I agree about manufacturer parity in drivetrain reliability. I'm old let's get that out of the way. I have owned Mazdas, Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Chevys, Fords, Nissan, Jeeps, Hyundai, Chryslers (84 Dodge KCar was one of the most reliable vehicles I owned, even if the windows wouldn't roll down). Since 1990, vehicles are 'mechanically' vastly more similar in reliability than older cars were. By that I mean drivetrain (engine, transmission, major components). That is because it is expensive for the manufacturer to fix major components under the warranty period. Where you will find a quality difference is in the 'little stuff', that breaks after three years and can become extremely expensive out of warranty, like climate control systems (which may require removing the dashboard to fix a blender motor), various sensors, power windows, power seat, etc. This is where the Japanese manufacturers have an advantage in my opinion - they use better quality small components that you aren't constantly fixing/replacing. Lease domestic, buy Japanese.
My moms 83 Plymouth Reliant was a great car, I still miss it. Roomy, great gas mileage, but had to be "tuned by ear" - would not run properly if set to specs, had to set it slightly out of specs to run correctly. Shouldn't be a big problem if CA legislators would take a flying leap --- the difference in actual pollution between the 2 settings is very minute, so why not have legislation that is common sense - have a very small fine to the consumer or the manufacturer, with money going to common-sense things to REALLY help the environment instead of the b.s.
Jon, I was a mechanic for over 35 years. When I was "new" we would get the same cars with common problems. Ford Tempo & Topez would need motor mounts. GM A-bodies would need tie-rods, springs, and shocks. We could keep an inventory of these common parts. Can't say that today's. Cars are made much better today than they have ever been. One vehicle may have a problem with a door lock and the same model the owner will never have any issues. I have a 2014 Chevy Sonic I have many little issues with it my cruise control button stopped working had to replace it and other petty things like that. Now my daughter has a Chevy Sonic she had very few problems with it same millage as mine.
People will say Hyundai has drastically improved their build quality but my 2011 Elantra at 54,000km has had it's steering column replaced twice, parking brake stopped working all the fuel lines and brake lines rotted and had to be replaced and 3 rd steering column and suspension is going bad. I don't race the car and i drive conservativly and always maintained the car well. 3000 miles fluid changes and other maintenances. You're so right cars age differently depending on the manufacturers because I also own a 2014 civic and I don't have those issues.
Competition with Japanese imports saved and improved the US auto companies. That’s why I think we should have access to Chinese cars. More competition will force American companies to give us better and less expensive EVs, if that’s what some people want. The specifications on domestic EVs from traditional auto companies are far behind anything in China. If we keep protecting these companies, the consumer gets an inferior product.
Quality has gone down over the years. My 2001 mustang and my 2004 toyota aged very differently though. The difference in attention to detail is noticeable over time.
Today's vehicles. I do believe that if you maintain them in accordance with the owners manual, you "should" have good service. Personally, we have three older Toyotas. An 04 Lexus ES330 ( my daily driver) a 11 Tacoma TRD Off Road double cab, and the wife's 15 Sienna XLE. All of them have great reliability. Yes even though they are Toyotas, things still break.
Had the EXACT same locking problem - same passenger door - on a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport. I remember a Ford mechanic telling me it was a very common reoccurring problem.
You live in a lovely neighborhood. Thank you for choosing a pleasant setting for your videos. I hope you weathered out Helene and are safe at home. Be well. Our prayers are with you.
Well i hope you are happy. I changed the oil in my 2014 Dodge Durango, glanced at the upper cowl and found the rubber windshield seal degraded even more than yours. $300 + from factory for $1,53 of molded plastic.
My experience with many models and brands has been similar. The degrading of plastics, rubbers, and glues has led me to replace several cars long before the drivetrain was worn. And that is all the cars garaged.
I have a 2008 Civic that doesn't have the issues your 2017 Explorer has. We did have to replace a couple seals a year ago, and did replace a transmission (was starting to have issues and didn't want to risk the CVT failing in a way that takes the engine with it), but still, working great.
My family used to own a 2005 sienna and I owned a 2007 Chevy impala. Both cars are very reliable in the “big” stuff like the engine and transmission. And plenty of people have even taken my impala to 200K+ miles and beyond. But the biggest thing I noticed between both cars: the Toyota has way less “little stuff” that broke on it all the time. Once my car passed 100K, I had to have all four shocks replaced, all four wheel bearings replaced, the throttle body went bad, my turn signal switch went bad, and I had to have my parking brake fixed. Meanwhile the sienna had to have new front shocks, and that’s it. Because of how insane car prices are today, I’ve taken it upon myself to learn how cars work and I’ve started fixing things on my impala myself. I went from not even knowing how many cylinders were in my car to changing all the fluids, changing the brakes and rotors, changing the spark plugs, the drive belt, and other minor maintenance that’s easy to do but gets expensive quickly. I’ve even done some suspension work as my front shocks wore out (again). This, to me, is the biggest difference between Japanese and domestic automakers. Japanese brand cars tend to “age” more gracefully over a 15 year period. But if you own your car for 10 years or less, there’s not much difference between both. I will only buy Japanese cars because I keep my cars until the die on the side of the road (typically 15-20 years). But my dad trades his car in every 5 years. For him, there isn’t much difference between a domestic and Japanese car. But for a long-time owner, the difference is huge.
Exactly right . Everytime I have repaired a personal toyota of mine the repairs have been fairly easy because only one part failed and the supporting parts are still good. Other cars it seems like once you get into a repair, everything else is broken around said part thats bad. Or everything breaks when you try to take it apart(cheap plastic) . Toyota quality extends to the small parts.
Fun fact about that Accord, it actually doesn't even have tire pressure sensors in the wheels. The vehicle uses ABS wheel speed sensors and such to determine whether the tires still have air. It works pretty well, but you have to hold the button by your left knee to re-calibrate the system if you air up, replace, or rotate your tires.
Great point (and I wish I'd thought about mentioning that in the video. I could have gone on about how that's a smarter system) because I've had that very same problem and had to press the reset button. The advantage of the more expensive and will wear out Ford option is it actually reads the pressure. Kind of a nice feature.
@@AllCarswithJon I agree that it's nice to read the actual pressure. I'd also add, Honda's SUVs use proper sensors with an expected lifespan of about 8-10 years, not all that much longer than your Ford's sensor lasted. Yet another example of parity in the car market.
@@AllCarswithJon my wife’s Lexus TPMS sensors started going bad at 12years 250000 miles. Not sure on longest life as when 3rd one went bad replaced all that were left as the repair tech time cost so much it was obvious move to just buy 3 and avoid the labor cost. I was more upset with the software engineers that (according to mechanic) didn’t include an option to just turn off responding to all the sensors as I rarely needed the TPMS system. Technically i could have just told my wife to ignore the yellow light but it took me almost a decade to make her mention warning lights and didn’t want to loose that investment!
My 98 model year (built in 97) Nissan Sentra 5 speed manual is indestructible. Has been in accidents (had the "frame" pulled), was accidently ran with no oil for a while due to a leak and also no warnings for low oil on the car.....yeah, it runs louder now, but still runs fine...i take it on long trips state to state about 20-30 times a year. It does only have 170k miles though. Nissan nowadays would not be nearly as reliable.
I believe that many car manufacturers have started using a great lot of recycled plastics. Much of these recycled materials don’t tend to age well in the sun or under constant heat cycling conditions. As my cars age (and one is approaching 20 years old and another 30 years old), I really have no issues trying out cheaper Chinese made “nonessential parts” (parts that are not crucial in getting me where I need to go), such as trim parts. Even if they are not always as good as OEM, the cost savings are usually high enough to justifying using them on a vehicle with a diminishing value.
Got 23yr old Chevy Truck w/250k * Seats/ dashboard / buttons / ac/heater All function not crackend or falling / rusting apart - etc. It been sitting in the Sun/weather all this time. Only issue is Paint Flaking Off.
I average 35k miles a year and I stopped buying new cars 24 years ago. My car choice is dictated by reliability first and appearance and driving feel second and third. Based purely on available data the logical choices come down to Honda and Toyota. I've gone with Honda/Acura and have sold my previous three commuters running strong with over 300k miles. For my most recent purchase I really wanted to buy Ford Flex because I really like the styling but all my research told me that 200k miles without major engine problems was pretty much impossible. I settled for a 2013 Accord Ex-l V6 currently sitting at 163k miles with the only unscheduled repairs having been a leaking motor mount and an oil leak from the oil filter mount. By the way Jon, Hondas and Acuras don't have tire pressure sensors. Decreased tire pressure is detected by the car by monitoring wheel rotation through the abs sensors.
@@maineiacman I prefer the handling and interior layout of Honda,/Acura cars. My wife drives an ES 350 which is a much nicer car but one that I avoid driving.
I am not going to argue with you abut Ford vs. Toyota vs. Dodge vs. Honda. I'm going to ask you a question I've wondered about for years. You say you don't garage your vehicles, yet I see a two car garage door. My neighbors all have garages and their cars sit outside all the time. My parents' neighbors do the same. My in-laws' neighbors do the same. Why? We've always kept our vehicles in the garage for three reasons. 1. Keep them out of the sun/weather as much as possible to help them last longer. 2. So we don't have to walk out in the weather or unload groceries in the rain. 3. Would be theives can't tell if you are home or not. I know a lot of people use them for storage, but I'd rather keep a $45,000 car in the garage over $500 worth of stuff I'm likely not going to ever use again.
Some people use their garage for woodworking projects, motorcycles, storage and etc. 1. Is a legitimate problem but at this point car manufacturers should be able to figure out how make a car that sits outside. 2. Weather doesn’t bother me. I live somewhere with 4 seasons ranging from sunny 110 degrees to cold and snowy days -20 degrees. Weather is just something that I am used to dealing with. 3. Theft is really not a common issue in my area but even if it happens I have a safety system and cameras monitoring the house and the sign from the security company makes everyone aware of that.
Most people have other stuff in their garages. Lawn equipment, tools, kids toys, maybe freezer or refrigerator plus laundry machines, etc. I live in the house I grew up in and cars have never been in the garage. Cars are tough and hold up fine outside.
@@dillonh321vehicles sitting outside is easier said than done. The automakers can account for things like rodents getting in the engine bay. Things like the UV rays from the sun is something entirely different unless you want the cars to be a lot more expensive paintjob wise.
@@Bonanzaking I have had vehicles sitting outside for the full 15 years I owned them and I have not had any issues except fading black plastic. But that’s easily fixed. Wash and wax your vehicles like you should and your paint will last just fine.
@@dillonh321 they still fade on a long enough time scale. My retired father has a few late 60’s and early 70’s muscle cars. He garaged and babied his Oldsmobile 442. It’s immaculate. His camaro and dodge challenger that sat outside and were washed and waxed and maintained since he was a mechanic his whole life have faded a bit after over 50 years. 50 years….I think it’s safe to say like 99% of people don’t keep a car let alone several that long.
2010 fusion 3.0 v6, had it since about 18k, now had 178k, only regular oil changes, and a new gas tank. It's now almost become a quest to get to 200k. Believe me Noone is more surprised than I am.
You can do it. That generation Fusion was partnered with Mazda and the Ford/Mazda partnership made good vehicles. Those Mazda powertrains tend to be very reliable. No EcoBoost issues like some of the later Fusion's
@donaldwilson2620 the 1st time it ever didn't run was about 2 weeks ago, the mass air flow sensor had gotten so dirty it would start and immediately stall, im no longer the main driver of this car so I'm not sure what exactly it was doing besides stalling.
