# Are most cars reliable if regular maintenance is done? Are car horror stories unfair? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2022, 3:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585 "2022-06-10T03:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/22 "2022-06-11T18:23:25Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > It wasn’t the car’s fault or a manufacturer defect. He never checked the oil, ran it out, and now the engine is toast. So, ok4450’s supposition–along with mine and probably many others–was correct. > [@ok4450](#): > > It’s been my experience that the vast majority of car problems are self inflicted no matter the make. Your young friend apparently shot himself in the foot. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/23 "2022-06-11T18:44:55Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > Car Complaints is a great website to get a general idea of cars that you should avoid I don’t agree with that . I have looked at it and just concider it as something to look at but not to actually use as a guide. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/24 "2022-06-11T18:46:34Z")
And now a new OP says their 2015 civic is running poorly. Dang, there goes great Honda myth. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/25 "2022-06-11T20:11:38Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > I am trying to help a friend right now with a car horror story. Are you replacing the engine for him? ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/26 "2022-06-11T20:12:18Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > That is immaterial to me, because I normally treat myself to a new vehicle every 10 years or so. Fair point. On the other hand, I’ve bought vehicles with more miles and/or older (and I’ve purchased new ones in the past also). It depends on your definition of reliability, I suppose. The majority of new vehicles, I think, are reliable for at least the first 100k miles or so. Probably even the ones with design flaws. I’ve personally never owned a vehicle that didn’t make it to 100k miles…but I suppose I’ve never owned a “bad design”. Even the not so great transmission in my Dodge truck made it to around 130k miles. The relatively simpler designs, like George’s truck or even a 90’s Tacoma with the 4 cylinder and manual trans (I know it has fuel injection and ABS, but still relatively simple) seem to be able to hang around like cockroaches. I’m not certain some of the direct injection, turbocharged, 10 speed equipped vehicles will be as long lasting. Doesn’t really matter to me, either. Just something I’ve thought about. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/27 "2022-06-11T20:16:34Z")
> [@Scrapyard-John](#): > > seem to be able to hang around like cockroaches Fair point… for those who want to own a cockroach. That doesn’t include me. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/28 "2022-06-11T20:21:01Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > Fair point… for those who want to own a cockroach. That doesn’t include me. > 🤔 Lol. I suppose I’ve handed a cockroach down to my son. 2005 Lesabre, 3.8 liter V6, 190k miles. We don’t seem to be able to kill it. I’m hoping my wife’s Highlander and my truck can achieve cockroach status, as I’m not real interested in buying anything else with the prices as they are. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/29 "2022-06-11T20:36:57Z")
> [@galant](#): > > I had an 89 Corolla… had an ECU controlled carburetor with quite a few solenoids that kept throwing CEL and I had to change the whole configuration of the thing to make it pass the smog test. My aftermarket repair manual (Haynes I think) for my 92 Corolla includes the shop info for that configuration. OMG! What a nightmare! Basically for any function that the ECM controlled electronic fuel injection has, diasnostic codes, computerized EGR, rich mixture boost when coolant cold, mixture adjusted by ECM diddling w/carb based on O2 sensor, brief shot of extra fuel on cold start, evap canister with purge & vent valve, etc, etc nearly the whole ball of wax – the carb’d version has all of those functions; but accomplished with an array of over-the-top gee-whiz gadgets the complexities of which I’d personally rather not experience. I presume when new they all work fine, but figuring out what’s wrong if they don’t … oh my … My parents had a Subaru from that same era, such a complicated carb that when it failed , and after several solid attempts by their mechanic to repair, their best bet was to sell their car to the mechanic, and buy a Taurus. As I recall one of the regular poster’s here, maybe @ok4450 , has some experience with those 80’s Subie engines, and some tips on dealing w/ common carb failure modes. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/30 "2022-06-11T21:58:49Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > George is– _somehow_ –convinced that all electronic “gizmos” on all cars are subject to constant, expensive breakdowns That may be overstating my opinion a little .. lol .. Electronic gizmos do cause me a good deal grief though, not only in cars. For example one computer I sometimes use has a gadget attached that allows the user-verification process (as part of the VPN authorization) to go more quickly. That gadget is unnecessary, the standard method always works fine, only takes 15-20 seconds longer. The “grief”: that gadget is easily confused and for no apparent reason will starts clicking incessantly. No way to stop the clicking except rebooting the computer. ---
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/31 "2022-06-11T22:47:44Z")
I cannot even find the parts. Odds are he will end up dumping this car for whatever he can get. He wanted to just replace some small things to see if that helps. I told him it would still cost several hundred dollars and not bring any extra value to the car since it either a parts car or project car at this point. Another friend is interested in buying it from him but cannot find parts either. He would just want to drop in a new engine and turbo and be done with it, not rebuild it and have to worry about finding parts to complete the job. Anyway, this is an example of a car horror story caused by owner neglect for sure. ---
**Author:** ![cdaquila](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cdaquila/32/18089_2.png) [@cdaquila](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cdaquila)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/32 "2022-06-11T23:08:10Z")
> [@JoeMario](#): > > Is there anything in his post that is breaking any site rules? > There is wording about criticizing others. It’s been deleted. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/33 "2022-06-12T02:06:31Z")
