Do you agree that “most new cars will be good for the first 50-75k miles”?
Posted by jats82@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 116 comments
I’ve heard from a few people that if you’re buying a new car, you plan to service it at the dealer according to schedule, and you sell it as it’s hitting the 75k mile mark, you don’t need to worry too much about reliability. So for example, if you like the Volvo XC60, which doesn’t have a great reliability record, but you follow what I described above, you should be fine (while acknowledging that you can always get the one car from its batch that was poorly built).
What are your thoughts?
Gamer30168@reddit
Generally speaking yes. Watch out for CVT transmissions though...they seem to be be built for profit and disposability only.
gagnatron5000@reddit
Subaru CVTs are good to go. They've been building them a long time (since the early 90's!) and have gotten pretty good at them.
Nissan CVTs are hot garbage.
AKADriver@reddit
This is one of those funny things too where, Nissan actually developed their own toroidal CVT technology in the '90s designed for some JDM luxury sedans that worked extremely well, but for reasons of cost, scalability, whatever, never made it to the broader international market. The CVTs that they are notorious for are from an external supplier (JATCO), that also supplies other manufacturers(!), but Nissan under-spec's them for the torque and vehicle weight and doesn't specify a maintenance schedule (not that the typical Nissan buyer would follow it).
The modern generation of Subaru longitudinal CVTs doesn't share much with the old Justy CVT but is a very good lineup of transmissions. Out of everything Subaru gets blamed for the CVTs work well.
draculr@reddit
JATCO's parent company is Nissan
RipMacDre_@reddit
They had one in the 90s but didn’t start using them for all models until about the 2010s.
Fast-Wrongdoer-6075@reddit
Nissan CVTs are made by JATCO. Used by mitsubishi and nissan.
But yeah honda, toyota, and subaru all seem to have solid CVTs
Jjmills101@reddit
I mean I think this is more of a development problem than anything else. From an engineering perspective a cvt is ideal, but we just haven’t had the time and research necessary to make them as reliable as basic manual or auto transmissions.
I also don’t think we will fully get there as even non-enthusiasts kind of hate the way CVTs feel to drive
usersnamesallused@reddit
I've had a Subaru CVT for 10 years and riding in other cars that need to shift feels janky to me now. All that wasted momentum and having to worry about your power band at speed when the CVT just does that for you. I just wish that they wouldn't lock alternate gearing behind software only for the performance models as other models have alternate gearing models for snow or low traction surfaces.
gagnatron5000@reddit
I think a lot of people think they hate the way they drive, but what they actually hate is how they try and fail to emulate a traditional automatic. If only the engineers would let the CVTs be themselves, man...
Jjmills101@reddit
I had a cvt for a few years (switched to exclusively manual transmissions once I learned) and tbh some don’t feel as awful, but they all sound awful. The Honda cvt they put in the 10th gen civic had pretty nice power delivery got did it sound like nothing was going on
gagnatron5000@reddit
Some are great, yes. A good cvt should let the engine rev to the desired powerband, then steadily and smoothly gain momentum. Emphasis on smooth. The best mopeds and scooters all have CVTs for a reason. If it's done its job right, it should be as dull and unexciting as possible, almost like nothing happened at all.
MadShooterGuy72@reddit
The Civic and Corolla cvts are the exception, my civic is at 180,000km and it still drives as smooth as it did on day 1
SAEftw@reddit
The problem is that 100,000 miles is five years for most Americans, while the financing is a seven-year term. Also, credit unions won’t finance cars with over 100,000 miles.
With today’s finance terms, the car needs to last 200,000 miles to be considered reliable.
D3f1n1t3lyN0tMyAlt@reddit
Yes this is largely true. Pretty much any modern car that’s not an exotic will make it to 100k miles with good maintenance and minimal repairs. There are a few exceptions of particularly unreliable models (chrysler products mostly) so always make sure to do your research on long term reliability.
jats82@reddit (OP)
Thank you for answer! Any thoughts on the BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Volvo?
fullsends@reddit
Beemers have drastically improved their reliability while I think mercedes as decreased quite a bit. Volvo is solid and I can't speak for Audi but my impression is that it will be good, it's a VW afterall
walmarttshirt@reddit
Modern VW’s aren’t as reliable as they used to be. German cars typically are pretty reliable as long as regular maintenance is performed.
Modern VW’s have taken a hit in every reliability list I have seen.
Audi slightly less so.
