We were the lucky owners of the minivan model in the photo--ours was six years old with 57,000 miles on it. We replaced a couple of power window motors, a screw fell out of the rear wiper leaving it flopped below the window, and a power door sensor required service. Even after that, we were averaging below 13 mpg, the battery would die if we let it sit more than a couple of days, the steering made an awful noise, there were front struts that needed to be replaced because they were leaking oil, and there was a brake problem light on (but they had been replaced recently).
I took it in to be checked by our mechanic. The struts and steering needed to be replaced along with a couple of other things. The bill was at $1,000 and we hadn't even touched the brakes that would take advanced troubleshooting. Seeing the $2,000 level looming ever closer (1/4 of its current trade value) and knowing it would give us more problems in the future, we took the van and traded it on an an Asian made car.
It was not just a fluke. We have 3 other friends blessed with this series of Windstar and they all have had the same problems . . . electrical leaks, power steering problems, brakes, etc., etc., etc.
I know not all American made cars are so repair-prone. We just happened to own one that Consumer Reports recommended car shoppers not buy. However, it is an interesting exercise to look at Consumer Reports reliability ratings...Honda and Toyota consistently have few problems, and the American companies have problems much of the time. Is it any wonder why they are struggling to stay afloat?
1 comment:
We LOVE that fake add. So funny. We are the proud owners of two toyotas, and we've had to replace, well, NOTHING, over the 9 years we've had the one, and the minivan (an 04) is equally as reliabe. Hurray for Toyota!
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