What car was unusually reliable for you?

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neoashxi@reddit

I mostly had "reliable" cars that kept on breaking down. I ended up buying one that was very renowned for all of them being affected by an engine-out factory defect, rebuilt the engine, best car I've had. Left me stranded a few times, when I bought it and the seller told me the accessory belt and pulleys were new and the pulley shattered and got entangled in the cooling fan, then a crank position sensor, then a misdiagnosed alternator, then the fuel pump went out randomly.

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kandroid96@reddit

Let me guess you have an 06-12 RAV4?

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Hour-Marketing8609@reddit

Yep.

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GhostedNRejected@reddit

2006 to 2011 rav4 by any chance?

Bought a 06 rav4 in 2016 and forgot those years were bad for engine piston rings. Mine lasted 4 years before the pistons went bad.

You had a lemon.

I've had my 04 grand prix for 20 years, and it refuses to die.

GM back then was either the most reliable or incredible platforms (GMT800, c6) or just absolute abysmal dogshit.

One thing could be guaranteed though , the interior would be terrible.

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ProfessionalNo4885@reddit

GM only rated the transmission for 280ft lbs of torque yet the motor made 323ft lbs of torque.

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TraditionalTackle1@reddit

I have a 2012 with the 300 hp engine, so far it’s been pretty good, 102k miles and going strong

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Iwantav@reddit

I’ve always wondered if it would be possible to swap in a different transmission to improve durability. GM also had the 4t80 at the time, which was used in FWD Northstar cars.

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ImReallyFuckingHigh@reddit

That body was used from 06-13 IIRC, and there were at least 5 different motors put in

The v8 in the SS (think it was an LS3?), 3.5 v6 and 3.9 v6 in the earlier years, 3.6 v6 in the later years. I’d believe there was a 3.4 v6 in there at some point too

Paramedic_Silent@reddit

I have a 2019 caravan and I let the guys at the quick oil change place change the oil. What should I look out for??

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Adm_Ozzel@reddit

The big thing is that the oil filter sits in a plastic housing to the left of the engine cover, under the air intake hose. It screws into a plastic piece on the bottom. It takes very little too much in the way of overtightening to crack that housing, especially a few years later when said plastic gets more brittle. It'll cause a bad oil leak on that side of the engine.

Other than that, I hear stories of impact guns on the oil drain plug, or not tightening the drain plug, or not filling the engine back up with any oil, or you name it.

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Bobbidd@reddit

my ole 2010 2.5 S altima. bought at 186k for $3k, lasted throughout college plus a few years and moving in and out of dorms 4 years in a row 4+ hour drives to 240k before cylinder 3 left the chat. i drove it like a grandma but still thats insane mileage on that car with nothing but oil brakes and tires and zero transmission issues all factory fitted

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LurkingGod259@reddit

1988 Mazda 626 sedan with manual shift. 1984 Ford Bronco II with manual shift.

Beautiful-Owl-3216@reddit

I bought a 1988 Hyundai Excel with 80,000 miles on it for $800 in 1995 or 96. Paint was already faded on it like it was sitting in a barn for 25 years.

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International-Put672@reddit

96 legacy. Bought for 1200 with 90k miles. Drove to 275k with only 2 timing belts, a clutch and oil changes.

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Tccrdj@reddit

1998 Saturn SL with the manual transmission. I paid $1200. Drove it for 8yrs. I put a set of tires, oil and filter changes, basic maintenance, and a $20 shift linkage bushing in it during that entire time. I got 38-40mpg. That car saved me so much money.

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Bad_Homeowner_2000@reddit

2007 FJ Cruiser. Owned it 12 years, 225k miles. Cost me maybe $2,000 in repairs over that time. All that went wrong was an alternator, stuck brake caliper, power steering line (road debris punctured it), two batteries, a cracked windshield (insurance mostly covered that cost). In addition, only three sets of tires. I treated that car very poorly and it was very kind to me.

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KlutzyText@reddit

The Chevy cobalt was actually a very reliable and durable car. The 2.2 ecotec and 4T45e transmission were bullet proof. The worst part about those cars were the countless suspension problems. The suffered from clunking noises frequently, the lower control arm bushings always go bad, and the steering column could develop noise due to the use of plastic parts in the column.

This is unusually reliable?

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CarCounsel@reddit

Possibly. But our other E46s and E39 have been even more so. We are gentle on them until we aren’t.

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leelo84@reddit

I have a 2013 Nissan Altima with 237k miles and it's still going. No major repairs.