I have owned many VW’s over the years but I think we will be taking a break until they turn it around.
ChrisP2333@reddit
Agree. VW and Audi actually have the highest repair and maintenance costs of any mainstream brand too. BMW and Mercedes used to be very reliable back in the 70s-90s. Unfortunately that’s no longer the case.
walmarttshirt@reddit
I agree with Mercedes but the most recent BMW’s have proven to be pretty reliable. I had a 2015 3 series and it was flawless for 3 years.
I’ve owned BMW’s VW’s and Audi’s. In my experience the BMW repairs and maintenance cost the most. Audi is a close second and VW close behind. Every time a VW needed a part it was labeled Audi and it wasn’t cheap.
Total-Composer2261@reddit
Agreed
ChrisP2333@reddit
Yeah Volvo is pretty solid. Of the Euro cars that’s the wisest choice.
jrileyy229@reddit
bimmer
Neuvirths_Glove@reddit
The problem with all those brands is that repairs and maintenance are stupidly expensive.
Deezn00ts69@reddit
BMW have improved a lot in reliability, especially in the engine department (B58 ftw).
Mercedes have fallen a lot in reliability. Anything newer than 2019 is a coin flip. Older than 2019 you're progressively getting more reliable the older you go (there's some nuance here though, this is a mostly generalized statement).
Audi is a middle ground.
Old Volvo is good but I wouldn't touch current Volvo with a 10 foot pole. Way too much going on with those cars.
For German cars you generally want to adhere to their maintenance schedule and they'll treat you well. It's still advisable to have a large emergency fund available in case they decide to be temperamental though. Also advisable to search for and develop a good relationship with a specialized euro car mechanic. You'll be saving a ton of money by getting shit done from him vs the dealership.
If this is all too much to think about, just lease the car and forget about it after the lease period is up.
acidbass32@reddit
I had a 22 m340i. Despite some stupid things like the seat heating module having some issues, and the digital dash cutting out one time in the 2 years 33k miles I had it. It was pretty good, although it seemed I needed to change tires every 10-15k miles which was a bit spendy and the dealers in my area were completely useless. Primary downside to bmw, MB, Audi and Volvo would be repairs not covered under warranty, some of those parts can get a hefty markup at the dealers and repair shops. Luckily I found a really good Indy repair place that was honest, but that seems to be rare.
climb-a-waterfall@reddit
I had an 07 335i. I got it with 40k miles, and got rid of it by the time it hit 80k because it proved unreliable and expensive. After 60k miles the water pump failed, which the dealership wanted 2.6k to replace. 10k miles after that idler pulley went taking the belt with it.
It was not that I've grown to expect from cars.
aderrick95@reddit
No they won’t make it to 75k without some work
Fit-Round-4221@reddit
If you want to show you value flash and showing off more than actual money, go right ahead. If you want something which has value for money, Toyota, Honda, Subaru are where your money is best spent.
fullsends@reddit
Subarus head gasket has left the chat
mechafishy@reddit
Cue the joke.
Why did it take so long for Subaru to release an electric vehicle.
Because the engineers couldn't figure out how to make the head gasket leak.
They're never going to live down those HG issues.
BuffaloCannabisCo@reddit
Today I learned that Volvos are "flashy."
thefriendlyhacker@reddit
A Volvo is definitely a luxury vehicle
Impressive-Crab2251@reddit
Volvo used to be affordable.
mechafishy@reddit
The others are fine, but do not buy Mercedes unless you are ready to shell out for expensive maintenance.
poopypantsmcg@reddit
IfIf those are the options and do you want reliability go Volvo
penileerosion@reddit
I have a 2019 XC90 and a 2022 S60.. not a problem with either of them. I'd recommend it as the lowest cost luxury brand..and we drive quite a bit, not a single issue so far
isthis_thing_on@reddit
My s60 had the serpentine belt slip off a pulley after I got my alternator changed. It wrapped around the crankshaft and totally destroyed my engine. I had to buy a $10,000 engine on a car with less than 80,000 MI. I hadn't even finished paying it off. Apparently this is impossible for most engines, but not Volvo! I'll never buy another Volvo.
embedgs@reddit
Yes. Lease it, don't buy it,
My BMW x3 has quite a list of troubles at 64k (5 years) - coolant leaks, waterpumps, head gasket, oil filter housing. Based on repair prices it didn't feel minimal to me.
