Cars....ugh

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Hm...go and read Car message boards about Ford Focus and see if I'm kidding about repairs. The car has a poor rating by Consumer Reports. Also ask InDebtInDC, I think he's a mechanic, and he'll tell you everything I've had on my Focus is TYPICAL.

So why shouldn't it color my judgement when I've had a side by side comparison of Toyota Corolla 1 year old with more miles?

Can you show a direct comparison? Same owners, same maintenence schedule, same care, same driving styles, and yet...one car has TONS of repairs and the other doesn't.

This sounds like a good comparison. It doesn't get much better. Corolla is baseline standard. Also if the Corolla had tons of problems, then maybe you could say it's me and DH driving skills/record of maintenence. But since it's fine...well what would you conclude?

[bjl584]

Maybe I have good luck with vehicles due to the fact that I do all of my own maintence and repair work. All that it costs me is time and money for parts. I don't like going to dealerships or garages. Often, if they can't find it in a manual, they are lost. Then there is always the very real possibility that they will change out some part that they don't need to. Example: Car was acting up. Transmission was slipping. The dealership wanted to change the transmission for $3000. I did some research and found out that that car had a common defect in the shifter. The part cost me $5.00 and about 30 minutes of my time. No whether the dealership was aware of the defect or whether they were truely trying to rip me off is up to debate. The point is, often a myriad of problems with a car isn't as big as you think. It may have cost you thousands to fix it, but had you had some knowledge of cars and mechanics, it probably wouldn't cost that much at all. I'm pretty confident that I could keep a Focus going for years without costing all that much, because I am religious with my maintance, and since I am doing it myself, I know that it is getting done correctly. Also, by regularily inspecting my cars, I can often spot problems before they get big and expensive. Small leaks, cracks in hoses, metal shavings in the old oil, worn brakes, strange noises, etc. Stuff that a dealership may not mention or may blow way out of proportion artifically inflating repair costs just cause most people don't know any better. You would think that your car is a piece of garbage that has cost you thousands, but maybe you were just being taken to the cleaners all those years.

[InDebtInDC]

That would be me. In my opinion, mid-90s VWs are some of the worst cars to work on. My advice is to clean it up as much as you possibly can, and sell it for as much as possible. Cut your loss and walk away.

Everyone has their own opinion and statistically speaking, most people will have several data samples as experience to draw from. Technicians who work on thousands of cars will have a larger data sample so their experience will be more meaningful.

On the whole, any car can be broken and no car is indestructible. That said, some cars are better built than others.

In terms of cost, I recommend focusing on models with the highest ratings for safety and reliability. Everything else should be secondary.

I agree with the comments about the Focus being unreliable. I personally struggled with repairs on the Focus and other Fords so I know first hand what a pain Fords can be. The same repair literally takes 30 seconds on a Toyota. On a Ford it takes 2 hours.

In the crossover min-SUV category, I just bought a RAV-4 for my mom so I put my money where my mouth is. I think this is the best car for the money. It's very powerful with the V6 and very useful with the third row seating.

While I don't work in the industry any more, I do a lot of work myself and I appreciate having a well designed car that's easy to work on. I can't afford to waste time and money fixing cars.

With a trained eye, when you look in the engine bay of a new Toyota you can see how anal retentive the factory technicians were. Everything is perfectly to specs. Every little nut, bolt, screw, clamp is perfectly consistent. Fit and finish is perfect. And it's like that on every car. I'm always impressed by the build quality on Toyotas.

Look under the hood of a GM car, and it looks like it was put together by a moody blind person. For that reason alone, I gladly pay the premium for a Toyota.

For you I recommend the RAV-4, followed by the CRV. If you're on a budget, look at the Hyundai. I would also give the Subaru a look. Subarus are not as refined as Toyota/Hondas, but are rugged, reliable, and offer good values.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Bjl584, you are using sample of yourself. Why won't you admit that consumer reports rated Focus as crap. Also that on message boards about cars, people have faced the same problems I have, and maybe all of us are not car savvy.

However, can you really say it's all 10,000 drivers if the same problem crops up? What if some of them are DIY like yourself but still have the same problems? Sure it'll cost them less, but there still is the hassle factor.

What's that? That is the time spent by the crappy car in the shop or being worked on. I'd take a well made car that I don't have to work on or take to the shop over a cheap car everytime. Time is money.

That time could be better spent making more money potentially. But instead you rely on a car which is in the shop.

So Consumer complaints about Ford Focus

Ford Focus Common Problems Solutions Hints and Tips

2000 Ford Focus Consumer Review

By the way my trunk latch on our Ford Focus needs to be replaced. For some reason it doesn't shut. When we go over humps you can hear it almost open. PIA and sure it's a cheap fix, but um, why should I have to keep dealing with it?

[Gruntina]

I have a Ford Escape with 40k miles on it. So far she has been behaving beautifully. The Escape is the smallest SUV. My husband is a certified Ford Mechanic and he would only buy the Escape Model. But again I have a mechanic husband who can work out problems and I trust his best judgment on getting the Escape. Otherwise I probably went with a Honda crv but I have no regrets. I love how simple the Escape has and only have features I need and not some extra fancy scmancy too many buttons. But that is just me. (Oh speaking on that topic, I make sure not to purchase anything luxury to avoid possible extra repairs to deal with especially electronic or a motorized throttle)

I used to have a Ford Temp... That was awful with so many repairs and etc. so many bad reviews and complaints made it official that model and brand of that car was a bad deal. That experience and the reviews on Ford cars in general (not including SUVs and trucks) did steer me away from buying them but I do know someone who has a Taurus and loved it.