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sir_thatguy@reddit

Altimas get a bad wrap. I don’t know if it’s their price point or what but the typical Altima driver is what gives the Altima a bad name.

I’ve seen some really beat the fuck up Altimas still driving around like it’s no big deal. Which is a testament to their reliability not a reflection of their build quality.

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XZ2V@reddit

Unfortunately for me it’s those old CVTs. I had an 09 up until summer of last year with about 106k miles on it. The transmission started overheating and eventually kicked the bed towards the end of summer.

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verymuchbad@reddit

Kicked the bed! I love it

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badcatjack@reddit

Datsun B210

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Hostificus@reddit

2004 Audi TT VR6. I got it at 78k. Owned it for ~20k miles and in that time:

Valvetronics for the DTC replaced
K1 & K2 clutches burned out
Alternator burned out
Power Steering Pump blew
Haldex module burned out on the rear differential and was FWD til I replaced the whole differential
Tail light buss bar got water in it, new taillights
Timing chain sounded like marbles
New thermostat, still overheated
Flex pipe on exhaust manifold snapped

Latevladiator351@reddit

1998 BMW 328i. Transmission shifted a lil rough, and it was definitely in the "Shitbox" category. Had a CEL on. Drove it for 3 years and the only issues I ever had were replacing the radiator (Neck snapped off) replacing a coolant hose, and replacing a coolant reservoir, all cooling system stuff that had just broken down from 25+ years of use. I sold it about 8 moths ago and kept in touch with the owner and it's still running with all it's flaws lol

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Efficient_Field4700@reddit

2015 jeep Cherokee sport Worst year for that car and a shitty 9 speed Somehow have had very little outside basic maintenance. At 150k and going strong

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Psychological_Wash47@reddit

1973 Chevy Vega!

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doomus_rlc@reddit

Not sure on the reputation, but my 2010 Chevy Colorado with the 5 cylinder engine is at 170k so far. Most miles any vehicle in my immediate family has put on a vehicle, as my dad never put more than 100k on a vehicle and my 2007 Mustang V6 had 145k on it when I sold it.

Dad owned this truck initially, I bought it from him at 70k.

1991 Alfa Romeo Spider.

1991 Ford Explorer

2005 Chevy Suburban

kickasstimus@reddit

2008 Range Rover Sport.

It was, by far, the most reliable and problem free car I owned.

Never in the shop. Always fired up. Not a single glitch other one time on a cold day when the entertainment system went nuts. A restart fixed it.

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pingnohpong@reddit

Drum brakes on an ‘07, good Lordy lord.

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banana2785@reddit

2006 pontiac g6

Has 307k on it. Besides wear and tear, only major thing was 1st gear went around 210k. Was pretty cheap for rebuild.

71 maverick 3spd manual. Inline 6. When I bought it in 1981 it didn’t have much in the way of floor boards, the steering wheel came off on my way home, and basically all the rubber bushings in the front end were rotted away.

I pounded a sheet of 3/16 aluminum into the shape of the floorboard and riveted in place. Put the steering back on (properly), and drove it. It had a bit of a miss, so did a compression test to find out that #6 didn’t have rings. So I guess it was actually inline 5? I drove it that way for 3 years. It’d hit 105-110, and actually smoothed out above 70 or so. I traded it for a leather jacket when my sister sold me her Mazda GLC.

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caddiemike@reddit

95 Toyota Camry 350,000 miles and running. 3 timing belts in that time.

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Spud8000@reddit

lexus rx350

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CorporalVoytek2@reddit

I had one, didn’t love driving it, and it would not die.

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Live_Yesterday8100@reddit

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None. I’m old and everything with wheelers has given me trouble in varying degrees. That said, the worst either let me sit on the side of the road or needed transmission rebuild.

So. Of the ones that didn’t need major repairs and I had for at least 60k miles I would say the best was a 1992 Mazda Protege. Drove in and out of Chicago every day for 3 years with only some minor problems. 4 banger, 5 speed was reliable and very fuel efficient.

Down side was cheap plastic trim, a thermostat that stuck open one winter and a difficult heat control valve.

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pizzaboyskates@reddit

A 2008 mazdaspeed 3 I bought pretty modded with unknown history. Been nearly 50k miles with essentially no issues it's at 200k now

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Honda City 2011 and Honda Pilot 2006. Toyota Corolla 2012 was really reliable

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thranetrain@reddit

2009 Hyundai Accent hatchback. Have had it since 2012, wife got it with 40k miles on it. She has a newish toyota now and I daily it to save on gas instead of my 6.0 chevy. About to hit 200k miles in a few weeks

Honda Civic went 260k miles with little cost. Then bought two more. Never any issues.