After reading of many car forums It seems that the overall trend is opposite from that alleged "any car will be good for 100K miles", I, personally, think that this is far from the truth.
oneone94@reddit
This. Seen random cases of failure early on with any brand. Favorite one was a friend bought a brand new Nissan Pathfinder only to have the trans shit the bed on the way home. Literally 187 miles on the odometer. They unwound the deal and he went to Chevrolet for a Tahoe...that was good for the first 15k miles then had just random shit with it for 2 years until he traded in for a new Toyota. So far that's been okay up to 20k miles
cashinyourface@reddit
Keep up with maintenance and even German cars will make it to 100-150k without major problems. Anything over that can depend on the environment it's going to be driven in.
libra-love-@reddit
Stellantis has entered the chat
My_Big_Black_Hawk@reddit
…except Chrysler
SkylineFTW97@reddit
You cannot truly judge a car's quality until it's at least 10 years old IMO. Mileage doesn't matter as much as maintenance, and even racking up a ton of miles means little. Highway miles are the least taxing on your powertrain, so even doing 200k+ in 5 years means virtually nothing (I work at a Honda dealership. I've seen a few of these come in).
See how well it lasts out of warranty and on it's 2nd or 3rd owner. How well the interior and electronics hold up. How many common problems requiring major repair work happen and if there are any flaws which cause recurring breakdowns (think the PCV or thermostat failures on the Chevy turbo 1.4 as an example). If there are any chances of sudden and catastrophic engine or transmission failure (think the Kia/Hyundai Theta-II or the Ford Powershift DCT) or if there are any parts that need a shorter maintenance interval to be kept in good shape (basically all direct injected turbo 4 cylinders).
As a mechanic and DIYer, I would also evaluate how easy it is to do basic services and common repairs over time. Even if you don't plan on doing so yourself, a needlessly difficult job will mean paying your mechanic more or possibly struggling to find one willing at all. Are the fluids and filters made to be easy to access? How is access to brake and suspension components? And how many special tools do you need for each, if any jobs you can reasonably expect to have to do? I personally refuse to buy any car that I can't or don't want to work on myself for this reason and I will refuse to buy a car that fails to live up to my expectations here, even if I otherwise like it.
AyeYoThisIsSoHard@reddit
Exactly why I love 90s jeeps. Beside the fact parts are cheap as hell compared to literally any other vehicle (can legit rebuild entirely for less than $1500) it’s supremely easy to work on any of the common failures even after 20 years and in the rust belt.
I’ve drive new trucks all the time at work but would never buy one. At least several hundred for the simplest crap and a few grand for anything major, then of course it’s sitting at the dealership or shop for weeks on end because parts are on “backorder”
Knows what’s not on backorder? Literally ANY 20 year old Jeep part
SkylineFTW97@reddit
Old Jeeps are a mixed bag. On one hand, they're mechanically robust, easy to work on, and parts are extremely common. On the other, their interiors are as chintzy and fragile as they come, they're very prone to electrical issues, and they rust badly if you don't counteract it with undercoating and cleaning.
I had a 2001 XJ myself. 375,000 miles amd ran beautifully, but it had a hole in the floor (it was fixable, but I didn't have the space to fix it myself, so I sold it). The crank sensor failed as they tend to On Chryslers of that vintage, but at 375,000, I won't be so harsh on it. Also surprisingly it didn't have any death wobble. I cruised in that thing at 80 with no fear of steering shenanigans. Granted it was still sloppy (pretty sure the steering on those was sloppy from the factory).
AyeYoThisIsSoHard@reddit
Idk about the interior issue.. XJs are pretty solid given the only thin plastic is the dash bezel around the gauges. I would give that award to dodges and their cracked dashes.
I won’t argue with you on the electrical gremlins and sensors issues BUT I will say I just picked up both fuse blocks, ECM and TCM, both front door harnesses and switches, the dash switches plus radio, and all the sensors except 02s for $250 from the JY all tested and working.
That’s an insane value that’s just near impossible for any other vehicle to beat imo. Rust is really the only concern for me when it comes to them.
Sure new cars are quieter, smoother and tighter now albeit for helluva lot more dough but give them 20 years..
