New Car Reliability Why Nobody Talks About It.
video description
Date: 2020-04-08
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 9
Charlie_Willie
The pet peeve I have is how the average joe will assume that all makes of any kind must or will have equal reliability. Having worked in the auto industry, this couldn't be futher from the truth. Even though you may have a 2010 Toyota Camry, its reliability may be completely different from a 2009 Toyota Prius versus a 2011 Toyota Corolla versus a 2018 Toyota C-HR. On top of this, the reliability of a specific year, make, and model can also change depending on what trim level, options, transmission, and drivetrain that you have as well. The variables go on and on. On top of this, many of these same brand vehicles are made by completely different people, in different plants, under different teams, under different processes, equipment, and standards. Saying that a Ford or a Toyota or a Acura is or isn't reliable doesn't mean as much as it used to under current manufacturing. Having worked in the auto industry for even a short while, reliability is one of those things in our modern era that we shouldn't put as much stock into as maybe we did back in the 70s and 80s when cars are all mostly centrally made in few places and tracking issues and making improvements were difficult and lengthy. Alex is very much proving how expectations and (unintentionally biased) perceptions in the industry do not always correlate with reality and facts about car reliability and quality.
reply
The pet peeve I have is how the average joe will assume that all makes of any kind must or will have equal reliability. Having worked in the auto industry, this couldn't be futher from the truth. Even though you may have a 2010 Toyota Camry, its reliability may be completely different from a 2009 Toyota Prius versus a 2011 Toyota Corolla versus a 2018 Toyota C-HR. On top of this, the reliability of a specific year, make, and model can also change depending on what trim level, options, transmission, and drivetrain that you have as well. The variables go on and on. On top of this, many of these same brand vehicles are made by completely different people, in different plants, under different teams, under different processes, equipment, and standards. Saying that a Ford or a Toyota or a Acura is or isn't reliable doesn't mean as much as it used to under current manufacturing. Having worked in the auto industry for even a short while, reliability is one of those things in our modern era that we shouldn't put as much stock into as maybe we did back in the 70s and 80s when cars are all mostly centrally made in few places and tracking issues and making improvements were difficult and lengthy. Alex is very much proving how expectations and (unintentionally biased) perceptions in the industry do not always correlate with reality and facts about car reliability and quality.
reply
James
My general rule of thumb when it comes to reliability are: 1. Buy the model at or near the final year of production before facelift. 2. Pick a car with less complexity. Find a car with no turbo or supercharger, no direct injection, less than 8 cylinders. Goes the same with gearbox, 6 speed is usually more than enough and manuals are more durable than automatic. 3. Pick a car with less options or add ons. The more things you have added on, the more things that can break. 4. Get to know your car. Love your car and understand your car. That way you can be proactive with some maintenance work which can prevent a major/costly failure. These are my top tips for buying and owning a second hand car. Honestly, I used to be so scared of picking a car that could be maintenance expensive and always stick to Toyotas. Then after owning two Audis and a BMW, I realize I have missed out so much pleasure in owning a great car by allowing my fear to dictate my car purchasing decision. So car buyers, go out and pick a car that you will fall in love with, don't pick a car for resale value or cheap ownership.
reply
My general rule of thumb when it comes to reliability are: 1. Buy the model at or near the final year of production before facelift. 2. Pick a car with less complexity. Find a car with no turbo or supercharger, no direct injection, less than 8 cylinders. Goes the same with gearbox, 6 speed is usually more than enough and manuals are more durable than automatic. 3. Pick a car with less options or add ons. The more things you have added on, the more things that can break. 4. Get to know your car. Love your car and understand your car. That way you can be proactive with some maintenance work which can prevent a major/costly failure. These are my top tips for buying and owning a second hand car. Honestly, I used to be so scared of picking a car that could be maintenance expensive and always stick to Toyotas. Then after owning two Audis and a BMW, I realize I have missed out so much pleasure in owning a great car by allowing my fear to dictate my car purchasing decision. So car buyers, go out and pick a car that you will fall in love with, don't pick a car for resale value or cheap ownership.
