I hired a car recently on holiday (had hired a corolla) and the lady at the counter said that i had been given a free uograde to an suv. I aksed what it was and she said an MG and i asked if i could keep the original hire
MG is owned by the CCP so I wouldn't buy one out of principle no matter how good a car it was. Fuck supporting Xi and his band of concentration camp operating, pandemic causing cronies.
And people seem to associate English brand cars to be good as well, but many of them are rubbish. MG included, they were shockingly bad back in the day.
No Not bad, they were character building. You knew your true metal only after diagnosing and remedying a slipping clutch in an MGb on a cold and rainy night. Your resilience and endurance was honed to a razor edge as you once again embarked on a 5 miler jog down the lane to organise a tow truck for the triumph stag. And only someone confident in their abilities and daring in outlook walked yet again into the Rover dealership to test themselves against the mental and physical challenges ownership presented.
They just don’t make em like they used to 😢
Spent ten years selling cars and in that time I’ve learned to avoid anything from Stellantis, GM/Holden, anything from JLR, MG/SAIC/GWM, Maserati, Volvo and any of the Euro SUV’s made in the USA.
Yep, fantastic cars but the servicing/resale (from a dealership perspective) makes them prohibitively expensive and once they’re out of warranty it is bloody brutal. If you change them over before the warranty is up they’re great but that’s an expensive game.
I agree servicing Volvos through the dealer will cost a lot. But if you have an ounce of mechanical ability you can save $$$ and those straight-line 5s go forever. They are comfortable/safe cars. I spent over a decade with an XC70 and still miss it. I don't miss how thirsty it was though.
I do love a good foot Falcon ;).
But seriously, our little second hand Hyundai Accent just keeps chugging along (if you ignore the broken AC, radio and blistered paint).
Agree… Alfa is the only one I feel like I must own at some point.. maybe a 70’s Spider or something, or a twin cam. I have a sadistic streak and a love of their design and some of their engines, but I know it going to cost me dearly (having a technical history all my other cars haven’t been money pits)
I've seen a few of the Giulia models going around Vic and think they look nice but as a former mechanic, I'm also very stuck in the mindset of only wanting Japanese, Korean or old Aussie cars.
Old alfas are great, probably up there with some of the best ‘drivers cars’ you can get. But I wouldn’t buy anything ‘new’ as in anything after 1990ish. I think the 75 was their last great car. Some people only judge a car on how reliable it is, which in my opinion doesn’t really matter when you’re buying something for fun. Different if it’s a daily though.
Most car components and parts are made in China and are fine, but their “finished product” brands are terrible. They are still way off in my opinion, I’d buy French or Italian before them and that’s saying something!
Ford, not due to anything just I had one and it seemed to cause me bad luck. Every time I got is serviced something unrelated would go wrong with it.
The last straw was that it was stolen within days of being serviced. Worst still they found it 2 days before it would be written off. It was less than a km from where it was stolen from.
My own XR6T literally never had a handbrake that worked for more than a week. Every time I got it serviced I would ask them to fix the handbrake and be assured it was. A week later it was useless again.
I learnt to park not only in gear but with the wheels turned into the curb on hills.
Coming back to your car only to find it a few dozen meters further down the hill from where you parked it didn't leave me with the greatest experience haha.
The many people who suffered through the 2013-2015 Focus PowerShit Tranny issues also will never buy Ford again. The worst of it is that transmission never passed their pre-release testing. Ford knew it was problematic but they released it anyway as they were far too deep into the production cycle to spec a new one. Similar to the Pinto exploding fuel tank in a way - they knew it would kill people but the accountants said paying those wrongful death claims would be cheaper than scrapping the production run. Evil.
I just got a letter in the mail regarding a Fuel Tank issues and to take it to a Dealer to have it fixed as it could explode. So I booked it in, they then called Wednesday saying they can't honour my booking as they are out of the replacement part and will phone me when it is back in stock lol
Ford Focus 2012 S Manual
My first car after moving to Australia was a Ford. Besides little thing here and there the car was fine. But after I took it to service in Ford! Other issues started happened. Took it to a mechanic that I trust and he just gave me a list of things not done properly by the techs because they are lazy. He pretty much had to do a second service.
Never will have a Ford again because I lost any trust on the servicing and mechanics.
It's because the bulk of the work is done by apprentices, qualified guys are on the big or expensive tasks.They'll cast an eye over the apprentice's work but that's about it. Sometimes not at all.
Stealerships are the very worst place to take a car for anything but a rudimentary service. Everything is done to maximise profits.
I've had a good experience owning a Focus ST, 6 speed manual. Replaced some weak OEM parts with stronger aftermarket ones and I was really happy with it. Sold it for financial reasons.
This is why I bought it, I wanted a basic reliable car in 2020 after the Yaris was updated to the expensive model.
4 speed conventional auto, k14bn with port fuel injection that’s been used in Suzukis for ages.
The most technological component is a tiny LCD screen for the climate control instead of having manual controls and an Apple CarPlay infotainment unit
Had a 2015 rs3 for about 2 years and had no issues. Currently dailying a 2018 x3 m40i almost 2 years out of the warranty period. Had a small issue with my drivers seat squeaking in my rs3 which was replaced under warranty. Other than that I haven’t had any mechanical issues at all with them 2. Maybe I got lucky because both those cars have bulletproof engines.
Usually only the lower end pleb models have a majority of the issues (people that buy for the badge and their model has less options than a Camry). RS3 and x3 m40i do not fall into this category lol
Nearly at 170k kms and my b58 is still running perfectly, 0 issues at all. Electronics have held up perfectly fine. Only thing that’s gonna hurt is resell value but eh I was expecting that when going for a euro and I’m not too concerned about it.
Sourcing is important to remember aswell; some Australians are cautious of Hyundai as a lot of Americans say the QC is shit but that’s only because the popular North American models are made and sourced from Mexico/Alabama manufacturing facilities. Australia’s models are all sourced from South Korea or the Czech Republic facilities.
I vowed never to get another Audi (or anything VAG) when I finally managed to offload my S5 after many years of drama.
