30th Jun 2012, 17:12
My most longest-lived vehicle was a VW, a 1987 Jetta GLS - that ran great for 228,000 before it ran into injector issues, which would have been far more expensive to fix than the car was worth at the time.
Next was a Jeep Wrangler, which easily reached approximately 150,000, and appears to have another 150,000 in it anyway.
Then came a 1990 Geo Prizm, which was running like new at over 120k when totaled by an 18 wheeler.
I'm sure many of my other vehicles (both imports & domestics) would have reached 200,000 miles or more had I kept them. I really don't see a big difference in reliability & longevity - although I do believe the old YJ Wranglers equipped with the 4.0 liter inline six are built to last a long, long, time.
2nd Jul 2012, 10:21
High mileage isn't always a great recommendation. How much were the repairs to achieve that claim? I had a Mercedes turbo diesel (highest bill was 5k for A/C) and a Durango; both over 300,000 miles. Those 2 ran great, but it would have perhaps been wiser to buy new instead of the repairs. You can keep many cars going and going if you keep throwing money at them along the way. My imports I had from Japan got expensive as an average at the 100,000 mile mark with A/C repairs, front end work, clutches, timing belts, heater cores, power sunroof failure as an idea. The depreciation I also found to be a big factor. I think flipping at 60-70,000 miles is better to avoid the timing belt and upcoming repairs as a good move. At least that's my thoughts.
2nd Jul 2012, 12:22
And again - an overly-generalized statement about "Imports" adds nothing to a debate, since that term is too broad. If we're talking actual brands and models, that's one thing. If we're talking brands, then again - check the facts, and clearly brands like Toyota, Subaru, and Honda are all at the top of the list in regards to overall long-term reliability. That's all I need to know.
3rd Jul 2012, 15:57
The imports purchased new were Honda Accords and Toyotas Celicas, and later a Camry to be specific.
3rd Jul 2012, 19:40
It's amazing how people come up with such odd ideas. Just how can the most recalled cars to ever be built (Toyota) be remotely considered one of the "best" cars? Very strange reasoning.
4th Jul 2012, 13:41
Would you care to divulge who have the 2nd most recalls? The 3rd? I tend to doubt that you would, as it might take some steam out of your argument.
7th Jul 2012, 21:18
Up until the U.S. government forced Toyota to start recalling vehicles for serious safety defects, Japanese car companies, unlike domestic car makers, did not issue voluntary, non-safety related recalls. Since Ford, GM and Chrysler have always issued recalls for ANY defect (safety related or not), they naturally had more than Japanese car makers, simply because Japanese car makers refused to issue any recalls unless forced to by law. All of Toyotas recalls involve very serious safety issues. That makes quite a difference. Recalling a car for a loose trim piece is one thing, but having to be FORCED to recall a car because it can easily kill you, is a totally different thing.
8th Jul 2012, 19:02
With all due respect, your reply is a not accurate.
Go take a look at what the major recalls were for, from let's just say Ford for example - I tend to doubt they are for loose trim pieces.
I would strongly suggest attorneys for the company or companies that are continuously libeled on this site should wake up and put a stop to this smear campaign.
I believe those posting such untruths designed to hurt the business of certain corporations should be held accountable for their actions.
9th Jul 2012, 15:48
I had a recall for a seat belt buckle on my SUV. I also had a recall on my Corvette for the steering wheel lock as well. I have the finished campaign recall sticker under the hood indicating it was done. Not every recall is major. I know my recalls were accurate and cost zero, so it's not like a smear.
9th Jul 2012, 20:54
It' s hardly liable to point out facts that have been reported in every major media outlet in the U.S. It has been just over two years I believe since a U.S. Federal Grand Jury issued not one, not two, but THREE subpoenas to Toyota for violating the trust of its customers. The result of these subpoenas was the recall of more cars than some car companies have made in their entire history. And these recalls were for potentially life-threatening problems.
As for voluntary, non-safety related recalls, our 7-year-old Ford was recalled at over 100,000 miles for a possibly defective ignition part and a piece of interior trim that could warp in the Sun (I had had neither problem, I ignored the trim recall and had Ford replace the ignition part at no cost). Our new GM vehicle was recalled because a tail light bulb might work loose (it hadn't and the dealer fixed it at a routine servicing). Obviously none of these problems were remotely life-threatening, yet the manufacturers voluntarily recalled and repaired them. In the case of the Ford, it was long after the warranty had expired.
Yes, since forced to by law, Japanese car makers are showing much more concern for their customers. And well they should.
10th Jul 2012, 10:22
Look - the same anti-import comment have been being made on sites like these for years. Anything is said to try and refute fact and logic, to try and "prove" that imports are bad and everything domestic is perfect in every way. These are far from being legitimate debates. Leave it be.
11th Jul 2012, 10:55
Not all imports are bad. The new Mazda 3 and Mazda 6, which my family have recently bought, are great. So are the new Fords. I have a 2010 Edge SEL with 62,000 miles, which is a company car. Passed on the Corolla and the Civic over design, cost for limited features and service concerns.
11th Jul 2012, 23:19
I'm not an import-basher at all, and in fact even like most of them. However, we've been buying GM cars since the early 80's, and have not had any real problems besides maintenance and normal wear/tear issues. The cost of ownership, besides the actual car payment, insurance, and gas, has been very low. And we always keep our cars until 150,000 miles or so; sometimes a lot more.
Regretfully, whenever anyone on this site praises a "domestic" car, invariably they are labelled as anti-imports. And I have to admit, vice versa as well. It would be nice if we could just talk about the cars, and cut it out with the nonsense generalizations. Both crowds, "import" lovers and "domestic" lovers, are just vicious about it... what I'm wondering is: for what reason? Do you own a bunch of Toyota or Chevy stock, or what? Because I cannot see how people can be so blindly loyal to these companies as to passionately defend all of their products to the death. Preference is one thing, but worship is another.
30th Jun 2012, 10:46
I soured on imports when my Acura TL lost its first trans at 28000 miles. The car was 34k. Now I actually have praise for the new Mazda 6, but it took a few years to like any import again as well.