Reliability and 33 Years of Experience, Not looking good. Options

[Series9]

As the owner of an indy VAP shop, I have to say things are not looking good.

I started in VWs with my grandfather's '71 Super Beetle when I was 14. I would enthusiastically tell everyone (for a very long time) that German engineering was the way to go.

Fast forward 33 years. What I say now: "Do NOT buy any VAP built after 1998." Even before 1998, I now realize that drivers of American and Asian cars have generally had a more reliable experience.

My Vanagon is on it's third engine in ten years, my Jetta requires attention at least twice a month, my 914 (before it became the RS) required an engine replacement in the five years I owned it as a /4.......etc, etc.

I'm basically making money on the flaws of German engineering. Yes, it tends to be more precise than the others. BUT, that precision comes at a cost. Small flaws amplify themselves in such a way that the whole system will stop working harmoniously long before other manufacturer's vehicles.

What's my most reliable vehicle/mile/dollar/hour of maintenance? 2006 Ford F250 6.0 Diesel (and that truck has the "unreliable" 6.0).

If someone came to me tonight and said "you have to drive to Washington state and leave right now", I would get right in the Ford and not worry one second about making it there and back.

If I had to take the Vanagon or the Jetta, I would be highly stressed. Both cars are great, but great for within 100 miles.

That's it. I wanted it off my chest.

My VAP specialty will continue at S9, but I may be driving something else..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Chris914n6]

Of all the work I've done on an 08 335i in the last 10k not a single failure was actually a BMW fault. It was all outside suppliers... Bosch, VDO, Mitsubishi. But I find the car to be pretty easy to work on compared to the E36. Sometimes a few extra steps, like removing the bumper cover to replace ballasts, but straight forward and simple. Parts prices have been from reasonable to ridiculous.

The thing that peeves me the most is a $180 trans filter because it's built into the oil pan. Combining makes it cheaper to build a car but isn't in the owners best interest.

It's not BMWs fault buyers want all the sensors and warning lights so they don't have to know enough about their car to check fluids or open the hood. It is however their, and others, fault that the knowledge of how these new systems work and what triggers codes is so hard to get. Even the BMW dealer is wrong with diagnostics sometimes. It's just going to get worse as control systems get more resistance based and away from voltage changes.

A huge amount of new electronics are safety or emissions related, both mandated by our elected officials.

What surprises me though is the number of mechanical failures given all the technology and decades of experience in mechanical engineering.