I feel your pain Jon. For some reason Ford thought it was a wonderful idea to give the B-pillar a one time use trim piece. Our police Explorers lose them from time to time. I actually think that there is a recall on some Explorers for that issue, but I could be wrong. The tire sensors go bad because they function by a watch battery style power source. Manufacturers say that you will probably get about 5-6 years out of a sensor before it's power runs out. Surprisingly my '17 Fusion sensors and my wife's '17 Escape are still powered. Gotta love technology right?
When we replace a windshield on those Explorers those A-pillar covers are replaced as they are meant to break apart. It’s sad that this is the way manufacturers are going. My 2016 Mazda CX5 is still as solid as the day it was built. No issues with it.
Here's my take... Japanese car management has more interest in quality. The management at American car companies concentrate more on profits and stock price. There are bean counters who do analysis and determine that they could save 37¢ for each widget they put on a car if they use a lesser quality rubber and their spreadsheet calculates that it would mean $1.2 million in savings per year and management approves it. The average American owns their new car for 8 years. I'm guessing the top brass at US car companies know this and they direct their team to engineer cars that will hold together for about 8 years. After that, it's a used car and they don't care about the person purchasing one of their used vehicles. It's a shortsighted strategy, but it gets them their bonuses, raises, and stock options.
The same spreadsheets also let them figure out that it would cost less building a new plant and using Mexican workers than to keep the US plants running
@@davestvwatching2408 that would only be a problem for the consumer if the U.S. assembly plants and workers did a better job, but I have seen many unreliable and badly built U.S. vehicles (especially in the Chrysler Jeep Dodge brands)
I had a Toyota Tacoma some years ago. Bought it New. Hands down worst vehicle I have ever owned with the exception of a '76 duster. Nothing but trouble, Worst part of it Toyota wouldn't deal with the issues. It was my 7th Toyota so been a loyal customer for a long time. I will never buy another Toyota going forward.
Most of the OEM parts are now outsources to produce in cheap labor country to cut cost and fat profit margin. My Toyota OEM windshield wiper refill blade made in U.S.A. cost $25.00 a set or $44.00 full assembly plus $12.00 shipping. The OEM blade full assembly made in China cost $10.00 with shipping free!
I feel you on the Explorer issues. Our fleet of police Explorers are nickel and diming us to death. A and B pillar pieces that fall off or crack. Tail light housings that aren't sealed properly. Rear hatch releases that randomly stop and start working. Jerky transmissions. Rotting trim pieces. Rear axle bolt recalls that still break after replacement, etc., etc., The current generation of Explorer is atrocious in its build quality. Not to mention, they still use a physical key-in-ignition when the competition has been using push to start and proximity entry for over a decade now. And the key fob is the SAME keyfob as a 1989 Ford Taurus. It's simply unacceptable.
Good video. My 97 4 runner had the timing belt water pump changed at 100k. The repair shop did not use OEM water pump my bad for not requesting. The water pump failed 30k later and I almost lost my engine on my mi t 97.
That Honda Accord is underrated. People say Honda isn’t what it used to be, and sure that’s true. But they still are better than most of the competition out there. I’m disappointed in Ford. I liked that gen Explorer.
I got a 2018 Honda Fit and it's so bad. Water leaks in mutiple areas, oil burning, oil leaks, motor mount failure, cheap materials not up to the task of aging gracefully, poor craftsmanship when I take things apart to fix. Paint isn't looking like it's long for this world. All under 100k miles. I'll certainly never buy a Honda again. Idk how they ever had a reputation for quality. I keep finding so many issues with them everytime I try to fix my car. Even older Fits made in Japan are loaded with issues. Idk what Ill do in 20 years. There will be no good quality car to buy anymore. Toyota isn't looking promising these days.
Toyotas still hold up well enough but not bulletproof as once were. I don't think that any Japanese cars are as well built as they 30yrs ago. But if we are being honest, nothing seems to last like they once did..... clothes, cars, houses, furniture etc.
@@baronvonjo1929I know three people that own Honda Fits (a 4th gen and two 3rd gens) and none have the issues you have. The Fit is a reliable car. I’ve seen them go past 300k miles easily. I don’t know why yours was a lemon. There must be some reason. We owned a Honda minivan too and that has similar mechanicals to the 2nd and 3rd gen Fit. That went well past 350k miles and was totaled when the axel finally gave way. I believe Hondas are still well built because they last so long with minimal maintenance.
@@warrennyThe Japanese are struggling to make super reliable cars with all the tech that’s mandated in the cars nowadays. Strip the tech and we can have good solid mechanical cars again. The Japanese still try their best though, so I would stick with them.
I have a 99 Mustang six, had to have the engine rebuilt as I tried to limp home with a bandaged radiator hose. The expensive hose bandage worked, but the hose blew again right next to it - turns out the electric cooling fan had died. Car ran great still, but started getting globs of oil in the coolant reservoir intermittently when driving around town, did not do this on long trips. I think the engine would have easily gone 300,000 if I hadn't almost overheated it apparently - though the gauge never got into the red zone (I was told some gauges will not pick up the high heat if the fluid level gets low enough). I did loosen radiator cap before driving home, but even not under pressure that wasn't enough. The trans is still going strong at 230,000, though I expect to replace it before too long. I had the plastic cowl break at about 20 years of age, and replaced it. A/C has had one fairly expensive repair (as expected) but has not needed a second one yet - door locks, power windows have never had a problem. Now I am a fairly conservative driver, I don't burn out usually, and only occasionally drive at speeds of 80 or so, when caught in traffic. I try to be very selective with parts, I listen to Scotty Kilmer daily, I greatly prefer to buy American made stuff, and spend a lot of time researching trying to do - but the products also have to be good. I would be asking Ford why the cowl is that crappily made, and are they using better materials now. I would carefully read the reviews on other replacement cowls, and may take a chance on one of them if the quality appears to be better. I would try to avoid buying from a country that appears to have a large problem with "sweat shop" conditions.
I recently sold a '15 Chrysler T&C van, ex rental but was Cert. Pre-Owned. Had about 50k when i bought it, loved the look of it, lots of little features. By about 60k, the transmission failed. Dealer said it was totaled, would be replaced under warranty. Chrysler re-man unit last about 5k, when valve body had to be replaced. While it was in the shop, techs noticed the valve tick. Ford has had this issue too......same supplier? No bearings in the rocker arms, which then tear up the cams. By 70k, I had done all shocks, and said that's it, I'm out. Warranty was done at 7 yrs. and all I saw was a money pit. I currently have an '08 Highlander w/171k and a '17 Solara with 85k. The Highlander was built in Japan and runs like a top and the Solara , built in KY, is known for being super long lived. And, yes, the convert. stays in the garage, the Highlander is in the TX sun all the time.
I perceive that the modern us market car is price driven to move metal, especially targeting the lease buyer. I also think that almost no one goes into a dealership thinking about repair parts costs. I bought a car a year or so ago and tried to get the factory manual included. He didn’t even know what I was talking about or how to do it. Until there is some repair cost index that is part of required labeling, this won’t improve.
I’ve had various GM vehicles, Chrysler vehicles and some other random makes, all but 1 purchased used. The older GM ones (91, 97, 2010) were the worst out the bunch. I have a 2017 Buick Lacrosse now that just needed a thermostat over the past year. The Chrysler’s (03, 2012, 2017) were mostly better mostly issues like the Explorer Jon has…annoyances. The newer stuff definitely has less issues than the older stuff. Also….if something dumb fails…I do look for an aftermarket option. If the OEM didnt hold up how much worse can the aftermarket be?
We sold our 2014 Explorer 4WD (XLT 301A) about 8 months ago with 137K mi. Only issue we had was the material on the front armrests were starting to come up due to the sun. Traded for an Edge. EDIT: The driver's door handle fell off one time and we had to replace the chrome trim around the keyhole.
I owned a Chevy Chevette, wow, talk about quality! But, honestly, I've owned cars that were considered bad. I rarely had an issue. Why? 1. Bought a basic trim vehicle. Less to go wrong. 2. Being fanatical about the maintenance.
I just sold a 2012 Silverado. The latch for the center console arm rest was plastic it was designed to bend and return when closing the console. Overtime the plastic would fatigue and break. I replaced it twice while I owned the truck and still have a spare one, expecting to replace it again in the future. My plans changed and I sold the truck. I recently purchased a Honda Civic and one of the first things I noticed was the arm rest latch, though also plastic, is a proper hinged latch that uses springs to return the latch. It has a quality sound each time it latches and, although time will tell, I feel it will last over time. It feels like a much higher quality piece. The replacement latches for the Silverado weren't expensive but it was a pain in the butt to have to replace.
Ill be honest, Cassandra from 2001, my SXV-20 Camry and Betsy me 02 TrailBlazer LS, I love them but id say they are both so much more reliable than all the new cars.
@@benchmark3332 that’s why I was afraid of going with one of those. Of course their “update” from what I have read actually worked. But I still don’t know if I trust that. I would be curious about the expedition though.
I want to believe it goes in cycles and we're in one of those extreme cost cutting phases. Question regarding the sheet metal - does it seem thinner/easier to dent on the newer Ford? There seems to be a difference in the sheet metal between my 14 year old Honda and the 8 year old Kia. Acorns will dent the hood on the Kia and the hood seems to weigh abut as much as the much smaller Honda hood. Mechanically, the Kia has no problems and no issues with trim pieces or interior doo dads.
I can't say I've noticed any difference in the metal between the two of them. Haven't noticed any extra denting or anything, but the hood on the Ford is plastic/fiberglass and it chips very, very easily.
Interesting Jon, i had Holdens n Fords, Australian Commodore n Falcon parts last until 160,000kms then OEM n aftermarket parts last 100,000. My Commodores were sedans n utes the main parts shockers every 3 years roughly because of roads n alternators. In my 2011 Nissan D40 which built Thailand as switch from Spain production, my alternator went after 7 years but to this day i haven't replace shockers but twice with brakes. I believe parts are good where its OME or aftermarket but parts have become more expensive. I do believe 2000 some manufacturers did cheap out on parts these parts would last until warranty was out. Who could forget Germans like MB in W124 electric wire harness was eco friendly would destroy itself? As long you can get the parts plus they are easy fix that all its matter but if parts untamable to find yeah i have had park cars up before or replace them.
Too many electronics to do the work of the engineers. i just had the radio panel go out on a mustang was very complicated for no reason. my 73 darts radio went out a took apart and cleaned the board boom it worked. another factor is how the auto market has globalized, GM and the big 3 were run as the us used to be as a republic of smaller companies. they are full fledged going Alfred sloan on everything. which is wierd because plann obsolecence doesnt bring greater sales, modern f150 sales wont. put a candle to the worst year cutlasses sold in the 80s for comparison ford sells 400-450000 trucks a year avg. the cutlass sold 633000 in 1978.
