Also German cars are increasingly made outside of Germany where quality control is generally worse, such as how US Consumer Reports was referenced in which most German cars in the US are actually made in the US
The problem is predatory planned obsolescence engineering. Their cars are engineered to break down after the warranty ends. I will never buy another German car. Paid $1500 to replace a $50 part because so many other parts had to be removed to get to the plastic part.
It's not planned obsolescence, it's just how their customers purchase cars. At least in North America, people buying German brands are just doing it for the appearances, they don't want to drive older cars so there's no point building quality components that last because it's not what their target demographic cares about. Anyone that wants reliability just buys Japanese cars instead so it ends up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It's not just cars, all manufacturing these days is done with the mindset of shareholder uber alles. Back when companies were making quality products they were generally run by engineers who put the product first as opposed to job hopping BS artists with MBAs who parachute in to high powered positions, cut costs and sell the family silver to increase dividends and then move on to the next victim. A brand used to mean something - nowadays all a brand is is a marketing tool. Its completely unsustainable and its going to come crashing down one of these days.
That was a classic episode of Peep Show which I will never forget. 2 people decide to start a consultancy company... One says to the other he wants him to be his partner. The guy says "I don't know anything about consultancy" The guy says: "You go in, fire 50% of the work force, then rebrand, then fuck off. Congratulations, you are now a fully qualified consultant."
"Back when companies were making quality products..." they were also making a lot of money. I just don't understand how this "new business model" can work, when everybody knows and talks about how bad these cars are nowadays. How do they even make money. They sell lots of cars but there will come a point when they will necessarily run out of customers...
.....as an accountant....I state that we have never been interested in participation of product development. We don't care what's behind figures, not our business. But we are constantly FORCED to produce blind cost cutting recomendations even w/o knowledge what's the real subject.... this is dictated idiocy against our wil!
You are blaming the wrong people... it has always been those evil MBA executives who have no real skill in life other than being born with a silver spoon in their asses.
Not accountants: shareholders!!!!! They are the ones that destroyed car business and, also, Boeing, for example!!! They are the poison of the modern society.
@@WhiteMouse77problem is there are a lot of accountants on boards of companies.. And your right you guys don't care about the product, the engineering, or the people worst of all.. Hence why.. You are the problem.. You even stated it... You aren't interested in product development
As someone who worked on CNC production in Bosnia. I can tell you our main export was German car manufacturers. So when someone tells you "German quality", theres a high chance your most reliable parts were made by some dudes in bosnia and not germans 😂
Remember when people used to say china products don't last long. Germany has become the china of Europe. Both are a manufacturing hub. The problem is short term profits and shady practices to extract money from the consumers through breakdowns and repairs.
A ko mislis da ih sastavlja na liniji, schvabo ? U BMW-ju proizvedemo 288 vozila za jednu smjenu, samo Renault pravi vise, on proizvede 300 vozila za jednu smjenu. Takt proizvodnje SAAB-a je bio 18 minuta, dok je takt proizvodnje BMW-ja 2.5 minuta. Schvabo je prno u fenjer.
Okay? Bosnians must be pretty good CNC workers. I have never had any more than the most minor issue with a German car in my lifetime and one of my earliest memories was is riding in a BMW as a kid. There are definitely some bad trends in new German cars but those reflect terrible trends in the overall car market. I don’t think most BMW’s are as solid as they used to be but they are still good cars if you take proper care of them. The worst I’ve personally experienced were annoying door panels and stuff like that. Sure, it’s annoying to happen on a car of that price but it’s a pretty minor thing in the grand scheme.
Such a shame. German made was synonymous with quality. My family, and myself, have owned quite a few over the last 50 years. VW, Audi, Mercedes and BMW... we've had them all. These days, if you look up the driveway at any of our houses, you'll see Honda, Toyota and Mazda. No, they don't have the dynamic appeal of our old German cars, but they are reliable to a fault and ridiculously affordable to own and service. By the way, none of us are what you would consider "poor", either. But we all appreciate value for money, and German car manufacturers can no longer fulfil that requirement.
Same, my family also has porsche Mercedes and VW. They’re quite nice, yet now we tried Honda Toyota and most recently byd, they are much cheaper than German brands. Now we just want to see the EV market and how the players are going to play out. As German brands are far behind Japan and China.
It's ridiculous that some people automatically associate "poor quality" with any car manufacturer that isn't German or Italian. After all, cars are simply transportation machines that take you from point A to point B. In reality, Asian automakers produce better quality cars and are not as obnoxious.
The answer is quite simple. Germany isn't German anymore. Less and less German people are in Germany, of course you will not get German quality. if Japan were to be replaced by a foreign group like Africans or Indians, they would no longer be able to produce quality machines anymore. This had essentially happened in Germany.
@@okwatever3582In EV race, Chinese and Tesla EVs are best. Then German EVs. But Japanese EVs are very behind. Even GM and Ford do better than any legacy japanese automaker in Electric cars. And German EVs are pretty ahead than Japanese automakers, Ford and GM.
My dad tells me the stories of when Mercedes quality and reliability was second to none back in the 80s. Now he doesn't even wanna look at a Mercedes any more. I am buying the Japanese Mercedes (Lexus) soon for its reliability and quality.
Nothing stopping either of you from buying a pre '94 Mercedes today. There are always plenty for sale to choose from. Their robustness has meant they don't have the overinflated prices of their rarer competitors too- purely because so many have survived in good condition. I've been driving a 1990 E-Class daily for 6yrs and love it. the initial purchase price AND everything I've spent to service and maintain it in that time would only equal 6-8mths of lease payments on a new car!
Besides the LS, pretty much every Lexus is cheap...ish to own (compared to some german rivals). I love their line up, just wish they made better choices for the infotainment, it is just a minor inconvenience for decades long reliability though. Good luck, I hope you enjoy your purchase and that it serves you well.
@@Maxშემიწყალე They might claim that ie use lightweight materials to enhance fuel economy. But it only enhances it a little. More importantly, alloys etc could be used. Which would dramatically increase longevity ... which is far better for the environment. The truth is, they are kidding people. Produce low longevity cars to make more money... and harm the environment.
Recently had to change the battery on my 2016 Mazda 6. A friend stopped by and appeared shocked that I was replacing it by myself. He said "I guess you got the code from the dealership" "What code?" I asked.. He went on to explain that both of his Audis required a "special code" to the ECU in order to recognize the new battery. He was very surprised when my Mazda started right up after fitting the new battery. I'm a big fan of the overall simplicity of Japanese motors. Hope they stay that way and don't follow the footsteps of the Germans
Unfortunately I'm starting to see the beginnings of it. I have a 2021 Mazda CX-5 and recently took it in for some minor warranty work, during which the dealer gave me a new CX-90. Mazda has gone the way of the Germans and eliminated the oil dipstick, relying on an electronic measuring system that I could not get to work for the life of me as it refused to recognize the engine was running as part of its checklist before displaying the oil level. I first saw electronic oil level monitoring systems in 2008 while working at an Audi dealer and it didn't work at all then, either...nice to see the technology hasn't improved one bit in the last 16 years.
The necessity to code applies to other German makes too (not just Audi) Apparently it's possible to diy code the batteries on German makes once you've got an obd scanner (found a few videos on this from searching"audi battery replacement coding") That aside, I'm disappointed to hear that Mazda is digitizing the oil dipstick on their new models. It seems that no manufacturer has completely strayed away from planned obsolescence on current models
It is absolute planned obsolescence. For example, Audi, you have to change the main engine chain every 100 000km or so. Where is the chain? At the back of the engine. So you have to take everything out to get to it every 100 000km. Where was the chain before in these cars? At the front of the engine so that you can remove it without taking the engine out.
totally agree but remember Ford did this on their 2004-20010 4.0 V6 Engines as well, the tensioners lastet like 100k miles, then the engine has to be removed, but would buy a mustang before any audi.
This is a bit of an oversimplification, on some engines (notably the 4.2 V8) the timing chain is on the back of the motor for packaging reasons, the ubiquitous 2.0T has it on the front like most cars. And the timing chain has a much longer lifespan than 100,000km, the issue with the motor I assume you are refering to is a design fault with some of the older chain tensioners which should have been replaced pre-emptively with an updated model to prevent failure. It is inarguably an engineering failure and put a big dent in the reputation of late 2000's early 2010's audis but claiming that audi intentionally designed the timing chains to wear out and put them on the back of the motor to increase service costs and vehicle turnover is frankly unfounded.
My friends auto repair shop is full of mostly BMWs, then MB, then Audi. Over the past 20 years, they are DESIGNED ON PURPOSE to fail after 4 years and 60,000 miles. They make a lot of money in repairs. They are for lease only for the smart person. Owning them as a status symbol is a joke. Foolish purchase.
@@andrewdinns1746 Most car reviews list Cadillac and Lexus sedans as driving just as well if not better than their German rivals. I'm taking a CT5 Blackwing over an M5 any day
I have a 2024 GLS Benz wagon sitting in my garage with 2100 miles and a check engine lamp ( dealership said software issues and emission issues). I also have a 2011 BMW 335i with 70,000 sitting in my garage undriveable because to change the $18 abs sensor this car requires a $4,000 front axle replacement, since the sensor plug (something that is regularly serviced on all cars) is anchored to the axle by design on this car. In addition the Bmw has been leaking oil from cheap $15 rubber seals that require close to $3000 in replacement costs. In addition to this the 2G onboard telephone has malfunctioned and keeps calling 911 every time the car is turned on. This is an unknown cost as my dealership has no resolution since 2G technology is absolute and cannot be serviced or removed from the car. In addition to that all these issues (except the oil leak) have set off the check engine lamp which voids the car from passing inspection. I'm the second owner of the car from a certified CPO purchase and the car has always had proper servicing done timely at my local bmw dealership thru the extended warranty and about $8000 spent since 2017 when the warranty expired (water pump x 2, brakes, oil seals x 2, fan belts and pulleys x 3, coolant hose, coolant tank, washer fluid tank, key fob, battery x 2, fuses, daytime running lamps x 2, there more....). Even with careful ownership and money my BMW 335i became undriveable. The car dealerships make cars to last 3 years/40k miles tops before you will need to replace it
You should find a new mechanic. Phone can't dial of it doesn't have power. Someone just needs to pull a plug or fuse or even clip a wire. I was looking at cheap 335's the other day. Think I'll pass.... I'd like to find a simple 128i. Wife had one and it was a decent, simple car. No turbo. No AWD.
I recommend that you change your service because all of those 335i problems are solvable. ABS sensor is can be changed in 30 minutes. Phone can be turned off, and I think there is no 2G service in USA anymore. Oil leak is a little harder but given you don't know what you talk about I guess that is fixable as well. I also think that someone is marrying you because those services that you listed bellow are rather strange. Not to say that you are listing things that make no sense to be mentioned, so I call BS. And yes, stealerships botch services most of the times, so it probably is not well maintained, no matter the certified CPO. Find a solid BMW mechanic or sell it to someone willing to play with it.
It's a shame to see the quality of German cars fall so far. The Mercedes-Benz cars my parents purchased in the late 80s and 90s were so well built, so well engineered and reliable. I wouldn't even consider a German car these days due to the poor reliability/build quality. Once they get over 100K miles, they become money pits. I had a friend by a late 2000s BMW he bought for $12,000 with 100K miles that he spent another $12,000 on repairs to keep it going before having it towed to the junkyard.
@@florindragosthe availability of parts is not an issue since there are many companies in europe who licence build parts for japanese cars. And they are even getting more numerous.
Where have you lived in the 90s ? The S class had dozens of issues, the newly designed E-class in the debut years too. A-class was not able to drive around a moose. I doubt you have the right awareness to judge and compare over decades if you have forgotten all of this. Back then in the early 90s mercedes had fallen far behind BMW which became obvious with the S-class that debuted in 1990 and did not sell well in europe or at all cause it was called giant and ugly, only americans had bought it. The next S-class 7 years later was more agile but suffered from quality issues from day one but they had the luck that BMW hired a new designer that killed the sales of the 7 series. Mercedes picked up speed in sales and alter AMG became the saviour as the surplus mercedes agile like a BMW M series while the Maybach brand stalled . I have owned most of these cars , over 50 in the 2 decades cause I drove a lot and got a new car every 6 to 9 months. And I can remember when they broke in the first year and below 100.000 km. I stranded with a SL 600 with a broken rooftop that did not wanna open due to a hydraulic leak when I wanted to travel to italy. I got a loaner, best car ever: smart city coupe for 2 cause it was a saturday and they had no other car . Similiar issues with a CLS 500 , which also was a car produced in the first year .
