Oldengineer
Member
1949 Ford 8N Tractor. Bulletproof!
What's the most reliable vehicle you've owned?
- Thread starter 357-RevolverGuy
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I bought her a new Chrysler 300.
Randomgunguy
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My 2019 Nissan Maxima has 70k on it and 0 issues... by this time I had multiple huge warranty repairs on my VW and Buick and also a new transmission on the VW by 120k.
I stand by the rationale. Never own a German vehicle past warranty.. your bank account will thank me. I legit made my final warranty claim with 20 miles left and it was a 5k repair from the keyless starting system failing.
I stand by the rationale. Never own a German vehicle past warranty.. your bank account will thank me. I legit made my final warranty claim with 20 miles left and it was a 5k repair from the keyless starting system failing.
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Randomgunguy
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I guess I'm just hard on my cars cause my 1992 Grand Marquis trans went out at 98k and limped it into a dealer as a trade. On the other hand my 2002 crown vic made it over 200k with very little maintenance...
venomballistics
Member
Some folks can tell you what was reliable, but not necessarily what is reliable.
A 1992 model of practically anything bears no resemblance to a 2024 model of the same nameplate.
It's comparing apples to chainsaws.
A 1992 model of practically anything bears no resemblance to a 2024 model of the same nameplate.
It's comparing apples to chainsaws.
JimW
Member
Bought my wife a new 92 Jeep Cherokee, that was a great car with no problems, she traded it in for a new Jeep Cherokee in 97 and that was also trouble free till she passed away in 05. Gave it to my daughter and she totaled it within six months. I bought an 88 Jeep Wrangler and put 224,000 miles on it and it never let me down. The only thing other than routine maintenance items that went was the rag top after six years. I traded it in for a new 98 Jeep Wrangler and put 238,000 miles on it. Today’s Jeep products don’t have such a great reputation but they used to be great.
2016 Subaru Outback 3.6R. I think we've spent in the neighborhood of $4K in tires, maintenance, oil, etc. in the last eight years after purchasing new @ $38K. However, last month (year nine) we spent ~$2K on maintenance (tires, 60K tuneup, CVT fluid change, various silly fixes).
The car is starting to feel a bit old, but it only has 60K on it. This darned car has started each and every time we've needed it. And, no matter what time of year it is, or what the roads are like...it drives like it's "on rails".
We have two+ cars for each of us (summer & winter). To date, we've had a minor AC failure in a Camaro (bought new, fourteen years old, @100K), a total engine failure @ 60K with a Jeep Wrangler (who has since lived another 70K without fail), an '87 4X4 Ford van that usually runs, and, two Subarus. One for Sweetums, and one for me.
Mine is new though. After nine years of wrastling with the wife about who gets to drive the Subaru this winter...I was forced to buy another one.
The moral of this story is: Buy a new Subaru, religiously maintain it, and plan to keep it forever. It's hard to guess who will die first. Your Subaru...or you.
The car is starting to feel a bit old, but it only has 60K on it. This darned car has started each and every time we've needed it. And, no matter what time of year it is, or what the roads are like...it drives like it's "on rails".
We have two+ cars for each of us (summer & winter). To date, we've had a minor AC failure in a Camaro (bought new, fourteen years old, @100K), a total engine failure @ 60K with a Jeep Wrangler (who has since lived another 70K without fail), an '87 4X4 Ford van that usually runs, and, two Subarus. One for Sweetums, and one for me.
Mine is new though. After nine years of wrastling with the wife about who gets to drive the Subaru this winter...I was forced to buy another one.
The moral of this story is: Buy a new Subaru, religiously maintain it, and plan to keep it forever. It's hard to guess who will die first. Your Subaru...or you.
Mr. Vito
Member
One of the reason I bought my 2011 Outback back in the summer of 2010 was that I liked the power of the 3.6L 6 cylinder engine. The 4 cylinder version felt too sluggish for my liking. Now Subaru no longer offers the 6, so I am not sure I would buy another Outback. I know that the new 4 cyclinder engine is turbocharged, but wonder how it compares to the older 6 cylinder in terms of acceleration.
James K
Member
My wife had an 87 Ford Bronco II and put 200K on it and then sold it to one of my customers. He put about 80K on it over 3 years and then she bought it back from him and put another 75K on it. Finally died when her son drove it with a coolant leak.
There is a good reason why LE bought CVPI’s until they quit building them. Nothing built since then has held up as well.
