Has anyone done a count up of which cars crop up most commonly here? A quick scan would lead me to avoid Vauxhalls especially Vivaros, Peugeots and Volkswagens. Fords feature often too but I guess they are just about the world's most popular brand so I suppose they would.
Most unreliable cars?
- Thread starter Crickleymal
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Hi Malc
Most modern cars seem to be less reliable than those of 10 years ago and are now so complicated that there are a host more things to go wrong which are much more difficult to repair. I have run diesel Citroen XMs for many years which although not very easy to work on are very durable clocking up 300,000 miles or more. Modern Citroens seem to be much less reliable especially in the electrical department. Peugeots score much better here although the same company.
Look up 'Parkers Guide' and check out the 'readers reviews' for each car you are interested in, its very telling.
I think a lot of mechanical problems on modern cars, especially diesels, are down to the extended oil change intervals so changing the oil more frequently should pay dividends.
Peter
Most modern cars seem to be less reliable than those of 10 years ago and are now so complicated that there are a host more things to go wrong which are much more difficult to repair. I have run diesel Citroen XMs for many years which although not very easy to work on are very durable clocking up 300,000 miles or more. Modern Citroens seem to be much less reliable especially in the electrical department. Peugeots score much better here although the same company.
Look up 'Parkers Guide' and check out the 'readers reviews' for each car you are interested in, its very telling.
I think a lot of mechanical problems on modern cars, especially diesels, are down to the extended oil change intervals so changing the oil more frequently should pay dividends.
Peter
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Well the results of the 2011 JD Power survey concluded the following:
Worst car: Ford Ka
When the Ka finished bottom of last year’s JD Power survey Ford had a worthy excuse: the car had been around for almost 15 years, while the majority of its rivals were less than half its age. This year Ford has no such defence. The all-new second-generation Ka has just made its JD Power debut and, shockingly, it finished bottom of the entire survey. In fact, according to owners, the new car is even worse than the old one in some key areas. Ford’s money-saving approach of building the Ka around the same platform used by the Fiat 500 – rather than assembling one from scratch – clearly hasn’t impressed owners.
Worst manufacturer: Vauxhall
After years of hanging around in the lower third of results, Vauxhall has hit rock bottom. No wonder, when you consider it hasn’t got a single car in the survey that rates above the industry average score. Poor dealer service is noted by owners of all models, too.
Vauxhall’s newest car is its best-performing model: the Insignia is in 69th= place out of 108 cars. The worst individual result was for the Corsa, which came in a very poor 106th.
Seems entirely feasible.
Worst car: Ford Ka
When the Ka finished bottom of last year’s JD Power survey Ford had a worthy excuse: the car had been around for almost 15 years, while the majority of its rivals were less than half its age. This year Ford has no such defence. The all-new second-generation Ka has just made its JD Power debut and, shockingly, it finished bottom of the entire survey. In fact, according to owners, the new car is even worse than the old one in some key areas. Ford’s money-saving approach of building the Ka around the same platform used by the Fiat 500 – rather than assembling one from scratch – clearly hasn’t impressed owners.
Worst manufacturer: Vauxhall
After years of hanging around in the lower third of results, Vauxhall has hit rock bottom. No wonder, when you consider it hasn’t got a single car in the survey that rates above the industry average score. Poor dealer service is noted by owners of all models, too.
Vauxhall’s newest car is its best-performing model: the Insignia is in 69th= place out of 108 cars. The worst individual result was for the Corsa, which came in a very poor 106th.
Seems entirely feasible.
This could be an interesting topic but we mustn't forget that many vehicles such as Ford and Vauxhall often come onto the market as ex fleet vehicles, so they are particularly numerous, have high mileages and dubious care.
The Vauxhall Vivaro van does seem to crop up frequently though!
I can personally live with the odd glitch that maybe an inconvenience, but a vehicle that fails on the road, well thats a different story!
Diesel vehicles won't be exempt from breakdown either as they all have electronic injection control, and now have other nasties like lambda sensors.....the days of once you got your diesel going, that was it until you switched it off are long gone!
Generalising again, Japanese stuff is often tops, with French vehicles being prone to electrical glitches. You would think that the 7 year warranty from the Korean Kia would show confidence in their product and I think other manufacturers should follow suit.....but naturally the small print will probably provide an escape route for them.
John
The Vauxhall Vivaro van does seem to crop up frequently though!
I can personally live with the odd glitch that maybe an inconvenience, but a vehicle that fails on the road, well thats a different story!
Diesel vehicles won't be exempt from breakdown either as they all have electronic injection control, and now have other nasties like lambda sensors.....the days of once you got your diesel going, that was it until you switched it off are long gone!
Generalising again, Japanese stuff is often tops, with French vehicles being prone to electrical glitches. You would think that the 7 year warranty from the Korean Kia would show confidence in their product and I think other manufacturers should follow suit.....but naturally the small print will probably provide an escape route for them.