reply
Herp
Yeah, reliability is an indicator, not an inevitability. I have driven several cars from different brands over the years (no brand loyalty with me, lol) and funnily enough the most reliable car has been a Jeep Wrangler which I drove daily for over 8 years without any major issues. And I didn't baby it. Does that mean Jeep is more reliable than Toyota? No, of course not but that's the whole point - it can go either way. If you are absolutely adverse to taking any risks, buy a Toyota or Lexus or Kia/Hyundai. just be aware that there is no guarantee you won't end up with a lemon either way. Also, people who lease cars or buy new ones every 3 or 4 years can almost ignore reliability rankings, anyway. what's more important is service costs which can easily screw you over with certain vehicles, even if the car is nominally totally reliable.
reply
Yeah, reliability is an indicator, not an inevitability. I have driven several cars from different brands over the years (no brand loyalty with me, lol) and funnily enough the most reliable car has been a Jeep Wrangler which I drove daily for over 8 years without any major issues. And I didn't baby it. Does that mean Jeep is more reliable than Toyota? No, of course not but that's the whole point - it can go either way. If you are absolutely adverse to taking any risks, buy a Toyota or Lexus or Kia/Hyundai. just be aware that there is no guarantee you won't end up with a lemon either way. Also, people who lease cars or buy new ones every 3 or 4 years can almost ignore reliability rankings, anyway. what's more important is service costs which can easily screw you over with certain vehicles, even if the car is nominally totally reliable.
reply
21221863382356787612
Although it is true that we are simply predicting reliability, and that past performance is not indicative of future results, I think there are still some lines you can draw. For example Range Rovers, new or lightly used from the previous model year, will seem like incredible value for the features and performance you get. Taking reliability out of the picture, it would be difficult to consider any other SUV in the 40-100k USD price range. But simply due to the fact that Land Rover has had such a terrible track record for reliability, it is hard to recommend one for anyone who wants a low maintenance vehicle. I still think that historical reliability is worth considering for certain brands and models, especially within specific model generations.
reply
Although it is true that we are simply predicting reliability, and that past performance is not indicative of future results, I think there are still some lines you can draw. For example Range Rovers, new or lightly used from the previous model year, will seem like incredible value for the features and performance you get. Taking reliability out of the picture, it would be difficult to consider any other SUV in the 40-100k USD price range. But simply due to the fact that Land Rover has had such a terrible track record for reliability, it is hard to recommend one for anyone who wants a low maintenance vehicle. I still think that historical reliability is worth considering for certain brands and models, especially within specific model generations.
reply
John
The take away for me from what you've said is that you can't rely on any single source of reliability data. Figured that out some time ago. I'll look at everything I can find and consolidate them to see who, if anyone, comes out consistently near the top of the lists. I will say this - I driven Toyotas, Hondas, Hyundais, a Chevy and a Renault(Chrysler) and none of them were what I'd call unreliable. They all at some point required some major maintenance - cam shaft in the Accord, front strut in the Renault, steering mechanism in the Elantra, heater and water pump in the Chevy and a head gasket in the Toyota. But all were fixed without breaking the bank and always ran when I needed them. The only one that never had ANY problems was the 2004 Sonata.
reply
The take away for me from what you've said is that you can't rely on any single source of reliability data. Figured that out some time ago. I'll look at everything I can find and consolidate them to see who, if anyone, comes out consistently near the top of the lists. I will say this - I driven Toyotas, Hondas, Hyundais, a Chevy and a Renault(Chrysler) and none of them were what I'd call unreliable. They all at some point required some major maintenance - cam shaft in the Accord, front strut in the Renault, steering mechanism in the Elantra, heater and water pump in the Chevy and a head gasket in the Toyota. But all were fixed without breaking the bank and always ran when I needed them. The only one that never had ANY problems was the 2004 Sonata.