The last German vehicles I owned were the MB 83 240D and a GD300. After keeping both for close to twenty years, I never purchased another German vehicle ever. Their philosophy changed drastically from nineties, I switched to Japanese vehicles, namely Toyota and Honda and have never looked back.
I agree. 😊 Though Mercedes from the 80' is still the best car ever, the planned obsolescence destroyed all the German companies in the last 20 years or so..😅
My '82 MB280T was a fantastic car...and the last so reliable, after this only troubles with the others I had. Now I own a Lexus LS500h, and so far 50TKM-nothing to repair-10 years of warranties, and 160TKM !!! Never MB again
@@krisone63 it's not a question of affording. It's about feelings. If you have a good quality durable car that lasts 50 years, you can be proud. Plus, planned obsolescence is destroying the planet and climate.
The Americans took it over and said "this car is overengineered" ie things don't go wrong. Under US ownership, Merc became awful. Esp with the shady dealers who'd break things before handing it back. NUmerous dealers in England became owned by organised crime groups too.
@@KingofInterns Another far fetched claim. And the most garbage Mercs ever came from that era. St. What use is ONE (you claim!) good engine when masses of models are falling apart due to massive deterioration in quality?
@@sakondisable Bit of a far fetched claim. Merc was a byword for quality and reliability before then. It's overwhelmingly clear America steered the policy of MB in that era... towards garbage. And it especially showed in the cowboy attitude of dealers too.
Here in the USA, VW has just replaced the old Mk7 Golf with the more 'electronified' Mk8. To say that the new one has been a disaster is generous. I had my daughter buy one of the last Mk7's deliberately due to this- we've been down this road with every new Golf since the Mk3 replaced the Mk2.
It's worth noting that 81% of cars in Germany are leased or financed. Most of them will never be owned outright. They will just be replaced within 5 years, at which point they are almost financially unviable straight out of warranty. Some of the better ones might have a 2nd life as a used car, but most will go abroad via the auctions to live out their lives with a dash full of lights. My point being... Car buyers are the problem. People want disposable cars, so thats what the industry makes. Car buyers don't even wan't to open the hood.. So we get cars with no dipstick.. And it was those same adults who voted in new strict laws despite cars not really being the worlds pollution problem. I'm not sticking up for our greedy corporate overlords. I'm just saying it makes sense. What I don't get is how they decided that selling volume disposable cars is more profitable than stiching up the spares market which they seem to have abandoned almost completely.
@@M3rVsT4H we need to go very deep in Economics and Corporate Finance, but a couple of main points: 1. German car compaines do not target Germany anymore. Their main consumer market has become China and traditionally USA. Same with the production facilities. Leasing is not widely spread in China and USA. 2. Not only does the primary market impact the consumer behavior and buying decisions, but also secondary market. Here we have to consider 2 points: exit value: after 5 years any German car becomes 5 times cheaper (very bad reliability and depreciation) the initial value. Second: those having their first experience from the secondary market become buyers for primary market/ That's not the case with Germans' for the same reasons (reliability). 3. Competitors, innovation and long term planning. In Japanese and now Chinees rivals short-term profits are simply banned. Their management and employees in general are evaluated based on long term goals and performance, loyalty to the company and fundamental values. Germans are just shareholder servants with their rigth-away greed. BTW- this is also amongst the reasons why American car compaines failed.
@@Project_88 Quite true, the problem is by no means unique to Germany. I just didn't want to get lost in stats so I picked one country to look up. I think the disposable car business model is more about finance than cars, and so is the pricing. FWIW, I looked up comparable info. The USA has just shy of 80% financing on new vehicles. And nearly 40% of used vehicles. And China's automotive finance market woke up in 2022.. Sitting around 70% But yes I agree.. Big topic. :)
That is the definition of a business. An organization that maximizes profits and minimizes spending. What you stated is literally in line with business philosophy and always has been.
@@darklordsauron3415 I think he's talking about companies that spent the better part of a century building a reputation of quality and reliability, squandering that rep for a lousy cash grab. Either way you slice it, it's not good business.
They're designed to fail and to keep failing in a cascade starting around the warranty period ending. This is confirmed with BMW engineers I have spoken to and my own experience. I used to be a massive BMW fan. I owned a dozen of their cars. That was ten years ago. Never again.
I wouldn’t read to far into Consumer Reports. They listed Mini as high in reliability when in fact they are made by BMW with BMW parts so those “surveys” are flawed and have a lot of bias. Also, Americans and Germans are very different when it comes to vehicle maintenance.
I also had to scrape my eyebrows down from my hairline after seeing Mini rated highly. BMW and Mini... You take them in on trade and they leak oil and then you take them to the BMW dealership and they tell you "that doesn't qualify as a leak by BMW standards. That's normal."
You need to consider that the 3 cilinder engine in the minis are rarely ever used in BMW, so that could definitely result in mini "on average" being more reliable.
So, what you don't like is the truth of regular people honestly reporting their facts, than the bought and paid for "JD Powers" false and misleading fake reviews? Tell the truth, I don['t understand Mini's rise myself, they make horrible crappy cars. Maybe their quality control has been significantly improved?
good point. I wonder if Mini has their own dedicated engineering and manufacturing teams though... edit: mini is not assembled in Germany, so the point made in the video stands.
I read and saw videos that BMW has improved in reliability a lot compared to their reputation from the late 90s to 2010s. They made a engine approved by Toyota for the Supra.
I alternate my daily driving between my 1981 280E and 240D. Original engines and transmissions. Simple and reliable. Mercedes quality died in the mid 80s.
German cars have an awful reliability reputation here in the US. BMW has apparently learned their lesson but it will take another 20 years for them to recover. BMWs use of plastic parts for powertrains, Mercedes of over complicated electronics ....Volkswagen cheating ...i can go on an on. I have had Acura and Lexus brands for years and they are head and shoulders above the germans.
I life in Germany and in the 90ties I switched from German brands to a 3year old used Jeep XJ which I drove for 21 years. All my neighbours laughted back than, but all their German cars run into problems sooner or later. Some even bought 3 different German cars in those 21 years which all broke down with major engine problems or transmissions. The Jeep had some issues as well, but was easy and chep to fix. Even the brakes had been less expensive than a that from a small German Mercedes A160.
I had an MB station wagon and it was a nightmare 1. Persistent oil leaks 2. Turbocharger failed 3. Intercooler failed 4. Intake manifold had to be replaced 5. Air suspension failed on three wheels 6. Struts in passenger side wheel needed replacement 7. Radar failed and needed replacement, weirdly shutting down all electronics 8. Mystery electrical failure, shop replaced alternator, battery and some boards 9. Connecting rod broke, scrapping the engine.
sounded like my Subaru WRX. 1. Severe oil leaks, most WRX's are known for this 2. Turbo charger failed twice, the other time, had to replace the turbo hose 3. intercooler problems as well 4. Rear suspension collapsed, ended up replaced the whole thing 5. Small electric problems here and there All this started about 71K miles in...I don't think its necessarily the brand but the overall quality.
@@john-paulsylvester2382 yea the flat boxer engine design isn't really that great. I got rid of my WRX and now driving a 22' civic hatchback. The gas mileage wasn't all that great to begin with.
These days it's just Toyota/Lexus, Kia/Hyundai or latest Tesla Model 3 that are worth the money. And the Honda as well, everything else it pretty much the same junk inside. German cars are stylish and they are fun to drive, but you will regret it.
My mother bought 2021 vw tiguan, in 2 year use engine vibrating harder than usual, when checked at the dealershop they said the engine mounting was need to be replaced I'm very confused because it damaged without the vehicle ever in accident
Engine mount is made out of rubber and metal and it's quite common for the rubber to fail. Durability of this is quite random due to many varaibles but item it's self is cheap.
In 2010, I made a decision that I thought would fulfill a dream of mine: owning a Volkswagen GTi. This car, a symbol of aspiration and desire, was chosen over the Civic Type R FD2, despite their similar price tags in my country. It was not just a car to me; it was a dream realized, a testament to hard work and dedication. However, this dream soon turned into a costly nightmare. Within just four years, I faced a slew of issues: premature oil leaks, electrical failures, an intake manifold leak, water pump failure, and prohibitively expensive replacements. These problems forced me to sell the car, a decision that weighed heavily on my heart. A decade has passed since then, and the landscape has drastically changed. Volkswagen vehicles have become a rare sight on the roads in my area, tarnished by a reputation so damaged that used car dealers are wary of accepting them, if they do at all. In stark contrast, the Civic Type R FD2 has ascended to legendary status worldwide, a testament to its enduring appeal and reliability. The infamous Dieselgate scandal further exposed Volkswagen, revealing a startling lack of integrity at the heart of the manufacturer. This was not just a matter of reliability or the normal wear and tear one might expect from owning a car. It was a matter of principle. To discover that a company could act with such disregard for ethics, transparency, and environmental responsibility was deeply disheartening. The essence of this experience transcends the personal. It serves as a powerful reminder to the world of the paramount importance of integrity in business. Companies wield significant influence over our lives, our dreams, and the health of our planet. When they choose to betray the trust of consumers and the broader community, they do more than fail on a corporate level; they undermine the very fabric of ethical responsibility. Let this be a call to action: to demand better, to hold corporations accountable, and to support businesses that prioritize ethical practices, transparency, and integrity. It's about more than just cars-it's about the values we champion in our communities and the legacy we leave for future generations. Shame on Volkswagen and any entity that forsakes its moral and ethical obligations. Let us learn from these mistakes and strive for a future where integrity is not just expected, but demanded.
So over dramatic. Personally I think if you buy a German car, you either need to have low mies, or be absolutely certain of previous owners. These cars are much more affected by bad maintenance, and furthermore, are much more likely to be driven hard. Yes, they won’t last as long as a Japanese car with the same treatment, but it will still last much longer then the average abused German car. I bought a 2008 GTI more then a year ago, we’ll see how it goes.
@darklordsauron3415 You're a new German car owner. I owned five in the row. The older models were well made despite the slight complexity. The later ones are overengineered, overcomplex, sabotaged, made to break down on purpose, and are impossible to fix in a reasonable way. You have to replace the whole engine or replace the whole car. Trash, evil engineering.
Partly also due to lack of vision of how the outside world is proceeding to investment in hybrids and EVs. They’re going with the mentality of “because we’re so big and the dominant brands, we will not be outcompeted” which lead them to today’s situation.
Dieselgate was actually a carefully orchestrated hoax. VW succumbed (like most of Germany) to the green lie and wanted out of diesel. It was the easiest way of walking away from it. Effectively write off the loss. They did not make the valid argument that the cars perform better during assessment because that is the actual most efficient the engines run at.
In the 90ties they laughted about american SUV and pickups, then they build them themselves. But they did not copy as well as asian brands did. I would never buy a German SUV and I am German myself! It would have been better the German brands would have come up with fresh ideas. Does not fit them to copy someone else.
Easy: cars are no longer build by engineers, instead controllers have their thumb on everything. We know what we should do, but we aren’t allowed to. The freedom to engineer what’s sensible was reduced bit by bit, and now it’s meetings over meetings how to cut cost or how to „optimize“ even more. At one point this „optimizing“ cut into the longevity, and today it’s not only cut, it’s sliced. We know how to build cars and other things. We just aren’t allowed to do so. Regards from Germany. (i think i sounded harsher than i wanted to, but I’m a bit frustrated. Some cars are still great, and the design choices on the engineering side are often very innovative. I still drive one of our cars, and it’s even a fully electric one. Very reliable, nearly no maintenance necessary - a thing the BWL guys strongly dislike - if we get the chance to do better, to decide engineering topics on the engineering side, the cars will be what they were, and people would appreciate that, i think. Maybe it would be a little bit less profitable for the shareholders, but it the right thing to do - for the reputation and for the people driving and loving the cars!)
yet, toyota(and lexus) who has placed quality in the center can still be reliable despite it all. Mind you, that doesn't mean they are perfect but they surely have commitment to accept flaws and put their afford to resolve it (in sold cars, but also cars in the pipeline). And they always come 1st or 2nd in global annual turn over. If people had a bit of common sense, they should be the 1st by a big margin over and over.