And surprisingly 2012 Mercedes 350 sport. Still with the thunk bank vault closing doors and feels totally solid all over. 104k miles. Very few problems. I hear that’s changed for Mercedes though.

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Enough-Refuse-7194@reddit

I had a 95 Grand Am four door with a quad 4 and a 5-speed manual. Great acceleration for the time, never had a head issue. Ran that car HARD up to about 260k when the main bearings started going out.

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jeepsies@reddit

91 corolla

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AdRepresentative8048@reddit

That is not unusual lol

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joecoin2@reddit

1969 VW Beetle.

TangoCharliePDX@reddit

94 Geo Metro.

It went through brake discs, the left front hub had to be replaced once in both rear twice over the lifetime, but the engine would not quit. I bought it at 94K miles and sold it just shy of 300K miles.

It got to be like a Herbie movie. At one point the frame cracked while I was on the freeway and suddenly the hood came up - but only halfway. It was still attached to the latch, a central piece of the frame had broken. I had to use a ratchet strap to keep it closed, then had to have the frame welded back together.

I had an 06 Audi A8L that straight up refused to die. Lots of convenience stuff broke, but that never left me stranded.

1983 Toyota Corolla. I guess that’s not unusual though.

My 1999 wrangler was ultra reliable, and very simple. I could replace almost any part myself, and I was not super knowledgeable at the time. Had it for 16 years, wish I never sold it.

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Existing_Fig4676@reddit

Rusted e36 tds, e46 316ti, 2001 crv, 1999 Saab 93 and currently a 2012 citroen diesel. Everything I had was the cheapest example I could find, high mileage then tuned, lowered and put on big wheels by me. Never been stranded, never sold a car because I couldn’t fix it.

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Red91B20@reddit

2015 dodge journey that my daughter now has. Got it with 60k in 2019 it has 135k on it now

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get_ephd@reddit

2016 dodge dart my girlfriend bought. Millions of bad stories about the 2.4l multiair.

Dudeus-Maximus@reddit

01 Land Rover Disco2.

I think I got the only rover that doesn’t leak anything and the things a tank. It just keeps going and going. It’s in better condition now than when I bought it in 2013 and I expect to I own it until I die.

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lilbearpie@reddit

94 Dodge Caravan LX, POS when I got it but never had to put money into it and drove it for 4 years

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KiraDog0828@reddit

2002 Toyota Sequoia (other than the poorly designed 3rd row seat mechanism)

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ottrocity@reddit

Sold my first SVT Focus with 220,000 miles on it. Original clutch. It was my first car: the car I learned to heel-toe in; the car I learned how to drift in the snow and bounce of curbs in; the car I jumped the most railroad tracks in; the car I would huck around on dirt roads pretending to be Colin McRae in; the first car I camped in; the first car I learned how to do brakes, spark plugs, VVT solenoids, coils, wires, intake runner maintenance, suspension, detailing on...

I miss that thing.

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Defiant-Revolution11@reddit

2002 Saab 9-3 SE. It's closing in on 200k miles. Bought with 109k for $1400 because the tops wasn't working properly. I've done a lot of work on it over the 8 years I've owned but the only time I was ever left stranded was when my fuel pump went out. Love/hate this car so much lmaoo.

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BitPoet@reddit

'84 F150. The thing was a shitheap and I got it for like $500. It had been used as a construction truck. I got it in the late 90s, and it had 0 problems for the years I owned it. I did upgrade the radio, since it only had one awful speaker and only got AM.

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D347HKN1GH7@reddit

2001 Mitsubishi Challenger. initially bought it as a bunky, thrashed the living shit out of it, jumped it, submarined it, drifted it into a tree and snapped an axle, and its still spot on 8 years later. all the power windows, boot, lights, 4wd, diffs, box, everything. liked it so much i got a spare one, someone had left it in a paddock for over 10 years (apparently) under a tree, non runner. said it stopped on the freeway one day and they towed it home and left it. out of curiosity decided to see if it ran. slight diagnosis later, replace the fuel pump and clean the tank, clean up the starter motor brushes, and throw some fuel in. brumm, fires right up. no way im thinkin. no misfires, only a slight blue smoke out the rear for the first few minutes. sealed the deal and took it for a bash down the local plantation. smashed some mud, climbs, soft sand, hell even the 4wd worked spot on. blew my mind, as i have a nissan thats been sitting under a cover for 4 years, in a garage, and every time i pull the cover off something new on it is miraculously broken. last year it was the brake light switch. year before 2 injectors. year b4 that coolant leak. i wonder what broke this year.