reply
Guest
WADR, Alex you could have just said you don't have enough reliably data to comfortably talk about Reliability. BTW changes (such via OTA) makes even your detailed reporting instantly dated and questionable to a degree. The example of the M3 OTA changes Tesla did to its braking due to a poor CR report. Illustrates how fleeting car data is, for car buying decisions. And bias such as assuming are Serial Hybrid are less inefficient than all Parallel Hybrids. When there are examples (like the Nissan E-power) where that is not the case. Shows no site or data is 100% current, accurate and objective. That why we all need think in terms of probabilities. Sorry for the long winded retort: )
reply
WADR, Alex you could have just said you don't have enough reliably data to comfortably talk about Reliability. BTW changes (such via OTA) makes even your detailed reporting instantly dated and questionable to a degree. The example of the M3 OTA changes Tesla did to its braking due to a poor CR report. Illustrates how fleeting car data is, for car buying decisions. And bias such as assuming are Serial Hybrid are less inefficient than all Parallel Hybrids. When there are examples (like the Nissan E-power) where that is not the case. Shows no site or data is 100% current, accurate and objective. That why we all need think in terms of probabilities. Sorry for the long winded retort: )
reply
Steve
I will always trust Consumer Reports over any other outlets simply because they are a non-profit organization and don't take any advertising money. They buy all their test cars and rent some of the newer ones rather than taking free press cars. They are also very clear in their explanations of how they come up with predicted reliability ratings and are honest that some educated guess work is at play but it is all based in data gathering. I also love how fanboys love to criticize their supposed bias on the long term reliability even though that data comes directly from the car owners themselves.
reply
I will always trust Consumer Reports over any other outlets simply because they are a non-profit organization and don't take any advertising money. They buy all their test cars and rent some of the newer ones rather than taking free press cars. They are also very clear in their explanations of how they come up with predicted reliability ratings and are honest that some educated guess work is at play but it is all based in data gathering. I also love how fanboys love to criticize their supposed bias on the long term reliability even though that data comes directly from the car owners themselves.
reply
Alex
Note: Consumer Reports is a non-profit and does not accept ads in the magazine, however they do sell ads online and have essentially had paid partnerships with companies like PriceGrabber in the past, I consider that advertising. However, that's neither here nor there as I indicate that this has no influence on their stats. I'm a CR member and have been for a while, I also know plenty of folks that work there and appreciate the work they do. This does not mean however that their predictions are infallible, or subject to a demographic skew because of their membership and available vehicle pool.
reply
Note: Consumer Reports is a non-profit and does not accept ads in the magazine, however they do sell ads online and have essentially had paid partnerships with companies like PriceGrabber in the past, I consider that advertising. However, that's neither here nor there as I indicate that this has no influence on their stats. I'm a CR member and have been for a while, I also know plenty of folks that work there and appreciate the work they do. This does not mean however that their predictions are infallible, or subject to a demographic skew because of their membership and available vehicle pool.
reply
Guobin
Therere just so many factors to take in when looking at reliability, theres no definite answer to a car brand or model to say its reliable or not. People just tend to think the easy way and get one answer to a complex question. Mostly because the majority of car owners dont quite understand the car and how it works, then at the same time want answer about weather the money they spend is worthy. What I would say is understand what youre buying, realize the advantages and disadvantages the car can bring to you, then make the purchase to make it worthy the money and have an ease of mind.
reply
Therere just so many factors to take in when looking at reliability, theres no definite answer to a car brand or model to say its reliable or not. People just tend to think the easy way and get one answer to a complex question. Mostly because the majority of car owners dont quite understand the car and how it works, then at the same time want answer about weather the money they spend is worthy. What I would say is understand what youre buying, realize the advantages and disadvantages the car can bring to you, then make the purchase to make it worthy the money and have an ease of mind.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
