3rd Sep 2010, 09:41
To me it's just normal correct maintenance. I have never broken a timing belt because I have them changed per the manual by 90000 miles.
Anyone read their owners manuals? Waiting for one to stretch and break along the road is what many. do to save a buck. They wait until it breaks. Same with oil changes, filters. I did them every 4 months on my barely driven cars due to water condensation and sludge from sitting. Now I use synthetic once a year.
I change my brakes early vs chew up the rotors. In 3 years, all new brake fluid and new coolant, especially on my 2 new cars with Dexcool.
I run Startron in my fuel to address the ethanol concern. In winter I use Stabil and fill the tank with fuel to the top. I have a nice boat and do the same, as they are more prone to ethanol issues.
In spite of great care and garaging my Hondas-Acuras, we amassed serious drivetrain issues and switched entirely to GM V8s. They perform very well, and just be religiously caring for them, no more different to the many new imports we have had. Some may see that I pay more for preventative maintenance, but it's cheaper I feel than 4K for a potential trans or engine loss.
4th Sep 2010, 18:03
I agree 100%. As a car enthusiast and mechanic, ALL my cars are very meticulously cared for. In spite of the effort to head off expensive repairs, our imports proved very unreliable compared to our domestic vehicles. That's why we currently own one flawless GM and two flawless Fords. We like low-maintenance cars that we don't have to worry about expensive issues with.
6th Sep 2010, 04:56
15:24 Maybe your dad also really likes what he drives. Cars are a real personal preference. I am now an older driver myself. Personally what I like to drive far differs from my own father. My dad now likes new Lincolns. When he was younger, he had a small import 2 seater, but he's not about to buy one today. He has had a few isolated issues, but not enough for him to run out and buy a new car he just does not enjoy to drive. He likes a lot of nice features, great ride, ease of entry, and drives what he likes. If he has a major issue, he will either fix it or buy another new one, maybe a Lincoln again.
My mom drives a smaller mid size Buick domestic. She likes the driving position and the ease of getting in and out. My dad makes that comment a lot as well. They can carry their friends and grandkids with them vs. being crammed.
My mother has a very hard time getting in my SUV, truck, and it is actually easiest for them to get in my redesigned Corvette. The newer ones have a wider entry, and no longer have the drop in seating. Most of the people that buy my car average 50 or older. But my car is not for everyone as well.
I've owned a lot of new cars, import and domestic. Probably way over the average. Some may have had less repairs, but they were not as satisfying to own as others with a few more. Some shocked me with major mechanical issues, regardless of the great care I gave them.
I am not bashful with a dealer when it's repair time. The greatest way to stay ahead of repairs is at some point to own or add a garage, change you oil filter every 3-5000 miles max, and pay attention to minor issues you see and feel when you are driving. Not just let them go.
When I read reviews on here, I wonder if they maintain the routine typical maintenance things promptly. Letting an air filter for example go sucks dirt in the block, not rotating tires enough or running too low psi, etc.
My sister in law was going through flywheels, and was amazed it was due to backing up and just dropping into drive before stopping. She blamed the car. Likely on here she would say the car is not recommended.
I now use strictly synthetic oil and better filters now in everything I own. My GM from the factory uses Mobil 1. People neglecting or that put very cheap generic oil poor filtration filters and cheap generic knock off oil at the discount special places, may have earlier issues than myself. I do my own synthetic changes, mainly to make sure it gets into my cars. I change the brake fluid and flush coolant every 3 years. I change belts and hoses so they don't break and overheat the cars. I like lifetime K and N filters, and clean and lubricate them. I use them on all my vehicles, even my truck.
Washing the cars and the undercarriage helps minimize early rot. My weatherstrips and seals will likely last far longer than one that parks outside all the time.
My cars, both imports, and now domestics, look new when they are sold. So my review may slightly differ from better care and indoor protection advantages from someone else on here.
6th Sep 2010, 12:09
My dash does creek when it's very cold outside, but it isn't very loud and hardly noticeable. I think people need to keep in mind that the Camry is still quieter than most cars it competes against including the Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord. It also rides much better, the suspension is much more compliant and there is no road noise or suspension noise.
I've yet to find a more comfortable car at its price point.
6th Sep 2010, 17:48
People not thinking that supporting American business is the cause of our recession. Your father is to be commended for caring about his country.
As for build quality, no one seems to pay any attention to the most reliable ratings agencies in America. Long-term reliability and initial build quality studies have shown Ford and GM ahead of Toyota for years now. The latest figures place Toyota 21st out of 33 car makers in build quality. Ford ranks 5th (ahead of Honda). Why buy inferior Japanese cars AND hurt the U.S. economy at the same time?
2nd Sep 2010, 15:24
So going on about the isolated incidences of your poor import reliability is okay? Please, I have been driving imports and domestics for over 25 years, and the imports have always outlasted the domestic cars I've had... always and without exception. I have not known anyone that has had great luck with a domestic.
My Dad is a diehard domestic owner, and he babies all of his vehicles and they always look brand new the entire time he owns them. He has all kinds of nickle and dime repairs on anything he drives. Some of his repairs have been major as well, and he has one that is just over 100K miles and it needed $1,400 worth of repairs when it was at around 90K miles. He is driving Jeeps and Dodges right now, but has had Chevy's before, and had horrendous luck with them.
I keep trying to get him to go foreign so he can save money, but my perfect record doesn't seem to phase him, as he thinks supporting American is important. I would too if they cared enough about their customers to build high quality vehicles. Unfortunately, that is not the case, no matter what the ratings companies say. Guess if they all had to write checks for repairs, they might revise their ratings huh?