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Adventurous_Cloud_20@reddit

Unusually reliable for the whole family was our 1982 Oldsmobile Regency 98 two door, DIESEL.

2020 Tesla Model 3. Owned it for almost five years and all it required were two tire rotations done by Tesla in my driveway. The only trip to the service center was due to a tire dealer messing with the pressure monitor when a replacing a tire.

If Musk wasn't a billionaire fascist asshole, I'd probably still own the car.

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PayPsychological9347@reddit

1985 Chevy Citation II.

Lifted to me with 175,000 miles.

Transmission started to not downshift well at ...229,000 miles. Still drivable.

Maintenance: Battery, Tires, maybe (?) an oil change.

I've had two cars that I really would praise:

My 1996 Ford Aspire and my 2020 Nissan Leaf SL Plus.

Neither is every going to win awards from a motorhead, both have things that you really have to live with, but, in their way, both way overperformed vs expectations.

The Aspire we got was wrecked, and my dad rebuilt the front end. Parts were cheap, the "Eggmobile" soon rose from the ashes and put in a calm and orderly 100,000 miles for him without trouble, then was handed to me. At that point, the little KIA engine did burn some oil, so Dad began the process of sourcing a second, dirt-cheap wrecked Aspire. In one weekend, in our home shed, we swapped the engine for one much lower in mileage, and it lasted another 100,000 miles. Literally, the car, with cheap, cheap maintenance outlasted its own headlight wires, which burned out and were swapped, again, very cheaply. Also, the car had GREAT sightlines, something I miss about cars compared with today.

It wasn't fast, but it never needed to be. It "just" worked. It was A Car, prototypically.

The LEAF...oh man, the LEAF. It's the first new car I've ever bought, and at the time, in our location, it was the best $/Electric Range deal on the market, with the best Level 1 at-home-charging performance. So, it was the perfect commuter car. In the 5 years since purchasing, there have been 0 mechanical problems, 0 electrical problems, the battery has outperformed expected wear and range loss, the performance of hauling around my children and the occasional home improvement haul in the hatch have been great, it's quiet, it's comfortable, it still has gosh-darned buttons and knobs instead of touchscreen-everything, and the auto-braking has saved me one fender-bender accident. All things considered, while dear lord I wished it had a CCS port instead of the accursed CHAdeMO, it's been so, so good.

I like to reverse calculate its miles per gallon based on the price of gas and the price of my electricity, and I've seen times when it's performing fuel-expense-wise as if it got 250 miles per gallon of gasoline.

I test drove Nissan's other electric vehicle, the Ariya to see if I thought an upgrade would make any sense, and really, looking at it, no. The ARIYA is a lateral move from the LEAF. I mean, getting CCS would be handy, but I use L3 charging so rarely that it barely matters. The LEAF's mechanical simplicity in having an air-cooled battery is just not seen as the feature that it absolutely is.

(I totally get why water-cooled batteries have become the standard, though)

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Rapom613@reddit

Nearly every European car I’ve ever owned. Had an E46 bmw I drove to 250k miles before selling, had a Jaguar XF that was flawless, a VW Jetta that I drove to the scrap yard at over 400k, have had an Audi S8 for 4 years and almost 70k (120k now) that has had zero unscheduled repairs. Wife has an Audi Q5 she’s owned since 15k (130k now) and has only needed a PCV replaced

On the flip side nearly every Asian car I’ve ever owned has left me on the side of the road multiple times (3 Hondas, a Toyota, and a Mitsubishi)

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Meetloafandtaters@reddit

I had a 2001 Chevy Lumina. I bought it at 158,000 miles and made a few repairs. I drove that car until 297,000 miles, at which point the engine started using oil. So I rebuilt the engine myself. And drove it to 340,000 miles.

By then I had owned the car for 15 years and it was getting pretty rusty. Still ran fine, interior was still good, everything still worked. Still reliable enough to drive it across the country. But I was finally tired of it and wanted something else, so I sold it.

I paid $2600 for that car from a fleet auction. Got an $1100 rebate for hail damage. Spent $950 rebuilding the engine. And sold it for $1700. So setting aside ordinary maintenance & repairs, I got 15 years and 182,000 miles out of that car for $750.

1963 Dodge Dart. Made it to 163,000 miles without a single trip to a mechanic. Not even for an oil change, brake repair or tire. Prior owner and myself did maint our selves. Tires, oil, brake pads.

