4 (drove it for like 26K miles!)

Replaced a broken Vacuum switch for 4x4 system, Labor & parts: $50-something

Also did a full front brake job but that's wear & tear not maintenance.


Now as far as the Camaro goes I've spent a lot of money on it, but I can safely say there's only about $200 of that over the course of my 3+ year of ownership that was worn/broke/malfunctioning... the rest of the $1800 in manitenance costs have all been a result of abuse by yours trully. Drag racing, Burnouts, Drifting, Street Racing & Daily driving on a never-been-restored 38 year old car will do that to you.

Some components that I've broken due to my stupidity and nothing else:

- Original 10-bolt rear end. Replacement: $100 (friend hooked me up w/ his old one out of a '67)

- THM350 trans Leaky gasket pissed out all fluid, 68 shifted at 6900 rpm wiht a bone dry trans pan. (ouch) Replacement from junkyard: $100

- Rag joint on steernig column coupling... $35

- Broken throttle cable: $0 (nothing a wire coat hanger can't fix!)

- Front fender & lower valance off a '67: $150

- Broken exhaust hangers (several) $0 When you have three boxes of leftover parts off demolition derby cars, the shed is your 'parts store'.

- Crushed Wheel, studs & lug nuts on left rear... $15 for good samaritan who lived three houses away from where my wheel got torn off. This guy had a 1979 Camaro, two 1970 GTO (one of them a clone) and a '68 Nova.

[razoredge]

I drive 38 powered Buicks and Oldsmobiles......need I say more :lol: Ill mention some details about the cars because I do not buy my wife junk to drive even though the $ & miles may indicate, I do not buy a car that does not have a near perfect/clean interior, nor one that is dented or rusted in the body panels.

86 LeSabre $2500.00 owned from 70,000 - 150,000 miles, still own, its a garage queen now, was perfect at purchase (96) and is again now

reliability - cam sensor went once around 120,000 or so

typical service - brake pads a few times, rears just recently , oil, grease, ect. one set of tires & a pair of snows -that ran last season on the 90 Regency and this season will finish them on the Cierra Cruiser..I got 5 winters out of those darn tires

89 Chr NYer $2300.00 owned from 80,000 - 156,000 Mitsu OHC 3.0 litre V6 great condition at purchase (00), perfect black cherry interior

reliability - two electrical issues, cost little to have trouble shot, popped the radiator for reasons unknown to me at busy toll booths, drove to nearest parking lot, overheated engine worse than bad, drove it another 2 years before the lower end went, over heating destroys internal engine parts and it will rear its ugly face sooner or later, I was amazed it was not ruined when it happened.

typical service - I did not change timing belt, it broke, had to rebuild top end, my fault not the cars, shortly after this was when lower end went, go figure, I had it lookin good too.

traded for

Oldsmobile LSS $10,000 - from 60,000 - 112,000 miles currently near perfect at purchase (02) and still is

reliability - water pump at say 80 - 90,000 I forget

typical service - oil, grease, one set of front pads, 2 tires, thats it

91 Regal Limited $1000.00 - owned from 223,000 to ? 244,000? this was a very clean car and I am still heart broke

reliability - one MAF sensor, one Fuel pump

typical service on such an old car - had to replace fuel lines (rust) and did tank at same time but it was not leaking I just did it because of the labor, and that was the time, complete rear disc's, calipers/rotors/cables/pads, front pads and it needed tires shortly after buying :P I messed up on this car and traded way before I should have so I really didnt get my time and parts money back as I usually do but the tradein had the necessary value I guess

90 Regency $700.00 winter car - owned from 312,000 - 329,000 currently amazingly clean interior & exterior

reliability - alternator, now need water pump

typical service - front brakes, needed tires, needed new struts, one ball joint, fuel & brake lines/tank, some rust repair, all options fully functional and rides like a Oldsmobile at 329,000

90 Cierra Cruiser $675.00 winter car - 170,000 - 196,000 currently, this is the lowliest car I have purchased in decades, some cig burns dirty interior, cleaned up good, some visible rust.