SkylineFTW97@reddit
Make no mistake, I did like it. If it were a stickshift, I probably would've made the time to fix the hole in the floor. My dad had a 2001 Dodge Durango (a lot of shared parts with the WJ Grand Cherokee) for many years and that was a good truck. Unfortunately rust also claimed it eventually (to be fair to Chrysler, he lived in Virginia Beach for much of the time he owned it. And it did see flooding more than once)
AyeYoThisIsSoHard@reddit
Ya know everyone always says the auto is better, stronger etc but I’ve really been itching for a 2 dr manual lately
SkylineFTW97@reddit
Mine was a 2 door. Didn't have a preference, it's just what was at the auction that day. Although it really sucks that 2 door window regulators just don't exist new anymore. Your only option if they go bad is to get them rebuilt. And the driver one in mine was going bad.
AyeYoThisIsSoHard@reddit
Yeah.. some 2 door and RHD parts are fairly niche and hard to find.
I’ve just always thought the back seat and doors are so small and I never have more than 1 passenger anyway so I pulled my rear seat out a few years ago. Almost like a truck with a topper that way lol
SkylineFTW97@reddit
Having the rear doors definitely helps with cargo. The truck I replaced it with, my 1996 Honda Passport, is a 4 door (only the Isuzu Rodeo got the Honda rebadge, not the 2 door Amigo). It's also a 5 speed, which is what I really wanted. Although there aren't as many parts by a Longshot and it's not as easy to service (the starter may be on it's way out. You can't remove it without jacking up the engine and taking the starter apart in the truck itself. It's a nightmare), but it was only $700.
AyeYoThisIsSoHard@reddit
Hard to find a drivable vehicle for $700 these days.
That is one thing I love about a lifted XJ. I never really need to break out the jack unless the wheels are coming off
SkylineFTW97@reddit
I find it easy. Picked up another runner last month for $300. A 1996 Infiniti G20 5 speed with 198k miles and trashed front seats. Runs and drives just fine, needs a suspension overhaul, some oil leaks fixed, and the rear window regulators also rebuilt.
-HELLAFELLA-@reddit
Heard, family is rolling a 2006 Hummer H3 and a 2012 Toyota Sequoia both over 200k miles currently. Both are purring like a kitten. Different times though
traditional_genius@reddit
Assuming most new cars are good upto 75k, is it then “better” to buy a car at 100k, hoping that any problems would have been discovered by then?
AyeYoThisIsSoHard@reddit
150k would be a better mark imo but it also depends heavily on the model.
Impressive-Crab2251@reddit
No manufacturers use a failure curve when designing. In order to not pay warranty they will design to say B-10 of 3600 miles (expect 10% to fail by 3600 miles) they end up paying the warranty on this. By 100k miles 50% may have failed, eventually all will wear out and fail. I believe GM designs their automatic transmissions to have a B-10 of 200k just to give you an example.
tinyman392@reddit
Also keep in mind that lots of wear items will start to deteriorate as well. So if you're buying a car with over 100k miles, you'd want to look at that too. If a person has replaced all of that, they likely aren't going to sell the car since they have already sunk a lot of cost into said car. You'd also want to see some sort of proof that the car was actually maintained.
DudeWhereIsMyDuduk@reddit
Only if there are records of work being done, the inverse of OP's point is that a lot of neglect could happen by then. Running diffs or brakes to 100K on the original fluid, yikes
Lanky-Spring6616@reddit
Yes
abrandis@reddit
This is true most modern cars can generally make it to 100k miles with regular maintenance...it's after that that the reliability issues start to appear. My rule of thumb sell your cars before 100k while they have residual value and get something with less miles...or be prepared for a steady rising maintenance bill
WAR_T0RN1226@reddit
Or buy cars that aren't unreliable and you should be good for over 200k miles with nothing but replacing wear items as needed
abrandis@reddit
That's highly unlikely, I had a 2009 Camry, , and after 125k miles here's a short list of things that failed.
Sure none of these were major repairs but all caused inconvenience and breakdowns , the water pump failing prematurely damages the engine and it's never been the same since....
So ANY car can have maintenance issues as it gets high mileage
AyeYoThisIsSoHard@reddit
90s Jeep are very commonly considered to be just broken in around the 100-150k mark. I’ve lost count of ones I’ve seen over 500k miles.
Considering a decent one is like $5k tops and you can legit rebuild/replace everything for less than $1500 how could anything beat that on a pure bang for your buck standpoint ?
WAR_T0RN1226@reddit
I guess it's a mentality and perspective thing. I'd rather deal with a high mileage car with a known reliable powertrain than play the game of dropping lots of money to replace my car every several years. And definitely helps to know your car inside and out so it's not a mystery box.