Interesting dialogue, Jon. He reference somebody who talked a lot about internal water pumps from Ford, Not sure who that could possibly be. 😜 All joking aside, I will say that It is relevant to discuss little things that break as they can add up. My brothers Taurus right before we had to get rid of it due to the water pump problem, did develop a cowl gasket leak. In fairness the car was 13 years old, the driver side panel where the touch screen for the keyless entry did quit working I think when the car was around 7 or 8 years old (The one on mine never worked from the point that I bought it at 3 years old). What I'm going to say is a counterpoint is my brother bought an Avalon to avoid the repeat of the water pump problem (granted the Taurus had 173,000 mi on it) and bought a 4-year newer Avalon with about 100,000 miles less on it than the Taurus had. So far, it's developed a clunk on the right front side, the CD player crashes and reboots itself, and the engine has developed a tick. The Taurus only developed a clunk after about 160,000 miles, the Tauruses volume control never worked on the radio itself but the steering wheel controls worked flawlessly, and the transmission periodically shift flare which felt like somebody rear-ended you. It did this from the point that he bought it to the point that he sold it over a span of 110,000 mi but it wasn't doing it anymore frequently than whenever he initially bought it. We'll see what the clunk on the Avalon is, we know the problem with the CD player And yes we actually do use it, And we'll have to find out about the tick on the Avalon. The point that I'm making is there are certainly things about the Toyota that feel better built like the internals of the door handle connection but I'm not convinced that everything about the Avalon is better built or stronger than the Ford. I think it's a matter of picking your poison in life; meaning, what problems keep you up at night versus what problems can you live with. Having a non-working keyless entry on a Ford is no big deal to me because I have the remote keyless entry still If anything it may make the car harder to hack into. The gasket can be a pain in the neck admittedly but that's something that's not too hard to replace yourself vs a less robust suspension on the Avalon would be a lot more expensive to replace than the cowl. The radio problem with the Ford was certainly annoying but there was a workaround to it with the steering wheel controls vs. The Toyota, the only work around is to use an MP3 player. The engine tick might be nothing or it might be something. If it's something time will tell how big a headache that's going to be. I will also bring into the discussion my parents 11-year-old Grand caravan. Aside from a couple sensors, the stow and go seats getting jammed once, the only problem that they had so far is they had to replace the wheel well panel as it became Rusty within the last year. The vehicle otherwise has 160,000 mi And my dad regrets that he didn't buy another one well he had the chance because he loves that van. The Grand caravan even if it had to have that work done was considerably cheaper than what a sienna was. It has its quirks no doubt. The transmission is a weird animal and has been a weird animal from the beginning (no match for the excellence of an Aisin Warner unit nor a properly working 6F50 ) but it's held up. Part of their success is based on having a good mechanics who didn't over tighten the fragile plastic oil filter housing and regular maintenance (even being late on a few maintenance items). I think the truth is more nuanced. This is a big reason why I don't like Scotty kilmer. If everything he said was true, that van never would have made it past the warranty period, Nor would the Tauruses we owned, and our Toyota wouldn't have the problems that it has.
I have no problem purchasing “cheap Chinese parts” because many of the so called OEM parts ARE made by those same Chinese companies and are of the same quality, just with a logo or OEM part number.
I did do some further research (not mentioned in the video) that some aftermarket part *might* be by the same OEM but if they're not, at least for this cowl, there's a good chance it doesn't *quite* fit right or at all. Wasn't worth risking $200 on a gamble when the Ford part was only $50 more. And it's what my wife wanted. :)
@@AllCarswithJon love your channel by the way. You take a logical, seemingly unbiased approach to your reporting and provide great insight into the auto industry.
@@LebronPhoto1 I appreciate that. I'm of course biased - I have my favorites and those brands I don't trust - but I do at least try to be fair when talking about them. :)
@@AllCarswithJonI had a similar issue with a 1st Gen Toyota Venza. I needed to replace an alternator as it wasn’t putting out enough voltage, so I got a reman from a major auto parts store. Drove with it for 30 miles and my dash lit up like a Christmas tree! Stuck me in a not-so-good part of town (thank God my granddaughter wasn’t with me). I returned it back to the auto parts store, got my refund, and ended up getting an OEM Denso alternator for $60 more. When it comes to electrical components, best to go with the OEM.
I start my weekends with you Jon. Love your stuff. I think you are correct. Low quality, low priced Chinese parts are about an equal to OEM parts. But, maybe the reason they are is because they are the same. How do we know that the OEM parts are not Chinese? Maybe this explains why there is parity. They are all the same. Do you think it is possible?
The global supply chain means that many vehicles use parts from the same suppliers like Denso and Aisin. In EVs that's not yet true - EVs have unique thingamabobs, gizmos and dohickies. When we look inside an EV, we are often not sure what we're looking at. Eventually EVs will also get sort of universal in the commonality of design and the supply chain will flood Rockauto with virtually everything an EV needs. Then, folks like myself might consider an EV.
Japanese makers keep the same supply basis. US makers constantly move sourcing to the low cost bids. They turn decent quality into surprising failures by doing this. Throwing away proven quality for unknown quality results but achieve a lower cost. The typical Toyota surprises are problems that come up on new technology that haven’t been fully validated over long enough time not from them simply choosing new suppliers.
You cannot go wrong with a Honda. Ever. I own 2 civics. 2008 civic coupe. 147k miles. And a 2010 civic sedan. 276k miles. Neither car has an error light. Neither car has major issues. Neither car has major problems with aging. As a matter of fact these Hondas all seem to age very well. Guess what? My next car will also be another Honda. You made the best decision owning the accord and keeping it.
I got a 2018 Honda Fit and it's so bad. Water leaks in mutiple areas, oil burning, oil leaks, motor mount failure, cheap materials not up to the task of aging gracefully, poor craftsmanship when I take things apart to fix. Paint isn't looking like it's long for this world. All under 100k miles. I'll certainly never buy a Honda again. Idk how they ever had a reputation for quality. I keep finding so many issues with them everytime I try to fix my car. Even older Fits made in Japan are loaded with issues. Idk what Ill do in 20 years. There will be no good quality car to buy anymore. Toyota isn't looking promising these days.
@@Specmauto true, but that fact also threw your 1st comment ("you cannot go wrong with a Honda, ever") out the door. Their 09+ J Series engines with VCM, their non VCM V6 SUVs and Minivans with the early 5 speed autos grenading themselves under 100K, their late 2010s Ridgelines, Pilots and Passports with the happy hunting 9 speed autos and the Civics/CR-Vs with the oil diluting 1.5T are some good examples too.
Vendor build quality can change a lot over time. In early 1970's one of the guys in basic training had bought a used Toyota. When we found you could put a dent in the body panels by pressing hard with your thumb, the poor guy ended up with a car that looked like it had been in a very strong hail storm. You couldn't do that with the American and European cars we tried this on. I suspect I could find a few recent model year cars that couldn't pass the thumb print dent test. But I am not an idiot 18-year-old now so I haven't tried it. I'd switched to buying only Toyota or Lexus but now that most of them are using Turbo Chargers I guess I won't buy ANY new cars for a while until we get some reliability data/experience with turbo engines if that is all we can buy.
One thing I dislike about Hondas is the goofy way you have to press off front wheel bearings. IMO American cars are better thought out in general but you're right about the cheesy rubbers on the cowl. My insurance company actually paid to replace mine (2012 Silverado) after a flock of black vultures picked every piece of rubber they could. I never would have guessed birds will peck the rubber off your car. I guess they use it for their nest.
Of the Big 3 American Automakers, Chrysler and its Dodge and Jeep brands are the least reliable. The Italian flare after merging with Fiat made them worse
In 1969, when I was five years old, me and my friend were playing with matchbox cars on his bedroom floor. "Mine's a Ford," he said. "Mine's a Chevrolet," I countered. Suddenly his father, who had never spoken before, marched into the room with a beer in his hand and put his finger right in my face and said: "Fords are good, Chevys are bad." And walked out. I thought I was in trouble at the time; now I think it's really funny
Well, Jon, I've got an interesting info for You: JDM Hondas and Toyotas are even better speaking of trim quality and paintjob. No problems for 10+ years and 400000+ km.
Odds are that aftermarket Chinese manufactured part was made in the same factory as some OEM stuff or they were the supplier of the individual components that were shipped over here to be assembled by the OE manufacturer it’s just the way it works nowadays
There's a pallet of hardwood flooring, tile, a dining room table and chairs, multiple shelves with christmas decorations, a shower pan, a glass shower door, tools, tool chest, christmas tree, beach toys, bikes, gun safe, and a tub of lightbulbs. (off the top of my head).
In defense to companies I consider garbage and gimmicky like Hyundai surviving off predatory plans and shady warranty, Ive fucked up shit like tpms sensors and shut up to cover my ass as a new tech. I've seen them not notice and come fix it weeks later. Prob looks like a car issue not the technician lol
Toyota threw away reliability to chase fuel economy and emissions standards. Those turbo 4 and 6s are garbage, they should have kept the old 5.7V8 and NA V6 as no cost options.
@@maineiacman it's less of a pursuit of fuel economy for the sake of it, and more...much more about being REQUIRED to meet fuel economy standards. It's either that or get out of the business of making smaller vehicles. Some mfrs have exited the small car market.... which is pretty much all the domestic brands
@@warrenny well, the engines that are being recalled are all being used on large vehicles. The smaller Toyotas are fine for the most part. If the larger vehicles don't meet the fuel economy, then Toyota needs to sell a ton more of compact vehicles to meet the CAFE standards set for the whole brand or pay for credits like Stellantis did for many years when they wanted to HEMI-everything.
On that generation Ford Explorer, I've seen many of them with the black A pillar trims falling off, including the Police Interceptor SUV's. Ford finally did a recall on those trim pieces after years of complaints. Talk about quality, of lack there of😢. It's too bad because I actually like that generation Explorer. It's roomy and comfortable to drive. If I was in the market for a mid-size 3 row SUV, I'll guess I'll take a look at a used Toyota Highlander for Honda Pilot for better piece of mind.
I have a 2013 Taurus with the same sort of sun damage on the rubber along the roof. Not worth replacing to me but it has been a great car for the 40k km that I have owned it. 140k total
Anecdotal evidence from my own vehicle ownership, and that of family and friends, is showing that cars made during and after Covid are.....Atrocious! It must be a combination of all the issues we had during then, from collapsing supply chains, to companies shuffling talent, rabid cost cutting, and greedflation. It's afflicted every brand from my Chrysler/Jeeps to other Toyotas, Subarus, Hyundais. Even poor quality from BMW and Benz in the news lately. Lots of little stuff poorly sourced and poorly engineered. It's really gotten bad, and frustrating. And the most frustrating thing of all? Especially with Stellantis, is it's harder and harder to even get those OEM parts, when you're doing a warranty repair. Everything seems back ordered. We're leaving 2024, and in my own work experience, my company and our own supply base are OUT of the pandemic doldrums. But not the auto industry? Something is very wrong, and weird. I hope it gets better soon, but I don't see it. With Stellantis leading the charge of all the automakers on the brink of collapse, I don't know what's going to happen. But we as customers will certainly suffer.
Whats even worse, is BMW’s Rubber and plastics. German cars in general. Are horrible with reliability. And quality. Ive owned 2. And will never own another German (or any new car) again. My daily driver for the past 4 years has been my 86 Bronco. Its been running perfect the whole time ive owned it. All that was needed was to go through the brakes. I replaced Everything except the hard lines. And the fuel system. Just cleaned the tank, new fuel pumps and filters. Otherwise. Its been a perfect vehicle. I would never get rid of.
