Why do/are German Cars crap-out/die/unreliable?

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MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
DBY has a history here and is well known among the regulars of the Garage. You are not and have already dug a huge hole for yourself. My suggestion would be to tone it down and people will leave you alone.

That's fine, but it really shows you who the real fucking D-bags are in life when all you do is go around threads posting smiley faces and calling people names.
 

ViviTheMage

Lifer
Dec 12, 2002
36,189
87
91
madgenius.com
Maintenance. German cars are built to work at a tighter spec than other cars, need to be maintained religiously. Can't afford to maintain the car? Don't buy the car. There's a reason why the resale values are lower.

This is pretty much it .. if you can't maintain it, it's going to crap out on you eventually.

Love my Audi B7 06 A4 though, 14 months ... no problems, outside of 2 recalls.
 

Murloc

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2008
5,382
65
91
They build the best cars on Earth supposedly, so what is it about them that makes them unreliable or start falling apart after a certain age?
Usually cars last 10 years and that's fine.
If you drive a 10 years old car you are polluting.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
lvAwT.jpg


No troll here...

Farther back there is some more gold;
"Black people and homophobia"
"Jewish stereotypes - Gold & Silver?"

In The Garage he thinks 2 footed driving with an automatic requires small feet as well.

Last I checked that automatic brake pedal is pretty damn big.
 

MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
This is what we're talking about....you just keep digging. Just stop and you'll thank us later.


Digging what? I don't care for people who failed English - if you got "requires small feet" after reading:

"
Automatics are NOT designed to be driven with two feet, but if you're good enough (and probably, if your feet are small enough) you can drive fairly substantially better, all assuming you have the necessary brain capability and coordination to use both feet skillfully.
"

You are fucking retarded. Period.
 

sisq0kidd

Lifer
Apr 27, 2004
17,043
1
81
Wow, this thread went down the drain.

Anyway, I still contend that for the average person, a German car is more unreliable regardless of maintenance. We've had 4 German cars and each one has had its share of problems; whether it being small electrical nuances to big problems (my mother's E320 lost all power on the freeway out of nowhere). It's not like we skip any services or warning signs, we take the cars in for their regular services.

Yes, any car can last forever as long as you maintain it properly (no duh), but let's not pretend that all cars are on equal footing in terms of real world reliability. All car parts eventually need to be replaced, but reliability in the eyes of most consumers seems to be how long between replacement/service intervals they can drive without problems.

Even if the consumer definition is how long they can abuse their cars before they break down, isn't that a valid point in discussing reliablity? The Land Cruiser built its reputation on how much punishment it can take. A person is deemed as reliable as long as they are consistent in what you ask them for while we ignore what they go through to meet our expectations. Electronics are seen as reliable as long as they keep working without maintenance. I doubt a DLP that has to be serviced 2 times a year is seen as reliable compared to an LCD without any servicing even though both are still working. Yes, you can service the DLP to keep it working, but that's where the perception of reliability comes in. When it comes down to it, car reliability is gauged on how much abuse it can take.
 
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MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
Wow, this thread went down the drain.

Anyway, I still contend that for the average person, a German car is more unreliable regardless of maintenance. We've had 4 German cars and each one has had its share of problems; whether it being small electrical nuances to big problems (my mother's E320 lost all power on the freeway out of nowhere). It's not like we skip any services or warning signs, we take the cars in for their regular services.

Yes, any car can last forever as long as you maintain it properly (no duh), but let's not pretend that all cars are on equal footing in terms of real world reliability. All car parts eventually need to be replaced, but reliability in the eyes of most consumers seems to be how long between replacement/service intervals they can drive without problems.

Even if the consumer definition is how long they can abuse their cars before they break down, isn't that a valid point in discussing reliablity? The Land Cruiser built its reputation on how much punishment it can take. A person is deemed as reliable as long as they are consistent in what you ask them for while we ignore what they go through to meet our expectations. Electronics are seen as reliable as long as they keep working without maintenance. I doubt a DLP that has to be serviced 2 times a year is seen as reliable compared to an LCD without any servicing even though both are still working. Yes, you can service the DLP to keep it working, but that's where the perception of reliability comes in. When it comes down to it, car reliability is gauged on how much abuse it can take.

See, this is what I'm talking about. Experiences like these with German cars can not be explained away with improper maintenance.
 

Doggiedog

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
12,780
5
81
Depends on what is considered crapping out. I would say German engines and chassis are bullet proof. It's the supporting equipment that is suspect.

I've got under 10K miles on my 1 yr+ old BMW and I've had the fuel pump replaced 2 times. Now its acting up again and I'm sure I will be on my 3rd one soon. I've also had problems with my stereo not turning on. All of these seem to be ancillary to the engine. My old BMW had no engine problems but it did have major problems with the electric components like the AC, lights, etc.
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
Depends on what is considered crapping out. I would say German engines and chassis are bullet proof. It's the supporting equipment that is suspect.

I've got under 10K miles on my 1 yr+ old BMW and I've had the fuel pump replaced 2 times. Now its acting up again and I'm sure I will be on my 3rd one soon. I've also had problems with my stereo not turning on. All of these seem to be ancillary to the engine. My old BMW had no engine problems but it did have major problems with the electric components like the AC, lights, etc.


Very few car companies have engine troubles anymore. Its the things around them.

Asian and American cars/trucks are better rated in terms of reliability compared to European models. For America Ford and GM are the top with Chrysler bringing up the rear. Asian Honda and Toyota are still tops with Nissan and some others maybe average to a little below in some.
But European cars don;t have any that really stand out IMO.

I always kept hearing they european cars are getting better all the time when I was an auto-tech. But even to this day I keep hearing the same and my Saab and my SiLs Audi, plus other people I know but don't work on their car, still show that is not the case.

In fact I need to do some Airbag work on my SiLs 04 Audi. Another KNOWN issue with them. :rolleyes: I love how all the problems I keep fixing on her car are "known" problems.

But I never had much major internal engine issues that were not realted to upkeep from any major maker for the most part. My Saab I did a full in the car engine rebuild but that was due to the last owner not taking care of it. But the rest of the car fell apart around me. Window problem, ac/heat fan problem, etc... always something.