reliability - nothing, notta, turn key and go

typical - needed front pads, tires, one lower ball joint, one driveshaft at time of purchase, just last month replaced fuel tank and lines (rust)

sad part is I could keep going, but it would take much more time to remember and type all the repairs and failures of my previously owned and loved Import cars and trucks

[cmattson]

'04 Malibu (purchased late March of 2004): 37,xxx miles

Other than oil changes, the only work that's been done on the car is the commonly-known steering column issue. It's been a dependable daily driver ever since I bought it. The steering column sensor failed that one time, I shut the car off, which reset the sensor. I made an appt @ the Chevy dealer, dropped it off & picked up their loaner car. Couldn't have been easier.

'03 Suburban (purchased Dec. of 2003): 18,xxx miles

Oil changes, Transmission fluid/filter change (I tow with this vehicle every summer, so feel obligated to keep up on the tranny fluid/filter changes). I've replaced the wiper blades on this truck once as well (my wife turns on the squirters every time she gets so much as a spec on her windshield).

I couldn't be happier with either vehicle: they've both been lights-out rock-solid dependable; and I didn't need to pay a premium-price to get that dependability -- but being good GM fans, you already knew that, didn't you?

[cmattson]

Last time I forgot to tell the dealer not to wash our black minivan, it came out looking something like this:



:o

[post="68244"][/post]

Wholly #@^$%#, your minivan came out looking like a BMW?! What dealer are you going to? I'm heading down there tomorrow -- I don't care how far I hafta drive!
:P

[Sixty8panther]

Razor: Sounds like you had awsome luck with the '86 LeSabre. I may be buying a 1983 LeSabre soon... long story. Pre-emissions in Mass and rwd... but same quality and reliabiity hopefully.

[razoredge]

Razor:

Sounds like you had awsome luck with the '86 LeSabre.

I may be buying a 1983 LeSabre soon... long story. Pre-emissions in Mass and rwd... but same quality and reliabiity hopefully.

[post="68317"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

It aint luck Sly :AH-HA_wink: Its 90* Buick powered Buick/Olds American built cars. B)

that 83 would be a different car, B body and most likely 307 Olds right ? Mines a 3 litre 90* FWD H body, the origional H body. I think the 307 was a reliable motor wasnt it ? , just a bit of struggling old school V8 trying to still work in the pull and tug environment that was the late 70's/80's. No one that was around to see this knows what really went down, but thats another topic.

Id love to have turbo LeSabre or LeSabre Sport Coupe from ??? 78 ??

Just a little hyjack there.

[Paolino]

Ummm... in 14 years of the life of the car, other than regular maintenance (oil, brakes, belts, bulbs, etc), an altenator... which, might be considered regular maintenance since they go LOL Viva la 3300 LOL Edited January 6, 2006 by Paolino

[bobo]

Here are all the vehicles I've had and their problems: '84 GMC S15 (bought new, drove 80,000 miles): oil pressure gauge malfunction, chirping speedometer cable '87 Acura Integra (bought new, drove 60,000 miles): buzzing heat shield, sunroof rattle, hatchback rattle '91 Acura Integra: (bought new, drove 20,000 miles) seatbelt recall '93 Nissan Hardbody: (bought new, drove 100,000 miles) driver mirror loose, vehicle arrived with power steering nonfunctional '94 Honda Prelude (bought with 20,000 miles, now has 91,000 miles): no problems '01 Lexus IS300 (bought new, now has 29,000 miles): missing cupholder insert, tire service campaign (free new tires!), plastic underbody recall, ECU update for hesitation that occurred when accelerating from a rolling stop '01 Aurora (bought with 52,000 miles, and I got rid of it): leaking oil pan gasket '05 Silverado (bought new, now with 3,500 miles): no problems, but vehicle arrived out of alignment and with rail dust in paint

[balthazar]