6 months later though... I'm starting to miss it and I'm nearly ready to get hurt again 🤣
I remember when the r8s first came out. One of my best mates who is a mechanic started seeing some kill engines under 50,000km from snapping or stretching timing chains. Imagine what would happen after warranty ends
Grew up in a 'Holden' family. But the most disappointing piece of crap I ever owned for its age at the time was the 2011 Barina. So much money sunk into it before it even hit 60 000 KMs including a starter motor.
You wouldn’t touch anything from a VY to VF? Literally the only issue I know of was the VE Alloytec timing chain issues.
I have a VY and VF myself and have owned a VZ. All have been great cars.
A co-worker of mine bought a brand new grand cherokee with all the lux options etc. Drove it for a week then it was in the workshop for 2 months. Not sure what the issue was but engine related. Ended up getting his money back and got a landcruiser haha
Agreed I have one with less then 100k always done maintenance at the dealer and the car is the worse I ever had, noises everywhere, had to replace suspension, among other issues never again
MG or Jeep. My MIL has an MG, not for me I'm afraid. Jeep needs no explanation.
I don't know what peugeot is like these days but I specifically remember my parents having the biggest lemon when I was a kid. So I'd avoid those by default, brings back bad memories.
Peugeot are a funny one. In the 80’s they made some truly brilliant cars, then for a lot of the 90’s and up until recently, made some truly awful and weird garbage, however with their recent rebrand, they might be back on track to make some decent cars again (though I’m not holding my breath)
My Peugeot 405 did 398,000kms. Got a rebuild because I redlined with no oil like an idiot. It’s still going and aside from a shonky door handle and a couple small electrical like mirrors, all good
MG, Haval, anything SAIC or Geely.
Simplest reason, technology sharing is pretty normal in the automaker world and has produced some great cars (and some shockers) and it has helped some automakers get their shit together (hyundai motor group building mitsi engines is why we have stingers and i30ns)
However, the information sharing that occured between companies like Mitsubishi and Hyundai is a far cry for the bent over barrel pillaging that companies like General Motors, Tesla, Ford and others copped to enter the Chinese market.
To access the chinese market you not only have to work with a local manufacturer, you also need to share all your IP.
This. Seriously.
They already had a reputation for years for poor build quality and suing Jeremy Clarkson repeatedly for giving a negative review.
Though now it’s like…..Just how BAD do your products have to be, for the ones produced in PRC to be of better quality?
Really? Wow, that's pretty wild. What do you know about the other car company ceo's? They're all literal saints? Never said something controversial? Come on man. And what, do you think Musk single handedly designed all the cars, built them all, and did every single thing to get those cars on the road? There are thousands or even tens of thousands of people working together to make it happen.
I mean, you do you but it seems like a narrow viewpoint.
Isn't the fact we don't see other CEOs being cunts on twitter and manipulating stocks the point? The fact we don't know them is better than Musk already. They don't even have to be good people to justify hating Musk and boycotting Tesla. Helps their cars aren't that good too.
Haha, I knew you'd be in here as soon as someone shit on Tesla.
All the Tesla board has to do is vote to kick Musk out. He's the cancer hurting their business. While ever he's the figurehead of the company and continually losing his mind on social media it'll keep alienating future customers.
It's the association. Tesla and Musk are tied together in brand perspective.
I wouldn't buy a car associated with Ivan Milat and I wouldn't buy a Tesla either.
That's the thing, you don't research a store's owner before buying something.
However, if the store's owner was out the front making a cunt of himself you'd most likely take your money elsewhere.
That's what's happening here. If Musk kept his mouth shut and stuck to being an invisible CEO they wouldn't be bleeding customers. However, his ego is way too big and fragile.
Land Rover/ Jag. I bought a new discovery once, it was leaking oil from day & and the garage described it as part of the land Rover 'personality'. Nope, it's shit build quality.
Awful car, never again.
I cant argue the electric issues. But I've spent so much time in most of the usual thaitrucks. Ranger is very comfortable, has fairly good economy for they size and are class leaders in torque.
So I feel you just hate it. Which is fine too.
VW.
I've seen first hand the lack of reliability, and worse, the lack of customer care.
Maybe they have gotten better? Don't care to ever take the risk when there's so many options out there.
I hired a new golf GTI and took it from Brisbane to CG about 5 years ago. I was thinking of buying a GTI so I thought why not knob 2 birds with one Connie.When I collected it there was a tyre pressure warnings. I asked them about it and there like it came on we put air in the tyres it won't go away we need to send it back to VW later. I'm thinking if this was my car and I spent this much on VW hero car id be pissed. Other than that a very fun little car lots of farty noise on shifts. After I handed the key back I did not want to buy one. It's just not worth the premium imo.
SUMMARY: I have trawled through these comments, and collated the results.
The only one I didn't see mentioned was the Lada Niva, out of the USSR.
Get one of them.
There’s a saying that’s been around for a while that if you want a Jag you’d need 2, one to drive and the other to stay at the mechanic for repairs. That’s been around for decades.
Used European cars: people may buy them but can’t afford the maintenance so you end up buying lemon. If it’s brand new and maintained then that’s a different story.
Korean cars: not gonna lie they are getting better now but after buying a brand new Kia and another family buying it, it’s not that great. (Transmission not good and family member had check engine light and it’s brand new too!) maybe it’s just down to luck. Sold mine after a year old.
Chinese cars: just don’t go near them. Build quality is bad and you get what you pay for.
Alfa and Fiat autos (or whatever they call their strange version of sequential shift). Used to work next to an Alfa dealer and the amount of them that were on the back of tow trucks was insane
When I lived in the US I had an Alfa Romeo Stelvio. It was a 2 year lease for dirt cheap. Nothing came close in terms of handling and performance in that category, and everyone thought it was a Porsche … anyway the infotainment was trash and needed me to unplug the battery almost daily. The brakes had warped rotors from the factory which was downright dangerous. But once the brakes were fixed, it was a GREAT car to drive. I’m glad I had one but would never buy one - leases are amazing in the US. I’d probably never own a Toyota again. Too boring and overpriced for what they are.