The tire sensor takes a battery. Batteries only last so long. Every car, every wheel will only last so long, and then you have to replace it with a new battery
I bought a new Escape hybrid in 2020 even though there was some terrible fit and finish issues that were quite obvious, especially where the left fender meets the A pillar. Since it was otherwise the exact one I wanted and they kept getting snatched up I went ahead and bought it anyway. But there's no way Toyota, Honda or Mazda (at the very least) would've let that one leave the factory. I've only put about 35k miles on it and it's "only" had one breakdown (faulty TMAP sensor). The '22 Insight we got a little more than a year later has put on at least as many miles and is trouble free and noticeably better built.
Nissan, Kia & Hyundai are garbage. I like Ford & they've done a lot for Detroit. GM too. But I'll never own anything other than a Lexus. Especially the ES as a daily. My 2013 hybrid in pearl white it still beautiful & shiny. Interior is excellent & no rips or tears. It runs quiet like it's brand new, consumes no oil & has zero leaks. I have 213k miles on the car. Cushy soft seats & all the gizmos I need that still actually work. It's superb in every way. I'd never spend the money on a brand new car
Interesting observations. I noticed here in southern CA, toyotas tend to have bad paint fade around year 7. I’ve often wondered why more toyota owners don’t complain about it and how toyota gets away with such cheap paint.
Best thing that ever happened to the big 3 was the Japanese car makers absolutely kicking their asses in the 80s, forced them to improve their quality.
My family has only ever bought Japanese cars. Never had to take any of them to the shop, ever. We just do regular maintenance. I decided to buy a Mustang, our first non-Japanese car, and within 40,000 miles already had a check engine light haha. First ever check engine light.
Reliability is also dependent on when the cars were built. Fords used to be quite reliable but obviously not these days as unnecessary complexity and too much electronic nonsense has ruined today’s vehicles. I had a late eighties ford f150 that I bought new and I put nearly 400,000 miles on it and it was extremely reliable. It did have multiport EFI and a 302 v8 and the AOD transmission that just ran and ran with no issues. Every manufacturer had built decent cars and some junk as well but most of the good stuff was years ago.
2004 TJ (Wrangler in the US) 4litre inline six, five speed manual, 4-wheel disc brakes, 216K kilometers (134K miles). Flowmaster catback and a K$N intake. Front right u-joint, tires, serpintine belt and windshield needed replacing. (And lots of gasoline-it's as aerodynamic as a brick.) That's all. Bullet proof power train, ugly/cute, just the ECU, simple as hell. It's hard to believe it's not Japanese. It used to be, buy Japanese cars and motorcycles and American trucks. Now....? Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
yes, it caused issues with the (now gone) 1.0T Ecoboost 3 cyl. The 2.7 Ecoboost, though has been rock solid despite the same basic oil pump drive system. The difference is in the details: the 2.7 oil pump uses a Kevlar reinforced belt. Mine has 193K miles, but there are a bunch of 300K and beyond F150s with this same engine and have never had an oil pump belt go out.
I have a reverse lemon... Let me explain. Land Rover is *NEVER* known for their reliability. I always joke that they are all lemons, but every one in a while you get the one that was built with a little bit of care. My 2003 Discovery Series II has been very reliable it's entire life. Thereby I joke that it's my reverse lemon.
I enjoyed the video. Glad you did this video I was thinking about purchasing a Colorado or Ranger work truck but they would be very hard to fit in my garage with the overall length. Just did not want to deal with the hassle pulling it in and making sure it fits every time I come home and forgetting to checking and have the garage door mess up the truck. So probably would be leaving it out in the driveway year around. But that’s what worried about is how the quality of the trim pieces and other stuff would hold up sitting through hot summers and cold winters. So I just purchased a demo 2023 Dodge Charger SXT that the dealer had.
@@AllCarswithJon I’ve either had sedans or midsize truck in my lifetime. I’ve had 85 Cadillac Seville bustleback , 2001 GMC Sonoma, 2011 Honda Accord and a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. Just what I prefer, so I got a good deal on a 23 Charger and it fits in the garage. But yeah when I buy a vehicle always think about leaving vehicles out and how they hold up for instance Dodge Trucks in the 90s those dashes became so brittle over time.
I thought I was the only person having an issue with my tire pressure monitoring in a 2018 Lexus …sounds like this is an industry issue my vehicle has 73k miles on it
I cheat when it comes to finding out reliability numbers. I take the 200k vehicles we sold and keep track of repairs on particular items. Nothing like hard facts to get in the way anecdotal evidence.
I have a 2018 Toyota corolla and a 2024 Mazda cx5 they both have similar millage one is garaged and one is not the garaged one just looks better the Toyota is garaged not the one i wanted to garage but pick your battles both are solid cars mid level trim garage parking makes a lot of difference for the new stuff I think i would only entertain a Toyota Camry, Mazda CX 50,or a Subaru outback.I live in the pnw so awd is big for me
Today's cars, on the whole, are much better than those of 40-50 years ago... I began driving 🚗 in 1981 and have owned and driven some 13 cars in 43 years - American, Japanese, Korean and German - all reliable more or less...😉
It's all a ploy, and an increasingly greedy ploy. There's just no honesty anymore, it got to the point where I have given up car ownership completely (now 12 years and counting) - it makes far more sense for me to car share when I need one. I do get that's not a viable option for most people, and I'm equally sad/liberated not to own a car, after all I love cars, just lost the point of owning one, really don't need the headache.
Excellent points. I always prefer common trim items across models, but from a smaller parts bin of better quality parts. The Aussie sun is typically terrible too & is bad for any car. It really shows brands using inferior clearcoats, plastics & rubbers etc. _[Offending brands\models redacted]_
You don't drive a lot. The trim pieces falling off or deteriorating on US branded cars used to happen much earlier, in less than 3 years rather than 7.
Buy the Chinese part. Everything is "made" in China, then "assembled" in the US. I worked in the Regional Logistics Center for a company that held that contract for Honda of America. China shipped the parts to Japan, and Japan shipped them here. I was also a TL, at the Marysville plant in the "service parts' department" if you need steel (hood roof fender quarter panel trunk lid,) get it here, everything else China, they were made in China anyway. I moved through Honda, plants, and contractors. It's all Chinese parts from weld to paint to assembly. So I know know what I'm talking about. All the manufacturers do the same, China. Oh, engines and transmissions expempt.
@AllCarswithJon idk, just commenting on my own personal knowledge from my own experience with one manufacturer. Honda employees strictly work the line, I worked the line in the paint department which was doing the sealant before it went through paint the crest of my years was with contractors that did the logistics and supply chain aspect and another that did line side part delivery. Everything thing came in containers with the seals still attached and the tsunami in Japan back in I think 2015 greatly affected the receiving of parts as well as the dock worker union "slowdown" around the same time. So that adds a little more insight on where all the parts are made and come from. I'm not sure if you can even buy parts made here other than the ones I mentioned. Thes Marysville plant does all the stamping for Marysville East Liberty and I think it's Alabama is the other plant and alot for Canada to. One of my departments I was a tl for shipped the blanks. So yeah, just my own experience and retained information. I just try to stick with my comments.
My wife's Jetta 6th gen with the 2.slow and 5 speed has been super reliable. But the trim pieces are coming loose (creaky interior), the exterior B pillar vinyl trim is cracking and the plastic steering wheel is crumbling to pieces at age 9. I'm glad we didn't go with the 1.4T nor 1.8T, although their added performance is quite good, but I'm not prepared to spend on mechanicals when I'm already dealing with interior and exterior bits.
I have a 2012 Flex and the plastics are falling apart. Some how is rusting 5 times more than my Toyotas living in Florida. I lost my trust in American cars since 2005.
If china offer parts and have the tooling for a ford, then that's who probably where ford purchase the parts from in the first place. Even under the hood of my brand new mazda there are parts that have made in china printed on them.
MFRs MUST get the big stuff right or they'll pay the price, not only in fines to the government but in bad press. Banking on brand loyalists who would faithfully allow themselves to be nickel and dimed to death on trim pieces, gaskets, plastic panels, and even window motors seems reflective of a business model that relies on the profitability of "repair and replace". Perhaps it's as much engineering as it is in material quality that preserves the original pieces of some cars. I am often struck by the absolute quiet of some models... could it be sound deadening or could it be the simple absence of noise because the car is sculpted in a way that shelters small, glued bits of trim from wind forces that are exerted during operation? Not an engineer so this is at best a semi-educated thought.
Well being nickeled and dimed is a matter of perspective. Most cars have costed the same in real terms over the last 50 years. Key word real terms, nominally they all went up because inflation happens every year and compounds over time….compound interest the eighth wonder of the world. I have a 53 year old mustang my father bought new for just over 3k or as he put it 2 years wages back then if you were at the bottom of the totem pole income wise. If I look at a modern one same trim and everything it’s still 2 years wages. The quadcab trucks when they were first made in the Great Depression for the government forestry service was about 8 years wages at the time. A modern quadcab can be 1-2.5 years wages now.
I agree about manufacturer parity in drivetrain reliability. I'm old let's get that out of the way. I have owned Mazdas, Toyotas, Mitsubishis, Chevys, Fords, Nissan, Jeeps, Hyundai, Chryslers (84 Dodge KCar was one of the most reliable vehicles I owned, even if the windows wouldn't roll down). Since 1990, vehicles are 'mechanically' vastly more similar in reliability than older cars were. By that I mean drivetrain (engine, transmission, major components). That is because it is expensive for the manufacturer to fix major components under the warranty period. Where you will find a quality difference is in the 'little stuff', that breaks after three years and can become extremely expensive out of warranty, like climate control systems (which may require removing the dashboard to fix a blender motor), various sensors, power windows, power seat, etc. This is where the Japanese manufacturers have an advantage in my opinion - they use better quality small components that you aren't constantly fixing/replacing. Lease domestic, buy Japanese.
My moms 83 Plymouth Reliant was a great car, I still miss it. Roomy, great gas mileage, but had to be "tuned by ear" - would not run properly if set to specs, had to set it slightly out of specs to run correctly. Shouldn't be a big problem if CA legislators would take a flying leap --- the difference in actual pollution between the 2 settings is very minute, so why not have legislation that is common sense - have a very small fine to the consumer or the manufacturer, with money going to common-sense things to REALLY help the environment instead of the b.s.
Jon, I was a mechanic for over 35 years. When I was "new" we would get the same cars with common problems. Ford Tempo & Topez would need motor mounts. GM A-bodies would need tie-rods, springs, and shocks. We could keep an inventory of these common parts. Can't say that today's. Cars are made much better today than they have ever been. One vehicle may have a problem with a door lock and the same model the owner will never have any issues.
I have a 2014 Chevy Sonic I have many little issues with it my cruise control button stopped working had to replace it and other petty things like that. Now my daughter has a Chevy Sonic she had very few problems with it same millage as mine.
If the Honda had “leather” upholstery, there would be shredding & peeling paper vinyl all over the door & center armrests
People will say Hyundai has drastically improved their build quality but my 2011 Elantra at 54,000km has had it's steering column replaced twice, parking brake stopped working all the fuel lines and brake lines rotted and had to be replaced and 3 rd steering column and suspension is going bad. I don't race the car and i drive conservativly and always maintained the car well. 3000 miles fluid changes and other maintenances. You're so right cars age differently depending on the manufacturers because I also own a 2014 civic and I don't have those issues.