Gawd- those bimmers sure sound like bummers. -- -- -- -- My '94 F-150 has been very reliable IMO. No recalls, no TSBs. 44K : replace leaking steering box. 102K : tow car trailer at highway speeds for 2.5 hours w/o trans cooler; overheat trans to point of immobility. Cool down, load '63 Nova convertible & bedload of parts, drive back home in evening rain. 107K : replace leaking steering box again. 112K : 3 broken leafs on one rear 3/4-ton spring; replace both sides. 113K : new MC, calipers, rr wheel cylinders, some brake lines. 114K : rebuild trans. 122K : water pump, alternator & PS pressure hose. I did all of the above except the trans, plus all it's maintenance since Day 1. Truck is on it's 3rd battery and 3rd set of front rotors (duh- it's a pick-up). No rust above or below on the sheetmetal, some starting on the chassis. Currently has 138K and still driven daily. I sort of wish it would force me to step into a new truck, but unfortunately the motor just recently broke in.

[Sixty8panther]

I have two recent experiences (not personal but through good friends) with 4.9 liter (inline-6) F150s from the late 80s that gave up the ghost in a nasty way well before the 200K mark. But your F150 on the other hand is a great truck. I only rode in it for a dozen miles or so but it did seem to be solid and in great shape. You could have told me it had 75,000 miles and I would have beleived you. :) I think you'd be pleasantly surprized if you flogged a new 1500 Reg. cab. Silverado. Even when plowed with these trucks hold up very well.

[balthazar]

Of course there are examples to the contrary for ANY engine out there, but the 300 has an excellent reputation for longevity. I am going to take a long hard look at the Silverado when it comes time to buy.

[Sixty8panther]

Absolutely... not trying to put down your truck I was just saying that perhaps they worked out a lot of bugs between say 88 and 94. Either way the 90s Fords do very well... although I'm much more of a Chevy guy. Unfortunately rust kills 95% of either here in N.E. well before milage does. :(

[capriceman]

I am going to take a long hard look at the Silverado when it comes time to buy.

[post="68470"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Trust me mine Is beated and drove like I stole it every day. I have no bitch but somtimes there is a little wind noise that comes from the windows in the ext. cab whent the heater is on. Its very easy to drive and very forgiving. Although if you dont like squealing tires and rougher rides go with a GMC they are way more smother on the acceleration and ride comfort,

[capriceman]

I'd like to add that the Auto 4WD is not good sometimes. just put it in 4WD. Since when I went into the ditch I think then I felt the 4WD activate.

[Nick]

Gawd- those bimmers sure sound like bummers.

Not really. I expected the issues that came along with owning my car. I already knew about most of them. Personally I would be bumming having to drive around a 94 ford pickup every day, but that's just me. I like to drive my car, and I enjoy driving, and BMW's are drivers cars so it is perfect for me. It performs well and it's luxurious and it gets me from point A to point B in style. What more could I want?

If something was horribly unreliable then I would have a problem, but honestly, how reliable a car is doesn't really matter much to me. My truck was rock solid. Not one issue with it in all of its 150k miles, but I'd take my car over the truck any day. With BMW's, stuff just doesn't randomly fall apart or break, unless of course you buy the car not knowing what you're in for, in which case, it's probably not the car for you anyways.

Infact, if you research enough, you can pretty much know the mile range when a part will fail or needs to be replaced. I got all my parts for the 100k tuneup that I need to do, and after I do that I'll be good for quite a while. So one way to look at it would be like, it's not really unreliable if you know about it and what's going to happen. It's just more or less regular maintenance. Just a litte more expensive than average. But if you do the work yourself and don't buy from the stealer then you're all set.

Believe me. If you're into driving, then the driving experience and the car as a whole well outweighs the reliability issues. For me anyways :AH-HA_wink: Edited January 6, 2006 by Nick