Those are mostly simple fixes that aren't requiring in depth work. The only one that often doesn't have any warning signs is the alternator and that could suddenly leave you stranded unfortunately.
thefriendlyhacker@reddit
But we live in a throw away culture, it's alright tho cause there's people like us who buy the 100k mile cars and fix them up
offensivelinebacker@reddit
Also to note, belts and gaskets are wear items, and the lifespan of both water pumps (coolant) and alternators (batteries) — both of which are understood to be around 150k — rely on regular maintenance of wear items/fluids.
My mid-2000s Toyota has only left me in a lurch when I accidentally left my lights on. Even when it needed new spark plugs, it ran rough for a while and gave me a chance to get to work. The most expensive item I've had to repair (if we're looking at anecdotes about cars like this) was the AC, and that cost around five or six payments on a similar, but newer vehicle.
Setting the bar at 100k miles seems like giving manufacturers a pass for all the added electronics, emissions, and other BS.
WAR_T0RN1226@reddit
Yep mine has 316k miles and the only times it actually wouldn't start was twice due to dead battery. I've fixed tons of stuff on it as it's needed to be done.
Impressive-Crab2251@reddit
Price a timing chain on an Audi
DudeWhereIsMyDuduk@reddit
I can think of a few exceptions - the Wrangler 4XE being one of them.
PreviousWar6568@reddit
Problem with jeeps(mostly wranglers) is people buy them and treat them like an everyday suv when they’re not made for that.
DudeWhereIsMyDuduk@reddit
FWIW, I took a daily-driven JKUR to 190K before a drunk driver saw to it to end it. It's not what I'd recommend for someone to drive daily, but if you know what you're getting into and have some money sitting around for the unexpected, it's not terrible.
jats82@reddit (OP)
What do you think of the Germans and Volvo?
isthis_thing_on@reddit
My Volvo s60 Self-Destructed at around $80,000 MI. I hadn't even finished paying it off and suddenly needed to buy a $10,000 replacement engine. Would not recommend.
DudeWhereIsMyDuduk@reddit
Don't know enough about them, honestly. Didn't the N54 have issues in that timespan?
No-Salt-5036@reddit
N54 was pretty good up until around 100k as long as maintenance was followed properly and it wasn’t tuned by a dumbass and romped on. Water pump, thermostat, some coolant system parts and injectors were about the only issues I had on mine and that was over 100k mark. Cooling system plastics did start to get brittle at that point as well but it was a 14 year old car at that point that lived in the heat of AZ.
ImpliedSlashS@reddit
Check Consumer Reports. BMW is now reliable. Audi is below average. Merc is dead last… literally.
ChrisP2333@reddit
As long as you do the regular maintenance I think most vehicles are fine within that mileage range. Get the oil changed every 4000-5000 miles regardless of manufacturer recommendation. Get the services done at the proper intervals—usually every 10-12.5k miles. The European cars tend to be pricier for maintenance but you usually get more years of free service built in when buying new compared to US or Asian vehicles. I’d probably still buy Japanese because they retain their resale price better. What you can sell your car for when you’re done with it does matter. Good luck with whatever choice you make.
VariousClaim3610@reddit
Yes, especially as long as your not talking about driving it 2000 miles a year for 30 years- pretty much the worst car will hold up for 75k miles or more
InvertedEyechart11@reddit
It's not the first 100,000 miles, it's the second 100,000 miles.
RelationshipNo3298@reddit
Maybe on the mileage, but less likely with the brands you listed. You're also taking such a hit on depreciation that I think it would almost make more sense to lease.
n00bmax@reddit
Just get a BMW with 6 cyl B58 and you are good for 150k+. Electronics are the only risk but they are same across almost all modern cars
mach198295@reddit
I did the new car thing for many years and got tired of it. Now I buy older with low miles. I do all required maintenance mostly myself. On the plus side, no car payments. On the downside no ego boost if you want your car to rep your ego.
mmaalex@reddit
Define good? Look at JD power new car problem rates, most new cars have at least one problem in the first few years. Some brands are much worse than others (Looking at you Stellantis)
SupermarketFluffy123@reddit
I’m considering starting to lease vehicles instead of looking for something to buy since they’ll be falling apart after 2-3 years and won’t be worth anything anyways. Probably not the greatest idea but I’m still thinking about it
Just_Schedule_8189@reddit
If you maintain them… most will be. Random lemons happen on all brands.