54,000 km in 13 years is super low mileage! Some of your issues may be too much sitting (eg stuck parking brake and lines rusting/rotting).
Competition with Japanese imports saved and improved the US auto companies. That’s why I think we should have access to Chinese cars. More competition will force American companies to give us better and less expensive EVs, if that’s what some people want. The specifications on domestic EVs from traditional auto companies are far behind anything in China. If we keep protecting these companies, the consumer gets an inferior product.
Quality has gone down over the years. My 2001 mustang and my 2004 toyota aged very differently though. The difference in attention to detail is noticeable over time.
I’m 62. I’ve owned 8 Nissans and 3 Hondas. Not one was a lemon. They were all great cars. Right now I have a 2013 Nissan Sentra in showroom condition.
Today's vehicles. I do believe that if you maintain them in accordance with the owners manual, you "should" have good service.
Personally, we have three older Toyotas. An 04 Lexus ES330 ( my daily driver) a 11 Tacoma TRD Off Road double cab, and the wife's 15 Sienna XLE. All of them have great reliability. Yes even though they are Toyotas, things still break.
Had the EXACT same locking problem - same passenger door - on a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport. I remember a Ford mechanic telling me it was a very common reoccurring problem.
You live in a lovely neighborhood. Thank you for choosing a pleasant setting for your videos. I hope you weathered out Helene and are safe at home. Be well. Our prayers are with you.
Appreciate the well-wishes. Lots of rain, lots of wind... and my trash can fell over. That was it.
Well i hope you are happy. I changed the oil in my 2014 Dodge Durango, glanced at the upper cowl and found the rubber windshield seal degraded even more than yours. $300 + from factory for $1,53 of molded plastic.
Ugh, sorry to hear that. :)
03 Toyota lasted 450,000 just oil changes, brakes & tires. 09 Honda 250,000 miles still going strong. Every American brand I've owned had issues.
My experience with many models and brands has been similar. The degrading of plastics, rubbers, and glues has led me to replace several cars long before the drivetrain was worn. And that is all the cars garaged.
I have a 2008 Civic that doesn't have the issues your 2017 Explorer has. We did have to replace a couple seals a year ago, and did replace a transmission (was starting to have issues and didn't want to risk the CVT failing in a way that takes the engine with it), but still, working great.
those 2008 Civics used a 5 spd auto. Very good transmission for the most part but as always there can always be a bad apple.
My family used to own a 2005 sienna and I owned a 2007 Chevy impala. Both cars are very reliable in the “big” stuff like the engine and transmission. And plenty of people have even taken my impala to 200K+ miles and beyond.
But the biggest thing I noticed between both cars: the Toyota has way less “little stuff” that broke on it all the time. Once my car passed 100K, I had to have all four shocks replaced, all four wheel bearings replaced, the throttle body went bad, my turn signal switch went bad, and I had to have my parking brake fixed. Meanwhile the sienna had to have new front shocks, and that’s it.
Because of how insane car prices are today, I’ve taken it upon myself to learn how cars work and I’ve started fixing things on my impala myself. I went from not even knowing how many cylinders were in my car to changing all the fluids, changing the brakes and rotors, changing the spark plugs, the drive belt, and other minor maintenance that’s easy to do but gets expensive quickly. I’ve even done some suspension work as my front shocks wore out (again).
This, to me, is the biggest difference between Japanese and domestic automakers. Japanese brand cars tend to “age” more gracefully over a 15 year period. But if you own your car for 10 years or less, there’s not much difference between both.
I will only buy Japanese cars because I keep my cars until the die on the side of the road (typically 15-20 years). But my dad trades his car in every 5 years. For him, there isn’t much difference between a domestic and Japanese car. But for a long-time owner, the difference is huge.
Exactly right . Everytime I have repaired a personal toyota of mine the repairs have been fairly easy because only one part failed and the supporting parts are still good. Other cars it seems like once you get into a repair, everything else is broken around said part thats bad. Or everything breaks when you try to take it apart(cheap plastic) . Toyota quality extends to the small parts.
Fun fact about that Accord, it actually doesn't even have tire pressure sensors in the wheels. The vehicle uses ABS wheel speed sensors and such to determine whether the tires still have air. It works pretty well, but you have to hold the button by your left knee to re-calibrate the system if you air up, replace, or rotate your tires.
Great point (and I wish I'd thought about mentioning that in the video. I could have gone on about how that's a smarter system) because I've had that very same problem and had to press the reset button.
The advantage of the more expensive and will wear out Ford option is it actually reads the pressure. Kind of a nice feature.
@@AllCarswithJon I agree that it's nice to read the actual pressure. I'd also add, Honda's SUVs use proper sensors with an expected lifespan of about 8-10 years, not all that much longer than your Ford's sensor lasted. Yet another example of parity in the car market.
@@AllCarswithJon my wife’s Lexus TPMS sensors started going bad at 12years 250000 miles. Not sure on longest life as when 3rd one went bad replaced all that were left as the repair tech time cost so much it was obvious move to just buy 3 and avoid the labor cost.
I was more upset with the software engineers that (according to mechanic) didn’t include an option to just turn off responding to all the sensors as I rarely needed the TPMS system. Technically i could have just told my wife to ignore the yellow light but it took me almost a decade to make her mention warning lights and didn’t want to loose that investment!
My 98 model year (built in 97) Nissan Sentra 5 speed manual is indestructible. Has been in accidents (had the "frame" pulled), was accidently ran with no oil for a while due to a leak and also no warnings for low oil on the car.....yeah, it runs louder now, but still runs fine...i take it on long trips state to state about 20-30 times a year. It does only have 170k miles though. Nissan nowadays would not be nearly as reliable.
I believe that many car manufacturers have started using a great lot of recycled plastics. Much of these recycled materials don’t tend to age well in the sun or under constant heat cycling conditions. As my cars age (and one is approaching 20 years old and another 30 years old), I really have no issues trying out cheaper Chinese made “nonessential parts” (parts that are not crucial in getting me where I need to go), such as trim parts. Even if they are not always as good as OEM, the cost savings are usually high enough to justifying using them on a vehicle with a diminishing value.
Got 23yr old Chevy Truck w/250k * Seats/ dashboard / buttons / ac/heater All function not crackend or falling / rusting apart - etc. It been sitting in the Sun/weather all this time. Only issue is Paint Flaking Off.
I average 35k miles a year and I stopped buying new cars 24 years ago. My car choice is dictated by reliability first and appearance and driving feel second and third. Based purely on available data the logical choices come down to Honda and Toyota. I've gone with Honda/Acura and have sold my previous three commuters running strong with over 300k miles. For my most recent purchase I really wanted to buy Ford Flex because I really like the styling but all my research told me that 200k miles without major engine problems was pretty much impossible. I settled for a 2013 Accord Ex-l V6 currently sitting at 163k miles with the only unscheduled repairs having been a leaking motor mount and an oil leak from the oil filter mount.
By the way Jon, Hondas and Acuras don't have tire pressure sensors. Decreased tire pressure is detected by the car by monitoring wheel rotation through the abs sensors.
You spend so much time in your car you should shop for used comfortable reliable luxury cars like Toyota Avalons or Lexus.
@@maineiacman I prefer the handling and interior layout of Honda,/Acura cars. My wife drives an ES 350 which is a much nicer car but one that I avoid driving.
I am not going to argue with you abut Ford vs. Toyota vs. Dodge vs. Honda. I'm going to ask you a question I've wondered about for years. You say you don't garage your vehicles, yet I see a two car garage door. My neighbors all have garages and their cars sit outside all the time. My parents' neighbors do the same. My in-laws' neighbors do the same. Why? We've always kept our vehicles in the garage for three reasons. 1. Keep them out of the sun/weather as much as possible to help them last longer. 2. So we don't have to walk out in the weather or unload groceries in the rain. 3. Would be theives can't tell if you are home or not. I know a lot of people use them for storage, but I'd rather keep a $45,000 car in the garage over $500 worth of stuff I'm likely not going to ever use again.
Some people use their garage for woodworking projects, motorcycles, storage and etc. 1. Is a legitimate problem but at this point car manufacturers should be able to figure out how make a car that sits outside. 2. Weather doesn’t bother me. I live somewhere with 4 seasons ranging from sunny 110 degrees to cold and snowy days -20 degrees. Weather is just something that I am used to dealing with. 3. Theft is really not a common issue in my area but even if it happens I have a safety system and cameras monitoring the house and the sign from the security company makes everyone aware of that.
Most people have other stuff in their garages. Lawn equipment, tools, kids toys, maybe freezer or refrigerator plus laundry machines, etc. I live in the house I grew up in and cars have never been in the garage. Cars are tough and hold up fine outside.
@@dillonh321vehicles sitting outside is easier said than done. The automakers can account for things like rodents getting in the engine bay. Things like the UV rays from the sun is something entirely different unless you want the cars to be a lot more expensive paintjob wise.
@@Bonanzaking I have had vehicles sitting outside for the full 15 years I owned them and I have not had any issues except fading black plastic. But that’s easily fixed. Wash and wax your vehicles like you should and your paint will last just fine.
@@dillonh321 they still fade on a long enough time scale. My retired father has a few late 60’s and early 70’s muscle cars. He garaged and babied his Oldsmobile 442. It’s immaculate. His camaro and dodge challenger that sat outside and were washed and waxed and maintained since he was a mechanic his whole life have faded a bit after over 50 years. 50 years….I think it’s safe to say like 99% of people don’t keep a car let alone several that long.
2010 fusion 3.0 v6, had it since about 18k, now had 178k, only regular oil changes, and a new gas tank. It's now almost become a quest to get to 200k. Believe me Noone is more surprised than I am.
You can do it! And so can the Fusion!
You can do it. That generation Fusion was partnered with Mazda and the Ford/Mazda partnership made good vehicles. Those Mazda powertrains tend to be very reliable. No EcoBoost issues like some of the later Fusion's
@donaldwilson2620 the 1st time it ever didn't run was about 2 weeks ago, the mass air flow sensor had gotten so dirty it would start and immediately stall, im no longer the main driver of this car so I'm not sure what exactly it was doing besides stalling.
@@donaldwilson2620 the 3 liter Duratec and 6F35 besides it are all Ford, though. The 4 cyl ones used the Mazda engine.
I feel your pain Jon. For some reason Ford thought it was a wonderful idea to give the B-pillar a one time use trim piece. Our police Explorers lose them from time to time. I actually think that there is a recall on some Explorers for that issue, but I could be wrong. The tire sensors go bad because they function by a watch battery style power source. Manufacturers say that you will probably get about 5-6 years out of a sensor before it's power runs out. Surprisingly my '17 Fusion sensors and my wife's '17 Escape are still powered. Gotta love technology right?
When we replace a windshield on those Explorers those A-pillar covers are replaced as they are meant to break apart.
It’s sad that this is the way manufacturers are going.
My 2016 Mazda CX5 is still as solid as the day it was built.
No issues with it.
Here's my take... Japanese car management has more interest in quality. The management at American car companies concentrate more on profits and stock price. There are bean counters who do analysis and determine that they could save 37¢ for each widget they put on a car if they use a lesser quality rubber and their spreadsheet calculates that it would mean $1.2 million in savings per year and management approves it.
The average American owns their new car for 8 years. I'm guessing the top brass at US car companies know this and they direct their team to engineer cars that will hold together for about 8 years. After that, it's a used car and they don't care about the person purchasing one of their used vehicles. It's a shortsighted strategy, but it gets them their bonuses, raises, and stock options.