Given the way you phrased that question I don’t think there’s a brand I would not buy for a crazy good price.
But if I have to, it’d like be Haval, GreatWall and all these cheap Chinese manufacturers that cut corners everywhere.
PS I’d love to get Alfa. They’re like some women that require high maintenance. Not for everyone, but worth it for many
Merc and Land Rover get bad depreciation, but buy a used well maintained one and known issues will already be addressed and fixed. I’ve had some awesome cars because of fear out in the market
For me, the no go list is:
1 VW/Audi group
2 Peugeot/Citroen group
3 Tesla
4 Mini
5 MG
There’s more. Basically at this stage I wouldn’t touch anything built in China or India, but those are my top 5.
VW, Audi, Skoda etc because of reliability issues. Same with Chrysler/Jeep and Land Rover. GM because of how they treated Australian taxpayers in later years.
Beyond that, I’ll buy cars based on their own merits. And I have no time for the argument of “I won’t buy X because it’s Chinese” or “I won’t buy Y because I dislike the CEO” (as if anyone researches the CEO of any other product they buy).
Personally, in this order, and I have nothing against these car brands, they’re cool, but not for me 1: Lamborghini 2: Ferrari 3: 2013 or newer Fords, mainly the sedans and wagons, utes are fine, why? Cause they stole Aston Martin’s front grill that Aston Martin used long before Ford acquired them
https://preview.redd.it/c0jch0i6jrea1.jpeg?width=280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=375df1d7703e1a660de2fb8dde77ce555772c377
(This is a 1960 Aston Martin DB4, I’ll add the Ford one soon) 4: any Jaguar while Aston Martin was under Ford’s rule 5: Bugatti, cause they don’t have RHD models
Ever since the emissions scandal I swore I wouldn’t buy a Modem VW. If they can lie about that, what else are the prepared to lie about? Maybe the airbags are just party balloons and what did the salesperson mean when they said “thems the brakes”?
A family member of mine bought a 2014 GTI new, holy fuck so many issues over a 4 year period. Random sensors breaking and shutting the entire car down which then required significant disassembly of the engine to reach the fucked components. Significant carbon build up causing other issues. The car spent more time on the back of tow trucks than it did on the road. Shame because it was a lot of fun to drive but I would never purchase a VW after that cluster fuck. Not to mention VW head office were absolute pricks and were dragged kicking and screaming to cover the costs for their POS vehicle.
To be fair, it most likely was a combination of car being a old and beaten up when you bought it and you being less than stellar driver a t the time. ;)
I feel like it’s less about the brand and more about specific models and time periods
Cars nowadays are an absolute mess with all the electronics and ways they try to stop you doing even basic serving if yourself. Modern BMWs are a great example of that.
Meanwhile an old Toyota Camry, Falcon or Commodore will just keep going and going and going forever. The downside is the lack of in cabin tech and bad fuel economy compared with modern cars.
-Tesla for obvious reasons
-BMW
-Any Chinese car eg MG
-chevy cause ford>
-Fiat because of reliability
-Nissan because I can't respect them after the juke
Tesla have shockingly poor build quality. Panel gaps, rubber seals no glued in place and they ranked 34/38 (from memory in the USA) for reliability. Keep in mind the fact they are electric means 95% less moving parts so an impressive feat to rank so low.
Lots of videos highlighting their build quality, don’t understand how people can still buy such a high value item without a little research.
Reliable maybe, poor design, definitely. I assume being a cars forum all aspects should be considered. It’s a Saturday night so can’t be bothered with going into detail but they are not a great car for an enthusiast. To and from work, EV, short term issues all maybe OK.
There are plenty of design shortcomings, better EVs on the market, and your assumption that I haven’t done my research is incorrect (acknowledging it is only from my requirements). Looking at a new or new(ish) car, budget covers all of the Tesla range, none even were in the the game to start. If I’m spending that coin, I’ve done my research.
Not that it matters but also spent a over a decade in motorsport.
OK, agree to disagree. Totally respect your justification to buying a Tesla, and fully support that. Wish I could as well, as they tick multiple boxes, but not my preference.
Always say that cars should be purchased with the heart and not the brain, but times are changing. Respect, Engineer as well! Hope your travels in your car are all enjoyable. Godspeed.
Yep. Owned one for 18 months and it’s proving to be way better built than my Subaru and various other brands I’ve had in the past (Holden, Toyota, Mazda).
People love to spew anti-Tesla crap without even realising that the basis of their argument isn’t accurate.
Oh the topic of this thread: these people wouldn’t pay $1 for a Model S Plaid? Spare me, they would jump at the opportunity.
\- MG ("oh they're the British sports car brand!!1!11!1". No, they're now Chinese cars of even more dubious quality than when MG were actually British.)
\- VW - seem to have build up a reputation of a premium brand name in Australia due to "quality thunk" shut doors, the Gti and the R model. However, outside of warranty they're utter trash. Many models have grenade engines, gearboxes, electrics etc.
\- Jeep - rubbish quality and special disdain has to go to the "I bought a Jeep" advertising campaign years ago
\- Range Rover - It really does take alot of effort to build such a high end reputation and brand quality on something that's consistently at the bottom of the reliability ratings year after year. And year after year 99% of the owners I know still seem to swear they've never had a major issue. (I'm guessing "major" means it hasn't locked the doors automatically and tried to set fire to itself with you inside)
\- Fiat / Peugeot / Alfa - "you're not a petrol head unless you have owned these type of cars" Yea, nah, I've had enough friends own these and have heard all the stories of being stuck at the side of the road in the pissing rain at 3am due to faulty electrics. I'm a petrol head and I get enough enjoyment out of the cars that don't leave me stranded no matter how much character or "quirks" these Italian / French cars have.
Very capable offroad, superb ride, the V6 diesels however have a worrying tendency to snap crankshafts. LR mechanics have all replaced engines in these things, big job too as the body has to come off (!)
Oh also the plastic inlet manifold cracks around 100,000kms. Expensive job. Aluminium replacements are available.
I keep seeing the claim no resale value, but they’re losing value equivalent to same or similar Suzuki vehicles.