PlanetExcellent@reddit
Since the price of mechanic labor is the same whether it’s a Honda or a Mercedes, I also consider the cost of parts. I had a water pump replaced on a Camry and the part cost about $60 I think and they had it delivered in an hour; a water pump for a Jaguar XJ6 was $600 and had to be shipped from the UK. And this was not a classic car or anything.
mmmmmyee@reddit
$600 for a waterpump goddamn.
PlanetExcellent@reddit
Forgot the punchline: I had to replace the water pump TWICE in 5 years. Meanwhile I’ve owned 13 Toyotas and only one of them ever needed a water pump. If I ever want a fancy car I’ll buy a Lexus!
isthis_thing_on@reddit
I don't think that first sentence is accurate. It costs more to get someone to work on a European car, and often it takes longer to do basic tasks.
PlanetExcellent@reddit
I go to an independent repair shop (not a dealer) so I pay the same rate either way. But you’re right, the factory recommended time for a certain repair might be more for one car than another. Didn’t think of that.
SkylineFTW97@reddit
Also consider how easy a job it is to do. Harder jobs mean higher labor costs if you pay someone else and more pain if you do it yourself. And that's gonna vary wildly, even for cars of the same make.
For instance, a friend of mine owns multiple Benzes from the 90s and 2000s. Those are generally easy to service. He did the water pump on his mom's 2002 ML320 and it was a simple job. Plus parts are pretty common and cheap. Not a lot of people realize how cheap those older Benzes are to service if you can do it yourself.
secondrat@reddit
Volvo is now owned by a Chinese company and it doesn’t seem like the reliability is there.
Repairs might be covered under warranty, but it still sucks if your car is in the shop regularly.
Check out Consumer Reports for recent reliability data.
PatientCheetah2337@reddit
It really depends on how it was built. You can make high quality goods in China, it just depends on if you want to and invest in the correct QA and training. Also, many current SPA products were still designed in Sweden.
ex. iPhones have great build quality, but are made in China.
Despite that, I do have a higher degree of confidence in my XC90 as it was designed in Sweden and built in Sweden (Torslanda).
I'd have good confidence in a US built EX90 as well.
brickhouseboxerdog@reddit
Depends on your term good. I bought a 17 toyota im 6speed, 3 years ago 19k miles. I wanted a taste of this toyota quality and get a nice zippy economy car. I bought the car when it was cold and it's happier cold, after a few months I realized this car is a numb fat pig that is geared by a child, and the laggy dbw /tall gears suck. Nothing is technically broken but it is a pseudo lemon, last week temp dropped to 33f and I crunched every gear, it gets hot and warms up idle bogs at 400 rpmand shakes, car has 27k miles, my last standard car was an 01 dodge neon. My toyota feels like a no fun zone car a company would give employees it feels like the ecu fights the driver. I wish I would have thrown a radiator in mom's 300k grand vitara instead of giving her my impreza.
EffectiveRelief9904@reddit
Absolutely yes
MaximumStock7@reddit
Almost any new car, if maintained as recommended by the manufacture, will mechanically make it to 200k. Around 75-100k expensive things like differential gaskets and shock absorbers need to be replaced. These are parts that wear out and are replaced just like belts and breaks. It doesn't mean the car is unreliable but this is where they become "expensive to maintain." At 75k nothing major is probably due and the car still maintains decent resale so it's a reasonable time to trade in.
Annual_Pen4907@reddit
I buy my cars with 50-70k miles and they are usually very reliable for the first 100-150k miles. 200k+ is where it’s something every time you turn around.
WU5K@reddit
I'll post here as I don't see too many Benz comments, I have a 5 year old C class coupe. It's at around 90 000 kms which is about 56 000 freedom units. I've had a couple repairs done under warranty that would have cost about $4000, a check valve and a cooling system issue(engine under temp) a new battery, and I put tires on it(Also oil changes as required).
Both times I had to bring it to the dealership for the required repairs the issues were not major enough to not drive the car.
My folks have an older A4 audi convertible and it's required a new top but not too much in the way of major repairs.
I can't speak to BMW's however except from what I've researched it seems like they under report the ammount of HP the cars make which is nice but the turn signals seem to be perpetually broken.
Also I have a kia that straight blew up it's engine at a similar year. Fuck Kia...