As a controller I feel attacked 😂 but I do agree with you. Just remember that we are not just focused on the product but the bottom lines and overhead to keep the company afloat and profitable so people could keep their jobs. If we don't cut your product cost due to the pressure from stockholders, removing your position is the next option to cut cost. Sad but true.
In one sentence ( German cars stop to be German car because as he said , they stop engineers to have the last word , and they let management to influence the process to build a car !
Double overhead cam is not enough. You have to put 3 or 4 cams per cylinder bank to increase the probability of belt/chain failure. AND make sure to make them interference engines so that the repair price will be so high that the owner will be forced to scrap the car and buy another consumer trap.
Before Dieselgate, German carmakers like VW were profiting significantly from diesel vehicles. However, as emission regulations tightened, they faced challenges and were resistant to considering alternative solutions like hybrids, despite Toyota's success with the Prius. The manipulation of emission tests was never going to be sustainable, and expecting it to go undetected indefinitely was idiotic. After 2016, while quality remained strong, weight issues led to some compromises as more and more assistance systems came into use. I'd suggest that a more balanced strategy, including full hybrids alongside electric vehicles, could have been a better approach for VW, Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche and would have made for a smoother transition. Instead, they've gone all-in on EVs even though the infrastructure isn't there.
Executives were simply contemptuous and greedy, that TDIs were superior market choice and that there was no need for innovation, despite political pressure as well as concepts and R&D of electrified prototypes going back each decade. Audi's etron concepts were infamously mocked for being green washing vaporware, despite a working Audi A1 range extended EV prototype, Audi only took electrification seriously several years after Tesla stole their lunch
It’s partly due to politics and their huge legal departments that manipulate the system. Then, after new EVs and hybrids came along, they are now facing what they thought they eluded previously. Their past is now biting back at them.
100% agreed. Germans can’t compete with the Japanese for Hybrids and their BeVs are not at par with Tesla and they can’t match the price point of the Chinese. They are stuck in limbo land because of their past glory
Before the govts started tightening emissions regulations, the German cars were very good. I own a 2006 Audi Q7 and the thing still runs good. Not to mention that it looks upscale and classy as well. So I too am quite reluctant to switch from this to the crappy tinboxes that they make nowadays. But the govt thought that it knows better and tightened regulations more than the automakers could meet. The TDI cars were very good cars, I would say even better than my petrol Q7. And no, they were not polluting the environment; they were merely failing the stricter govt emissions standards by a few points. I kick myself for not buying a TDI Q7 and holding on to it.
Well, that is not normal, even for Audi. Normally, this only happens if the owner cannot be bothered to go easy on the engine when cold, causing extreme hotspot related tensions in the metal of the engine causing it to warp and - ultimately - start leaking. Only remedy: replacing everything. This is user error 99 out of 100 times, sorry.
Most German brands are still trading on their historical prestige and quality. Whereas in reality many of them are just overpriced for what they are and have very little in common with their esteemed predecessors (e.g. 1 series or A class these days compared to the quality RWD sedans of yesteryear). But people are vain and most know little about cars and will continue to lease/buy them on finance to keep up with the Joneses.
I rate people's intelligence by what they drive. You drive a Tesla, M.Benz, mini, Jeep and such my opinion of you goes way down. I look at you like a hungry wolf, wondering if I can sell you some annuities, a share in a bond company that owns the Chunnel, Eiffel Tower and London bridge or some pet rocks.
Why has DW video quality... gone bad? Pretty superficial journalism here, fits well with the subject. Companies just want more margin or worse products... Unfortunately this is the trend.
I think BMW heard the message and starting in 2015 or so drastically improved the quality of their cars. I had a 340i for 7 years and gave me zero problems on top of great performance. Moved on to an M3 recently.
As a co-owner of a VW Buzz, I am content with the product, but felt it could have been executed better, considering the price. It was more than twice the price of any vehicle we have owned before, at about €60 k. A heat pump would have been useful here in Norway, to help sustain range in the winter, for example. Many of my friends have owned German vehicles, but I see many of them transitioning to Tesla.
Be careful what you wish for. Tesla isn't American, it's from HELL. The more people that drive Tesla vehicles, the worse off we are as a society. From labor practices, to cutting out dealerships so that zero profit remains where the vehicles are purchased in those communities, to being run by a drug-addled evil villain, Tesla is a bad actor. Elon Musk complimenting China's horrendous working conditions and scheduling (12 hour days six days a week!). SKIP TESLA. Get a friggin' Toyota or Ford or something.
When you constantly batter your component suppliers to reduce prices, while always looking to increase your own profits, something is going to give. Usually overall quality and reliability.
🖐 agree with video on MB quality decline. We have a 2022 GLE350 that has been ok but not great with a couple expensive under warranty repairs in first 2 years on road. Also have owned a 18 year old MB S350 for 5 years, solid as a rock and reliable with 100k miles on it. Plan was to purchase the 2022 GLE after lease ends this year but instead will return it. Likely replace it with Japanese (Lexus etc), as we don’t have the time or patience for unreliable MB.🔥🖐…update September 2 2024, chose to get a Lincoln Nautilus to replace the Benz. Very happy with it and excellent purchase experience at White Plains, NY Lincoln dealer.
As someone with experience with a Volvo the big problem was that we saw maintenance costs double going from Toyota to Volvo. It wasn't just that Toyota was slightly more reliable but primarily that every bit of work that needed to be done was much more expensive for the Volvo. I think part of that was that there was healthy competition among mechanics servicing Toyota. There was one shop within driving distance that did Volvos.
@@hermes667 Germany had reliable metal. Never reliable automobiles in reality. The engineering had always been too complicated for its own good. Those Tiger tanks got stuck. Jeep can offroad better than any german vehicles and still can. 😂It all over engineered crap. Germans engineers need to go back to the drawing board. Too much stuff in one package is no good.
The Japanese embraced quality taught to them by Dr. Deming and continue to live by it (mostly). The German makers never really did and they have paid the price for their lack of vision.
My neighbour bought brand new Audi A8 for 130 000€ and after 2 months, when he put gas pedal on the floor to try the acceleration, the half axle cracked !!! What you think about this?
The increased outsourcing of components and systems suppliers since the 1970s led to the loss of quality in the end. The OEMs are just writing requirements and integrating products of others with ever increasing process and bureaucracy requirements. Focus on quality of the end product is less important and not even possible when you're not actually building the components.
Defently not! - Yes the Engine last really long, but the interior looks quite soon extremely bad. And the Entertainmentsystem is made out of hell - something Toyota/Lexus never learned.
I'm 47, for longer than I've been old enough to drive it has always been Japanese cars with the reputation for being the world's best. German cars, especially high-end ones, are considered highly desirable and have a mystique to them because of their high power output and mind-bending price tags, but Japanese cars have been considered significantly better since I was a kid. Also, high-end German vehicles have a reputation for being a nightmare to work on. Germany builds fast expensive cars, Japan builds GOOD ones.
@@PetrM-b7o Actually reliability wise most German cars are actually rising but is mostly In the EVs and why is it just the EVs? Well the answer is: EU regulations.
@@DjursholmCars Seems to be the case, but then German EVs don't even have the best specs. Huyndai/Kia or Volvo are much better from traditional carmakers.
I owned a 2016 BMW 750L. great ride, great looking and lots of power. When the odo got to around 45 k miles the lights started to come on. Warranty now gone. Most every time I brought the car in to the dealer the bill was usually 1800.00 dollars. First fluid leak sensor. 1700.00 dollars. The next light was for a fuel leak sensor,1800.00 dollars. The run flats were constantly getting bubbles in sidewall, 400.00 a pop for tires. New battery 530.00 dollars. Just before trading it in for a Lexus 600H ,the best vehicles on the road! I had to do a brake job, complete, new rotors and pads 2800.00 dollars. This pos turned into a money pit! Never again will i own a BMW!
Accurate, in Australia it's purely a status symbol, everyone knows they're bad cars. BMW it seems are the best of a bad bunch, of course I drive a Toyota and the Korean cars are seen as the inbetweeners
My 1975 VW Rabbit 4 speed was much more fun to drive than my 1977 Datsun B-210 5 speed, the difference was the Datsun never let me down in 8.5 years. I was stranded several times with the VW during my 9 months of ownership.@@MrWhatauchever
Was German cars really that realiable? In my experience German cars are good for the first 50k miles then it needs increasingly repairs and expensive maintance, and when it gets to 80-100k miles, it is as good as junk, almost everything needs to be replaced and the cost are more expensive than sell it for junk. Japanese cars on the other hand, will have no issue running pass 100k miles and beyond with maintance AND the cost of repair and parts are way cheaper, this makes them viable for long term.
The thing that I realised when I bought my Audi RS5 2012, that I thought I'm paying a premium amount of money for a reliable car that would save me enough in the maintenance side of ownership. But, it turned out it wasn't any different than any other car brand, actually it was worst. I lost so much on maintenance that I just couldn't justify the initial price tag. It was a rip off. Now I'm happy with a Korean, Chinese or Japanese car that is a fraction of the price without the unnecessary horse power, yet it will for sure be more reliable.
Don't trust Consumer Reports. They destroyed the Suzuki Samurai sales during the 80s or 90s by falsifying the Elk Test in the US, an otherwise excellent quality value vehicle.
japanwatchconnection The Audi 5000 unintended acceleration was real, because Audi screwed up the ergonomics that made it too easy to mistakenly step on the accelerator instead of the brake.
A lot of people in the US Buy Lexus over Mercedes Benz and BMW based solely on reliability, even if the German cars are beautiful and fast they also have a well deserved reputation of being delicate and expensive to maintain. People also remember diesel gate and choose Honda, Mazda, Subaru and Toyota over VW.
@@TSERJI Audi has more luxurious interiors and trim for sure. But 80-95% of the parts are interchangeable between the two with the same VAG part numbers and manufactured in the same factories. Audi dealers just mark them up more. There's an old saying, "If you're getting parts for your Audi, go to Volkswagen"
@@TSERJINo. It’s all essentially marketing, with a few nicer parts on touch points in the interior to make people feel like they got something different.
I think it’s a combination between using plastic and making things complicated just for the sake of it, even if it’s not really needed. It may make things more ‘refined’, but is a major headache when something does break or fail down the road.
it's because it's brand new and expected. I had a new Mazda MX 5 which had the same issue, but they told me before I bought it, that it will smell "funny". The smell will go away after some time. Just give it some more time.
It's normal. When I bought my brand new 2017 Mustang GT it would also smell when you push the engine after the break-in period. Sold that car a few years ago.
@@stefanbraun1951 Mazda for example are using better materials than previous ones .. there is room for improvement for other car brands or look at the KIA or Hyundai , they are making big progresses ahead of the german auto industry . People will seek quality and cheap maintenance and unfortunately germans over engineered the heck out of it for the sake of the peoples wishes and they will go down like the history in general .
@druidZZZe I know nearly nobody who drives a Kia or Hyundai. Instead, I knew lots of people with Mercedes, BMW, VW... What do you mean by "overengineered"? German cars drive much better at high speeds, are very stable in these situations, and look better. Additionally, they offer great engines and usability-friendly interior. I think people who really enjoy driving will decide for a BMW, MB, or Audi. Of course, when you just decide based on price, you have to go with other manufacturers. But there are also Cupra, Seat, Skoda, Renault, Fiat, etc. people could choose instead.
@@stefanbraun1951 well besides USA (where the market is dominated by japanese auto makers ) and europe(and not all of it ) there are no good roads . Yes they are made for autobahns and….??? In France for example it is very highly restricted for 30km/h . Where do you use these german cars for their truly speeds ?
