Re: OT: Buying Car Spares

Who could probably manage to find an unreliable corolla :-)

They simply collate the results of a survey of members. And also give the numbers of the model quoted.

To get perfect results you'd need to survey every owner of any model - but that's simply not possible. The Which numbers are adequate to give a trend.

I've not seriously disagreed with them about any car I've had personal experience of and I've been a member since shortly after it started. Reading just the headlines you get in the press never gives the full story

- you have to read the whole survey for that.

But when all the various surveys on a model say there are issues with its reliability you can be pretty certain it's so. Doesn't mean it's a car to be avoided at all costs if you purchase with your eyes open.

One of the issues with Which? is that they blow everything out of all proportion. The other is that their 'members' tend to pick up on and complain about things most people wouldn't notice.

The thing that really gets to me is that a lot of so-called 'faults' are owner / user error. 'My Alfa needed an engine rebuilt' = you didn't check the oil, ever. Blown head gaskets on Fiats are another one (as they are with the Rover K-series) - user error, because they ignored the temp. gauge or carried on driving when the red light told them to stop.

We had an overheating Fiat - but never blew the gasket because Mrs H was sensible enough to pay attention to the warning lights (it was caused by a failed water pump because I'd been too pikey to replace it with the cambelt).

Some surveys would even persuade people not to buy a VW with the VR6 engine - because the camchain can 'let go' - they don't go into the minor detail that a camchain isn't sealed for life and does need some maintenance (new tensioners) and eventual replacement.

A lot of issues, however, are caused by manufacturers trying to appeal to fleet managers with extended service and cambelt intervals. Mostly, people I know with Alfas were fully aware that a 72k change interval was pushing things and had replaced early anyway, for example.

I think you're making the mistake of assuming all people are like yourself and have the same values. To perhaps the majority a car is simply transport and 'Alfa Romeo' values simply ain't important to them while their faults and foibles would annoy greatly. And Which isn't a mag for the enthusiast in *anything* - let alone motoring. It is a *consumer* mag. Which must be doing something right given the number of enthusiast motoring mags that have come and gone during its life.

Why do you expect the average punter to have any mechanical knowledge? Plenty makers produce cars which can run happily between services without ever checking things under the bonnet - that Alfa can't just shows why they are so unpopular in the UK. And why do Rover K series and Fiats lose that coolant causing the problems you mention - other makes don't.

Just as well Mrs H has some savvy, then.;-)

People reading this sort of report want to know what the bid bills may be. Nobody forces them to take notice.

What you're willing to put up with on a 'specialist' vehicle is really not the same as what the average punter may want or tolerate.

I had two, the Punto especially was spectacularly unreliable. Well built, but unreliable. I would never have another FIAT. I suspect the OP is heading for a headgasket failure if it's "running a bit hot"..

Mike P

That's true. When I lived out in Greece in the early 90s, I knew quite a few expats with old 'suds and 33s. Dead reliable. Bits fell off, but the main mechanicals were sound.

Mke P

The one qwe ad was reliable to he nth degree as far as the basics went, and never ad any major problems.

It had ultimately a new cambelt and discs, and the clock LCD went dipshit pretty quickly, but that's all. Apart from usual consumables.