Impressive-Crab2251@reddit
You would want to get rid of the European brands before the warranty is up if spending large amounts of money is a concern to you. I did not start having issues with my 2004 S60r until about 80k miles.
laborvspacu@reddit
Unless it's a Jeep. A Jeep wrangler was consumer reports worst rated vehicle
KeeganY_SR-UVB76@reddit
Except for Chrysler, yes.
Rongxanh88@reddit
Yes, this is generally true, but if you purposely buy a new car without carrying about long term reliability, you are also buying something that will depreciate heavily. Used Volvo XC60s are cheap for a reason. You'll pay in either maintenance or resale value.
rscottyb86@reddit
Most new cars are good for 150k plus...or they should be. Shoot...my last high miler was a Saturn that I sold at 230k miles....never touched the engine or transmission
Organic-End-9767@reddit
If you're hell bent on luxury brands, this is generally true. However there are many cars that don't adhere to that Mantra as well. Definitely do some research to find out which ones they are. It can vary greatly even within the respective manufacturers. For example, an S-Class Mercedes will cost a great deal in repairs periodically due to its complex nature as opposed to a C-Class which is widely known as being pretty reliable
CameronsTheName@reddit
It's not in the best interests of a manufacturers to be putting a replacement $5000-18,000 engine/gearbox + labour into a car they've just sold at their cost.
But it highly benefits them financially if it happens a few years out of warranty when the customer is forced to pay or buy a replacement vehicle. However, if it happens too early or too often, they won't sell as many cars.
gagnatron5000@reddit
The marques you listed will probably make it there without problem. The resale value is the concern because word has been out that a BMW with 60k is gonna be in need of repairs and it's all gonna be cash outta pocket and it ain't home be cheap. Same with Merc, same with Audi, but maybe Volvo has recovered from the damage Ford did to their reliability by now...
WonkyTribble@reddit
Used to be, go with the Toyota and just drive it till the wheels fall off. Which should be somewhere past a quarter million miles.
But that didn't make sky high profits for these motherfuckers, so here we are
series_hybrid@reddit
All companies want to impress the first owner. The factory and the dealer both pprofit.
They "hope" the first owner trades-in the vehicle on a new one on (or before) the five year loan is finished.
The dealer profits on the trade-in, and they both profit on a new vehicle bring sold as a part if that process.
However, at the ten year mark (as an example) when the owner who purchased it as a used car decides to sell before it gets any older...neither the factory or dealer profit from that third owner buying it.
This is when companies want it to break down so the first two buyers go back and again buy a new car/5-year car.
Planned obsolescence is a real thing.
ThatsASaabStory@reddit
I'd disagree.
I've known peopole who've had premium brand cars suffering big failures within warranty period.
JLR and BMW, most notably.
Look at recalls, class action lawsuits, etc. etc.
Plenty of manufacturers will sell a new car on the understanding that even if they have failures of say... the EGR cooler on the exhaust inside the warranty period, it's going to be a small enough % that they're not going to lose money.
And yeah, if you own that car, you get it fixed under warranty. Does that still count as "good" though?
CombinationBitter889@reddit
No, the industry as a whole has taken a major downturn. Toyota and Honda are the exceptions.
AnastasiusDicorus@reddit
Yes, that is true for MOST new cars. If you buy new and then trade in at 80k, you can probably buy whatever you like without any problems unless you happen to get a lemon. Toyota is for people that want cars to last for a long time and to be a long term asset that you take care of and continue to invest in to maintain, not an asset that depreciates over 5-7 years and is then ready to be unloaded on a person more desperate than you.
itsthechaw10@reddit
As others have said, a car should make it to 100k miles with minimal repairs. Should just be regular maintenance, maybe brakes, spark plugs, battery, air filters, and some fluid flushes/replacements. Nothing extreme. Routine maintenance really.
Once you get over 100k, that’s when components start to wear out, and you’ll find yourself starting to have to replace some of the bigger components like shocks, struts, starter, alternator, etc. Things that maybe have a longer lifespan, but won’t last the entire life the car without being replaced.
I think this goes for ANY car manufacturer. It’s not just the American brands or the European brands.
JCDU@reddit
Honestly any new car made since about 1990 should be good for 250k with regular servicing.
Obviously some more reliable than others - luxury/4x4 have more to go wrong than a base spec Corolla.
Grandemestizo@reddit
Yeah, pretty much.
MyBussyOnFire69@reddit
No not at all. Yes they have problems and are expensive to fix, but most aren't buying a new $50k car over a $4k repair