I think German car's reliability is an issue. You only need to look at U.S. used cars' values; Japanese cars enjoy a much better depreciation than German cars. German cars' parts and preventive maintenance are both more expensive. My mechanics friend explains to me that German cars are less easily accessible for repairs, so the labor hours are adding up quickly for repairs. I owned a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder since it's new and averaging about $700 maintenance a year for the car.
Japanese follow a very different engineering principle than the Germans. Japanese cars are underpowered and have poor fuel economy. German cars are over engineered , over powered and uses a lot of tech to meet EU fuel regulation and emissions. So they have to give up on something, reliability is the best choice since the average brand new car buyer, keeps their car for only 5-6 years
Unless this video is at least 30 years old, the entire premise is wrong. The Japanese have been beating the Germans on reliability since at least the 1980s.
Depends on the type of segment upgrade you purchased. It may seem weird but if you're going for upgrade on decent mid-segment cars, not for something like trucks, Hyundai's would do upgrade job to replace your Ford, they're even better build and more reliable also.
@@kevinrtres Reliability and decent build is good on Japanese cars, though some Toyota's/Honda's on a particular segment may not provide as good fit & finish or solid quality, build as a Ford, that're economical but more well built than it's reliable long-lasting Japan counterparts of lower segments which may cause some dissatisfaction. That's why I'm not so sure with suggesting on Japanese cars, eg:- Focus feels more solid build than a Corolla.
As the person who grew up with Mercedes Benz and BMW, I have to say that the quality had dropped significantly after the end of the 90s. They used to be built like a tank, as reliable as Toyota and Honda. But now, I feel like everything is messed up.
I live in Germany and had the chance to drive several cars like Renault, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, BMW 3 series, hyundai i20, Audi A4... As long as you have warranty, all of them will be fine. BMW and Audi were both above the others in terms of interior materials, rattle free interiors, overall sound deadening, more comfortable suspension and they are build for high speed. Japanese cars get loud inside, renault was most comfortable, but some rattles when hitting pot holes, show that they don't care about perfection. Hyundai became a real option here, but hard plastic interior seem cheap. Ultimately I bought a Mazda again. Not a perfect car for the german roads and highways, but hopefully a reliable and long lasting car and value for money was good too.
German cars have the best quality interiors by a mile compared to US cars. Also BMW has really stepped their game up in terms of reliable engines. And saftey ratings.
You have no clue what you're talking about, as you compare those with us cars - two big trashes. And recent bmw became reliable? You must be kidding-B58 is NOT a bmw engine, but mostly a Toyota.
I bought from new in 2005 or new Mercedes C Class 3 door coupe. A sold it back to the dealer a year later after several issues. The car used to creak like a wooden rocking chair from new!
Thanks for your feedback. The classification of MINI as either a German or British car brand can be somewhat nuanced due to its history and ownership. Yes, MINI is now owned by BMW, but still mainly produced in the UK.
The decline started about 25 years ago. This is because they cannot afford to build cars like they did in 1989-98 plus they realised that they could whore their brands and sell cheaply made cars with a thin veneer of quality and make a fortune. Take any German engine made since 2006 for example and you have - oil leaks, timing chain woes, plastic chain tensioners breaking, injectors, sensors, coolant leaks from cracked plastic bits etc. German engineers love to make something incredibly clever and complex but then they make it out of materials that simply aren't up to long term use.....and keep repeating the same mistakes. Mercedes haven't built a decent engine in 15 years for example. BMW differentials whining, manual gearboxes with complete failure of a synchro hub, collapsed air suspension, severe corrosion on Mercedes rear subframes, terrible water leaks into steel folding roof convertibles (3 and 4 Series are appalling). VAG stuff is the worst by some margin btw. Absolute crap. If you want reliability, head to your nearest Toyota dealer. They build cars to a quality standard German car manufacturers can only dream of.
Someone I know has a top end BMW, and drives it around with the check engine light on all the time. He was told that to turn it off requires a lot of meddling at the garage, which could cost him over a $1000! That is mainly for labour to access certain part of the vehicle, and does not involve replacing any expensive parts.
we have to 20 year old benz,both over 200000 km and thy are still working. i think they are still reliable but all the sensors and tech in high end are all sensible components. i guess a problem is that efficiant engines are running on pretty high pressure on the components
My BMW 320D 2014 (bought it brand new from BMW) broke down after 3 years, it was a cable going from the battery in the back to everything. Sensors, electricity everything went to hell. I took it to the dealer asking "wtf?". My warranty ended 2 months earlier, the dealer told me that BMW's insurance had changed the fine prints and in the new fine printed text it was obvious that this was a problem, and an expensive one. Paid 2k euros for having the cable replaced. Sold that piece of shit that I used to love and went on buying Volvo. When a brand you identify with, a brand that you tust does shit like this.. There isnt anymore trust or fandom. Imagine that, buying a BMW brand new from the "respected" BMW dealer, BMW insurance for what? For NOTHING.
All my Audi, Mercedes Benz and VW has been an utter reliability nightmare, never again. Besides the deep pocket pain, the frustration and danger is just unforgivable. You can’t pay me to own these.
Over the last 34 years, I have owned many cars, including an Audi, three VW’s and a BMW and will never own any of these brands again. I am very happy with my 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio that has been exceptionally reliable and will likely purchase another when it’s time to replace my current car.
@@socko1019 Lexus & Tesla Even the Tesla is far better in reliability than these German car makers, just too many short cuts for prestige brand and price from these German brands. Enough is enough
VW's dieselgate , as it turns out, was no different to many other manufacturers. Recent add on the the list....Toyota. As for reliability...purely subjective. Does a fuel pump replacement at year 12 equal unreliable? Depends on where you were stopped and how long you waited for help and replacement.
Wasn't "dieselgate" a result of Germans outsourcing to industry standard AMERICAN consultancies. Looks very politically motivated (see Soc Generale's massive fine there). America and Germany refused to kowtow to America's Neoimperialism in the Middle East and get massive fines because of it.
All cars are now loaded with tech. They also strive to be lightweight requiring plastic in place of metal. Sad that there is no longer an option for low tech, high;y reliable, durable car.
In the mid 2000s I did allot of business all over Germany for several years on behalf of fleets who owned 100,000s of vehicles and were trying to reduce their perennial expenditure on replacement parts. Seeing the sheer size of the VW OE Teile / Original Parts building at Baunatal, Kassel was a revelation to me. I realised then that these cars were DESIGNED to fail unlike 1960s/70s/80s/90s German cars that were absolutely rock solid and 100% reliable. Similar to GM in the USA, when the accountants overruled the engineers then the end product and ultimately the Customer suffers. People will only tolerate so many failures. Every single brand new German car I owned had major parts failures. Just go back to making reliable and dependable machines - like the Japanese do to this day - and some customers may come back.
The 1980’s were the peak of Euro car reliability. I have a 2000 BMW 528i and a 1998 BMW 740i lastly a 2006 MB CLK350. They all run well, but they also all get constant attention from me. My wife’s Toyota we just change the oil and it’s pushing 200k miles. My German cars will have significant money invested into them to get to 200k miles. In Germany the marketing and financial guys have pushed the engineers out of the room. The most expensive new cars on the road aren’t worth the money.
This is not new. It's been many decades since German cars have been highly reliable. Perhaps an additional problem is the focus of US dealers and consumers to lease new German cars. It is a fact that leasees do not maintain their cars properly so they suffer more wear and tear in a short time. Buyers of those cars encounter more problems than other car brands and cause German brand reputation to suffer even more than deserved.
might be one of the points, but only a small one. How can Audi/BMW have plastic chain tensioners inside of the engine? There things are on a timer to break. Plastic part without anything rubbing on it/friction and inside of the engine = 5-7 years, metal part = forever. Germans do not care about forever not a single bit anymore.
I bought a VW in Malaysia back in 2012 and it was so cool back then with its sophisticated TSI and DSG. VW was selling 12000 units a year back then. After being plagued by its poor reliability and bad after sales, VW only managed to sell less than 2000 units a year. I sold my Polo TSI and bought a Toyota MarkX instead. No replacement for displacement, NA and torque converter is still the best combination for reliability. If you want prestige, get a Lexus or higher end Toyota models like Crown, Land Cruiser or Century.
You'd love the GS460, it's the same chassis as the Mark X but 4.6L engine, Lexus luxury and adaptive shocks, 8 speed trans. Hauls ass, not much slower than a lot of new muscle cars lol.
Have owned BMW and now VW, middle of range vehicles for last 10 years. I have found my main issues have mostly always been electrical/electronic failures. Even had an entire door harness fail and need replacing. This caused the car unable to be locked and threw a check engine/immobilization errors. Real pain and expense to diagnose.
My electric ID4 had some software problems a year ago, but all the problems disappeared, thanks to over-the-air software updates. Other than the software issues, the car has worked perfectly.
I drive a 2007 VW Jetta. I had no issues, no more than 1000€ of investment till now. But the hull body is bad, started to corode, so this will be expensive now.
Just passed 140k in my 2018 Opel Insignia. Only one failure so far, which i had to pay around 200 euro´s to get fixed. That´s it..! No problems what so ever... Before the Insignia I had a Opel Vectra. Drove in that car for more than 10 years. It died around 440k´s. First failure on the car came around 200k´s with a broken cable that drove the electric window...
Too much tech and screens and less reliability. Need to get away from big infotainment systems leave it at bluetooth music and a heads up display for GPS. Then you can remove that monstrous centre atrocity.
![Twenty One Pilots - The Line (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XCz7WUotXs8/mqdefault.jpg)
The main issue is the use of cheap materials, lots of failure-prone plastic engine components which should be metal
many vw's use plastic water pumps 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@isaachunt5799 plastic water pumps, plastic PCVs, plastic thermostat housings that crack, plastic coolant hoses that fail, plastic timing chain guides, etc etc etc. It's sad really
Yes that part!!!
Also German cars are increasingly made outside of Germany where quality control is generally worse, such as how US Consumer Reports was referenced in which most German cars in the US are actually made in the US
@@thomasgrabkowski8283 Yes but so are many Hondas and Toyotas.
The problem is predatory planned obsolescence engineering. Their cars are engineered to break down after the warranty ends. I will never buy another German car. Paid $1500 to replace a $50 part because so many other parts had to be removed to get to the plastic part.
It's not planned obsolescence, it's just how their customers purchase cars. At least in North America, people buying German brands are just doing it for the appearances, they don't want to drive older cars so there's no point building quality components that last because it's not what their target demographic cares about. Anyone that wants reliability just buys Japanese cars instead so it ends up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Sorry to break it to you bud. That's no where near a purely German problem.
😄 omg.. oh yeah... there was a bug in my software... it was american.. i'll never buy american software .. 😄
It is definitely not just German cars that "break down".
Don't ascribe to malice, which can simply be explained by incompetence.
It's not just cars, all manufacturing these days is done with the mindset of shareholder uber alles. Back when companies were making quality products they were generally run by engineers who put the product first as opposed to job hopping BS artists with MBAs who parachute in to high powered positions, cut costs and sell the family silver to increase dividends and then move on to the next victim. A brand used to mean something - nowadays all a brand is is a marketing tool. Its completely unsustainable and its going to come crashing down one of these days.
This is why I'm no longer an engineer.
That was a classic episode of Peep Show which I will never forget. 2 people decide to start a consultancy company... One says to the other he wants him to be his partner. The guy says "I don't know anything about consultancy" The guy says: "You go in, fire 50% of the work force, then rebrand, then fuck off. Congratulations, you are now a fully qualified consultant."
Spot on. I've seen it happen from inside a European company that was bought by a large American concern, and it's a depressing experience.
i know no one cares but i just wanna point out that ü as in "über" can be written as "ue"
same goes for ä as "ae" and ö as "oe"
"Back when companies were making quality products..." they were also making a lot of money. I just don't understand how this "new business model" can work, when everybody knows and talks about how bad these cars are nowadays. How do they even make money. They sell lots of cars but there will come a point when they will necessarily run out of customers...
In the past German cars build by engineers, now by accountant.
