Who makes the most reliable new cars? • Hacker News Board

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#321

Post by resolutebat » Wed, Nov 29, 2023, 11:55 PM UTC

kemayo wrote: post #308

Given the relative simplicity of the drive train for EVs, it's a shame that the dedicated electric manufacturers like Rivian and Tesla aren't much higher on this list...

My understanding is that US-made Teslas are kind of poorly put together, while the Chinese-made ones are excellent, which would explain the middling rank. (And why US-made Rivians are near the bottom.) I'm not sure Chinese Teslas are sold in the US though?

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/big-difference-betwe...

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#322

Post by pseudosavant » Wed, Nov 29, 2023, 11:56 PM UTC

I've owned many car brands, and I can't say I'm at all surprised to continue to see Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura continue at the top. The thing I find so fascinating about that is that most of the cars they sell in the US, they also built in the US. So even though it is a Japanese company, it is US labor.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#323

Post by mattpallissard » Wed, Nov 29, 2023, 11:57 PM UTC

sharkweek wrote: post #213

My 3rd Gen Toyota 4Runner is old enough to drink and outside of routine maintenance requires almost no thought. "It's time to get a new car" given that car safety has drastically improved and I have two younger kids in that thing a few times a week but I'm honestly having a really hard time giving it up, something so reliable and plainly functional. New cars with all their computers and smart technology only look lik…

I have kids and value their safety but they can pull my 90's Honda and Chevy from my cold dead hands /irony

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#324

Post by FinnKuhn » Wed, Nov 29, 2023, 11:59 PM UTC

Interestingly a similar study from Germany for 2022 has some very different results and I need to say I prefer their way of measuring things, as the ADAC (the equivalent of AAA) has looked at how many cars needed actual help on the road in comparison to registered cars, so minor problems don’t count and you can say things about the longtime reliability of manufacturers. However some differences probably stem from different driving patterns and services offered by the brands.

https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/unfall-schaden-panne/a...

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#325

Post by FinnKuhn » Thu, Nov 30, 2023, 12:00 AM UTC

puzzledobserver wrote: post #307

Is ranking by brand necessarily the most useful ranking? How does the Toyota Prius (with 19 potential trouble areas, per the article) compare with a non-hybrid (say a Mazda 3)? The first graph indicates that Toyotas are, on the whole, more reliable than Mazdas, and the second graph indicates that hybrid drivetrains (despite having more trouble points) are marginally more reliable than purely gas powered vehicles. Tak…

Here is a similar ranking from Germany where you can sort by class of car and than compare car models instead of manufacturers (just scroll down a bit to get to that part and have it translated by your browser): https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/unfall-schaden-panne/a...

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#326

Post by WillAdams » Thu, Nov 30, 2023, 12:01 AM UTC

asalahli wrote: post #212

WillAdams wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The first time the U.S. tried to study this, they asked for a sample of parts, specifying a precision range, noting that it was acceptable for up to 10% of the parts to be at the extremes of said range. The Japanese company sent them 3 bags of parts noting: The bag with the full quantity is made to match the provided blueprint, the other two bags contain 1/10th as many parts which are either larger or smaller as requ…

I've heard this story ever since I was a kid, but never been able to find a credible source. I'm compelled to believe it's no more than a story, at this point.

It was in an audiobook narrated by Pat Morita that I heard it.

The context was auto transmissions --- it was found that one source of premature failures was when all parts in a transmission were at the extreme of too small or too large --- on average, the large/small would balance out, but when it didn't that was when there were early (and catastrophic) failures.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#327

Post by gumballindie » Thu, Nov 30, 2023, 12:01 AM UTC

darknavi wrote: post #303

gumballindie wrote: post #293

I am surprised tesla is that high up in the list. It feels like a bucket on wheels.

I have a Model 3 (2018) and a Model Y (2022) and both are largely without issues. I think people meme hard on Tesla to make them sound like the most unreliable car out there for some reason, when in reality you occasionally have fit and finish issues and a normal amount of unreliability.

Stats dont lie and you are right, but it feels brittle somehow. Thin metal and cheap rubber. Also that centre console gets really boring after a while, although it looks good.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#328

Post by orangepurple » Thu, Nov 30, 2023, 12:02 AM UTC

Johnny555 wrote: post #291

mulmen wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My 1991 Honda motorcycle does this too. I can promise you that it has no smart features. It doesn’t even have a fuel pump. Lead acid batteries just don’t have long shelf lives.

Well I get that lead acid batteries experience self discharge, my 2003 era car will go for over a month with around 20% discharge (it'll be around 12.4V), but after 2 or 3 weeks, my 2020 Honda will be at 50% discharge (around 12.0V). I'd like to think that at some point the parasitic drain devices will shut down before they drain the battery completely, but I've never tested it beyond that point, I always plug in the…

Lead acid gel batteries hold their charge MUCH better than standard lead acid batteries. The difference is gel lead acid often self-discharge around 1% per month but standard lead acid batteries self-discharge on the order of 10% per month. I only use gel batteries on my small engine equipment like snowmobiles, motorcycles, and snowblower.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#329

Post by defrost » Thu, Nov 30, 2023, 12:04 AM UTC

Johnny555 wrote: post #291

mulmen wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My 1991 Honda motorcycle does this too. I can promise you that it has no smart features. It doesn’t even have a fuel pump. Lead acid batteries just don’t have long shelf lives.

Well I get that lead acid batteries experience self discharge, my 2003 era car will go for over a month with around 20% discharge (it'll be around 12.4V), but after 2 or 3 weeks, my 2020 Honda will be at 50% discharge (around 12.0V). I'd like to think that at some point the parasitic drain devices will shut down before they drain the battery completely, but I've never tested it beyond that point, I always plug in the…

> I always plug in the charger if the car's going to be parked for more than a couple weeks.

To this day, since ~1980, I disconnect the +ve battery lead if the cars not going to be used for a few days or parked up in the bush waiting for when we get back from a walk.

Stops parasitic drains and Heisenbug discharges when thermal expansion during a very hot day causes a hard to track short.

Re: Who makes the most reliable new cars?

#330

Post by bmitc » Thu, Nov 30, 2023, 12:06 AM UTC

Funny how Kia ranks so highly above others.

But I'm dubious because Mini is near the top. And are Porsche and BMW known to be reliable? You can't even get your oil changed except at slecialized centers. I assume they're reliable in the same way airplanes are: lots of maintenance intervals.