Are German cars unreliable?
 

hello everyone, do you all think German cars unreliable nowadays? I made a video about it! Take a look at this video to find out, and don't forget to subscribe!

https://youtu.be/3j1356773Qg

Oh awesome, I'm already subscribed!


I hate to say, Honda isn't that reliable anymore either, unless that's the trend of most manufacturers these days, as you've identified in your video.

I have a 2010 Mercedes c250 4matic and it has been had some interesting moments. Replacing the wiring a couple of years ago was the most unexpected repair of my experience. The problem with Mercedes is the yearly service. That is where they get you. I learned early to just go to dealer and ask for oil and filter change only. Keeps the cost down. Besides most on this forum will know long before the dealership when something isn't right. Also buy aftermarket parts such as brake pads and rotors and you will save huge money.

Ps. The car still drives great.

I wouldn't touch one unless I could do all the service myself. The cost of something that has to be fixed is insane.

.

I agree. If you take it to the dealer they are only allowed to use OEM replacement parts which to your point are ridiculously expensive. I learned early on to buy the parts myself and have my own mechanic put them on. Example brakes: Mercedes wanted $1600.00 to replace pads and rotors. I was able to do it for 1/2 the cost. They are so good at making money(ripping people off) that you need to replace the sensor which costs $80.00. Not needed as far as I am concerned as you can tell when the brakes need replacing.

German cars are completely reliable as long as you stay up on their rigorous service schedules. Secondhand German cars are a complete crap-shoot because if they've had deferred maintenance you could be playing a costly game of catch-up forever. Even doing the services yourself is no guarantee of cheap, reliable ownership. They're just not like Japanese cars. In my experience the engines themselves are usually bulletproof-it's everything else that needs constant attention. Basically-buy new and be willing to pay for the services of a specialty German shop and you'll be fine.

This is the only "problem" with my Lexus. My local Advance Auto Parts guy says auto manufacturers are only required to produce an inventory for about 7 years. I bought my car used with 27,500 miles. The previous owner must've hit a curb on ice.. it needed a new drivers front wheel bearing and the CV joint/shaft. I suppose unless people are demolishing their cars, there's no need to produce hardware that's not needed.


The dealer paid for the wheel bearing (parts/labor $928) but the CV shafts are so hard to come by, they just did a CV boot repair kit, filled it with grease, and it's been great ever since (which does worry me because metal doesn't grow back, but if it's greased well, maybe lack of grease was the only problem). A quick google search results my CV shaft ranging anywhere from $60 (seems too low) to $900 (seems way too high).


The car is STILL pretty bulletproof. The underbody is in great shape for being a 2009.

The topic is too general. It would be better to focus on a particular brand and model ...

I think the best method for determining whether you can afford a particular car is to call your local dealership and tell them you need a new headlamp assembly/alternator/window gasket, etc and get their price quote for the parts and labor. I did this several times when I was in the market about ten years ago. I called my local European specialist several times regarding an imaginary VW Corrado or BMW E36 that needed a new headlamp assembly. **** me that stuff is expensive. I ended up with a high-mileage 1992 MR2 that served me well for several years. I could order new old stock OE Toyota parts for pennies-on-the-dollar from Olathe Toyota Parts. Same deal with a Fiat I later owned. Need a brand-new OE radiator? That'll be $100 from International Auto Parts.

Not a large sample size (and probably shouldn't lump all German cars together) but in my experience, German cars do seem to be marginally less reliable than the "reliable" Japanese brands (Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Acura). Here are a list of repairs (beyond normal maintenance) on cars I or family members have owned for longer than 5y/60k miles:

2011 VW GTI
- Failed injector
- Carbon buildup on valves
- Leaking rear windshield spray
- Broken window switch

2008 Mercedes C300
- Failed steering lock and ignition module
- Sticking auto-fold mirrors (only in winter)

2013 Scion FR-S (technically a Subaru)
- Valve spring recall
- Idle recall
- Numerous coilpacks (but I don't really count this one due to track use)

2001.5 Nissan Pathfinder
- Radiator fan clutch

2002 Acura RSX
- None

1994 Acura Integra
-None

2013 Honda CR-V
- None

2004 Acura TSX
- None

2004 Toyota Corolla
-None

That's ^ awesome!

I think one of the big reasons there is a perception of unreliability is because often the people who buy these cars only want to lease them or drive them for a few years, then trade up into a new model. Then it turns into a series of serial secondhand ownership and deferred maintanance. No one wants to do the big services. So the cars get bought and sold over and over again and everyone tries to defer maintenance to the next owner.

My favorite reliability website is this one that is done by a warranty insurer in the UK so it is fairly objective and doesn't rely on consumer feed back. Unfortunately they don't list cars by year just model.
https://www.reliabilityindex.com

I have also looked at this website but I don't know where they get their data from.
https://www.osv.ltd.uk/brand-reliability/

My Anecdotal Case: The wife's 2016 Audi Q5 is in the shop with a coolant leak. I would have fixed it myself, but it is too big for my single car garage. It has the Ward's Best 3.0T supercharged 3L V6, but they are known for having coolant pump failures. Her car only has 47k miles.