.....as an accountant....I state that we have never been interested in participation of product development. We don't care what's behind figures, not our business. But we are constantly FORCED to produce blind cost cutting recomendations even w/o knowledge what's the real subject.... this is dictated idiocy against our wil!
You are blaming the wrong people... it has always been those evil MBA executives who have no real skill in life other than being born with a silver spoon in their asses.
Not accountants: shareholders!!!!! They are the ones that destroyed car business and, also, Boeing, for example!!! They are the poison of the modern society.
@@WhiteMouse77problem is there are a lot of accountants on boards of companies.. And your right you guys don't care about the product, the engineering, or the people worst of all.. Hence why.. You are the problem.. You even stated it... You aren't interested in product development
Sounds like another big company. Boeing 😂
As someone who worked on CNC production in Bosnia. I can tell you our main export was German car manufacturers. So when someone tells you "German quality", theres a high chance your most reliable parts were made by some dudes in bosnia and not germans 😂
There is nothing wrong with Bosnians, dont be stupid.
Remember when people used to say china products don't last long. Germany has become the china of Europe. Both are a manufacturing hub. The problem is short term profits and shady practices to extract money from the consumers through breakdowns and repairs.
A ko mislis da ih sastavlja na liniji, schvabo ? U BMW-ju proizvedemo 288 vozila za jednu smjenu, samo Renault pravi vise, on proizvede 300 vozila za jednu smjenu. Takt proizvodnje SAAB-a je bio 18 minuta, dok je takt proizvodnje BMW-ja 2.5 minuta. Schvabo je prno u fenjer.
@@antonm8719 It is just that they still haven't get rid of their cancerous evil mohamedanism. Otherwise they are not so terrible bad.🙂🙃😊😉🙂
Okay? Bosnians must be pretty good CNC workers. I have never had any more than the most minor issue with a German car in my lifetime and one of my earliest memories was is riding in a BMW as a kid. There are definitely some bad trends in new German cars but those reflect terrible trends in the overall car market. I don’t think most BMW’s are as solid as they used to be but they are still good cars if you take proper care of them. The worst I’ve personally experienced were annoying door panels and stuff like that. Sure, it’s annoying to happen on a car of that price but it’s a pretty minor thing in the grand scheme.
Such a shame. German made was synonymous with quality. My family, and myself, have owned quite a few over the last 50 years. VW, Audi, Mercedes and BMW... we've had them all.
These days, if you look up the driveway at any of our houses, you'll see Honda, Toyota and Mazda. No, they don't have the dynamic appeal of our old German cars, but they are reliable to a fault and ridiculously affordable to own and service. By the way, none of us are what you would consider "poor", either. But we all appreciate value for money, and German car manufacturers can no longer fulfil that requirement.
Same, my family also has porsche Mercedes and VW. They’re quite nice, yet now we tried Honda Toyota and most recently byd, they are much cheaper than German brands. Now we just want to see the EV market and how the players are going to play out. As German brands are far behind Japan and China.
They're still high quality. American cars are crap. I think only Japanese make comparably better cars.
It's ridiculous that some people automatically associate "poor quality" with any car manufacturer that isn't German or Italian. After all, cars are simply transportation machines that take you from point A to point B. In reality, Asian automakers produce better quality cars and are not as obnoxious.
The answer is quite simple. Germany isn't German anymore. Less and less German people are in Germany, of course you will not get German quality.
if Japan were to be replaced by a foreign group like Africans or Indians, they would no longer be able to produce quality machines anymore. This had essentially happened in Germany.
@@okwatever3582In EV race, Chinese and Tesla EVs are best. Then German EVs. But Japanese EVs are very behind. Even GM and Ford do better than any legacy japanese automaker in Electric cars. And German EVs are pretty ahead than Japanese automakers, Ford and GM.
My dad tells me the stories of when Mercedes quality and reliability was second to none back in the 80s. Now he doesn't even wanna look at a Mercedes any more. I am buying the Japanese Mercedes (Lexus) soon for its reliability and quality.
Nothing stopping either of you from buying a pre '94 Mercedes today. There are always plenty for sale to choose from. Their robustness has meant they don't have the overinflated prices of their rarer competitors too- purely because so many have survived in good condition.
I've been driving a 1990 E-Class daily for 6yrs and love it. the initial purchase price AND everything I've spent to service and maintain it in that time would only equal 6-8mths of lease payments on a new car!
No Mercedes for our family either. Enough suffered.
Besides the LS, pretty much every Lexus is cheap...ish to own (compared to some german rivals). I love their line up, just wish they made better choices for the infotainment, it is just a minor inconvenience for decades long reliability though.
Good luck, I hope you enjoy your purchase and that it serves you well.
Lexus used to be the Japanese Mercedes now they are boring aside from the LC model. Also the is model has looked the same for 10 years at least
Here in Hong Kong. The service cost and part of german cars are hugely expensive. The Japanese petrol car and china EV are so much better
They love using plastic, especially in the engine areas where heat cycles make it prone to failure.
BMW N54 engine
Like timing chain fasteners... its ridiculous.
Environmental regulations force them to use cheap plastic materials.
@@Maxშემიწყალე They might claim that ie use lightweight materials to enhance fuel economy. But it only enhances it a little. More importantly, alloys etc could be used. Which would dramatically increase longevity ... which is far better for the environment. The truth is, they are kidding people. Produce low longevity cars to make more money... and harm the environment.
Lets talk about the real issue. The cartel they made that limited progres .
This video doesn't really say anything, does it?
DW isn't what it used to be either! 😹
Thats exactly it
Not really
Exactly my thoughts as it finished...
Lies again? Best Dad Grab Car
Recently had to change the battery on my 2016 Mazda 6. A friend stopped by and appeared shocked that I was replacing it by myself.
He said "I guess you got the code from the dealership"
"What code?" I asked..
He went on to explain that both of his Audis required a "special code" to the ECU in order to recognize the new battery.
He was very surprised when my Mazda started right up after fitting the new battery.
I'm a big fan of the overall simplicity of Japanese motors.
Hope they stay that way and don't follow the footsteps of the Germans
This is a joke? Right? Code to replace the battery? Since when that became a thing?
I guess I'll stick with my 1998 corsa for a very long time
yes just insane that you need to go to the dealer to have your battery changed, I'll stick with my Toys and Lexus.
Unfortunately I'm starting to see the beginnings of it. I have a 2021 Mazda CX-5 and recently took it in for some minor warranty work, during which the dealer gave me a new CX-90. Mazda has gone the way of the Germans and eliminated the oil dipstick, relying on an electronic measuring system that I could not get to work for the life of me as it refused to recognize the engine was running as part of its checklist before displaying the oil level. I first saw electronic oil level monitoring systems in 2008 while working at an Audi dealer and it didn't work at all then, either...nice to see the technology hasn't improved one bit in the last 16 years.
@@deloreanman14 yes the good old dipstick was just too outdated and people couldn't figure out how to read it, haha.
The necessity to code applies to other German makes too (not just Audi) Apparently it's possible to diy code the batteries on German makes once you've got an obd scanner (found a few videos on this from searching"audi battery replacement coding")
That aside, I'm disappointed to hear that Mazda is digitizing the oil dipstick on their new models.
It seems that no manufacturer has completely strayed away from planned obsolescence on current models
It is absolute planned obsolescence. For example, Audi, you have to change the main engine chain every 100 000km or so. Where is the chain? At the back of the engine. So you have to take everything out to get to it every 100 000km.
Where was the chain before in these cars? At the front of the engine so that you can remove it without taking the engine out.
totally agree but remember Ford did this on their 2004-20010 4.0 V6 Engines as well, the tensioners lastet like 100k miles, then the engine has to be removed, but would buy a mustang before any audi.
This is not unique to German cars, in fact American cars are the worst culprit of this considering GM invented it.
This is a bit of an oversimplification, on some engines (notably the 4.2 V8) the timing chain is on the back of the motor for packaging reasons, the ubiquitous 2.0T has it on the front like most cars. And the timing chain has a much longer lifespan than 100,000km, the issue with the motor I assume you are refering to is a design fault with some of the older chain tensioners which should have been replaced pre-emptively with an updated model to prevent failure. It is inarguably an engineering failure and put a big dent in the reputation of late 2000's early 2010's audis but claiming that audi intentionally designed the timing chains to wear out and put them on the back of the motor to increase service costs and vehicle turnover is frankly unfounded.
That isn't planned obsolescence it's just a highly inconvenient decision for packaging, you don't buy Euro cars because they're easy to work on,
@@darklordsauron3415 can we go as fart to say americans invented planned obsollecence. GM, apple and google are just a few examples
My friends auto repair shop is full of mostly BMWs, then MB, then Audi. Over the past 20 years, they are DESIGNED ON PURPOSE to fail after 4 years and 60,000 miles. They make a lot of money in repairs. They are for lease only for the smart person. Owning them as a status symbol is a joke. Foolish purchase.
Where are all these bullshit comments coming from? Can't believe all this nonsense
ppl waste $ on what they love. status symbol? hardly. they are the ultimate driving machine. name a better 4 door sedan as a daily driver.
To own as status symbol nothing is joke. If it is status, it is status.
@@mdjey2 When the brand is known for breaking down the only status the owner earns is embarrassment.
@@andrewdinns1746 Most car reviews list Cadillac and Lexus sedans as driving just as well if not better than their German rivals. I'm taking a CT5 Blackwing over an M5 any day
I have a 2024 GLS Benz wagon sitting in my garage with 2100 miles and a check engine lamp ( dealership said software issues and emission issues). I also have a 2011 BMW 335i with 70,000 sitting in my garage undriveable because to change the $18 abs sensor this car requires a $4,000 front axle replacement, since the sensor plug (something that is regularly serviced on all cars) is anchored to the axle by design on this car. In addition the Bmw has been leaking oil from cheap $15 rubber seals that require close to $3000 in replacement costs. In addition to this the 2G onboard telephone has malfunctioned and keeps calling 911 every time the car is turned on. This is an unknown cost as my dealership has no resolution since 2G technology is absolute and cannot be serviced or removed from the car. In addition to that all these issues (except the oil leak) have set off the check engine lamp which voids the car from passing inspection. I'm the second owner of the car from a certified CPO purchase and the car has always had proper servicing done timely at my local bmw dealership thru the extended warranty and about $8000 spent since 2017 when the warranty expired (water pump x 2, brakes, oil seals x 2, fan belts and pulleys x 3, coolant hose, coolant tank, washer fluid tank, key fob, battery x 2, fuses, daytime running lamps x 2, there more....). Even with careful ownership and money my BMW 335i became undriveable. The car dealerships make cars to last 3 years/40k miles tops before you will need to replace it
Same issues with my 335… complete junk
If German cars are so terrible, why in the world did you buy/lease a 2024 Benz wagon? Image, same as everyone else.
You should find a new mechanic. Phone can't dial of it doesn't have power. Someone just needs to pull a plug or fuse or even clip a wire.
I was looking at cheap 335's the other day. Think I'll pass.... I'd like to find a simple 128i. Wife had one and it was a decent, simple car. No turbo. No AWD.
I recommend that you change your service because all of those 335i problems are solvable. ABS sensor is can be changed in 30 minutes. Phone can be turned off, and I think there is no 2G service in USA anymore. Oil leak is a little harder but given you don't know what you talk about I guess that is fixable as well. I also think that someone is marrying you because those services that you listed bellow are rather strange. Not to say that you are listing things that make no sense to be mentioned, so I call BS. And yes, stealerships botch services most of the times, so it probably is not well maintained, no matter the certified CPO. Find a solid BMW mechanic or sell it to someone willing to play with it.
Why on earth did you not go for a Lexus RX 350 or a Lexus TX or GX instead? You'd be so much happier!!!
It's a shame to see the quality of German cars fall so far. The Mercedes-Benz cars my parents purchased in the late 80s and 90s were so well built, so well engineered and reliable. I wouldn't even consider a German car these days due to the poor reliability/build quality. Once they get over 100K miles, they become money pits. I had a friend by a late 2000s BMW he bought for $12,000 with 100K miles that he spent another $12,000 on repairs to keep it going before having it towed to the junkyard.