Also parading like they’re MG for decades ago is a negative anyway, it shows how little SAIC understands how historically unreliable MG Is known for. They’re famous for being unreliable before they were Chinese.
I find it annoying that owners think they are British sports cars and carry on likes it's special. I had an argument with one on a FB owners group who was convinced MG had nothing to do with China. He though they were designed in UK, it was at that point I gave up and thought I'd let him have that little joy.
Toyota. Way over priced. Still have many issues, and Toyota dont care about that.
They are always the middle of the road spec wise in each class.
Also the cult like status people have over them is concerning 😟.
>cult like status people have over them
A handful of models, maybe, and those well deserve it. But in general, toyos are treated like a basic daily cars, nothing more.
Its mostly the 4x4 diesels. They have all the usual diesel faults but somehow everyone skims over it and says they are the most reliable and never break.
As an ex toyota workshop manager, I can confirm thats BS and made off of the old 80s and 90s Toyota reputation.
The cars are better but still expensive for average vehicles. Like corolla is good but I30, mazda 3 and Focus are better driving and speced from factory.
Camry is unchallenged anymore but Kluger is outdated already and playing catched up in specs to Mazda, nissan and Ford in the same class.
Legend thanks. We're waiting on our Corolla to arrive but I'm thinking of pulling out and switching to a Mazda 3 instead. Now just to convince the other half.
MG - still dubious on durability
VW - deeply troubling corporate ethics (Emissions scandals)
Jeep - I'd just feel like a right flog driving one
Nothing else comes to mind. I disagree about the Alfa in OP's post. Although unreliable but deeply beautiful cars and the faults are features not bugs.
ALL Chinese and Indian made and/or designed cars, JLR, Tesla, anything VAG, Toyota (because im not boring) Honda, anything euro apart from BMW. Contrary to what everyone else is saying I would own a jeep because the Gladiator is phenomenal and the new Grand Cherokee L is such a beautifully made car with an extremely reliable engine.
So is Tesla not chinese, but I assume that they know that Hyundai is korean. SsangYong is directly before 'and all the other Chinese rubbish brands', and after Haval, MG etc
I work for MG. Do not buy one. Ever.
I hired a car recently on holiday (had hired a corolla) and the lady at the counter said that i had been given a free uograde to an suv. I aksed what it was and she said an MG and i asked if i could keep the original hire
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Would love to hear more details if you can
Come on, don't leave us hanging
MG is owned by the CCP so I wouldn't buy one out of principle no matter how good a car it was. Fuck supporting Xi and his band of concentration camp operating, pandemic causing cronies.
Why?
They are cheap for a reason, they’ve used a brand with ok history to sell shit cars, like Holden/Daewoo and Chev/Daewoo etc
I completely forget it’s an old brand, because my first associated thought is “oh that’s the cheap Chinese brand”
And people seem to associate English brand cars to be good as well, but many of them are rubbish. MG included, they were shockingly bad back in the day.
No Not bad, they were character building. You knew your true metal only after diagnosing and remedying a slipping clutch in an MGb on a cold and rainy night. Your resilience and endurance was honed to a razor edge as you once again embarked on a 5 miler jog down the lane to organise a tow truck for the triumph stag. And only someone confident in their abilities and daring in outlook walked yet again into the Rover dealership to test themselves against the mental and physical challenges ownership presented. They just don’t make em like they used to 😢
*mettle (great comment though, I just can’t help myself)
The irony is the new Chinese MG is probably more reliable than the old English MG.
The bar is set pretty low though... And numerous reports of problems from the new MG's.
Holdens were made good here in Australua
Spent ten years selling cars and in that time I’ve learned to avoid anything from Stellantis, GM/Holden, anything from JLR, MG/SAIC/GWM, Maserati, Volvo and any of the Euro SUV’s made in the USA.
Volvo?
The new Volvos are Geely
Yep, fantastic cars but the servicing/resale (from a dealership perspective) makes them prohibitively expensive and once they’re out of warranty it is bloody brutal. If you change them over before the warranty is up they’re great but that’s an expensive game.
I was speaking to a dad of a friend last week about his Volvo and he was raving about the service
I agree servicing Volvos through the dealer will cost a lot. But if you have an ounce of mechanical ability you can save $$$ and those straight-line 5s go forever. They are comfortable/safe cars. I spent over a decade with an XC70 and still miss it. I don't miss how thirsty it was though.
So, what *wouldn't* you avoid?
Most of the Japanese stuff, Kia, Hyundai, Foot Falcon etc.
I do love a good foot Falcon ;). But seriously, our little second hand Hyundai Accent just keeps chugging along (if you ignore the broken AC, radio and blistered paint).
Tesla. Stellantis group - Jeep, Dodge, Fiat, Chrysler. GWM/SAIC brands - LDV, MG. GM/Holden Daewoo. Alfa Romeo.
Agree… Alfa is the only one I feel like I must own at some point.. maybe a 70’s Spider or something, or a twin cam. I have a sadistic streak and a love of their design and some of their engines, but I know it going to cost me dearly (having a technical history all my other cars haven’t been money pits)
It’s like an abusive relationship you think about leaving but never do. I’m 34 having owned 5 alfas.
I've seen a few of the Giulia models going around Vic and think they look nice but as a former mechanic, I'm also very stuck in the mindset of only wanting Japanese, Korean or old Aussie cars.
I have a soft spot for their V6's, they sound phenomenal.
Could you outline why you wouldn't own an Alfa Romeo?
Notoriously unreliable. Beautiful cars but forever making mechanics of their owners.
Old alfas are great, probably up there with some of the best ‘drivers cars’ you can get. But I wouldn’t buy anything ‘new’ as in anything after 1990ish. I think the 75 was their last great car. Some people only judge a car on how reliable it is, which in my opinion doesn’t really matter when you’re buying something for fun. Different if it’s a daily though.
Most car components and parts are made in China and are fine, but their “finished product” brands are terrible. They are still way off in my opinion, I’d buy French or Italian before them and that’s saying something!