I think you're right. I don't want to believe it, but the evidence is right in front of me. :)
The same spreadsheets also let them figure out that it would cost less building a new plant and using Mexican workers than to keep the US plants running
@@davestvwatching2408 My sources tell me they have a lot of different spreadsheets but most are not producing sane results - GIGO.
@@davestvwatching2408 that would only be a problem for the consumer if the U.S. assembly plants and workers did a better job, but I have seen many unreliable and badly built U.S. vehicles (especially in the Chrysler Jeep Dodge brands)
I had a Toyota Tacoma some years ago. Bought it New.
Hands down worst vehicle I have ever owned with the exception of a '76 duster.
Nothing but trouble, Worst part of it Toyota wouldn't deal with the issues. It was my 7th Toyota so been a loyal customer for a long time.
I will never buy another Toyota going forward.
I will agree with you, everything is the same today: overpriced crap.
Most of the OEM parts are now outsources to produce in cheap labor country to cut cost and fat profit margin. My Toyota OEM windshield wiper refill blade made in U.S.A. cost $25.00 a set or $44.00 full assembly plus $12.00 shipping. The OEM blade full assembly made in China cost $10.00 with shipping free!
I feel you on the Explorer issues. Our fleet of police Explorers are nickel and diming us to death. A and B pillar pieces that fall off or crack. Tail light housings that aren't sealed properly. Rear hatch releases that randomly stop and start working. Jerky transmissions. Rotting trim pieces. Rear axle bolt recalls that still break after replacement, etc., etc., The current generation of Explorer is atrocious in its build quality. Not to mention, they still use a physical key-in-ignition when the competition has been using push to start and proximity entry for over a decade now. And the key fob is the SAME keyfob as a 1989 Ford Taurus. It's simply unacceptable.
Good video. My 97 4 runner had the timing belt water pump changed at 100k. The repair shop did not use OEM water pump my bad for not requesting. The water pump failed 30k later and I almost lost my engine on my mi t 97.
That Honda Accord is underrated. People say Honda isn’t what it used to be, and sure that’s true. But they still are better than most of the competition out there. I’m disappointed in Ford. I liked that gen Explorer.
I got a 2018 Honda Fit and it's so bad.
Water leaks in mutiple areas, oil burning, oil leaks, motor mount failure, cheap materials not up to the task of aging gracefully, poor craftsmanship when I take things apart to fix. Paint isn't looking like it's long for this world.
All under 100k miles. I'll certainly never buy a Honda again. Idk how they ever had a reputation for quality. I keep finding so many issues with them everytime I try to fix my car. Even older Fits made in Japan are loaded with issues.
Idk what Ill do in 20 years. There will be no good quality car to buy anymore. Toyota isn't looking promising these days.
Toyotas still hold up well enough but not bulletproof as once were.
I don't think that any Japanese cars are as well built as they 30yrs ago. But if we are being honest, nothing seems to last like they once did..... clothes, cars, houses, furniture etc.
@@baronvonjo1929I know three people that own Honda Fits (a 4th gen and two 3rd gens) and none have the issues you have. The Fit is a reliable car. I’ve seen them go past 300k miles easily. I don’t know why yours was a lemon. There must be some reason. We owned a Honda minivan too and that has similar mechanicals to the 2nd and 3rd gen Fit. That went well past 350k miles and was totaled when the axel finally gave way. I believe Hondas are still well built because they last so long with minimal maintenance.
@@warrennyThe Japanese are struggling to make super reliable cars with all the tech that’s mandated in the cars nowadays. Strip the tech and we can have good solid mechanical cars again. The Japanese still try their best though, so I would stick with them.
@@warrennyI’m glad they aren’t. Today’s cars are much better. People today are very spoiled and think nothing ever breaks.
I have a 99 Mustang six, had to have the engine rebuilt as I tried to limp home with a bandaged radiator hose. The expensive hose bandage worked, but the hose blew again right next to it - turns out the electric cooling fan had died. Car ran great still, but started getting globs of oil in the coolant reservoir intermittently when driving around town, did not do this on long trips. I think the engine would have easily gone 300,000 if I hadn't almost overheated it apparently - though the gauge never got into the red zone (I was told some gauges will not pick up the high heat if the fluid level gets low enough). I did loosen radiator cap before driving home, but even not under pressure that wasn't enough. The trans is still going strong at 230,000, though I expect to replace it before too long. I had the plastic cowl break at about 20 years of age, and replaced it. A/C has had one fairly expensive repair (as expected) but has not needed a second one yet - door locks, power windows have never had a problem. Now I am a fairly conservative driver, I don't burn out usually, and only occasionally
drive at speeds of 80 or so, when caught in traffic. I try to be very selective with parts, I listen to Scotty Kilmer daily, I greatly prefer to buy American made stuff, and spend a lot of time researching trying to do - but the products also have to be good. I would be asking Ford why the cowl is that crappily made, and are they using better materials now. I would carefully read the reviews on other replacement cowls, and may take a chance on one of them if the quality appears to be better. I would try to avoid buying from a country that appears to have a large problem with "sweat shop" conditions.
My dad had that '81 Chevy Citation - 4 speed manual - other than having to replace the entire transmission at 23K miles, the car was decent.
Someone show this man what a car in NY state looks like after 2 winters!
I recently sold a '15 Chrysler T&C van, ex rental but was Cert. Pre-Owned. Had about 50k when i bought it, loved the look of it, lots of little features. By about 60k, the transmission failed. Dealer said it was totaled, would be replaced under warranty. Chrysler re-man unit last about 5k, when valve body had to be replaced. While it was in the shop, techs noticed the valve tick. Ford has had this issue too......same supplier? No bearings in the rocker arms, which then tear up the cams. By 70k, I had done all shocks, and said that's it, I'm out. Warranty was done at 7 yrs. and all I saw was a money pit.
I currently have an '08 Highlander w/171k and a '17 Solara with 85k. The Highlander was built in Japan and runs like a top and the Solara , built in KY, is known for being super long lived. And, yes, the convert. stays in the garage, the Highlander is in the TX sun all the time.
I perceive that the modern us market car is price driven to move metal, especially targeting the lease buyer. I also think that almost no one goes into a dealership thinking about repair parts costs. I bought a car a year or so ago and tried to get the factory manual included. He didn’t even know what I was talking about or how to do it.
Until there is some repair cost index that is part of required labeling, this won’t improve.
I’ve had various GM vehicles, Chrysler vehicles and some other random makes, all but 1 purchased used. The older GM ones (91, 97, 2010) were the worst out the bunch. I have a 2017 Buick Lacrosse now that just needed a thermostat over the past year. The Chrysler’s (03, 2012, 2017) were mostly better mostly issues like the Explorer Jon has…annoyances. The newer stuff definitely has less issues than the older stuff. Also….if something dumb fails…I do look for an aftermarket option. If the OEM didnt hold up how much worse can the aftermarket be?
We sold our 2014 Explorer 4WD (XLT 301A) about 8 months ago with 137K mi. Only issue we had was the material on the front armrests were starting to come up due to the sun. Traded for an Edge.
EDIT: The driver's door handle fell off one time and we had to replace the chrome trim around the keyhole.
I owned a Chevy Chevette, wow, talk about quality! But, honestly, I've owned cars that were considered bad. I rarely had an issue. Why? 1. Bought a basic trim vehicle. Less to go wrong. 2. Being fanatical about the maintenance.
I just sold a 2012 Silverado. The latch for the center console arm rest was plastic it was designed to bend and return when closing the console. Overtime the plastic would fatigue and break. I replaced it twice while I owned the truck and still have a spare one, expecting to replace it again in the future. My plans changed and I sold the truck. I recently purchased a Honda Civic and one of the first things I noticed was the arm rest latch, though also plastic, is a proper hinged latch that uses springs to return the latch. It has a quality sound each time it latches and, although time will tell, I feel it will last over time. It feels like a much higher quality piece. The replacement latches for the Silverado weren't expensive but it was a pain in the butt to have to replace.
Ill be honest, Cassandra from 2001, my SXV-20 Camry and Betsy me 02 TrailBlazer LS, I love them but id say they are both so much more reliable than all the new cars.
If that Ford is the 3.5L the water pump is inside the engine and cost like 3k to replace.
It is the fwd variant. The Mustang, F150, Expedition have an external water pump
@@kevinW826 Big mistake because they sold a lot of Taurus, Edge, Explorer, Flex. Some of those customers like me will never come back to Ford.
@@benchmark3332 that’s why I was afraid of going with one of those. Of course their “update” from what I have read actually worked. But I still don’t know if I trust that.
I would be curious about the expedition though.
I own a '17 Ford Fiesta ST. I definitely have similar rubber decay.
I want to believe it goes in cycles and we're in one of those extreme cost cutting phases. Question regarding the sheet metal - does it seem thinner/easier to dent on the newer Ford? There seems to be a difference in the sheet metal between my 14 year old Honda and the 8 year old Kia. Acorns will dent the hood on the Kia and the hood seems to weigh abut as much as the much smaller Honda hood. Mechanically, the Kia has no problems and no issues with trim pieces or interior doo dads.
I can't say I've noticed any difference in the metal between the two of them. Haven't noticed any extra denting or anything, but the hood on the Ford is plastic/fiberglass and it chips very, very easily.
Interesting Jon, i had Holdens n Fords, Australian Commodore n Falcon parts last until 160,000kms then OEM n aftermarket parts last 100,000. My Commodores were sedans n utes the main parts shockers every 3 years roughly because of roads n alternators. In my 2011 Nissan D40 which built Thailand as switch from Spain production, my alternator went after 7 years but to this day i haven't replace shockers but twice with brakes. I believe parts are good where its OME or aftermarket but parts have become more expensive. I do believe 2000 some manufacturers did cheap out on parts these parts would last until warranty was out. Who could forget Germans like MB in W124 electric wire harness was eco friendly would destroy itself? As long you can get the parts plus they are easy fix that all its matter but if parts untamable to find yeah i have had park cars up before or replace them.
Too many electronics to do the work of the engineers. i just had the radio panel go out on a mustang was very complicated for no reason. my 73 darts radio went out a took apart and cleaned the board boom it worked. another factor is how the auto market has globalized, GM and the big 3 were run as the us used to be as a republic of smaller companies. they are full fledged going Alfred sloan on everything. which is wierd because plann obsolecence doesnt bring greater sales, modern f150 sales wont. put a candle to the worst year cutlasses sold in the 80s for comparison ford sells 400-450000 trucks a year avg. the cutlass sold 633000 in 1978.
Just one question. Why didn't you garage your cars? I would never think of leaving my second biggest expense (homes being #1) out in the weather 24/7.
Garage Full.
Interesting dialogue, Jon. He reference somebody who talked a lot about internal water pumps from Ford, Not sure who that could possibly be. 😜
All joking aside, I will say that It is relevant to discuss little things that break as they can add up. My brothers Taurus right before we had to get rid of it due to the water pump problem, did develop a cowl gasket leak. In fairness the car was 13 years old, the driver side panel where the touch screen for the keyless entry did quit working I think when the car was around 7 or 8 years old (The one on mine never worked from the point that I bought it at 3 years old).