John
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One of the main problems with the Ka has been paintwork rust, unfortunately.....it sure lets down a vehicle that is keenly built to a price.
John
John
all of them and none of them,it depends on what you want from a car/van
also wether its a friday car or a monday car.
you will find through google that there is an abundance of car related forums.
but when i had my old mk1 vauxhall zafira there wasnt 1 related forum around,
i had the car 2 years and done absolutly nothing to it in that time,not even a service.only got rid as the car was to small for my family/work needs.
in the last 10 years ive had 1 petrol ford galaxy glx,the zaffy comfort tdi.a galaxy ghia tdi (vw engine) a lesux is200 navigator (mid life crisis sold after 5 mths)now got a smax titainium tdci.
yep guess i like fords,certainly like the way they drive.
also wether its a friday car or a monday car.
you will find through google that there is an abundance of car related forums.
but when i had my old mk1 vauxhall zafira there wasnt 1 related forum around,
i had the car 2 years and done absolutly nothing to it in that time,not even a service.only got rid as the car was to small for my family/work needs.
in the last 10 years ive had 1 petrol ford galaxy glx,the zaffy comfort tdi.a galaxy ghia tdi (vw engine) a lesux is200 navigator (mid life crisis sold after 5 mths)now got a smax titainium tdci.
yep guess i like fords,certainly like the way they drive.
I have had a few higher end BMW's, a couple of Mercedes', an Audi.
It makes me say to say it but an old 97 Fiesta I have had as a run around for the family for the past 12 years have been the most reliable. We have not been kind to the car but it just keep on going and going lol
I also have a Renault but its a POS, owned it form new and full of little problem. It did not even come with the a reading light bulb, I had to buy it my self!!
It makes me say to say it but an old 97 Fiesta I have had as a run around for the family for the past 12 years have been the most reliable. We have not been kind to the car but it just keep on going and going lol
I also have a Renault but its a POS, owned it form new and full of little problem. It did not even come with the a reading light bulb, I had to buy it my self!!
Parker guide forum is most telling, one forum for general car repairs and subsection for French cars with further subsections for each brand and then again for each model of each brand.
It's difficult going on number of occurences in a forum, because you need to weight it for the total number of cars out there. As an example, I haven't seen many posts about glitches with TVRs, but that wouldn't be sound evidence that they were more reliable than any of the other marques!
Also, with increasing use of shared platforms, it's quite hard to build up an accurate picture. For example, some Peugeots are buit in France, by Peugeot, but others are re-badged Toyotas and Mitsubishis. There are also "halfway" cars which might be Mitsubishis assembled in France...
Similarly, there should be absolutely no difference between (say) Renault Traffic and a Vauxhall Vivaro (both being identical vehicles, built from the same parts, by the same workforce, in the same factory, on the same production line)!
FInally, I've always felt (but never been able to know for certain) that the cost of the vehicle has something to do with it too. The owner of the top-of-the-range BMW or Merc is unlikely (at least in the couple of years that the JD Power survey covers), to skimp on servicing, use non-genuine parts, and keep it parked in the street. A much cheaper car could have to suffer all that, and it's the car that carries the reputation.
Also, with increasing use of shared platforms, it's quite hard to build up an accurate picture. For example, some Peugeots are buit in France, by Peugeot, but others are re-badged Toyotas and Mitsubishis. There are also "halfway" cars which might be Mitsubishis assembled in France...
Similarly, there should be absolutely no difference between (say) Renault Traffic and a Vauxhall Vivaro (both being identical vehicles, built from the same parts, by the same workforce, in the same factory, on the same production line)!
FInally, I've always felt (but never been able to know for certain) that the cost of the vehicle has something to do with it too. The owner of the top-of-the-range BMW or Merc is unlikely (at least in the couple of years that the JD Power survey covers), to skimp on servicing, use non-genuine parts, and keep it parked in the street. A much cheaper car could have to suffer all that, and it's the car that carries the reputation.
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Renault Meganes are the most common MOT failures...if thats your measure of reliability?
Unless... Megane owners coincidently have bad days the same day as their MOT...
Unless... Megane owners coincidently have bad days the same day as their MOT...
Rear engined Skoda's
My dad had a 130S Skoda from new (1986) until 1993 never let him down at all, he bought a Cavalier and had more problems than anything.
My daily is a 2001 325i BMW on 175k running LPG and never misses a beat (touch wood), my VW camper is a 1986 1.9 petrol on 140k and so far has only let me down because some idiot decided to not tighten the fan belt (the day I bought it).
Though, my old works 2003 Volvo FM had covered 450k and still running strong, the new 2011 Scania P has got 39k and so far hasnt let me down but the interior is already showing signs of usage
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