German here. Take my advice and buy Japanese cars.
What’s your recommendation?
I agree, but in Europe, in an era of deglobalization and expensive sea transportation, Japan made car parts might become more difficult to get.
Let's hope that companies keep diversifying their supply chains!
Understandable point. They're cheaper. More reliable. And look decently good. A good car with a good reputation.
@@florindragosthe availability of parts is not an issue since there are many companies in europe who licence build parts for japanese cars. And they are even getting more numerous.
I can't believe Mercedes dropped so far behind Lexus these days, it wasn't like this in the 90s
When you like to drive an ugly car - buy a Toyota/Lexus.
My friends look at me funny because my dream car is Lexus Lc500❤❤
Except they didn't dropped behind atleast in innovation and quality.
That’s why I left BMW and Audi to buy a Lexus ISF 12 years ago. Best decision ever.
Where have you lived in the 90s ?
The S class had dozens of issues, the newly designed E-class in the debut years too. A-class was not able to drive around a moose.
I doubt you have the right awareness to judge and compare over decades if you have forgotten all of this.
Back then in the early 90s mercedes had fallen far behind BMW which became obvious with the S-class that debuted in 1990 and did not sell well in europe or at all cause it was called giant and ugly, only americans had bought it. The next S-class 7 years later was more agile but suffered from quality issues from day one but they had the luck that BMW hired a new designer that killed the sales of the 7 series. Mercedes picked up speed in sales and alter AMG became the saviour as the surplus mercedes agile like a BMW M series while the Maybach brand stalled . I have owned most of these cars , over 50 in the 2 decades cause I drove a lot and got a new car every 6 to 9 months. And I can remember when they broke in the first year and below 100.000 km. I stranded with a SL 600 with a broken rooftop that did not wanna open due to a hydraulic leak when I wanted to travel to italy. I got a loaner, best car ever: smart city coupe for 2
cause it was a saturday and they had no other car . Similiar issues with a CLS 500 , which also was a car produced in the first year .
The last German vehicles I owned were the MB 83 240D and a GD300. After keeping both for close to twenty years, I never purchased another German vehicle ever. Their philosophy changed drastically from nineties, I switched to Japanese vehicles, namely Toyota and Honda and have never looked back.
I agree. 😊 Though Mercedes from the 80' is still the best car ever, the planned obsolescence destroyed all the German companies in the last 20 years or so..😅
My '82 MB280T was a fantastic car...and the last so reliable, after this only troubles with the others I had. Now I own a Lexus LS500h, and so far 50TKM-nothing to repair-10 years of warranties, and 160TKM !!! Never MB again
Well if you can't afford it then so be it.
@@krisone63 it's not a question of affording. It's about feelings. If you have a good quality durable car that lasts 50 years, you can be proud. Plus, planned obsolescence is destroying the planet and climate.
@@krisone63 can't afford what? the junk MB?
They have been stagnant for too long
They were always bad, but there are new good players from China and India. They look even worse!
They all need to have record profits, while reinvesting into electrification.. that's why!
Old Mercedes Benz, especially those with diesel engines, were ridiculously durable.
The Americans took it over and said "this car is overengineered" ie things don't go wrong. Under US ownership, Merc became awful. Esp with the shady dealers who'd break things before handing it back. NUmerous dealers in England became owned by organised crime groups too.
@@RS-xx9veexcept that the most reliable v8 ever made m113 came from chrysler era.
Americans never took over Mercedes, if you look up the years with Chrysler, the Mercedes CEO was the dominant CEO
@@KingofInterns Another far fetched claim. And the most garbage Mercs ever came from that era. St. What use is ONE (you claim!) good engine when masses of models are falling apart due to massive deterioration in quality?
@@sakondisable Bit of a far fetched claim. Merc was a byword for quality and reliability before then. It's overwhelmingly clear America steered the policy of MB in that era... towards garbage. And it especially showed in the cowboy attitude of dealers too.
As an European, I can give you honest advice to only buy Japanese or Korean cars.
Are you speaking from experience there?
Overconfidence killed them.
Executive greed too
Arrogance !
Doing business under occupation means you're told to make money.
They all have record margins, that's why!
Here in the USA, VW has just replaced the old Mk7 Golf with the more 'electronified' Mk8. To say that the new one has been a disaster is generous. I had my daughter buy one of the last Mk7's deliberately due to this- we've been down this road with every new Golf since the Mk3 replaced the Mk2.
Exactly I got rid of my MK7 golf R and the new one was just so horrible that I ended up buying a WRX.
Solution - buy Japanese - simples
@@alexjackson9997 - Yeah, but then everyone would think I'm Mexican.
How has the Mk8 been a disaster? Not bashing, asking.
Outside the dynamic improvements, the Mk8 has been an abomination.
Company owners greed, putting profits first, short-term scope of management caring only for bonuses, no long term reputation building.
It's worth noting that 81% of cars in Germany are leased or financed. Most of them will never be owned outright. They will just be replaced within 5 years, at which point they are almost financially unviable straight out of warranty. Some of the better ones might have a 2nd life as a used car, but most will go abroad via the auctions to live out their lives with a dash full of lights.
My point being... Car buyers are the problem. People want disposable cars, so thats what the industry makes. Car buyers don't even wan't to open the hood.. So we get cars with no dipstick.. And it was those same adults who voted in new strict laws despite cars not really being the worlds pollution problem.
I'm not sticking up for our greedy corporate overlords. I'm just saying it makes sense. What I don't get is how they decided that selling volume disposable cars is more profitable than stiching up the spares market which they seem to have abandoned almost completely.
@@M3rVsT4H we need to go very deep in Economics and Corporate Finance, but a couple of main points:
1. German car compaines do not target Germany anymore. Their main consumer market has become China and traditionally USA. Same with the production facilities. Leasing is not widely spread in China and USA.
2. Not only does the primary market impact the consumer behavior and buying decisions, but also secondary market. Here we have to consider 2 points: exit value: after 5 years any German car becomes 5 times cheaper (very bad reliability and depreciation) the initial value. Second: those having their first experience from the secondary market become buyers for primary market/ That's not the case with Germans' for the same reasons (reliability).
3. Competitors, innovation and long term planning. In Japanese and now Chinees rivals short-term profits are simply banned. Their management and employees in general are evaluated based on long term goals and performance, loyalty to the company and fundamental values. Germans are just shareholder servants with their rigth-away greed. BTW- this is also amongst the reasons why American car compaines failed.
@@Project_88 Quite true, the problem is by no means unique to Germany. I just didn't want to get lost in stats so I picked one country to look up. I think the disposable car business model is more about finance than cars, and so is the pricing.
FWIW, I looked up comparable info. The USA has just shy of 80% financing on new vehicles. And nearly 40% of used vehicles. And China's automotive finance market woke up in 2022.. Sitting around 70%
But yes I agree.. Big topic. :)
That is the definition of a business. An organization that maximizes profits and minimizes spending. What you stated is literally in line with business philosophy and always has been.
@@darklordsauron3415 I think he's talking about companies that spent the better part of a century building a reputation of quality and reliability, squandering that rep for a lousy cash grab. Either way you slice it, it's not good business.
Wow! I'm probably too young to know that German car used to have high quality. Thought Japanese = quality, German car = broken in 3 years.
You only buy them for style or driving experience.
But then you may regret it anyway, it's a real junk inside these days.
It's used to great 20 years ago. Not anymore..
They're designed to fail and to keep failing in a cascade starting around the warranty period ending. This is confirmed with BMW engineers I have spoken to and my own experience.
I used to be a massive BMW fan. I owned a dozen of their cars. That was ten years ago. Never again.
I wouldn’t read to far into Consumer Reports. They listed Mini as high in reliability when in fact they are made by BMW with BMW parts so those “surveys” are flawed and have a lot of bias. Also, Americans and Germans are very different when it comes to vehicle maintenance.
I also had to scrape my eyebrows down from my hairline after seeing Mini rated highly. BMW and Mini... You take them in on trade and they leak oil and then you take them to the BMW dealership and they tell you "that doesn't qualify as a leak by BMW standards. That's normal."
You need to consider that the 3 cilinder engine in the minis are rarely ever used in BMW, so that could definitely result in mini "on average" being more reliable.
So, what you don't like is the truth of regular people honestly reporting their facts, than the bought and paid for "JD Powers" false and misleading fake reviews?
Tell the truth, I don['t understand Mini's rise myself, they make horrible crappy cars. Maybe their quality control has been significantly improved?
good point. I wonder if Mini has their own dedicated engineering and manufacturing teams though...
edit: mini is not assembled in Germany, so the point made in the video stands.
I read and saw videos that BMW has improved in reliability a lot compared to their reputation from the late 90s to 2010s. They made a engine approved by Toyota for the Supra.
I alternate my daily driving between my 1981 280E and 240D. Original engines and transmissions. Simple and reliable. Mercedes quality died in the mid 80s.
I've owned Mercedes of that era as well. I disagree that the quality died then. I'd say in the end of the 90's.
Smart cars are more reliable 😅🤣
German cars have an awful reliability reputation here in the US. BMW has apparently learned their lesson but it will take another 20 years for them to recover. BMWs use of plastic parts for powertrains, Mercedes of over complicated electronics ....Volkswagen cheating ...i can go on an on. I have had Acura and Lexus brands for years and they are head and shoulders above the germans.
I had an X1 with 55k miles and it needed 5k of engine work (I got multiple quotes too)
Very happy with my Acura now 😂
I life in Germany and in the 90ties I switched from German brands to a 3year old used Jeep XJ which I drove for 21 years. All my neighbours laughted back than, but all their German cars run into problems sooner or later. Some even bought 3 different German cars in those 21 years which all broke down with major engine problems or transmissions.
The Jeep had some issues as well, but was easy and chep to fix. Even the brakes had been less expensive than a that from a small German Mercedes A160.
I had an MB station wagon and it was a nightmare
1. Persistent oil leaks
2. Turbocharger failed
3. Intercooler failed
4. Intake manifold had to be replaced
5. Air suspension failed on three wheels
6. Struts in passenger side wheel needed replacement
7. Radar failed and needed replacement, weirdly shutting down all electronics
8. Mystery electrical failure, shop replaced alternator, battery and some boards
9. Connecting rod broke, scrapping the engine.
sounded like my Subaru WRX.
1. Severe oil leaks, most WRX's are known for this
2. Turbo charger failed twice, the other time, had to replace the turbo hose
3. intercooler problems as well
4. Rear suspension collapsed, ended up replaced the whole thing
5. Small electric problems here and there
All this started about 71K miles in...I don't think its necessarily the brand but the overall quality.
@@em34ev3r Oh no! I had a Subaru too. On a quiet night, I could hear it rusting.
@@john-paulsylvester2382 yea the flat boxer engine design isn't really that great. I got rid of my WRX and now driving a 22' civic hatchback. The gas mileage wasn't all that great to begin with.
These days it's just Toyota/Lexus, Kia/Hyundai or latest Tesla Model 3 that are worth the money.
And the Honda as well, everything else it pretty much the same junk inside.
German cars are stylish and they are fun to drive, but you will regret it.
For that money it's basically a fraud.
My mother bought 2021 vw tiguan, in 2 year use engine vibrating harder than usual, when checked at the dealershop they said the engine mounting was need to be replaced
I'm very confused because it damaged without the vehicle ever in accident
Engine mount is made out of rubber and metal and it's quite common for the rubber to fail. Durability of this is quite random due to many varaibles but item it's self is cheap.
In 2010, I made a decision that I thought would fulfill a dream of mine: owning a Volkswagen GTi. This car, a symbol of aspiration and desire, was chosen over the Civic Type R FD2, despite their similar price tags in my country. It was not just a car to me; it was a dream realized, a testament to hard work and dedication. However, this dream soon turned into a costly nightmare. Within just four years, I faced a slew of issues: premature oil leaks, electrical failures, an intake manifold leak, water pump failure, and prohibitively expensive replacements. These problems forced me to sell the car, a decision that weighed heavily on my heart.
