Faults:

Front wheel bearings, control arms, 12 volt battery, struts, angle sensor, coil on plug, erroneous temp warning for the hybrid trans unit from the service system, but real time readings are fine.

The rear hatch door & window no longer release and have been bypassed to get them open manually now.

The driver power lock failed after so much use & miles like the rear hatch.

General Comments:

I purchased this vehicle for delivery services. Did some Uber at first and was good for that. Great for all other sorts of delivery services when you're waiting between orders. Instead of wasting gas idling while cooling or heating your car during various seasons, the hybrid system silently sits there waiting to turn on either system to equalize the temperature for running for 5 or 10 minutes. No traditional starter exists so that's not going to wear out from hundreds of vehicle starts a week.

I've had a couple of rounds of suspension parts of normal wear and tear. But apparently hit the upper limits of usability of some of the door locks as they begin to malfunction after 275K. I did have a period of time where the steering angle sensor and brake boost did not working correctly. That means I would lose power steering and braking. They worked but they were manual at that point. I could reset the steering issue by turning off the vehicle and restarting it with the wheel turned to the side so a different part of the sensor was active on startup. That usually worked. Surprisingly the brake and steering corrected themselves after a month of driving with those issues. I haven't had a problem in 50,000 miles and never replaced any parts.

For cheapness of operation and reliability it is beaten out my previous favorite vehicle, the Pontiac Vibe. From my understanding the engine comes out of the Mazda department and since it's a second generation hybrid, they worked out a lot of the kinks that they had in the first.

Faults:

Typical suspension wear every 100,000 miles, coil on plug & oxygen sensor. Service light is frequently on after 150K miles complaining about one of the temp sensors in the hybrid transmission. Actual live readings are fine & seems to be a common problem without an answer.

Cracked rear drivetrain mount. Driver's seat broke. Common rust at the rear wheel wells occurred early.

General Comments:

If I'm not mistaken the engine is based off of their Mazda division and paired up with their second generation hybrid drivetrain. This is the second most reliable vehicle I've ever driven. I use it for delivery work so reliability is great for keeping me working, and the hybrid system is perfect for saving on fuel and keeping the vehicle hot or cool while I sometimes catch a nap between jobs. The hybrid system starts the motor to generate some heat if needed or recharge the voltage system, or to recharge the main battery after running the electric AC for a while.

Since the gas motor is spun to life by the hybrid electric motor, I have never had to replace the starter motor since it doesn't exist. This also means the vehicle is ready to go faster than any other vehicle I've ever had with a flick of the key.

Self repairs on the brakes or struts are fairly standard and easy. As long as the coolant pump for the hybrid electronics under the hood keeps running, there's little risk of a failure in that system. Mine has run many many hours and is the real workhorse in the whole system.

Faults:

2 window regulators.

A/C condenser.

Front wheel bearings.

Windshield washer squirter motor.

Sync.

General Comments:

I really didn't want to like this car. It was purchased out of necessity. I was in a situation where I had to take what was available to me at the time, and this was it.

It's not necessarily powerful, has a lot of body roll in corners, and is frankly boring. There's nothing about the vehicle that I find exciting. However, it's by far one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned. For that, I sing its praises.

It's never had any problems that left me stranded. It hasn't had problems that were unexpected due to its mileage. Over 161,000 miles now and it's still going strong, without any signs of slowing down.