What I'm going to say is a counterpoint is my brother bought an Avalon to avoid the repeat of the water pump problem (granted the Taurus had 173,000 mi on it) and bought a 4-year newer Avalon with about 100,000 miles less on it than the Taurus had. So far, it's developed a clunk on the right front side, the CD player crashes and reboots itself, and the engine has developed a tick.
The Taurus only developed a clunk after about 160,000 miles, the Tauruses volume control never worked on the radio itself but the steering wheel controls worked flawlessly, and the transmission periodically shift flare which felt like somebody rear-ended you. It did this from the point that he bought it to the point that he sold it over a span of 110,000 mi but it wasn't doing it anymore frequently than whenever he initially bought it.
We'll see what the clunk on the Avalon is, we know the problem with the CD player And yes we actually do use it, And we'll have to find out about the tick on the Avalon. The point that I'm making is there are certainly things about the Toyota that feel better built like the internals of the door handle connection but I'm not convinced that everything about the Avalon is better built or stronger than the Ford. I think it's a matter of picking your poison in life; meaning, what problems keep you up at night versus what problems can you live with. Having a non-working keyless entry on a Ford is no big deal to me because I have the remote keyless entry still If anything it may make the car harder to hack into. The gasket can be a pain in the neck admittedly but that's something that's not too hard to replace yourself vs a less robust suspension on the Avalon would be a lot more expensive to replace than the cowl. The radio problem with the Ford was certainly annoying but there was a workaround to it with the steering wheel controls vs. The Toyota, the only work around is to use an MP3 player. The engine tick might be nothing or it might be something. If it's something time will tell how big a headache that's going to be.
I will also bring into the discussion my parents 11-year-old Grand caravan. Aside from a couple sensors, the stow and go seats getting jammed once, the only problem that they had so far is they had to replace the wheel well panel as it became Rusty within the last year. The vehicle otherwise has 160,000 mi And my dad regrets that he didn't buy another one well he had the chance because he loves that van. The Grand caravan even if it had to have that work done was considerably cheaper than what a sienna was. It has its quirks no doubt. The transmission is a weird animal and has been a weird animal from the beginning (no match for the excellence of an Aisin Warner unit nor a properly working 6F50 ) but it's held up. Part of their success is based on having a good mechanics who didn't over tighten the fragile plastic oil filter housing and regular maintenance (even being late on a few maintenance items). I think the truth is more nuanced. This is a big reason why I don't like Scotty kilmer. If everything he said was true, that van never would have made it past the warranty period, Nor would the Tauruses we owned, and our Toyota wouldn't have the problems that it has.
I have no problem purchasing “cheap Chinese parts” because many of the so called OEM parts ARE made by those same Chinese companies and are of the same quality, just with a logo or OEM part number.
I did do some further research (not mentioned in the video) that some aftermarket part *might* be by the same OEM but if they're not, at least for this cowl, there's a good chance it doesn't *quite* fit right or at all. Wasn't worth risking $200 on a gamble when the Ford part was only $50 more. And it's what my wife wanted. :)
@@AllCarswithJon love your channel by the way. You take a logical, seemingly unbiased approach to your reporting and provide great insight into the auto industry.
@@LebronPhoto1 I appreciate that. I'm of course biased - I have my favorites and those brands I don't trust - but I do at least try to be fair when talking about them. :)
@@AllCarswithJonI had a similar issue with a 1st Gen Toyota Venza. I needed to replace an alternator as it wasn’t putting out enough voltage, so I got a reman from a major auto parts store. Drove with it for 30 miles and my dash lit up like a Christmas tree! Stuck me in a not-so-good part of town (thank God my granddaughter wasn’t with me). I returned it back to the auto parts store, got my refund, and ended up getting an OEM Denso alternator for $60 more. When it comes to electrical components, best to go with the OEM.
I start my weekends with you Jon. Love your stuff. I think you are correct. Low quality, low priced Chinese parts are about an equal to OEM parts. But, maybe the reason they are is because they are the same. How do we know that the OEM parts are not Chinese? Maybe this explains why there is parity. They are all the same. Do you think it is possible?
Of course it's possible, but I also expect within the Chinese manufacturing there's differences in quality.
The global supply chain means that many vehicles use parts from the same suppliers like Denso and Aisin.
In EVs that's not yet true - EVs have unique thingamabobs, gizmos and dohickies. When we look inside an EV, we are often not sure what we're looking at. Eventually EVs will also get sort of universal in the commonality of design and the supply chain will flood Rockauto with virtually everything an EV needs. Then, folks like myself might consider an EV.
Unfortunately, Honda's reliability has gone down a little bit. They used to be just as reliable as Toyota
and Mazda's reliability has gone up...for some models
Japanese makers keep the same supply basis. US makers constantly move sourcing to the low cost bids. They turn decent quality into surprising failures by doing this. Throwing away proven quality for unknown quality results but achieve a lower cost. The typical Toyota surprises are problems that come up on new technology that haven’t been fully validated over long enough time not from them simply choosing new suppliers.
Toyota lexus falls apart because it is made in usa
It's no longer new technology.
2002 Tacoma. No issues whatsoever. Build quality of these older ones is very very good.
You cannot go wrong with a Honda. Ever. I own 2 civics. 2008 civic coupe. 147k miles. And a 2010 civic sedan. 276k miles. Neither car has an error light. Neither car has major issues. Neither car has major problems with aging. As a matter of fact these Hondas all seem to age very well. Guess what? My next car will also be another Honda. You made the best decision owning the accord and keeping it.
I got a 2018 Honda Fit and it's so bad.
Water leaks in mutiple areas, oil burning, oil leaks, motor mount failure, cheap materials not up to the task of aging gracefully, poor craftsmanship when I take things apart to fix. Paint isn't looking like it's long for this world.
All under 100k miles. I'll certainly never buy a Honda again. Idk how they ever had a reputation for quality. I keep finding so many issues with them everytime I try to fix my car. Even older Fits made in Japan are loaded with issues.
Idk what Ill do in 20 years. There will be no good quality car to buy anymore. Toyota isn't looking promising these days.
@@baronvonjo1929 made in Mexico. No shock that the fit sucks.
@@Specmauto true, but that fact also threw your 1st comment ("you cannot go wrong with a Honda, ever") out the door.
Their 09+ J Series engines with VCM, their non VCM V6 SUVs and Minivans with the early 5 speed autos grenading themselves under 100K, their late 2010s Ridgelines, Pilots and Passports with the happy hunting 9 speed autos and the Civics/CR-Vs with the oil diluting 1.5T are some good examples too.
Vendor build quality can change a lot over time. In early 1970's one of the guys in basic training had bought a used Toyota. When we found you could put a dent in the body panels by pressing hard with your thumb, the poor guy ended up with a car that looked like it had been in a very strong hail storm. You couldn't do that with the American and European cars we tried this on.
I suspect I could find a few recent model year cars that couldn't pass the thumb print dent test. But I am not an idiot 18-year-old now so I haven't tried it.
I'd switched to buying only Toyota or Lexus but now that most of them are using Turbo Chargers I guess I won't buy ANY new cars for a while until we get some reliability data/experience with turbo engines if that is all we can buy.
1997 clk Mercedes Benz. Never one issue other than routine servicing. Y'all know Benz the goat
One thing I dislike about Hondas is the goofy way you have to press off front wheel bearings. IMO American cars are better thought out in general but you're right about the cheesy rubbers on the cowl. My insurance company actually paid to replace mine (2012 Silverado) after a flock of black vultures picked every piece of rubber they could. I never would have guessed birds will peck the rubber off your car. I guess they use it for their nest.
Okay, I think if I walked outside and a flock of vultures was eating my car.... nope. Time to get a new(er) car! :)
Of the Big 3 American Automakers, Chrysler and its Dodge and Jeep brands are the least reliable. The Italian flare after merging with Fiat made them worse
In 1969, when I was five years old, me and my friend were playing with matchbox cars on his bedroom floor. "Mine's a Ford," he said. "Mine's a Chevrolet," I countered. Suddenly his father, who had never spoken before, marched into the room with a beer in his hand and put his finger right in my face and said: "Fords are good, Chevys are bad." And walked out. I thought I was in trouble at the time; now I think it's really funny
Well, Jon, I've got an interesting info for You: JDM Hondas and Toyotas are even better speaking of trim quality and paintjob. No problems for 10+ years and 400000+ km.
Odds are that aftermarket Chinese manufactured part was made in the same factory as some OEM stuff or they were the supplier of the individual components that were shipped over here to be assembled by the OE manufacturer it’s just the way it works nowadays
So, if you don't garage anything, what do you use your garage for?
There's a pallet of hardwood flooring, tile, a dining room table and chairs, multiple shelves with christmas decorations, a shower pan, a glass shower door, tools, tool chest, christmas tree, beach toys, bikes, gun safe, and a tub of lightbulbs. (off the top of my head).
@@AllCarswithJon you need to finish the Honey do list so you can reclaim your garage. Or get a large shed.
In defense to companies I consider garbage and gimmicky like Hyundai surviving off predatory plans and shady warranty, Ive fucked up shit like tpms sensors and shut up to cover my ass as a new tech. I've seen them not notice and come fix it weeks later. Prob looks like a car issue not the technician lol
TPS.... Likely the battery. (time sensitive)
Toyota threw away reliability to chase fuel economy and emissions standards. Those turbo 4 and 6s are garbage, they should have kept the old 5.7V8 and NA V6 as no cost options.
@@maineiacman it's less of a pursuit of fuel economy for the sake of it, and more...much more about being REQUIRED to meet fuel economy standards. It's either that or get out of the business of making smaller vehicles.
Some mfrs have exited the small car market.... which is pretty much all the domestic brands
@@warrenny well, the engines that are being recalled are all being used on large vehicles. The smaller Toyotas are fine for the most part. If the larger vehicles don't meet the fuel economy, then Toyota needs to sell a ton more of compact vehicles to meet the CAFE standards set for the whole brand or pay for credits like Stellantis did for many years when they wanted to HEMI-everything.
On that generation Ford Explorer, I've seen many of them with the black A pillar trims falling off, including the Police Interceptor SUV's. Ford finally did a recall on those trim pieces after years of complaints. Talk about quality, of lack there of😢. It's too bad because I actually like that generation Explorer. It's roomy and comfortable to drive. If I was in the market for a mid-size 3 row SUV, I'll guess I'll take a look at a used Toyota Highlander for Honda Pilot for better piece of mind.
I have a 2013 Taurus with the same sort of sun damage on the rubber along the roof. Not worth replacing to me but it has been a great car for the 40k km that I have owned it. 140k total
I probably would have not noticed the rubber degrading if it hadn't been for the angry hornet sound in the dash.
@@AllCarswithJon I have a '13 Taurus bought at 27K, now 207K great car, just replaced struts, water pump changed at 153K, garage kept
Anecdotal evidence from my own vehicle ownership, and that of family and friends, is showing that cars made during and after Covid are.....Atrocious! It must be a combination of all the issues we had during then, from collapsing supply chains, to companies shuffling talent, rabid cost cutting, and greedflation. It's afflicted every brand from my Chrysler/Jeeps to other Toyotas, Subarus, Hyundais. Even poor quality from BMW and Benz in the news lately. Lots of little stuff poorly sourced and poorly engineered. It's really gotten bad, and frustrating. And the most frustrating thing of all? Especially with Stellantis, is it's harder and harder to even get those OEM parts, when you're doing a warranty repair. Everything seems back ordered. We're leaving 2024, and in my own work experience, my company and our own supply base are OUT of the pandemic doldrums. But not the auto industry? Something is very wrong, and weird. I hope it gets better soon, but I don't see it. With Stellantis leading the charge of all the automakers on the brink of collapse, I don't know what's going to happen. But we as customers will certainly suffer.