[regfootball]

some of my cars 95 tbird, owned from 4k to 75k -replaced windhsield due to improper seal, however I suspected the car was a repairable. aside from that i only did oil chages and snow tire swaps. I never did a brake job on the car and my OEM tires were still on the car when i sold it because i had put about 15,000 combined on my blizzaks. The auto tranny was getting very sloppy but i never had done any tranny flushes so there you go, plus its a Ford. Oh yeah, i had to put a battery in that car. 89 SHO, bought at 57k, sold i think around 100k. -rear main, clutch, brakes including leaky alum. calipers, tires, AC died, defroster in rear window stopped working. The car was becoming a rust bucket. But the engine was like new, it ran fabulously and burned absolutely no oil and Ibeat on the sucker. Still wish i had that car. 99 Prizm. bought new put on 20k miles in 3 years. I did like 6 oil changes on the car. That's it. Everything was fine although i suspected the clutch was getting sloppy and that couldbe due to my wife's bad driving habits. 99 SHO. I owned from 6k to around 74k i think. I replaced tires and brake pads in the mid sixties. I didn't have to fix anything else. I did coolant and tranny flushes at 30k intervals. i had developed a bit of coolant leak that seemed to go away towards the end. The auto tranny was getting a bit sloppy. The rear driver door was a bit fussy. That's it. A very reliable car. no cam sprocket issues. My brother in law owned his 97 SHO from new to 160,000+ with no issues until the tranny finally gave out. He fixed that, gave the car to his nephew and he's still driving it today i think. its likely at 180,000 or more right now. 04 Aztek, bought new. Its at about 33,500 now and I had to get a wheel beaaring replaced under warranty last week. Otherwise its been fine but starting feel like the interior trim is loosening up. Still rides and drives well. No issues. 06 Ford Five hundred- no issues yet, except for very small paint bubbling on the aluminum hood which i will get looked at after winter. two Diamantes, an 01 and 02. Combined mileage I put 75k on them. Both were well built. The 02 had about 64k when the heater core oring started leaking which required dash teardown to get to. Otherwise, just tires, brakes, coolant and tranny flushes and a tuneup with plugs and wires and timing belt. they fixed a motor mount i think under warranty. all my domestics have been good, except for maybe the SHO but i got that at year 7 so no one can expect a trouble free car after year 4or 5. both my mitsubishis were very good. my toyota prizm was good. My American cars have all been very reliable, I feel. Edited January 6, 2006 by regfootball

[balthazar]

I am into driving, but I need the utility of a truck on at least a weekly basis. My truck works above & beyond the call of duty. I never thought I would own a truck but once I got a house, I had to get one. I wasn't neccesarily enthused about it, but function had to prevail over style. I am not fussy & particular, either (not saying you are, Nick, but you are moreso than I, I am sure), so an F-150 does fine by me: tough, good looking & functional.

I am building my Buick to get back to a driver's vehicle. And before you snicker, you should see the engineering gone into the handling department, not to mention the power & quickness that will far exceed a factory BMW. There will be no active suspension or traction control or ESP or anti-lock brakes or engine electronic controls, or any of the dozen ubitquitous 'driver-assists', just double the size (but not double the weight!) & power .... now let's talk about a "driver's car".... ;)

[Brandon Lutz]

Every 5000 miles change oil After 50 K I had to change a o2 sensor and I change my belt once every year as reccomended. Besides that my S-10 has been nothing but a dream to own. Just like my previous 91 :)

[RichW5]

03 CTS

7,640 miles - Oil Change, Rotate Tires, Change oil & air filters - $61.02

10,384 miles - Recall for bolt tightening - $0

14,075 miles - Six Month Check, Oil Change, Tire Rotation, change all filters including inside air filters, Rebalance tires - $155.12

15,294 miles - Damaged underbody seam hitting road hazard, driving in rain storm. Seam repaired under warranty - $0

18,500 miles - Goodyear Tire recall, All tires replaced free of charge. Oil Change free of charge, when car returned dirty at last service. - $0

26,220 miles - Oil Change & Tire rotation - $25.82

28, 238 miles - Air bag Inflator module replaced - $0

30,860 miles - Burned out tail light replaced - $0

32,567 miles - Oil Change & Tire rotation - $35.64

34,679 miles - Brake Service (replaced performance rotors and pads), rotated & balanced tires, Replaced all filters, including inside air, changed antifreeze and transmission fluids - $549.41

38,145 miles - Oil Change & Tire Rotation - $35.64

Currently at 42,000 miles


04 Trailblazer

Free Oil Change and Tire Rotation from Dealer at 9,400 miles - $0

One year old, no problems and Currently at 10,547 miles. Onstar remotely checks computer for error codes (once a month) and sends an e-mail to report on their findings.