I think certain models are more problematic than the brand itself. I had brought a brand new 2002 Toyota Tundra. I loved that truck but it had problems. The steering was hazy and they could not fix it saying it was the character of the 2002 models. Brakes were replaced with no charge less than a year I had it but otherwise it ran good.

I think some model or type of cars get pushed too fast to make marketing deadline that some just turn out carpy.

[hawkster]

I understand wanting to put the wife and child in a nice safe reliable car. Don't let your quest for savings and budgeting stop that. It's my opinion that it is worth every penny.

That said, I certainly steer very clear of SUV's. When we did the car shuffle (my car was crapping the bed so I got the wifes car and she got a new one, LOL) we considered the Nissan Pathfinder. I am so glad we did not do that.

I ended up getting a really nice deal on a Mazda 6. A car I am very happy with, has the V-6 Motor and all the ammenities I wanted her to have and gets nice milage with great performance


Let us know what you do

[tagrims]

Thanks for all the insight!

I shopped around (paid for multiple inspections) and found one that only charged a smaller than expected amount in repairs for a different problem, not the cat converter (which I know needs replaced). Maybe it's the libertarian streak in me, but I hate the whole idea of an inspection for a car, each mechanic tells me something completely different, to me it just helps subsidize the auto industry...but I digress.

So while I know I need a new cat converter, if this $300 repair buys me another year without a car payment it is worth it. (Call me selfish, but I can still sleep well even though my car may pollute more than it should, it's still uses less gasoline than an SUV)

Went to pick up the car and couldn't open the door, the door latch broke. They are going to fix it, but said it was probably a fluke thing (since the latch has broken before I tend to believe them).

So for now the car purchase has been put off for a few more months. My wife is due in July and her last car payment is in July. Meaning if all goes according to plan (which it never does) we will avoid two car payments at the same time.

In the meantime, anyone know someone who has owned a 01-05 Hyundai Sonata or Santa Fe? It looks to be a cheap alternative to the Honda and Toyota, but is the quality and reliability similar? We like Subaru's but they cost more than a Honda or Toyota.

Thanks again!

[maat55]

You could patch it up for now and start saving a car fund, then with one years savings + sell of old, move up and do this again in two years. We are currently paying off a car and will start a 500 a month car fund to replace cars every 2.5 to 3 years with cash. I don"t advocate borrowing for cars anymore but in a pinch you might buy what you can afford financing 2 years then continue to save for future cars.

[sully1980]

hi, i drive a 96 primera..i bought it one year ago for £800, its never let me down,very reliable...i commute 60 miles to work but fortunately i car-pool with 3 others,recently i decided to upgrade , maybe 06 avensis.. i want to keep away from finance or loans..i heard i could buy cheap in england and return to ireland with it... i could save a lot of money!! anyone got any info on vrt tax in ireland?? from personal experience! is it worth the hassle??

[lovcom]

First thought is not to junk your current car just because of a repair. Blue book may be $1,000 but what is it worth to you? Probably more than that.

Next, just because you are expecting doesn't mean you need to get sucked into the SUV craze. Babies fit just fine in sedans.

As for Honda and Toyota, I don't think you are paying a premium for the name. I think you are paying a premium for a well-made car with an excellent reputation and maintenance history.

Alternatives? I think Hyundai has made great strides in recent years. They sell for a few thousand less than comparably equipped Toyotas or Hondas, are stylish and seem to have good maintenance records in recent years.

I wouldn't consider domestic, so I can't answer that question.

I agree with DisneySteve!

I might add though, stay clear and far away from anything VW....they are the worst and lowest car maker in ConsumerReports...even the Korean models score much higher....

Go Japanese and refrain from the SUV thing....they're a money pit....your new family will find plenty of room in a Corolla, Civic, or Honda Fit...the Yaris might be fine too.

[lovcom]

In all reality, most car brands are about equal in quality at present time. There is still a stigma in the minds' of consumers that Japanese cars are better than American cars for quality and longevity, but this isn't necessarily the case today. If you are buying a car that is say 2000 or newer, you can expect that it will be a good quality car no matter the brand so long as you stay on top of the maintanence. I have a Hyundai Elantra that I bought brand new in 2005. There is currently 60,000 miles on it, and I have not had one problem with it to date. You may want to consider keeping your Jetta. But before I can recommend that, can you tell me what's wrong with it?

Having two mechanics in the family, I would have to strongly disagree with you. Cars are not commodities yet. There are real, and often big differences between the late model makes. The differences are not small. And you cannot take just one example "your one single Hyundai" and draw a conclusion....one has to look across thousands of models, research the many car forums and harmonize the data so that they can make an informed decision.

[vinnieg24]

I would go with the Honda IMO, you may be paying slightly more but I think you will believe it's worth it in the end. They are known to be safe and last a long time. If you are set on an suv the Crvs are great a friend of mine has one. but new civics and accords are great too. I wouldnt bother putting anymore money in to your jetta