It was totaled in a 60 mph tbone but it kept running. Then hit a Pole head on kept running. It was then stolen, and dumped I found it in woods with broken windows drove it out.

My brother and I called junk for morning and tried to total it for good. Drove it around smashing into things and finally hit a high curb at 40 mph thar pulled engine motor mount and cracked tranny lines and radiator. We took it in highway at 70 mph home with wipers on as tranny and radiator fluid spraying and it made it home. Tow truck came in morning and he was I don’t know if o can back flatbed into that driveway, can you guys push it out.

My brother goes let’s see if it starts. Tow truck driver goes no way. Brother turns key starts right up like a brand new car and it was driven onto flat bed under own power.

It refused to die.

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VW-MB-AMC@reddit

My main car is a stock, unrestored, beat up 1963 VW Beetle. I have been told by many people that they are incredibly unreliable, weak and unfit for daily use. But our 1963 does not seem to know about that. It starts easily and takes us where we need to go no matter how far away it is. And when something goes wrong a self taught idiot like myself can fix everything with simple tools. I must admit that the old lady is on her second transmission and third engine. But after 62 years and an X amount of previous owners I do no think that is too bad.

We also have a 1971 that rarely gives us any big problems. I have been told several times that it would need an engine rebuild after 80-100.000km, but it currently has well over 170.000km on it and is still running very good. Our friend has a 1966 that has run much more than that, which is still also running good.

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OptoSmash@reddit

almost every car my parents, sister and myself has been oddly good.

2004 f150 - bought used with 26k miles in 2006, engine died in 2013 at 90k miles. all service done, just bad year for the engine

2006 f150- dad- bought new in 2006, has 98k miles on it. regular service

2006 fusion - mom - bought new, had to junk it at 220k miles as it need 5k worth of work, but it was getting rusty

2011 camry - bought this gem with 11k miles. think it has 32k ish now.

1981 FIAT X1/9, 3 years of ownership, daily commuting etc. - never failed or had any major problems (except a failed alternator).

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Smooth-Apartment-856@reddit

2009 Jaguar XJ8.

She’s my daily driver. 170,000 miles and counting. I bought it with 73,000 miles. Biggest issue I have had with that car was the thermostat going out, and I fixed that in my garage over one weekend. Other than that, it’s been usual stuff like brakes and spark plugs that need replacing on any car of this age.

People make fun of Jaguars for being lemons, but mine has been great.

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Zech1999@reddit

My friend has a 2004 Toyota Matrix as a beater car in the winter.

He drifts the car using the handbrake, it's missing chunks from the bumper, he submerged it in mud/water so high he had to climb out the window.

His horn doesn't work, so he slams it in neutral and revs the engine into the red line anytime he needs to be heard.

He does 1 oil change a year and his tires are basically bald on it.

He did just import a replacement car that was supposed to be here in December, but he's still waiting.

He's had this matrix since 2017 and somehow it starts every single morning before he abuses it again.

The submerged in water was over a year ago now and still going strong.

He's a bit mechanically inclined though and has fixed issues that come up.

I've never heard of him being late or missing an appointment/work because of his car.

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pointlessPuta@reddit

New with 21 miles Kia Forte GT 2021 traded it at 130k and nothing went wrong at all. Only traded because I wanted a manual.

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Swamp_Donkey_7@reddit

2017 Chevy Traverse.

These cars have a terrible reputation. Bought one new and proceeded to drive it 160k miles with just fluid changes and other routine maintenance. For repairs I did one EVAP purge valve, and proactively replaced the battery one winter after a semi-sluggish start. One brake job. Two sets of tires.

Felt sad trading it in. Should have just let it ride….

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Poil336@reddit

The 3.6 in general was basically fixed after about 2015 but it's had a hard time beating it's early, and deserved, reputation. The current generation GM 3.6 has a completely redesigned timing chain setup and is the most reliable engine in the fleet

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Swamp_Donkey_7@reddit

I think one of the biggest issue with the first gen’s was the torque converter and trans. Always read about lots of folks having issues with converter shudder.

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i_imagine@reddit

Same here. My dad had a 2013 Traverse that he took from 170k km to over 300k km in a few years. Gave it to me and I used it as a daily for a few months before we sold it cuz I drove in the city so gas mileage was worse.

My wife’s Jeep Wrangler is 34 years old and runs like a champ. We’ve had it for over 25 years and it’s held up remarkably well.

I also have a Jaguar XJ6 I’ve had for 14 years and it’s now 32 years old and while it’s needed repairs nothing more than any luxury car would need with that amount of time and mileage…225,000 miles.

Far from the hair or story people said.