A decade has passed since then, and the landscape has drastically changed. Volkswagen vehicles have become a rare sight on the roads in my area, tarnished by a reputation so damaged that used car dealers are wary of accepting them, if they do at all. In stark contrast, the Civic Type R FD2 has ascended to legendary status worldwide, a testament to its enduring appeal and reliability.
The infamous Dieselgate scandal further exposed Volkswagen, revealing a startling lack of integrity at the heart of the manufacturer. This was not just a matter of reliability or the normal wear and tear one might expect from owning a car. It was a matter of principle. To discover that a company could act with such disregard for ethics, transparency, and environmental responsibility was deeply disheartening.
The essence of this experience transcends the personal. It serves as a powerful reminder to the world of the paramount importance of integrity in business. Companies wield significant influence over our lives, our dreams, and the health of our planet. When they choose to betray the trust of consumers and the broader community, they do more than fail on a corporate level; they undermine the very fabric of ethical responsibility.
Let this be a call to action: to demand better, to hold corporations accountable, and to support businesses that prioritize ethical practices, transparency, and integrity. It's about more than just cars-it's about the values we champion in our communities and the legacy we leave for future generations. Shame on Volkswagen and any entity that forsakes its moral and ethical obligations. Let us learn from these mistakes and strive for a future where integrity is not just expected, but demanded.
What a lovely and thoughtful comment! 👍🏾
So over dramatic. Personally I think if you buy a German car, you either need to have low mies, or be absolutely certain of previous owners. These cars are much more affected by bad maintenance, and furthermore, are much more likely to be driven hard. Yes, they won’t last as long as a Japanese car with the same treatment, but it will still last much longer then the average abused German car. I bought a 2008 GTI more then a year ago, we’ll see how it goes.
@darklordsauron3415 You're a new German car owner. I owned five in the row. The older models were well made despite the slight complexity. The later ones are overengineered, overcomplex, sabotaged, made to break down on purpose, and are impossible to fix in a reasonable way. You have to replace the whole engine or replace the whole car. Trash, evil engineering.
Well said.
Stay gold.
Bro discovered ChatGPT
Dieselgate and a dead end focus on Crossovers and SUVs for profit.
Decades of poor innovation and contempt from greedy executives
Partly also due to lack of vision of how the outside world is proceeding to investment in hybrids and EVs. They’re going with the mentality of “because we’re so big and the dominant brands, we will not be outcompeted” which lead them to today’s situation.
How does focusing on a particular body style effect reliability and quality?
All of these only applies to VWs not all other VW owned or German car brands.
Dieselgate was actually a carefully orchestrated hoax. VW succumbed (like most of Germany) to the green lie and wanted out of diesel. It was the easiest way of walking away from it. Effectively write off the loss. They did not make the valid argument that the cars perform better during assessment because that is the actual most efficient the engines run at.
In the 90ties they laughted about american SUV and pickups, then they build them themselves.
But they did not copy as well as asian brands did. I would never buy a German SUV and I am German myself! It would have been better the German brands would have come up with fresh ideas. Does not fit them to copy someone else.
Easy: cars are no longer build by engineers, instead controllers have their thumb on everything. We know what we should do, but we aren’t allowed to. The freedom to engineer what’s sensible was reduced bit by bit, and now it’s meetings over meetings how to cut cost or how to „optimize“ even more. At one point this „optimizing“ cut into the longevity, and today it’s not only cut, it’s sliced. We know how to build cars and other things. We just aren’t allowed to do so. Regards from Germany. (i think i sounded harsher than i wanted to, but I’m a bit frustrated. Some cars are still great, and the design choices on the engineering side are often very innovative. I still drive one of our cars, and it’s even a fully electric one. Very reliable, nearly no maintenance necessary - a thing the BWL guys strongly dislike - if we get the chance to do better, to decide engineering topics on the engineering side, the cars will be what they were, and people would appreciate that, i think. Maybe it would be a little bit less profitable for the shareholders, but it the right thing to do - for the reputation and for the people driving and loving the cars!)
You are so correct in every aspect , well explained good job , I hope more people read your explanation , very intelligent !!!.
as a engineer myself i agree.
at one time i was in a meeting with 19 other people (middle management) all deciding what i should do next.
.. lol
Completely agree with you, the only true innovation has happened is in the design language and everything else is just cost cutting.
yet, toyota(and lexus) who has placed quality in the center can still be reliable despite it all. Mind you, that doesn't mean they are perfect but they surely have commitment to accept flaws and put their afford to resolve it (in sold cars, but also cars in the pipeline). And they always come 1st or 2nd in global annual turn over. If people had a bit of common sense, they should be the 1st by a big margin over and over.
As a controller I feel attacked 😂 but I do agree with you. Just remember that we are not just focused on the product but the bottom lines and overhead to keep the company afloat and profitable so people could keep their jobs. If we don't cut your product cost due to the pressure from stockholders, removing your position is the next option to cut cost. Sad but true.
In one sentence ( German cars stop to be German car because as he said , they stop engineers to have the last word , and they let management to influence the process to build a car !
Double overhead cam is not enough. You have to put 3 or 4 cams per cylinder bank to increase the probability of belt/chain failure. AND make sure to make them interference engines so that the repair price will be so high that the owner will be forced to scrap the car and buy another consumer trap.
Before Dieselgate, German carmakers like VW were profiting significantly from diesel vehicles. However, as emission regulations tightened, they faced challenges and were resistant to considering alternative solutions like hybrids, despite Toyota's success with the Prius. The manipulation of emission tests was never going to be sustainable, and expecting it to go undetected indefinitely was idiotic. After 2016, while quality remained strong, weight issues led to some compromises as more and more assistance systems came into use. I'd suggest that a more balanced strategy, including full hybrids alongside electric vehicles, could have been a better approach for VW, Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche and would have made for a smoother transition. Instead, they've gone all-in on EVs even though the infrastructure isn't there.
Executives were simply contemptuous and greedy, that TDIs were superior market choice and that there was no need for innovation, despite political pressure as well as concepts and R&D of electrified prototypes going back each decade.
Audi's etron concepts were infamously mocked for being green washing vaporware, despite a working Audi A1 range extended EV prototype, Audi only took electrification seriously several years after Tesla stole their lunch
It’s partly due to politics and their huge legal departments that manipulate the system. Then, after new EVs and hybrids came along, they are now facing what they thought they eluded previously. Their past is now biting back at them.
100% agreed. Germans can’t compete with the Japanese for Hybrids and their BeVs are not at par with Tesla and they can’t match the price point of the Chinese. They are stuck in limbo land because of their past glory
Toyota just got busted for a decades long emissions scandal that makes vw look like a Greenpeace poster child.
Before the govts started tightening emissions regulations, the German cars were very good. I own a 2006 Audi Q7 and the thing still runs good. Not to mention that it looks upscale and classy as well. So I too am quite reluctant to switch from this to the crappy tinboxes that they make nowadays.
But the govt thought that it knows better and tightened regulations more than the automakers could meet. The TDI cars were very good cars, I would say even better than my petrol Q7. And no, they were not polluting the environment; they were merely failing the stricter govt emissions standards by a few points. I kick myself for not buying a TDI Q7 and holding on to it.
Had a 2017 A4
65000km
Mechanically leaked coolant, oil, transmission fluid.
No experts could fix it all they recommended was replacing everything.
Well, that is not normal, even for Audi. Normally, this only happens if the owner cannot be bothered to go easy on the engine when cold, causing extreme hotspot related tensions in the metal of the engine causing it to warp and - ultimately - start leaking. Only remedy: replacing everything. This is user error 99 out of 100 times, sorry.
Most German brands are still trading on their historical prestige and quality. Whereas in reality many of them are just overpriced for what they are and have very little in common with their esteemed predecessors (e.g. 1 series or A class these days compared to the quality RWD sedans of yesteryear). But people are vain and most know little about cars and will continue to lease/buy them on finance to keep up with the Joneses.
100%
I rate people's intelligence by what they drive. You drive a Tesla, M.Benz, mini, Jeep and such my opinion of you goes way down. I look at you like a hungry wolf, wondering if I can sell you some annuities, a share in a bond company that owns the Chunnel, Eiffel Tower and London bridge or some pet rocks.
@@mutteringmale Still grateful that my life is not affected by what an uninspired troglodyte thinks about me.
German cars are considered status symbols nowadays. People buy German cars to show off, so they don't really care about the quality or the price.
@mutteringmale what cars do you drive? 😅
Why has DW video quality... gone bad? Pretty superficial journalism here, fits well with the subject. Companies just want more margin or worse products... Unfortunately this is the trend.
Thanks for watching and your thoughts! What would you like us to cover?
I think BMW heard the message and starting in 2015 or so drastically improved the quality of their cars. I had a 340i for 7 years and gave me zero problems on top of great performance. Moved on to an M3 recently.
As a co-owner of a VW Buzz, I am content with the product, but felt it could have been executed better, considering the price. It was more than twice the price of any vehicle we have owned before, at about €60 k. A heat pump would have been useful here in Norway, to help sustain range in the winter, for example. Many of my friends have owned German vehicles, but I see many of them transitioning to Tesla.
Selling €60k EVs without a HP is a joke, even more so if it's not even available as an option
Tesla? Let us know how that goes! They fall apart on their own...
There are better choices.
@@alobosk Even my son-in-law has a Tesla. I thought he was going to buy a Fisker Ocean.
Be careful what you wish for. Tesla isn't American, it's from HELL. The more people that drive Tesla vehicles, the worse off we are as a society. From labor practices, to cutting out dealerships so that zero profit remains where the vehicles are purchased in those communities, to being run by a drug-addled evil villain, Tesla is a bad actor. Elon Musk complimenting China's horrendous working conditions and scheduling (12 hour days six days a week!). SKIP TESLA. Get a friggin' Toyota or Ford or something.
When you constantly batter your component suppliers to reduce prices, while always looking to increase your own profits, something is going to give. Usually overall quality and reliability.
1. Greed
2. Lack of integrity
3. Plastic parts
4. Rich people are willing to buy terrible cars.
🖐 agree with video on MB quality decline. We have a 2022 GLE350 that has been ok but not great with a couple expensive under warranty repairs in first 2 years on road. Also have owned a 18 year old MB S350 for 5 years, solid as a rock and reliable with 100k miles on it. Plan was to purchase the 2022 GLE after lease ends this year but instead will return it. Likely replace it with Japanese (Lexus etc), as we don’t have the time or patience for unreliable MB.🔥🖐…update September 2 2024, chose to get a Lincoln Nautilus to replace the Benz. Very happy with it and excellent purchase experience at White Plains, NY Lincoln dealer.
It's a real hassle, and for such a price!
I still drive a Mercedes W124 model 1990. Still very reliable and in great condition.
The last good Benz!
This video offers 0 insight. Just showing some old clips and a couple of sentences from selected invidivuals
Its a terrible video hey. I feel like I watched a dozen commercials for a news program that never starts!
Correct
DW, not to wonder. They went from bad to worse eve faster than the quality of todays cars.
As someone with experience with a Volvo the big problem was that we saw maintenance costs double going from Toyota to Volvo. It wasn't just that Toyota was slightly more reliable but primarily that every bit of work that needed to be done was much more expensive for the Volvo. I think part of that was that there was healthy competition among mechanics servicing Toyota. There was one shop within driving distance that did Volvos.
Comments are more valuable here.
It appears the Germans just figured out what we have known since the 2000's.
I am German, had my last German car in the late 90ties, than switched to foreign brands. I never regret this.
@@hermes667 Germany had reliable metal. Never reliable automobiles in reality. The engineering had always been too complicated for its own good. Those Tiger tanks got stuck. Jeep can offroad better than any german vehicles and still can. 😂It all over engineered crap. Germans engineers need to go back to the drawing board. Too much stuff in one package is no good.
@@makemapfor off road they have only the vw pick-up that is good.
And who is "we"?
The Japanese embraced quality taught to them by Dr. Deming and continue to live by it (mostly). The German makers never really did and they have paid the price for their lack of vision.
My neighbour bought brand new Audi A8 for 130 000€ and after 2 months, when he put gas pedal on the floor to try the acceleration, the half axle cracked !!! What you think about this?
