Ask a working mechanic which car brands give him the most trouble and you might expect a long speech. One technician at Gemba Automotive did it with one or two words per brand, rattling off the most common failure he sees on ten popular makes without pausing to think.
The quick fire round comes from @gembaautomotive. It is one technician’s opinion from the shop floor, not a reliability study, but it is an interesting look at what the bays see.
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The setup
The technician stands in front of a diamond plate wall in his shop, wearing a blue collared shirt. An off screen interviewer names a brand, and he answers immediately. On screen, a list of ten brand logos fills in with his answers one at a time under the question of which car brand fails the hardest.
The answers, brand by brand
- Toyota: no common issues.
- Ford: mechanical issues.
- Chevrolet: electrical issues.
- Nissan: catalytic converters.
- Jeep: TIPMs, the power module that controls many of the electrical functions.
- BMW: they leak.
- Mercedes: leaks.
- Hyundai: engines.
- Kia: engines.
- Volkswagen: they leak.
Patterns in the list
The most striking thing is how many answers are about leaks. All three of the German brands on the list get the same response, which suggests that, in his experience, seals and gaskets are the weak spot there. By contrast, the two Korean brands both get engines, and Nissan gets a single component, the catalytic converter. Toyota is the only brand with no problem named at all.
The technician does not explain any of his answers or say which model years he means, so treat the list as a starting point for questions rather than a verdict on any vehicle.
How to use this when buying
- Research the specific model and year you are considering, because problems vary a lot even within one brand.
- Get a pre purchase inspection from an independent shop and ask them to look for leaks and check for stored fault codes.
- Ask for maintenance records. Regular service often makes the difference between a trouble free car and an expensive one.
- Budget for typical wear items on any used vehicle, no matter the badge on the hood.
Credit for the original post goes to @gembaautomotive on Instagram.