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Keep_Plano_Corporate@reddit

My wife’s Jeep Wrangler is 34 years old and runs like a champ. We’ve had it for over 25 years and it’s held up remarkably well.

Contour: Timing Job, multiple engine mounts, struts and shocks, full brakes all around with issues. Wheel hubs. Bought it at 118k and sold it at 205k

I’m telling you, they both and sounded good and within a few weeks, your like what’s that noise and it leads you to a mess.

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brabson1@reddit

Had a 05 f350 diesel. Notoriously junk. Bought with 150k on it for 10k. Never spent a dollar on it other than maintenance.

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hickernut123@reddit

2001 Chevy 1500. Thing was a rusty piece of shit with no muffler and suspension was shot. I fucking loved that truck just having something you could beat the shit out of and it'd start every morning for work. Now I have a 2023 Chevy 1500 diesel I don't like parking near anybody.

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tdacct@reddit

I lucked out twice.

First a first gen Mitsubishi Outlander AWD, back when it was built on the evo platform. Had that for 8yrs of IL winter. Snow/ice tires in the winter and that Awd was unphased climbing ice covered hills and pushing through 12" of snow. Other than replacing worn out spark plugs, I dont recall having to do a single major repair on thar crossover, and the interior held up great.

Second was a 2012 Nissan Quest with the CVT and 3.5L engine for another 8-9years. That CVT held up great, passing power was always surprisingly good for such a heavy vehicle. So many family road trips. Even towed like 3000lbs of boat+trailer several times. Transmission handled it like a champ. But this car did have a few middle level issues. AC compressor failure at one point, radiator failure soon after the ac repair, and a front sunroof leak that plagued the car for years. The leather front seat also completely wore out.

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Careful-Highway-6896@reddit

1988 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. I got it with 120k miles when I was 19. I put that car through hell, and it never quit on me. I wasn't good to that car, but it was good to me. I sold to my uncle when I moved, and he wrecked it. I still miss that car.

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gabecurran09@reddit

saab 9-3 however i do have a specialist garage about ten minutes from my house full of parts

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General_Paramedic_19@reddit

My mother in law's old 2001 chevy venture. It had 234k on it when she finally got rid of if for a failed transmission. Funny thing is she drives 30+ miles on the highway for her commute to work.

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Hsv_me_256@reddit

2001 Saturn L. 5 speed. Had to get brakes and a battery every few years. The engine you had to add oil to it but it never burned it and never leaked. Changed 1 water pump and that was it. Traded her in with 280k miles on it

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7Due-Log2376@reddit

Renauly megane berline. Everyone bashesnon renault for bad quality. I drove the living sh1t out of that car for 400k+ kms. Never had issues up until 450ish kms. And maintenance was around 200-400 a year.

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02 Ford Taurus wagon. A battery, brakes, I had to replace the factory radio for $20 from the boneyard. The radio swap took literally 3 minutes. What a great design. Air went out, then the heat (didn't fix). When I needed a tire, I found new ones by the dozens already mounted on the same rims for $30. Underbody rust got so bad they wouldn't put it on the lift. Lower ball joint was the nail in the coffin. $2800, drove it 8 years, got 35,000 miles out of it, and the scrapper game me $400. Always started. Tranny was solid (shocker). Like a deaf, blind, three-legged dog. It wouldn't die.

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mrcafe500@reddit

I bought a second hand Audi Q7 with 200,000km on it. Shortly after the plastics in the cooling system disintegrated. Then I noticed the prolific oil leak from both rocker covers. Then the mass air flow sensor power wire went open circuit somewhere inside the dash. Then the … you know what, never mind.

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eddie_ironside@reddit

98 Civic

Yes, they have the reputation already, but as a young, broke, dumb kid, I treated that thing like it was rally car and knew no concept of "oil changes" or just about any other fluids.

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The wife drives a '14 Chevy Cruze since 8k miles, currently has like 70k, apart from a full cooling system parts this year it has been trouble free for 10 years.

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89’ VW Fox Wagon. Never maintained, absolutely thrashed that car and only fixed what I broke being stupid in it. Got it at 70k miles and gave it away with 320k Miles. Maybe changed the oil 10x if that.

86’ CRX Si - was nicer to it than the VW Above. But just barely. I swear it got 40+ mpg and was fun to drive no matter what I put it though. It eventually rusted away and water got into the ECU through a rust hole.

95’ Toyota 2wd Truck. Got it with 130k miles. Sold it with 479k miles - and it needed 2 timing chains in that time (cheap autozone parts) and still had the original clutch. Loved that truck, A/C still blew cold after all those miles.