Whats even worse, is BMW’s Rubber and plastics. German cars in general. Are horrible with reliability. And quality. Ive owned 2. And will never own another German (or any new car) again.
My daily driver for the past 4 years has been my 86 Bronco. Its been running perfect the whole time ive owned it. All that was needed was to go through the brakes. I replaced Everything except the hard lines. And the fuel system. Just cleaned the tank, new fuel pumps and filters. Otherwise. Its been a perfect vehicle. I would never get rid of.
They're absolute garbage
The tire sensor takes a battery. Batteries only last so long. Every car, every wheel will only last so long, and then you have to replace it with a new battery
I bought a new Escape hybrid in 2020 even though there was some terrible fit and finish issues that were quite obvious, especially where the left fender meets the A pillar. Since it was otherwise the exact one I wanted and they kept getting snatched up I went ahead and bought it anyway. But there's no way Toyota, Honda or Mazda (at the very least) would've let that one leave the factory.
I've only put about 35k miles on it and it's "only" had one breakdown (faulty TMAP sensor). The '22 Insight we got a little more than a year later has put on at least as many miles and is trouble free and noticeably better built.
Nissan, Kia & Hyundai are garbage. I like Ford & they've done a lot for Detroit. GM too. But I'll never own anything other than a Lexus. Especially the ES as a daily. My 2013 hybrid in pearl white it still beautiful & shiny. Interior is excellent & no rips or tears. It runs quiet like it's brand new, consumes no oil & has zero leaks. I have 213k miles on the car. Cushy soft seats & all the gizmos I need that still actually work. It's superb in every way. I'd never spend the money on a brand new car
Interesting observations. I noticed here in southern CA, toyotas tend to have bad paint fade around year 7. I’ve often wondered why more toyota owners don’t complain about it and how toyota gets away with such cheap paint.
I seem to remember that Japanese cars would rust faster at one time.
I remember American cars will dependably rust, especially under the vinyl of the vinyl top.
Best thing that ever happened to the big 3 was the Japanese car makers absolutely kicking their asses in the 80s, forced them to improve their quality.
My family has only ever bought Japanese cars. Never had to take any of them to the shop, ever. We just do regular maintenance. I decided to buy a Mustang, our first non-Japanese car, and within 40,000 miles already had a check engine light haha. First ever check engine light.
what ended up being the cause of the CEL? Also is that a V8 or the Ecoboost?
Reliability is also dependent on when the cars were built.
Fords used to be quite reliable but obviously not these days as unnecessary complexity and too much electronic nonsense has ruined today’s vehicles.
I had a late eighties ford f150 that I bought new and I put nearly 400,000 miles on it and it was extremely reliable.
It did have multiport EFI and a 302 v8 and the AOD transmission that just ran and ran with no issues.
Every manufacturer had built decent cars and some junk as well but most of the good stuff was years ago.
The only reliable cars today are not only Japanese...but specifically only soME Japanese models actually built in Japan ONLY.
@@fortheloveofnoiseUnfortunately you are correct,
2004 TJ (Wrangler in the US) 4litre inline six, five speed manual, 4-wheel disc brakes, 216K kilometers (134K miles). Flowmaster catback and a K$N intake. Front right u-joint, tires, serpintine belt and windshield needed replacing. (And lots of gasoline-it's as aerodynamic as a brick.) That's all. Bullet proof power train, ugly/cute, just the ECU, simple as hell. It's hard to believe it's not Japanese. It used to be, buy Japanese cars and motorcycles and American trucks. Now....?
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
Ford now uses hot oil soaked rubber belts to drive the oil pump. Terrible.
yes, it caused issues with the (now gone) 1.0T Ecoboost 3 cyl.
The 2.7 Ecoboost, though has been rock solid despite the same basic oil pump drive system. The difference is in the details: the 2.7 oil pump uses a Kevlar reinforced belt. Mine has 193K miles, but there are a bunch of 300K and beyond F150s with this same engine and have never had an oil pump belt go out.
I have a reverse lemon... Let me explain.
Land Rover is *NEVER* known for their reliability. I always joke that they are all lemons, but every one in a while you get the one that was built with a little bit of care. My 2003 Discovery Series II has been very reliable it's entire life. Thereby I joke that it's my reverse lemon.
forgot to knock on wood by the end of your comment. Hope you didn't jinx it!
I enjoyed the video. Glad you did this video I was thinking about purchasing a Colorado or Ranger work truck but they would be very hard to fit in my garage with the overall length. Just did not want to deal with the hassle pulling it in and making sure it fits every time I come home and forgetting to checking and have the garage door mess up the truck. So probably would be leaving it out in the driveway year around. But that’s what worried about is how the quality of the trim pieces and other stuff would hold up sitting through hot summers and cold winters. So I just purchased a demo 2023 Dodge Charger SXT that the dealer had.
That was an interesting story! You were considering a truck, worried about the quality of the trim pieces, so you got a Charger....
@@AllCarswithJon I’ve either had sedans or midsize truck in my lifetime. I’ve had 85 Cadillac Seville bustleback , 2001 GMC Sonoma, 2011 Honda Accord and a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. Just what I prefer, so I got a good deal on a 23 Charger and it fits in the garage. But yeah when I buy a vehicle always think about leaving vehicles out and how they hold up for instance Dodge Trucks in the 90s those dashes became so brittle over time.
I thought I was the only person having an issue with my tire pressure monitoring in a 2018 Lexus …sounds like this is an industry issue my vehicle has 73k miles on it
I cheat when it comes to finding out reliability numbers. I take the 200k vehicles we sold and keep track of repairs on particular items. Nothing like hard facts to get in the way anecdotal evidence.
I have a 2018 Toyota corolla and a 2024 Mazda cx5 they both have similar millage one is garaged and one is not the garaged one just looks better the Toyota is garaged not the one i wanted to garage but pick your battles both are solid cars mid level trim garage parking makes a lot of difference for the new stuff I think i would only entertain a Toyota Camry, Mazda CX 50,or a Subaru outback.I live in the pnw so awd is big for me
The citation was a good car...never let me down
Jon, maybe you should have kept your Volvo & put a bit of money into fixing the minor bugs with it??
Are the Lincoln MKS, MKZ & Continentals from 2013-2020 built with that same quality as the regular Fords like that ?
Today's cars, on the whole, are much better than those of 40-50 years ago...
I began driving 🚗 in 1981 and have owned and driven some 13 cars in 43 years - American, Japanese, Korean and German - all reliable more or less...😉
Good. Thanks.
Welcome
The funny thing is people expect their cars to be like refrigerators. Buy it and forget
It's all a ploy, and an increasingly greedy ploy. There's just no honesty anymore, it got to the point where I have given up car ownership completely (now 12 years and counting) - it makes far more sense for me to car share when I need one. I do get that's not a viable option for most people, and I'm equally sad/liberated not to own a car, after all I love cars, just lost the point of owning one, really don't need the headache.
Excellent points. I always prefer common trim items across models, but from a smaller parts bin of better quality parts. The Aussie sun is typically terrible too & is bad for any car. It really shows brands using inferior clearcoats, plastics & rubbers etc. _[Offending brands\models redacted]_
You don't drive a lot. The trim pieces falling off or deteriorating on US branded cars used to happen much earlier, in less than 3 years rather than 7.
yeah, trim pieces are more of an age related wear despite of the mileage
Buy the Chinese part. Everything is "made" in China, then "assembled" in the US. I worked in the Regional Logistics Center for a company that held that contract for Honda of America. China shipped the parts to Japan, and Japan shipped them here. I was also a TL, at the Marysville plant in the "service parts' department" if you need steel (hood roof fender quarter panel trunk lid,) get it here, everything else China, they were made in China anyway. I moved through Honda, plants, and contractors. It's all Chinese parts from weld to paint to assembly. So I know know what I'm talking about. All the manufacturers do the same, China. Oh, engines and transmissions expempt.
Thanks for the comment. But I'd also assume there's quality differences between Chinese parts manufacturers, just like there is in every other nation?
@AllCarswithJon idk, just commenting on my own personal knowledge from my own experience with one manufacturer. Honda employees strictly work the line, I worked the line in the paint department which was doing the sealant before it went through paint the crest of my years was with contractors that did the logistics and supply chain aspect and another that did line side part delivery. Everything thing came in containers with the seals still attached and the tsunami in Japan back in I think 2015 greatly affected the receiving of parts as well as the dock worker union "slowdown" around the same time. So that adds a little more insight on where all the parts are made and come from. I'm not sure if you can even buy parts made here other than the ones I mentioned. Thes Marysville plant does all the stamping for Marysville East Liberty and I think it's Alabama is the other plant and alot for Canada to. One of my departments I was a tl for shipped the blanks. So yeah, just my own experience and retained information. I just try to stick with my comments.
Ford is leading with the most recalls this year due to poor quality
Wait until you see VolksWagen quality... Ford will look like Lexus in comparison
So what's the feeling about Golf? Because I hear the quality control there isn't too bad.
My wife's Jetta 6th gen with the 2.slow and 5 speed has been super reliable. But the trim pieces are coming loose (creaky interior), the exterior B pillar vinyl trim is cracking and the plastic steering wheel is crumbling to pieces at age 9.
I'm glad we didn't go with the 1.4T nor 1.8T, although their added performance is quite good, but I'm not prepared to spend on mechanicals when I'm already dealing with interior and exterior bits.
I have a 2012 Flex and the plastics are falling apart. Some how is rusting 5 times more than my Toyotas living in Florida. I lost my trust in American cars since 2005.
If china offer parts and have the tooling for a ford, then that's who probably where ford purchase the parts from in the first place. Even under the hood of my brand new mazda there are parts that have made in china printed on them.
Michigan is in for some hard times.
MFRs MUST get the big stuff right or they'll pay the price, not only in fines to the government but in bad press.
Banking on brand loyalists who would faithfully allow themselves to be nickel and dimed to death on trim pieces, gaskets, plastic panels, and even window motors seems reflective of a business model that relies on the profitability of "repair and replace".
Perhaps it's as much engineering as it is in material quality that preserves the original pieces of some cars. I am often struck by the absolute quiet of some models... could it be sound deadening or could it be the simple absence of noise because the car is sculpted in a way that shelters small, glued bits of trim from wind forces that are exerted during operation?
Not an engineer so this is at best a semi-educated thought.
Well being nickeled and dimed is a matter of perspective. Most cars have costed the same in real terms over the last 50 years. Key word real terms, nominally they all went up because inflation happens every year and compounds over time….compound interest the eighth wonder of the world.
I have a 53 year old mustang my father bought new for just over 3k or as he put it 2 years wages back then if you were at the bottom of the totem pole income wise. If I look at a modern one same trim and everything it’s still 2 years wages. The quadcab trucks when they were first made in the Great Depression for the government forestry service was about 8 years wages at the time. A modern quadcab can be 1-2.5 years wages now.
Ford does stand for Fix Or Repair Daily. Seriously it looks like your Honda is better quality than the Ford and it's 3 years younger
My Ford has 149k mi