The CTS is still a fun car to drive and my wife's daily driver. It's been super reliable and I wouldn't hesitate buying another one (maybe the 2nd gen). It should be noted that Cadillac furnished a loaner car for any service that took over two hours.

Hated the Trailblazer when I first got it (traded a 99 STS), but it's been so good and so useful that it's my baby now. Super reliable.

[funkypunnk]

First, my first career was as a Master Cert. Auto Mech. so I do all my own work. 2000 Firebird, had for 60000 miles, other than replacing the Cat Conv twice under warranty due to rattling, no failures whatsoever. 1994 Firebird 30000-88000 miles, no failures, brakes once and clutch once. 1998 Firebird Convt, currently at 83000 miles, replaced O2 sensor at 79000 miles due to bad heating circuit, no other failures although the passenger side window moves a little slow. 2002 Goldwing, P.O.S. Had for 5000 miles, paid 16000, owned for two years and had a head replaced, cooling system chronically overheated, frame cracked, and more. American Honda SUCKS and lemon laws due not apply to motorcycles in Indiana. Gor rid of it after fighting with Honda for two years. Never Again!!!! 2001 Durango SLT, had for 34000 miles, no failures, 2 recalls. 2003 Avalanche, guage cluster replaced at 10k miles, needs it again due to bad oil pressure guage, AC compressor replaced twice, 2 recalls, center support for driveshaft currently bad, currently at 33K miles. Going into dealer next week. 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee currently at 48K miles, needs an O2 sensor due to heating circuit failure, no other failures. 1966 Pontiac Catalina Convt, currently at 63K miles, new engine not needed but badly desired so has a 325+HP 389 with only 10K miles on it, no failures since I basically restified the whole car. 1970 Pontiac LeMans Sport, same as Catalina but with a 400+HP 400. Could use a higher ratio steering gear. Maybe this summer. 1986 Honda CRX clutch at 45000 miles, fuel pump at 55k miles, blew out a cylinder at 75k miles, alternator at 80k miles, ran on three cylinders until 105k miles when it lost another. Junked car 1988 Honda CRX 337,000 miles with 2 clutches, 4 sets of brakes, lots of tires, and finally the alternator went at 337K miles and could not be removed due to electrolysis on the main bolt, so I sold the car! Lots more, but basically, I have had good luck with cars. If I owned either one of those BMWs, I would never buy another German car as long as I live. For the kind of money that BMWs draw, I would expect much better reliability or at least much longer warranties. If you can forecast parts replacement by mileage and age, then so can BMW meaning they COULD engineer them better but they choose not to!

[Petra]

Let's see... Since I bought my car last March, I have repaired/replaced the following:

- The Oil Pan, which was rusted out from years of driving in Canada. It cost me about $200 for parts and $0 for labor, because I got my brother's auto class to repair it for me. Took about 5 weeks, though.

- One of the brake discs was replaced when I had the car certified. I can't remember how much this cost.

- Also during certification, a crossmember that had rotted out below the engine was replaced. I can't remember how much this was, either.

I think that's everything I've fixed so far. However, that is not to say that my car is without niggling issues that probably should be fixed... It has tons. Here are a few:

- The passenger's side rear door no longer locks/unlocks by pressing the lock/unlock button, it has to be opened manually. Also, whenver the lock/unlock button is pushed or the doors lock automatically, it makes a loud, annoying, Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt! sound.

- The blue, bullet-shaped high beam icon doesn't show up anymore, so you have to judge visually wether the bright lights are on or not. I'm prettyy sure I've unwittingly blinded a few drivers.

- The AC doesn't work.

- There is rust in the rear fender wells, most noticably on the driver's side. My brother promised me he'd fix it, but he hasn't gotten around to it yet. Meanwhile, winter marches on...

- Despite the Oil Pan having been replaced, the engine still burns or leaks oil; about 1 quart every 700 or so miles. I have no idea where the oil is going, but I don't think it's going into the exhaust, because the car recently passed an emissions test (which surprised me). Any suggestions would be appreciated; just send me a PM. Maybe my expectations are just too high; after all, my car does have 185,000 miles.

