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)

[Frankvw]

Our DD's :
very happy with our Seat Toledo (Seat is a brand of VW in Europe, not sure if they are in USA). actually it is a VW (all VW parts) and has a 1.2 TSI engine. I am happy with the car sofar, it has 30K miles and is like 3 years old now. We traded in our 2005 VW Golf Plus on it with 70K miles on the clock, great car, and if they were around new, my wife would want another one. however it ate coils (it has 4 coils, 1 per cilinder) and the headlights are designed very poorly (a broken small fitting needs you to replave the whole unit at 300$ each) and some electronic failures (they just reset it first on the computer (35$) and when the light comes back you have to come back to the VW dealer. I bought a ODB2 resetter for that car myself.

My wife drives a Kia Picanto 1.0 liter engine (small car, really small, problably not available in US) and it has 7 years of warranty. Sofar not a single repair on the car (5 years old 35K miles). half the car is plastic and the other half is steel, which will rust, but i guess it will last for 7 years :-)

hobby:
well...our 1978 T2B westfalia is doing great. Just got back from the 2000 mile trip, and no issues. My 1960 beetle is a beetle, enough said....not a lot that could break there. My 914 Porsche....well, I recently required it, so I have no idea yet....
I also had a MK1 GTI 1981 convertable, great fast car, in Mexico Braun (*). only issues were clutch and contacts in the steeringcolomn (from hanging to heavy keys from the contact). A 1991 golf convertable Classic Line 1.8, that car was really cool and fast, a true keeper, but I used it as a DD for years and it got sort of neglected, and gave electrical issues and leaks through rubbers when raining, which was not good for the electronics.... a broken suspensionspring.
(*) that brown car made me promise my wife NEVER to buy a brown car again. I did buy a brown 914 recently......I did not tell her the color when I bought it..... We are still discussing this :-)