How can you tell how reliable they are unless you know the total number of them? But everything I've seen says that the better Japanese cars, like Nissans, Toyotas, and Hondas, average half as many failures as the American cars, new or old.
I've found that parts for my Nissan truck are cheaper than those for my Ford, the last time $8 for a sensor connector, compared to $30 from Ford for virtually the same thing.
Doesn't that depend on how many were being sold back then and the habits of the buyers? I see many older trucks but not many cars made before 1990, America, Asian, or Chrysler.