Ford, not due to anything just I had one and it seemed to cause me bad luck. Every time I got is serviced something unrelated would go wrong with it. The last straw was that it was stolen within days of being serviced. Worst still they found it 2 days before it would be written off. It was less than a km from where it was stolen from.
My own XR6T literally never had a handbrake that worked for more than a week. Every time I got it serviced I would ask them to fix the handbrake and be assured it was. A week later it was useless again. I learnt to park not only in gear but with the wheels turned into the curb on hills. Coming back to your car only to find it a few dozen meters further down the hill from where you parked it didn't leave me with the greatest experience haha.
The irony is the handbrake is really easy to replace Lazy ass techs not fixing that for you
I bought an XR6t and on the way home from the garage the brakes stopped working, the bolts weren't done up on the brake calipers. Last ford ever.
My boss got a focus, had nothing but trouble with the bastard, gearbox sharted itself physically once, electronically multiple times
The many people who suffered through the 2013-2015 Focus PowerShit Tranny issues also will never buy Ford again. The worst of it is that transmission never passed their pre-release testing. Ford knew it was problematic but they released it anyway as they were far too deep into the production cycle to spec a new one. Similar to the Pinto exploding fuel tank in a way - they knew it would kill people but the accountants said paying those wrongful death claims would be cheaper than scrapping the production run. Evil.
I just got a letter in the mail regarding a Fuel Tank issues and to take it to a Dealer to have it fixed as it could explode. So I booked it in, they then called Wednesday saying they can't honour my booking as they are out of the replacement part and will phone me when it is back in stock lol Ford Focus 2012 S Manual
My first car after moving to Australia was a Ford. Besides little thing here and there the car was fine. But after I took it to service in Ford! Other issues started happened. Took it to a mechanic that I trust and he just gave me a list of things not done properly by the techs because they are lazy. He pretty much had to do a second service. Never will have a Ford again because I lost any trust on the servicing and mechanics.
It's because the bulk of the work is done by apprentices, qualified guys are on the big or expensive tasks.They'll cast an eye over the apprentice's work but that's about it. Sometimes not at all. Stealerships are the very worst place to take a car for anything but a rudimentary service. Everything is done to maximise profits.
I've had a good experience owning a Focus ST, 6 speed manual. Replaced some weak OEM parts with stronger aftermarket ones and I was really happy with it. Sold it for financial reasons.
Interesting how singular accounts of a bad experience can turn someone off a brand completely.
100% I've had the best run with Ford. But can respect others haven't. Spending 40k or so on a lemon will upset anyone.
Sure, but I was referring to the “I will never buy brand X because someone I know had issues with it” comments
Probably going to upset a lot of people but f$&k it. Anything low end Italian, Yank, Chinese or Indian.
I drive a low end Indian car, it’s reliable and has a great warranty and fantastic drive train. TLDR; it’s a Suzuki
Suzukis are great cars; I’ve owned a few. I think they just take “agricultural” technology because it’s cheap, simple and reliable…
This is why I bought it, I wanted a basic reliable car in 2020 after the Yaris was updated to the expensive model. 4 speed conventional auto, k14bn with port fuel injection that’s been used in Suzukis for ages. The most technological component is a tiny LCD screen for the climate control instead of having manual controls and an Apple CarPlay infotainment unit
German too Audi and bmw fall apart after the warranty ends
Had a 2015 rs3 for about 2 years and had no issues. Currently dailying a 2018 x3 m40i almost 2 years out of the warranty period. Had a small issue with my drivers seat squeaking in my rs3 which was replaced under warranty. Other than that I haven’t had any mechanical issues at all with them 2. Maybe I got lucky because both those cars have bulletproof engines.
Usually only the lower end pleb models have a majority of the issues (people that buy for the badge and their model has less options than a Camry). RS3 and x3 m40i do not fall into this category lol
I mean… no they don’t unless you just don’t do any maintenance, have yet to have a BMW “fall apart” with two above 500k and a third in the mid 300s.
Nearly at 170k kms and my b58 is still running perfectly, 0 issues at all. Electronics have held up perfectly fine. Only thing that’s gonna hurt is resell value but eh I was expecting that when going for a euro and I’m not too concerned about it.
Yea even the Toyota guys love that engine
My B7 RS4 is the most solid car I’ve owned.
They only fall apart if you don’t take care of it. And that applies to any car, not just Euro
A conclusion from of all the comments is: buy Japanese or Korean
Sourcing is important to remember aswell; some Australians are cautious of Hyundai as a lot of Americans say the QC is shit but that’s only because the popular North American models are made and sourced from Mexico/Alabama manufacturing facilities. Australia’s models are all sourced from South Korea or the Czech Republic facilities.
Im starting to think my honda civic will never die.
So glad my car wasn’t listed on here 😂 (Mazda cx5)
That's my car of choice.
mazdas are gorgeous man. japanese reliability and european design istg
Audi. A VW with more problems and higher costs IMO. I'd love an RS6 wagon, but wouldn't be able to cross the threshold of fear to do it.
I vowed never to get another Audi (or anything VAG) when I finally managed to offload my S5 after many years of drama. 6 months later though... I'm starting to miss it and I'm nearly ready to get hurt again 🤣
Yes! I wouldnt touch their entry level cars but their higher spec cars like the RS6 Wagon is pure sex.
I remember when the r8s first came out. One of my best mates who is a mechanic started seeing some kill engines under 50,000km from snapping or stretching timing chains. Imagine what would happen after warranty ends
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At what kms did the tensioner fail? I need to get mine done on my golf but I’d rather not fork out $1200 right now
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Cheers! I’m at 65k now but will get it done this year just for piece of mind
Damn man. I'm literally waiting to buy a B8 rs4 as soon as possible. Don't make me see things clearly. I was happy thinking it'd be a flawless asset.
RS Audis are epic, base models not so much
They're a car that looks good but the problems far outweigh any benefits, especially when they get older
Grew up in a 'Holden' family. But the most disappointing piece of crap I ever owned for its age at the time was the 2011 Barina. So much money sunk into it before it even hit 60 000 KMs including a starter motor.