Other than all of that, I'd say my car has been pretty good to me. It starts every time and gets me from A to B, and I guess that's what counts the most.

[pow]

Not really. I expected the issues that came along with owning my car. I already knew about most of them. Personally I would be bumming having to drive around a 94 ford pickup every day, but that's just me. I like to drive my car, and I enjoy driving, and BMW's are drivers cars so it is perfect for me. It performs well and it's luxurious and it gets me from point A to point B in style. What more could I want?

If something was horribly unreliable then I would have a problem, but honestly, how reliable a car is doesn't really matter much to me. My truck was rock solid. Not one issue with it in all of its 150k miles, but I'd take my car over the truck any day. With BMW's, stuff just doesn't randomly fall apart or break, unless of course you buy the car not knowing what you're in for, in which case, it's probably not the car for you anyways.

Infact, if you research enough, you can pretty much know the mile range when a part will fail or needs to be replaced. I got all my parts for the 100k tuneup that I need to do, and after I do that I'll be good for quite a while. So one way to look at it would be like, it's not really unreliable if you know about it and what's going to happen. It's just more or less regular maintenance. Just a litte more expensive than average. But if you do the work yourself and don't buy from the stealer then you're all set.

Believe me. If you're into driving, then the driving experience and the car as a whole well outweighs the reliability issues. For me anyways :AH-HA_wink:

[post="68535"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

And most of the maintenance and repairs, at least for our car, were secondary or preventative. Despite the minor clicks, noises, etc, it was still quieter and better screwed together than most brand-new cars. We could have probably ignored 75% of the issues, and the car still would have gotten us from A to B like a truck would have, but we chose to take advantage of the factory warranty as much as possible.

I continue to be impressed by the completeness of the driving experience, how well it tackles both twisty roads and the highway, how all the controls are direct and precise, how much confidence and gratification each component contributes...

[nyscene911]

I'll throw in some input here. My car-97 Sunfire, ~76000 miles ~40,000-alternator ~65,000-valve cover gasket Somewhere in the middle was a battery, and a new wiper motor. Don't exactly remember. I consider it very reliable. My other car-86 Fiero(since I got it two year ago) 110,000-Full tuneup 112,000-O2 sensor, EGR valve. Thats it since I've had it ~114,000-Rear driver side caliber replaced and front rotors replaced Other cars in my family Father's 84 Fiero-Clutch is needed now(with like 135000 on the body, maybe 50k on the engine) Everything else done(larger brakes, new engine ;-) ) has been by choice Fathers 97 3500 Express Van many times before 20k miles--front rotors replaced, rear finally replaced around 20(dealer would never look at rear) ~70,000 miles-Head gasket needs replacing ~50 miles later-engine needs replacing(they let antifreeze mix with the oil) ~100,000-fuel pump ~120,000-injectors replaced ~135,000-fuel pump again(stupid autozone or wherever it was from). And for comparisons sake Sister's 90 M30 ~130,000 miles-Nothing electronic works anymore(radio, environmental control display, power windows and doorlocks(were already replaced at least once before this(windows)) I hate this car Brothers 98(?) Integra ~60,000-clutch ~75,000-transmission ~100,000-heatshield came lose and wouldn't stop vibrating-was cut out ;-) He had some problems with his power options(windows, locks?) as well, but that was fixed under warranty Edit: Add in one more 93 Astro ~140,000-fan clutch ~175,000-rebuild throttle body Sold at 200,000 B) Edited January 6, 2006 by nyscene911

[Cory Wolfe]

Well... I can my family has the worst luck. :( Although... those Bimmers are giving our Blazer a run for its money. :P I might as well post the problems it had, If I can remember everything... We got it with about 30k miles. Interior lighting fried Power windows fried Heated mirrors fried 4wd didn't work Bad wheel hubs Alternator went bad Rear wheels started ruining tires Interior rattles galore Transmission problems Engine leaks Rear suspension went ABS stopped working 4WD stopped working again Brakes started doing their own thing Engine noises Interior pieces breaking/coming off More rattles developed And current problems... at 50k or 60k miles, I forget... 4WD not working... yet again Brakes acting up again Balance, suspension problems (not quite sure what it is, but that's my best guess) Problems starting up (could be alternator again) Anyways, that's what I can remember... or think I can remember. I might have gotten a few things mixed up. It's been a while for some as we've had it for over 2 years now. F**king POS. It would give me joy to demolish it... run it off a cliff... etc...