Echo154
Member
Subaru Outback is my choice, have hadtwo go over 150,000 with nothing more than oil changes and such (new tires)! One saved my wife and I when she had a seizure at the wheel! Hit a guard rail at highway speed, rolled and end over ended down a ravine and onto RR tracks…..no train horns thankfully although a crane was needed to recover the car
My wife suffered only a small bone fracture in her ankle, I was treated and released! The airbags deployed perfectly and the Subaru notification system alerted the police automatically allowing me to talk to one of our dispatchers and get help! We are on our 5th wife is a little hard on them since she’s gotten older…no more seizures PTL!
My wife suffered only a small bone fracture in her ankle, I was treated and released! The airbags deployed perfectly and the Subaru notification system alerted the police automatically allowing me to talk to one of our dispatchers and get help! We are on our 5th wife is a little hard on them since she’s gotten older…no more seizures PTL!Attachments
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I have been fairly lucky with my car purchases. I never did wind up with what you would call a lemon. I just traded in my 17 GMC Terrain. It has been absolutely flawless...until it wasn't. I was surprised when the check engine light came on, but not overly concerned. Took it in and found out it was something in the electrical system. A 1 grand repair job. It has been my experience. That there are two areas of an automobile that once you start having trouble with, you never get it back. Electrical and transmissions. But I will say that the Terrain is the best automobile I ever had. I now have 413 miles on my New Chevy Colorado. It may be a bit too soon to tell about this*n but so far so good. It has everything from heated steering wheel to 4-weel drive. Ill be a while getting used to all the gadgetry and learning how to use it. But one thing I have learned from my cell phone and computers, NEVER PUSH ANY BUTTON UNTIL YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE NEXT. Living and learning....
My most reliable was a Schwinn Bicycle.
Oil the chain and pedal on.
Occasional flat tire.
Bekeart
Oil the chain and pedal on.
Occasional flat tire.
Bekeart
Echo154
Member
My wife's Kia Borrego.
Bought it with around 50k on the odo in 2012
It now has 190k on the clock.
In that time I have replaced the plugs twice, replaced a set of tires, replaced a front driveline (a non-replaceable u-joint wore out), had the AC compressor replaced, replaced the brake pads once (they still had at least 10k worth of life left in them) and replaced an alternator that a weak/dying battery killed by overworking it.
Not counting oil & filter changes, all totaled, about $2,000 worth of repairs/parts invested, in over 13 years and 140k miles. And $800 of that was the AC repair.
It still runs good, looks good, and the interior is still pretty nice.
But we're going to be replacing it soon, almost certainly with another Kia. We're looking really hard at the 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid. At ~$30 they look like a pretty good buy and if it holds up as well as the Borrego did when we replace it, that will probably be the last vehicle we'll ever need to buy.
Bought it with around 50k on the odo in 2012
It now has 190k on the clock.
In that time I have replaced the plugs twice, replaced a set of tires, replaced a front driveline (a non-replaceable u-joint wore out), had the AC compressor replaced, replaced the brake pads once (they still had at least 10k worth of life left in them) and replaced an alternator that a weak/dying battery killed by overworking it.
Not counting oil & filter changes, all totaled, about $2,000 worth of repairs/parts invested, in over 13 years and 140k miles. And $800 of that was the AC repair.
It still runs good, looks good, and the interior is still pretty nice.
But we're going to be replacing it soon, almost certainly with another Kia. We're looking really hard at the 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid. At ~$30 they look like a pretty good buy and if it holds up as well as the Borrego did when we replace it, that will probably be the last vehicle we'll ever need to buy.
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My '98 Corvette.
The only major repairs have been an A/C compressor and a clutch.
otherwise just regular maintenance.
The other end of the spectrum: My '97 Tahoe (just off the top of my head)
Transmission
4 fuel pumps
4 water pumps
3 alternators
oil lines
brake lines
cracked transfer case for 4 wheel drive system
radiator
rear axle seals
fuse box
hvac control
electric window motors
But I keep fixing it because it has a some redeeming features:
It's the first brand new vehicle I ever bought, and it's mine.
Mostly rust free
Everything works
It really annoys the environmentalists.
The only major repairs have been an A/C compressor and a clutch.
otherwise just regular maintenance.
The other end of the spectrum: My '97 Tahoe (just off the top of my head)
Transmission
4 fuel pumps
4 water pumps
3 alternators
oil lines
brake lines
cracked transfer case for 4 wheel drive system
radiator
rear axle seals
fuse box
hvac control
electric window motors
But I keep fixing it because it has a some redeeming features:
It's the first brand new vehicle I ever bought, and it's mine.
Mostly rust free
Everything works
It really annoys the environmentalists.
LVSteve
Member
...and I thought my '96 Firebird was the perfect example of "General Maintenance".
Dumped my 2001 Tahoe in 2005 when it started developing the Vortec rattles.