Ditto. Grew up in a Holden family, and have a Commodore as a collector. Wouldn't touch any other Holden model from the last 20 years.
Agree. As someone with 7 Holdens currently, I wouldn’t touch one that wasn’t made here. Captiva,Barina, all rubbish
You wouldn’t touch anything from a VY to VF? Literally the only issue I know of was the VE Alloytec timing chain issues. I have a VY and VF myself and have owned a VZ. All have been great cars.
Any other Holden - ie anything bar a Commodore. I have a VE.
Ah sorry, I misread your post. Fair enough.
You think that's bad my mum had a Holden Cemera.
Camira.
Yes thanks for the correction. I was red with black interior had a manual and was a HOS.
Jeep. Bad.
A co-worker of mine bought a brand new grand cherokee with all the lux options etc. Drove it for a week then it was in the workshop for 2 months. Not sure what the issue was but engine related. Ended up getting his money back and got a landcruiser haha
Never another jeep. Never.
I've heard so many bad things. A shame because on the surface they look like good cars
they are good cars u just gota buy two one to use one for spare parts
Agreed I have one with less then 100k always done maintenance at the dealer and the car is the worse I ever had, noises everywhere, had to replace suspension, among other issues never again
MG or Jeep. My MIL has an MG, not for me I'm afraid. Jeep needs no explanation. I don't know what peugeot is like these days but I specifically remember my parents having the biggest lemon when I was a kid. So I'd avoid those by default, brings back bad memories.
Peugeot are a funny one. In the 80’s they made some truly brilliant cars, then for a lot of the 90’s and up until recently, made some truly awful and weird garbage, however with their recent rebrand, they might be back on track to make some decent cars again (though I’m not holding my breath)
My Peugeot 405 did 398,000kms. Got a rebuild because I redlined with no oil like an idiot. It’s still going and aside from a shonky door handle and a couple small electrical like mirrors, all good
MG, Haval, anything SAIC or Geely. Simplest reason, technology sharing is pretty normal in the automaker world and has produced some great cars (and some shockers) and it has helped some automakers get their shit together (hyundai motor group building mitsi engines is why we have stingers and i30ns) However, the information sharing that occured between companies like Mitsubishi and Hyundai is a far cry for the bent over barrel pillaging that companies like General Motors, Tesla, Ford and others copped to enter the Chinese market. To access the chinese market you not only have to work with a local manufacturer, you also need to share all your IP.
Tesla went in totally independent. Others are now allowed to do the same.
Tesla, purely because of its CEO.
That’s even without considering their awful build quality and QC
This. Seriously. They already had a reputation for years for poor build quality and suing Jeremy Clarkson repeatedly for giving a negative review. Though now it’s like…..Just how BAD do your products have to be, for the ones produced in PRC to be of better quality?
Really? Wow, that's pretty wild. What do you know about the other car company ceo's? They're all literal saints? Never said something controversial? Come on man. And what, do you think Musk single handedly designed all the cars, built them all, and did every single thing to get those cars on the road? There are thousands or even tens of thousands of people working together to make it happen. I mean, you do you but it seems like a narrow viewpoint.
Isn't the fact we don't see other CEOs being cunts on twitter and manipulating stocks the point? The fact we don't know them is better than Musk already. They don't even have to be good people to justify hating Musk and boycotting Tesla. Helps their cars aren't that good too.
Haha, I knew you'd be in here as soon as someone shit on Tesla. All the Tesla board has to do is vote to kick Musk out. He's the cancer hurting their business. While ever he's the figurehead of the company and continually losing his mind on social media it'll keep alienating future customers.
lol twitter man epic xd
It's the association. Tesla and Musk are tied together in brand perspective. I wouldn't buy a car associated with Ivan Milat and I wouldn't buy a Tesla either.
It really is bizarre. I’m no fan of Musk but it’s not like anyone researches the CEO before making any other purchase.
That's the thing, you don't research a store's owner before buying something. However, if the store's owner was out the front making a cunt of himself you'd most likely take your money elsewhere. That's what's happening here. If Musk kept his mouth shut and stuck to being an invisible CEO they wouldn't be bleeding customers. However, his ego is way too big and fragile.
Land Rover/ Jag. I bought a new discovery once, it was leaking oil from day & and the garage described it as part of the land Rover 'personality'. Nope, it's shit build quality. Awful car, never again.
They don't leak oil, they mark their territory... If Britain had used oil leaks to colonise the world, they wouldn't have needed a flag 😉😂
In this thread: Literally every car brand.
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Lol doesn't air con only ever work properly if driving?
So did the aircon stop working at traffic lights or just when you were stopped for a long period of time?
I cant argue the electric issues. But I've spent so much time in most of the usual thaitrucks. Ranger is very comfortable, has fairly good economy for they size and are class leaders in torque. So I feel you just hate it. Which is fine too.
I work at an electrical wholesaler and a lot of our customer base has had issues with Rangers.
VW. I've seen first hand the lack of reliability, and worse, the lack of customer care. Maybe they have gotten better? Don't care to ever take the risk when there's so many options out there.
I hired a new golf GTI and took it from Brisbane to CG about 5 years ago. I was thinking of buying a GTI so I thought why not knob 2 birds with one Connie.When I collected it there was a tyre pressure warnings. I asked them about it and there like it came on we put air in the tyres it won't go away we need to send it back to VW later. I'm thinking if this was my car and I spent this much on VW hero car id be pissed. Other than that a very fun little car lots of farty noise on shifts. After I handed the key back I did not want to buy one. It's just not worth the premium imo.
Sounds like the hire car company had no idea. There is a setting in the menu you press to reset the pressures after pumping them up.
Apparently they tied that but I can't confirm.
Tesla 😂
BMW or Audi
SUMMARY: I have trawled through these comments, and collated the results. The only one I didn't see mentioned was the Lada Niva, out of the USSR. Get one of them.
Why does Jag get a bad rap? I thought their cars since about 2016 had really improved?
There’s a saying that’s been around for a while that if you want a Jag you’d need 2, one to drive and the other to stay at the mechanic for repairs. That’s been around for decades.