[Nick]

I am into driving, but I need the utility of a truck on at least a weekly basis. My truck works above & beyond the call of duty. I never thought I would own a truck but once I got a house, I had to get one. I wasn't neccesarily enthused about it, but function had to prevail over style. I am not fussy & particular, either (not saying you are, Nick, but you are moreso than I, I am sure), so an F-150 does fine by me: tough, good looking & functional.

I am building my Buick to get back to a driver's vehicle. And before you snicker, you should see the engineering gone into the handling department, not to mention the power & quickness that will far exceed a factory BMW. There will be no active suspension or traction control or ESP or anti-lock brakes or engine electronic controls, or any of the dozen ubitquitous 'driver-assists', just double the size (but not double the weight!) & power .... now let's talk about a "driver's car".... ;)

[post="68556"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I would be lying if I said I wasn't fussy and particular :P
I can be pretty nit-picky at times.
I can understand the issues with the truck though. There have been times where I have needed a truck so I would have to borrow from my parents or friends which I really don't like doing.

The Buick sounds awesome and I can respect that a lot. My uncle owns and restores older cars like that and has had a bunch of them. Many of which could give me a run for my money and I know some could all out bitch slap me. My dad is working on restoring his 1948 pickup, and I bet once he finishes that (using the term "finish" loosely) it could put me to shame as well. I know my other uncle at my age owned many cars and did all the work himself and I believe he had a chevelle that ran low 11's.

My car is in no way the fastest car around. 0-60 in low-mid 5's and quarter mile in mid-high 13's isn't exactly supercar territory. Nor is it the most luxurious or the best handling (I think we already know where reliability stands :P ) But it is a nice blend of all those, and besides, there is always room to grow...hell, who says I haven't started already? :AH-HA_wink:

[Sixty8panther]

Once the Buick is done I say we set up a skidpad, auto-course, slalom & 1/4 mile course so that Balthy's '59 Invicta can go head to head against Nick's BMW. I'll be there with a gas can of premium and a camcorder & camera. :)

[balthazar]

That'll be great: we can meet at the halfway point: Kansas.

[trinacriabob]

I read some of the above lists. First, I don't consider normal maintenance (oil changes, tune ups) and replacement of items that have a predictable wear pattern (tires, batteries, serpentine belt) as something you should list because you have to, or should, do that anyway. That being said: Buick Regal 1992 coupe with 3800 V6 - now has over 220,000 miles Aside from the above stuff, the following repairs were needed: 0 to 100,000 a- exhaust donut between manifold and tailpipe 100,000 to 150,000 a- water pump b- alternator c- radio tuning bar 150,000 to 200,000 a- passenger side front hub wheel assembly replaced due to bearing noise b- thermostat bypass assembly leak c- turn-signal stalk had to be held manually to blink 200,000 and upward a- M.A.F. sensor b- drain plug at bottom of radiator failed NOT BAD. This has been a great car and it will soon be 14 years old. Edited January 7, 2006 by trinacriabob

[razoredge]

Boy oh boy, those old, new and in between GM's sure have been unreliable :rolleyes:

[ocnblu]

My truck will be 2 years old at the end of this month. Right now it has 29,800 miles. I have had a sunvisor retainer clip replaced, and an HVAC blower motor replaced under warranty. I am on my second set of tires due to my own neglect (never rotated), plus the alignment was out. I do have some shake/rattle issues at the doors. I am going to try to dress the weatherstrips to see if that reduces the noise.

I drive this truck like a maniac.

[Sixty8panther]

That'll be great: we can meet at the halfway point: Kansas.

Sounds good. Let's have B.F. Goodrich sponsor the event

since I have a feeling the Buick will go through a few sets

of rubber "shoes".