Subaru below average in 2004 JD Power vehicle dependability:-(

Ron

Yeah I didn't see the point either.

I notice that Kia is ranked dead last. And Kia has a 10-year warranty???

Bill

See the results here:

I guess that means drive it for 10 years and junk it?

A long warranty doesn't necessarily mean that something won't break. It's the result of a financial analysis by the manufacturer that says they can still make an acceptable profit given their own view of expected maintenance costs over the warranty period, also considering the marketing value that the long warranty provides to them.

Bill Sharpe wrote:

Ever notice the exceptionally long warranties are usually first offered on cars that have a reputation for not being very reliable? IIRC, Chrysler, VW and Hyundai, among others, have resorted to this marketing ploy at some time in recent years. But it still wouldn't convince me to buy one of their cars...

As for KIA, I don't know what reputation they bring as an individual company, but I do think no matter what kind of car they build they're saddled with the overall poor reputation of Korean cars. But I reserve the right to be wrong!

Rick

The point is... To never trust such things. Why? Well... Ford above Subaru for starters. As the former (and regretful) owner of not one, but two Ford vehicles, I can safely say that there is NO way that it is possible for Ford to have fewer dependability issues than Subaru. Without going into a lengthy explanation, the Fords kept me off the road at least once, sometimes twice a month, with some ridiculous problem. The Subie on the other hand, which has had higher mileage and less maintenence, left me stranded once. Just once. And that was because I was a fool and jumpstarted several vehicles over the course of one really cold week, frying my alternator in the process.

-Matt

Hi, How long ago, did you have Ford? American cars are catching up in quality while Japanese are slipping. I am thinking about getting a fully loaded Focus ZTW wagon for wife this fall to replace aging Mitsu, LRV Expo AWD. Tony

That is because US companies are buying in to Japanese companies. Mazda used to be up there till Ford got ahold off them.

Subaru has a long way to fall before they are as bad as Ford.

Well, I did notice that the big points they were looking at was improvement in reliability, which a lot of the makers showed.

As far as an alternator, I don't consider that a major repair. Head gaskets and transmissions are, and Ford seems to go through lots of them.

How about my friend with his Focus? That single car has had more recalls than Subaru has built cars! HA!

Don't blame the Japanese products-blame the American workers assembling them. The Subarus in Australia are great (because they are fully imported from Japan-if they were assembled here, like American ones, they too would be shit, because of the generally slack work ethic.)

Apparently, SOA failed to pay ther JDPowers dues this year.

Is this kind of like "you have to remove the positive battery cable, not the negative"??

LoL

Steve

Well, so it basically measures how often you have to go back to the dealer while under waranty. Important, if you have little time to spare. Doesn't really tell you much about being left stranded though. Nor does it say much about post-waranty reliability or cost of ownership.

Personally I do not mind having the dealer tighten a few screws or changing some parts, be it under a recall -- as long as they are competent and do not have me come back too often.

I would be more concerned about major work afterwards, or outrageous prices for brakes/exhaust/timing belts.

My 1c.

I traded my Kia Sportage for an OBW. Same year, same mileage. The Kia's 4wd was junk, and here in SW Michigan we get a helluva lot of snow. I was also worried that it wouldn't age well, or cheaply. The OBW can drive circles around the Sportage, and it has lots more power and more features. It was an easy sale.

But...the fit and finish between these two older vehicles is almost incomparable. The Kia looked practically new...the doors were tight, there were no rattles, the interior and body were sharp. The Kia didn't look its age, inside or out. While I really like my Outback, it's *definitely* a five year-old car. :-| Maybe the Kia spent its early life doing nothing where the OBW was working, but that doesn't account for the rattles and 'looseness' of the vehicle overall.

Just one man's experience....and did I say I like my OBW? :-)

-John O

Beware of focus. A friend of mine bought a second-hand focus sedan a year ago, it was running great then and he did all maintainance regularly. Now the car is making him paying to all ford dealers near us. The auto transmission would remind him when it shifts gear, once or twice in a month the engine will take a break on the highway, and turns on all the lights to celebrate. Every time he brings the car to the dealer, it becomes a nice baby...

Sam

Well at least America is not a land entirely peopled with criminals.

JD Powers must be driving Fords this year.

The Ford Focus is THE most recalled car in history. It has been a huge black eye for the company where "quality is job #1." Well, that's the marketing pitch they USED to have. I wouldn't have a problem buying a new focus now though... they have fixed most of the bugs for these last two years of the current model cycle.

CW