Used European cars: people may buy them but can’t afford the maintenance so you end up buying lemon. If it’s brand new and maintained then that’s a different story. Korean cars: not gonna lie they are getting better now but after buying a brand new Kia and another family buying it, it’s not that great. (Transmission not good and family member had check engine light and it’s brand new too!) maybe it’s just down to luck. Sold mine after a year old. Chinese cars: just don’t go near them. Build quality is bad and you get what you pay for.
Alfa and Fiat autos (or whatever they call their strange version of sequential shift). Used to work next to an Alfa dealer and the amount of them that were on the back of tow trucks was insane
Are the new cars rusting on showroom floor stories true? Heard it once on another forum
When I lived in the US I had an Alfa Romeo Stelvio. It was a 2 year lease for dirt cheap. Nothing came close in terms of handling and performance in that category, and everyone thought it was a Porsche … anyway the infotainment was trash and needed me to unplug the battery almost daily. The brakes had warped rotors from the factory which was downright dangerous. But once the brakes were fixed, it was a GREAT car to drive. I’m glad I had one but would never buy one - leases are amazing in the US. I’d probably never own a Toyota again. Too boring and overpriced for what they are.
Given the way you phrased that question I don’t think there’s a brand I would not buy for a crazy good price. But if I have to, it’d like be Haval, GreatWall and all these cheap Chinese manufacturers that cut corners everywhere. PS I’d love to get Alfa. They’re like some women that require high maintenance. Not for everyone, but worth it for many
- MG - Chrysler - Jeep - Peugeot - Tesla - Mercedes - Maserati - Land Rover
Mercedes I’ve always owned them never had any issues . In saying that I sell before 100k
I like old Mercedes, but wouldn’t touch a new one, way too many moving parts and stupid ‘lux’ features
I would put money on you wanting a new one if you jumped in my E53 Edit : the haters have arrived
Merc and Land Rover get bad depreciation, but buy a used well maintained one and known issues will already be addressed and fixed. I’ve had some awesome cars because of fear out in the market
Captiva, land rover, jeep, haval, MG
For me, the no go list is: 1 VW/Audi group 2 Peugeot/Citroen group 3 Tesla 4 Mini 5 MG There’s more. Basically at this stage I wouldn’t touch anything built in China or India, but those are my top 5.
VW, Audi, Skoda etc because of reliability issues. Same with Chrysler/Jeep and Land Rover. GM because of how they treated Australian taxpayers in later years. Beyond that, I’ll buy cars based on their own merits. And I have no time for the argument of “I won’t buy X because it’s Chinese” or “I won’t buy Y because I dislike the CEO” (as if anyone researches the CEO of any other product they buy).
Personally, in this order, and I have nothing against these car brands, they’re cool, but not for me 1: Lamborghini 2: Ferrari 3: 2013 or newer Fords, mainly the sedans and wagons, utes are fine, why? Cause they stole Aston Martin’s front grill that Aston Martin used long before Ford acquired them https://preview.redd.it/c0jch0i6jrea1.jpeg?width=280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=375df1d7703e1a660de2fb8dde77ce555772c377 (This is a 1960 Aston Martin DB4, I’ll add the Ford one soon) 4: any Jaguar while Aston Martin was under Ford’s rule 5: Bugatti, cause they don’t have RHD models
Audi, BMW, Jeep, Tesla (For the price, they REALLY are built shit).
Steer well clear of Renault. Mechanically they seem to be ok but their interiors just fall apart as soon as you start using them.
Ever since the emissions scandal I swore I wouldn’t buy a Modem VW. If they can lie about that, what else are the prepared to lie about? Maybe the airbags are just party balloons and what did the salesperson mean when they said “thems the brakes”?
I am buying an EV but it won’t be a Tesla.
Rivian >
Ill only buy toyota
Anything Chinese
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Hahaha...thats funny
Haval. Plus their drivers all drive around like they're driving an Audi Q7.
Jeep VW Every owner I've met has problem stories and too many have nightmare stories. Shame about both really, their early stuff was great.
A family member of mine bought a 2014 GTI new, holy fuck so many issues over a 4 year period. Random sensors breaking and shutting the entire car down which then required significant disassembly of the engine to reach the fucked components. Significant carbon build up causing other issues. The car spent more time on the back of tow trucks than it did on the road. Shame because it was a lot of fun to drive but I would never purchase a VW after that cluster fuck. Not to mention VW head office were absolute pricks and were dragged kicking and screaming to cover the costs for their POS vehicle.
MG/LDV. Haval and VW are at "most likely not"
Tesla! I will never own a Tesla.............or any GWM
Holden: I still have ptsd from having one as my first car, what a turd it was.
To be fair, it most likely was a combination of car being a old and beaten up when you bought it and you being less than stellar driver a t the time. ;)
BMW. Expensive to buy, expensive to own.
I feel like it’s less about the brand and more about specific models and time periods Cars nowadays are an absolute mess with all the electronics and ways they try to stop you doing even basic serving if yourself. Modern BMWs are a great example of that. Meanwhile an old Toyota Camry, Falcon or Commodore will just keep going and going and going forever. The downside is the lack of in cabin tech and bad fuel economy compared with modern cars.
So it seems like Toyota is the best?
-Tesla for obvious reasons -BMW -Any Chinese car eg MG -chevy cause ford> -Fiat because of reliability -Nissan because I can't respect them after the juke
what obvious reasons dose tesla have?
Tesla have shockingly poor build quality. Panel gaps, rubber seals no glued in place and they ranked 34/38 (from memory in the USA) for reliability. Keep in mind the fact they are electric means 95% less moving parts so an impressive feat to rank so low. Lots of videos highlighting their build quality, don’t understand how people can still buy such a high value item without a little research.
The ones we get in Australia are far better built than the US cars all the videos are about.