Cheapest most abused and loyal vehicles I’ve ever had. Nothing else has compared since

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sittinginastand@reddit

Not exactly reliable for me but the next owner...I had a 1991 4runner that gave me plenty of random issues (distributor failed, steering console failed, slave cylinder fell apart, etc.) between 148k miles to 220k miles.

I had a 2005 Prius that took from about 120,000 to 245,000 miles, no major repairs and it was doing great when it got totaled by a charging elk (I slowed down to let it pass and it rammed the car).

Currently I have a 2001 Accord LX with nearly the same mileage, I've had it about three years and only repair was new plugs and distributor, and it's doing great too. It's part of a run of Accords that got recalled for transmission problems, so the current transmission probably has about half the miles of the rest of the car.

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Pettywise114@reddit

2010 ford fusion. Got it with around 30K miles. Did so many 6 hour road trips to and from LA, drove uber with it for 6-7 years full time. It was amazing!! Then one night some dumbass was doing donuts at the intersection right by my house, I happened to park the car on the corner. He crashed into it. I ran out right away but he was already gone. My trunk… well I had no trunk left. It was totaled. Sad day

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User17474902765@reddit

2002 VW GTI. Bought it with 140k miles. It was modified. Full bolt on’s and tuned. I pounded the piss out of it to 240k miles and finally sold it when I slid on an icy off ramp and slapped a curb. Destroyed the rack and pinion and it cost more than the car.

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Mental_Mixture8306@reddit

2003 Saturn Vue.

This was built when Saturn was in theory a "stand alone" company so was a bit higher on the quality scale. Later the brand merged with the rest of GM's operations, then was killed during the great recession.

Got almost 300k out of it before the winter salt got to the frame. Some things you just cant fix. I loved that car. Saturns got a lot of hate but it was pretty reliable. I have seen one or two over the past few years, but lack of parts is killing of the last of them.

LuckeeStiff@reddit

Jeep Jk 2012, EVO X and FRS all surprised me

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FanLevel4115@reddit

Astro vans. I usually run them to 400,000km for my contracting company and sell them when they get too ugly but I'd trust them on a cross country road trip. I'm on van no 3.

They are built like a 80's pickup truck (same running gear) and can tow 4000lbs stock, 5000+ with modifications and a tandem axle with brakes. They are the AK47. Crude, simple, designed to run with poor tolerances and surprisingly effective. That tolerance of poor tolerances means they just keep going even when clapped out.

2004 Ford Explorer.

It was an Eddie Bauer model with the infamous 4.0 SOHC V6 and 4WD. I bought it off my aunt who bought it when it was only 2 years old and she kept it until 2021. It only had 137k miles and I drove it to 184k miles when it was totaled by a tree that fell in the middle of the road and I couldn’t stop in time.

2007 hyundai sonata. This was the generation before they redesigned the motor and messed the car up. Bought it with 70k miles used and ran another 100k miles on it before I traded it in. Routine maintenance and the car was problem free. I regretted getting rid of it. Bought a 2014 sonata and that car was one headache after another.

It was surprisingly good on fuel for a 3800lb V8 car. EPA rated at i think 25 US MPG highway. Mine got 27 US MPG all day long and twice on sunday in warm weather cruise set at 115 km/h 70mph.

By the time I traded it I put a couple sets of front rotors and pads on it because I was warping them. It wasn't the cars fault. Had the alternator go bad, a power window motor, had to replace a control arm bushing. Might be something else I'm forgetting, but nothing major or overly expensive failed on it.

It served me well and I wish I still had it. I even drove that thing all winter on tall skinny winter tires on some ugly ass previous gen firebird wheels I painted black. It had a torsen diff and actually worked good in the snow. It was a very recoverable car in a oversteer skid in the snow.

1999 Mercury Cougar. Had damned near 390,000 km (about 250,000 miles) when it was totalled out in 2016.

Live-Obligation-2931@reddit

Bought a 1988 Ford F-150 with 300 6 cylinder and 4 speed transmission from my uncle. Truck had 17K miles. Drove it to 320K with only normal maintenance and still on the original clutch. Sold it to the son of a friend who put another 100K on before the oil pump failed.

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rauschm8@reddit

2014 Dodge Dart. AC motor blew at like 90k miles, cost me $800. Other than that I never did anything but regular maintenance.

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Tree_Weasel@reddit

2013 Ford Focus with the infamous DP6 transmission. At 154 K miles had a transmission code. Dropped the shield under the engine and it was covered in oil and transmission fluid. Rear main seal leak that never dripped on my driveway because of the wind cover. When I drained the transmission there was less than a half quart of fluid in it… and it had metal shards in the fluid that remained.