> [@cwatkin](#): > > I cannot even find the parts. A used engine should have all the parts needed with the exception of hoses, fluids, rear main seal etc. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/34 "2022-06-12T02:14:31Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > That is immaterial to me, because I normally treat myself to a new vehicle every 10 years or so. That is a good plan, those who buy new vehicles every ten years are not exposed to the problems that people who buy ten-year-old vehicles experience. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 4:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/35 "2022-06-12T04:10:21Z")
As much as I am OCD about over maintaining our cars, in one instance I have shot myself in the foot. That would be our 2013 Hyundai Sonata with the Theta II engine. We got it as a CPO with 20K miles on it. Knowing it was a DI engine, I changed the oil every 3500 miles with Mobil 1 synthetic even though the OM calls for longer intervals with dino oil. At around 70-80K miles it started to burn oil. But I stayed on top of it. By the time the oil burning was excessive at a qt every 400 miles, Hyundai had smarted up about their class action lawsuit and denied us a new engine claiming that the lawsuit is for bearing failure, In other words, unless you engine seizes you are not going to get a new engine. I am still hurting myself by topping the oil off every week, so at 132K miles the thing keeps going. I am sure my cat converter will go before the engine. But at least I used the current good used car market and offloaded our Tucson and Veloster with non-Hyundai products. ---
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/36 "2022-06-12T13:18:29Z")
Used engines are either as much or more money than the car is worth or the classic online scams where it is like $50 just to lure you in and get your financial information, etc. There is a pretty large salvage auto parts dealer around here that has connections with all the other big ones nationwide and ships parts. I should probably give them a call but the last time I called their used engines were MORE expensive than a factory reman Ford with a 100,000 mile warranty. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/37 "2022-06-12T13:32:10Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > Doesn’t everybody do that? I’ve pretty much always used rented cars when I’m taking a far-from-home holiday trip No, not at all. I have take many 1000+ mile trips with my own cars with 70K, 100K or 120K miles on them. These include GM, Saab (GM) and Ford vehicles. I only rent cars if I fly. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 1:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/38 "2022-06-12T13:47:45Z")
Maybe someone who tells people to avoid buying vehicles with the modern features that most people want should not admit to renting a modern vehicle with those features . ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 2:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/39 "2022-06-12T14:43:56Z")
I had to rent a car a few weeks ago while traveling. One day cost me 200 bucks. There’s no way I’m renting a car if I’m doing a road trip. That’s why I bought my car, so I wouldn’t have to spend $200 per day to drive. 😃 I think @Mustangman nailed it. A lot of vehicle reliability problems boil down to owner neglect. I know a guy who managed to kill 3 Honda Civics from the 90’s and 2000’s. These are some of the most reliable cars ever built. People have easily gone beyond 250,000 miles with them. But this guy didn’t keep up on maintenance, and would then ignore obvious problems caused by that lack of maintenance. He once warped a head because he just kept driving even though the temperature needle was pegged on H. Kept going until head gasket blew, and the root cause was a sticking thermostat. Even cars with stellar reliability as-built will die if you don’t maintain them well. On the other hand, some cars are/were garbage whether you maintained them or not. There’s an old joke that a guy walked into a parts store looking for a gas cap for a Yugo, and the clerk said “that sounds like a fair swap.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/40 "2022-06-12T15:01:25Z")
> [@ok4450](#): > > It’s been my experience that the vast majority of car problems are self inflicted no matter the make. Great summation. Totally agree. > [@shadowfax](#): > > I know a guy who managed to kill 3 Honda Civics from the 90’s and 2000’s. That took some serious lack of maintenance! > [@shadowfax](#): > > There’s an old joke that a guy walked into a parts store looking for a gas cap for a Yugo, and the clerk said “that sounds like a fair swap.” 😉 Haven’t heard that one in while! Back when Yugo’s were new, some Cadillac and Buick dealers would GIVE you a Yugo with the purchase of a new, top of the line model from their dealership! How well do you think a free, POS car was maintained? Loops back to @ok4450 's statement. ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585/41 "2022-06-12T15:48:36Z")
> [@VOLVO-V70](#): > > Maybe someone who tells people to avoid buying vehicles with the modern features that most people want should not admit to renting a modern vehicle with those features . Why? I have never rented a car, and would never rent a car unless I was travelling by airplane, and needed a car in my destination. Although there are a whole host of features which I do not like, and would not tolerate in a personal vehicle, if I am renting, I am at the mercy of what is available. A car rental company isn’t going to offer 25-30 year old cars, and I don’t expect them to. **Also, as a customer driving a rental car, I am only responsible to take “reasonable care and prudence”, such as driving it safely, not abusing it, and reporting any malfunction to the rental agency.** I am not responsible for the long-term maintenance and repairs on this vehicle, and don’t care how well the car holds up over the long-term. Additionally, I fully expect that a rental vehicle contains GPS tracking, and perhaps other security and surveillance equipment, _and that there is zero expectation of privacy while driving one._ However, I would NOT want to own a personal vehicle which contains telemetry and surveillance features, and many newer models do contain these type of features from the factory. **I value my privacy, and don’t want to be spied on while driving a car that I own.** [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-most-cars-reliable-if-regular-maintenance-is-done-are-car-horror-stories-unfair/184585.md?page=3)