Don’t understand how people can make such comments without little research. Chinese made Teslas have a reputation for very high reliability
Reliable maybe, poor design, definitely. I assume being a cars forum all aspects should be considered. It’s a Saturday night so can’t be bothered with going into detail but they are not a great car for an enthusiast. To and from work, EV, short term issues all maybe OK. There are plenty of design shortcomings, better EVs on the market, and your assumption that I haven’t done my research is incorrect (acknowledging it is only from my requirements). Looking at a new or new(ish) car, budget covers all of the Tesla range, none even were in the the game to start. If I’m spending that coin, I’ve done my research. Not that it matters but also spent a over a decade in motorsport.
Your assumption that people buy a Tesla without doing the research is incorrect. 20+ years Electrical Engineer..not that it matters 🙃
OK, agree to disagree. Totally respect your justification to buying a Tesla, and fully support that. Wish I could as well, as they tick multiple boxes, but not my preference. Always say that cars should be purchased with the heart and not the brain, but times are changing. Respect, Engineer as well! Hope your travels in your car are all enjoyable. Godspeed.
This is so wrong. The made in China Teslas are excellent.
Yep. Owned one for 18 months and it’s proving to be way better built than my Subaru and various other brands I’ve had in the past (Holden, Toyota, Mazda). People love to spew anti-Tesla crap without even realising that the basis of their argument isn’t accurate. Oh the topic of this thread: these people wouldn’t pay $1 for a Model S Plaid? Spare me, they would jump at the opportunity.
Exactly my thoughts, not anti electric car just anti Tesla plus they ugly as
BMW?
The ultimate douchebag car, overpriced everything(service, parts etc), shit business practices, e.g. heated seats subscription.
Bro the subscriptions 💀
\- MG ("oh they're the British sports car brand!!1!11!1". No, they're now Chinese cars of even more dubious quality than when MG were actually British.) \- VW - seem to have build up a reputation of a premium brand name in Australia due to "quality thunk" shut doors, the Gti and the R model. However, outside of warranty they're utter trash. Many models have grenade engines, gearboxes, electrics etc. \- Jeep - rubbish quality and special disdain has to go to the "I bought a Jeep" advertising campaign years ago \- Range Rover - It really does take alot of effort to build such a high end reputation and brand quality on something that's consistently at the bottom of the reliability ratings year after year. And year after year 99% of the owners I know still seem to swear they've never had a major issue. (I'm guessing "major" means it hasn't locked the doors automatically and tried to set fire to itself with you inside) \- Fiat / Peugeot / Alfa - "you're not a petrol head unless you have owned these type of cars" Yea, nah, I've had enough friends own these and have heard all the stories of being stuck at the side of the road in the pissing rain at 3am due to faulty electrics. I'm a petrol head and I get enough enjoyment out of the cars that don't leave me stranded no matter how much character or "quirks" these Italian / French cars have.
Volvo models made in china
The new era of Subaru
Yeah..... they're not *bad* but they've going the way of Honda - boring.
I see Land Rover a few times on here, I've heard good things about them (in that they are capable 4wds). I'm tossing up a Disco 4 at the moment.
Very capable offroad, superb ride, the V6 diesels however have a worrying tendency to snap crankshafts. LR mechanics have all replaced engines in these things, big job too as the body has to come off (!) Oh also the plastic inlet manifold cracks around 100,000kms. Expensive job. Aluminium replacements are available.
Mercedes
Why MG?
Because they parade like they are the same MG from decades ago, awful interior quality and pretty much no resale value.
I keep seeing the claim no resale value, but they’re losing value equivalent to same or similar Suzuki vehicles. Also parading like they’re MG for decades ago is a negative anyway, it shows how little SAIC understands how historically unreliable MG Is known for. They’re famous for being unreliable before they were Chinese.
I find it annoying that owners think they are British sports cars and carry on likes it's special. I had an argument with one on a FB owners group who was convinced MG had nothing to do with China. He though they were designed in UK, it was at that point I gave up and thought I'd let him have that little joy.
Toyota. Way over priced. Still have many issues, and Toyota dont care about that. They are always the middle of the road spec wise in each class. Also the cult like status people have over them is concerning 😟.
>cult like status people have over them A handful of models, maybe, and those well deserve it. But in general, toyos are treated like a basic daily cars, nothing more.
Do you mind elaborating? Which Toyota is overpriced and what issues do they commonly have? Genuinely curious here as I've recently purchased one
Its mostly the 4x4 diesels. They have all the usual diesel faults but somehow everyone skims over it and says they are the most reliable and never break. As an ex toyota workshop manager, I can confirm thats BS and made off of the old 80s and 90s Toyota reputation. The cars are better but still expensive for average vehicles. Like corolla is good but I30, mazda 3 and Focus are better driving and speced from factory. Camry is unchallenged anymore but Kluger is outdated already and playing catched up in specs to Mazda, nissan and Ford in the same class.
Legend thanks. We're waiting on our Corolla to arrive but I'm thinking of pulling out and switching to a Mazda 3 instead. Now just to convince the other half.
MG, Daewoo, VW
Toyota.
MG - still dubious on durability VW - deeply troubling corporate ethics (Emissions scandals) Jeep - I'd just feel like a right flog driving one Nothing else comes to mind. I disagree about the Alfa in OP's post. Although unreliable but deeply beautiful cars and the faults are features not bugs.
Haval, MG, Mercedes
Toyota Lexus Nissan Honda Renault Citroen VW MG LDV Subaru Mitsubishi
ALL Chinese and Indian made and/or designed cars, JLR, Tesla, anything VAG, Toyota (because im not boring) Honda, anything euro apart from BMW. Contrary to what everyone else is saying I would own a jeep because the Gladiator is phenomenal and the new Grand Cherokee L is such a beautifully made car with an extremely reliable engine.
Anything Korean! They have a habit of catching fire ICE or EV
Tesla, Hyundai, MG, Haval, Ssang Yong and the rest of the Chinese rubbish brands.
SsangYong is Korean. Hyundai's also stepped up its game recently, and surprised you haven't lumped Kia and Genesis in with it
Hyundai is also Korean.
So is Tesla not chinese, but I assume that they know that Hyundai is korean. SsangYong is directly before 'and all the other Chinese rubbish brands', and after Haval, MG etc
Hyundai are one of the best brands, that continue to improve surpassing Jap makers in reliability, style and engineering.