Sold it for salvage. Wasn’t the cars fault though. Can’t expect a transmission to operate with less then a quarter the recommended fluid.

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Joe_Fidanzi@reddit

1997 Honda Accord.

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earthtobobby@reddit

2005 Honda Element. I had it 19 years and 238k miles. I would have kept it longer but the drive axle fell off and even though it was a simple fix the wife said it was time.

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Concrete_Grapes@reddit

Chevy s-10, 85.

A fricken tank.

Also, 1990 Plymouth Voyager. 3.0. literally nothing ever went wrong with it. It has a timing belt, the original, snap at 200+, and, replace it in the parking lot of a motel, and went on my way. Sold it, it went over 300k. Guy rolled it. It sold at auction, someone put a windshield in it, and drove it 8 more years, idk how many miles it has, it never died.

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imgurcaptainclutch@reddit

2003? Chevy Blazer. Company car that's been rode hard and put up wet but no matter what you do it's still kicking. It was there when I started in 2014 and it's still there years after I moved on. Still rocking the electric tape over the CEL

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InfectiousPessimism@reddit (OP)

Mine had a cylinder 5 misfire that a shop couldn't find. I truly think something was wrong with the block. I miss my Blazer.

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thecaramelbandit@reddit

1998 Pontiac Grand Am with the 2.4L engine. I put 275,000 miles on it and the only time it let me down was when the fuel pump died. Never once had to open the engine or transmission. Every other part went bad eventually. I joked when I sold it that everything but the engine and transmission was under warranty from AutoZone.

Went to I think 35 states with it. I barrelled down a logging road in Maine with four kayaks on the roof and three passengers in the winter. Towed a motorcycle a thousand miles. Drove through two feet of snow in New Hampshire. I had put a remote starter, backup camera, and hard-mounted GPS in it.

The thing was an absolute beast and I shed a few tears when I sold her.

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Frosty-Pay5351@reddit

Two Hyundai Elantra's, a 2006 and 2012 both sold well after 200,000km and no engine or auto trans issues. They had some quirks like burning out lights quickly and fast brake wear but they were reliable and comfortable.

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Fun_Push7168@reddit

78 Cutlass made 700k+ with the only major component replacement being a rear end.

ODTE_FGTDELIGHTS@reddit

Aren't these considered reliable with no maintenance?

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s32@reddit

For real, a wheel bearing and an injector feels like a lot of maintenace for a modern civic

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A_Random_Sidequest@reddit

well, yes... but I had other "reliable" GM and Ford that I spent triple in maintenance for less mileage still... This civic even has original coolant! still blue, still in range as it was new... and I got this car used.

I had a brand new once, and every 15k miles I had to flush all coolant... dealers said it was like that, and many other owners needed to to the same when I asked them...

it's been a real surprise a car can be This reliable and not give any headaches, even the injector and wheel bearing were minor issues as it kept running and I could have time to reach a shop days later... some cars today will not even move if a injector has problems.

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SSNs4evr@reddit

1981 Ford Escort. The 1st car I owned myself. 1.6l 4-banger, 4-speed, 69hp, and me, going through my "Dukes of Hazard" phase. The normal city driving, road trips, giving 11 friends rides regularly, reverse power-turn practice, a head-on collision with a Cadillac, the telephone pole that jumped out in front of me, and offroading resulting in a rollover on one occasion.

The damage from the rollover resulted in breaking one door mirror, a sunroof leak, and the gas gage needle fell off. As it took awhile to figure out how to read the gas gage without a needle, I ranmout of gas a few times, which resulted in driving to the gas station in 2nd and 3rd gear on the starter (neutral down hills).

The car was finally done in one night during a race from one part of town to another, where I caught so much air jumping RR tracks, I took out the windshield on a traffic light, and curled the front end under when I landed.

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Spencerm2827@reddit

My current car. 2017 Hyundai Azera. I've put on 112000 miles. It has never once been in the shop for any repairs. just maintenance, service and usual wear and tear stuff. The only thing "broken" on it is the passenger side spring that pops up the wind dam when the sun roof opens popped out and the passenger air bag light sometimes comes on when the seat is empty.

2023 Camry Hybrid. Blown direct injectors, problems with the head unit, and one wheel where the tire wouldn't hold air, even after getting my tires changed, despite the dealership running tests on both tires that had been on it and claiming there were no leaks. All of that well before I traded it in at around 30,000 miles