The increased outsourcing of components and systems suppliers since the 1970s led to the loss of quality in the end. The OEMs are just writing requirements and integrating products of others with ever increasing process and bureaucracy requirements. Focus on quality of the end product is less important and not even possible when you're not actually building the components.
Our one experience with a new VW Jetta that costs us $35,000 (Au) was a dismal disaster. Never again. A rolling break down 🤬
If you want to own the car for 5+ years, or want to get a luxury used car! Get yourself a Lexus
Defently not! - Yes the Engine last really long, but the interior looks quite soon extremely bad. And the Entertainmentsystem is made out of hell - something Toyota/Lexus never learned.
❤You are right as a 17 year old petrol head, my dream car is the Lexus Lc500
I'm just obsessed with it compared to the newer German cars
That's true as no one that leases a Lexus every keeps it, the maintenance and reliability go in the toilet after two or three years.
I own a Toyota. Every car I ever owned i drove into the ground. My longest lasting was a ford ranger which I drove for 17 yrs.
It's better to buy Austin Allegro 🥳
I'm 47, for longer than I've been old enough to drive it has always been Japanese cars with the reputation for being the world's best. German cars, especially high-end ones, are considered highly desirable and have a mystique to them because of their high power output and mind-bending price tags, but Japanese cars have been considered significantly better since I was a kid. Also, high-end German vehicles have a reputation for being a nightmare to work on.
Germany builds fast expensive cars, Japan builds GOOD ones.
Porsche: Well im still standing like i ever did. Looking like a true survivor feeling like a little kid.
I read complains about reliability on the new Cayman.
@@konliner9286 Complaints*
Anyway, source please.
Seems that Porsche and BMW are still fine, but the rest is not worth it.
@@PetrM-b7o Actually reliability wise most German cars are actually rising but is mostly In the EVs and why is it just the EVs?
Well the answer is: EU regulations.
@@DjursholmCars Seems to be the case, but then German EVs don't even have the best specs.
Huyndai/Kia or Volvo are much better from traditional carmakers.
I owned a 2016 BMW 750L. great ride, great looking and lots of power. When the odo got to around 45 k miles the lights started to come on. Warranty now gone. Most every time I brought the car in to the dealer the bill was usually 1800.00 dollars. First fluid leak sensor. 1700.00 dollars. The next light was for a fuel leak sensor,1800.00 dollars. The run flats were constantly getting bubbles in sidewall, 400.00 a pop for tires. New battery 530.00 dollars. Just before trading it in for a Lexus 600H ,the best vehicles on the road! I had to do a brake job, complete, new rotors and pads 2800.00 dollars. This pos turned into a money pit! Never again will i own a BMW!
Accurate, in Australia it's purely a status symbol, everyone knows they're bad cars. BMW it seems are the best of a bad bunch, of course I drive a Toyota and the Korean cars are seen as the inbetweeners
People are still happy to have them here, as long as they’re leased and under warranty. Woe betide the used purchasers….
Japanese for me, no grief with my ' 380 '😅.
German Cars are designed to drive waaaaaay better then Asian cars, which of course adds complexity and requires some maintanace.
My 1975 VW Rabbit 4 speed was much more fun to drive than my 1977 Datsun B-210 5 speed, the difference was the Datsun never let me down in 8.5 years. I was stranded several times with the VW during my 9 months of ownership.@@MrWhatauchever
woe betard
premium german brand have turned into a 'lifestyle' product rather than what it was before, cutting cost and profits seems the main interest nowadays
Was German cars really that realiable? In my experience German cars are good for the first 50k miles then it needs increasingly repairs and expensive maintance, and when it gets to 80-100k miles, it is as good as junk, almost everything needs to be replaced and the cost are more expensive than sell it for junk. Japanese cars on the other hand, will have no issue running pass 100k miles and beyond with maintance AND the cost of repair and parts are way cheaper, this makes them viable for long term.
The thing that I realised when I bought my Audi RS5 2012, that I thought I'm paying a premium amount of money for a reliable car that would save me enough in the maintenance side of ownership. But, it turned out it wasn't any different than any other car brand, actually it was worst. I lost so much on maintenance that I just couldn't justify the initial price tag. It was a rip off.
Now I'm happy with a Korean, Chinese or Japanese car that is a fraction of the price without the unnecessary horse power, yet it will for sure be more reliable.
Don't trust Consumer Reports. They destroyed the Suzuki Samurai sales during the 80s or 90s by falsifying the Elk Test in the US, an otherwise excellent quality value vehicle.
Those were amazing off road!
japanwatchconnection The Audi 5000 unintended acceleration was real, because Audi screwed up the ergonomics that made it too easy to mistakenly step on the accelerator instead of the brake.
A lot of people in the US Buy Lexus over Mercedes Benz and BMW based solely on reliability, even if the German cars are beautiful and fast they also have a well deserved reputation of being delicate and expensive to maintain. People also remember diesel gate and choose Honda, Mazda, Subaru and Toyota over VW.
I like that Audi ranks higher than Volkswagen, when they use the same parts 🤣
Same cars but maybe VW choose to make cars unreliable for rich people since they don’t drive them longer. lol.
Doesn't Audi generally use higher quality materials because they are a more premium brand
@@TSERJI Audi has more luxurious interiors and trim for sure. But 80-95% of the parts are interchangeable between the two with the same VAG part numbers and manufactured in the same factories. Audi dealers just mark them up more. There's an old saying, "If you're getting parts for your Audi, go to Volkswagen"
@@TSERJINo. It’s all essentially marketing, with a few nicer parts on touch points in the interior to make people feel like they got something different.
@@froggy0162 Still, it's not like an Audi is lower quality than a VW...
I think it’s a combination between using plastic and making things complicated just for the sake of it, even if it’s not really needed. It may make things more ‘refined’, but is a major headache when something does break or fail down the road.
AKA the Sony/Japanese principle! 😂
For me, Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura, Buick or some Ford model . Maybe Mazda. NEVER a German or English car
Every time I redline my brand new VW Arteon, the engine area starts to smell of melted plastic! You can smell it outside of the car..
it's because it's brand new and expected. I had a new Mazda MX 5 which had the same issue, but they told me before I bought it, that it will smell "funny". The smell will go away after some time. Just give it some more time.
@@uranblut Yeah, but why? Was that EVER normal? 🤔
To many plastic parts are out-gassing due to the higher engine bay temperature during high power demand.
It's normal I rented an audi and it smells like that
It's normal. When I bought my brand new 2017 Mustang GT it would also smell when you push the engine after the break-in period. Sold that car a few years ago.
Easy answer: they put cheaper Materials. Poor plastic, to raise marginns.
Yes, but not only German manufacturers do this. All car manufacturers do this.
Its to save weight ...
@@stefanbraun1951 Mazda for example are using better materials than previous ones .. there is room for improvement for other car brands or look at the KIA or Hyundai , they are making big progresses ahead of the german auto industry . People will seek quality and cheap maintenance and unfortunately germans over engineered the heck out of it for the sake of the peoples wishes and they will go down like the history in general .
@druidZZZe I know nearly nobody who drives a Kia or Hyundai. Instead, I knew lots of people with Mercedes, BMW, VW...
What do you mean by "overengineered"? German cars drive much better at high speeds, are very stable in these situations, and look better. Additionally, they offer great engines and usability-friendly interior. I think people who really enjoy driving will decide for a BMW, MB, or Audi. Of course, when you just decide based on price, you have to go with other manufacturers. But there are also Cupra, Seat, Skoda, Renault, Fiat, etc. people could choose instead.
@@stefanbraun1951 well besides USA (where the market is dominated by japanese auto makers ) and europe(and not all of it ) there are no good roads . Yes they are made for autobahns and….??? In France for example it is very highly restricted for 30km/h . Where do you use these german cars for their truly speeds ?
I think German car's reliability is an issue. You only need to look at U.S. used cars' values; Japanese cars enjoy a much better depreciation than German cars. German cars' parts and preventive maintenance are both more expensive. My mechanics friend explains to me that German cars are less easily accessible for repairs, so the labor hours are adding up quickly for repairs. I owned a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder since it's new and averaging about $700 maintenance a year for the car.
Japan's lead has been lost to China's EVs now
Most of chynese junk are sold in mainland chyna where they block competitors unfairly. Besides chynese EVs spontaneously combust so wo cares
Japanese follow a very different engineering principle than the Germans. Japanese cars are underpowered and have poor fuel economy. German cars are over engineered , over powered and uses a lot of tech to meet EU fuel regulation and emissions. So they have to give up on something, reliability is the best choice since the average brand new car buyer, keeps their car for only 5-6 years
@@jomo2483 Japanese cars have poor fuel economy? What?
@@jomo2483japanese carw have great fuel economy but not so nice driving experience..I mean they just goes and that's about it
Had a Mercedes E class and now own a Mazda 6, both are rusty like hell, but at least Mazda doesn't get broken so often.
Unless this video is at least 30 years old, the entire premise is wrong. The Japanese have been beating the Germans on reliability since at least the 1980s.
Thought I upgrade from Ford to VW group but you guys really spoiled the party 😅😅😅
You got me😂...
Depends on the type of segment upgrade you purchased. It may seem weird but if you're going for upgrade on decent mid-segment cars, not for something like trucks, Hyundai's would do upgrade job to replace your Ford, they're even better build and more reliable also.
Buy those Japanese brands you have stayed away from for so long....Lexus, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Subaru....plenty to choose from.
@@kevinrtres Reliability and decent build is good on Japanese cars, though some Toyota's/Honda's on a particular segment may not provide as good fit & finish or solid quality, build as a Ford, that're economical but more well built than it's reliable long-lasting Japan counterparts of lower segments which may cause some dissatisfaction. That's why I'm not so sure with suggesting on Japanese cars, eg:- Focus feels more solid build than a Corolla.
I used to romanticize German cars but thanks to the internet, no more.
As the person who grew up with Mercedes Benz and BMW, I have to say that the quality had dropped significantly after the end of the 90s. They used to be built like a tank, as reliable as Toyota and Honda. But now, I feel like everything is messed up.
Mechanics say - after 80s.
It's a waste of money now, you only buy them for driving experiance or style.
GM is doing better now.... Hilarious...
Yes, GM doing better is a load of crap. LOL
No Hyundai is even doing better than GM
@@tedkim4020 And Kia even better
@@tedkim4020 Ofcourse, they are doing better globally....
@@tedkim4020 I life in Germany. We bought a Hyundai. Quite better than those Opel or VW our neighbours have. :D
I live in Germany and had the chance to drive several cars like Renault, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, BMW 3 series, hyundai i20, Audi A4...
As long as you have warranty, all of them will be fine. BMW and Audi were both above the others in terms of interior materials, rattle free interiors, overall sound deadening, more comfortable suspension and they are build for high speed. Japanese cars get loud inside, renault was most comfortable, but some rattles when hitting pot holes, show that they don't care about perfection. Hyundai became a real option here, but hard plastic interior seem cheap. Ultimately I bought a Mazda again. Not a perfect car for the german roads and highways, but hopefully a reliable and long lasting car and value for money was good too.
Well that is why thankfully we got car makers from Japan.
Honda
Toyota
Suzuki
Mazda
Not least made in Korea
Kia hiundai
German cars have the best quality interiors by a mile compared to US cars. Also BMW has really stepped their game up in terms of reliable engines. And saftey ratings.
BMW use a lot of cheap brittle plastics in their engine bay including plastic water pumps. Not good.
Ha! The only consistently reliable BMW engine is the B58 and that's it.
BMW plastic engine parts?
You have no clue what you're talking about, as you compare those with us cars - two big trashes.
And recent bmw became reliable? You must be kidding-B58 is NOT a bmw engine, but mostly a Toyota.
B58 is not a bmw engine, but mostly made by Toyota.
I bought from new in 2005 or new Mercedes C Class 3 door coupe. A sold it back to the dealer a year later after several issues. The car used to creak like a wooden rocking chair from new!
4:10 Seriously?? I understand where the news is coming from but MINI (owned by BMW) is #3 and not highlighted? Seems a bit biased reporting to me.
Thanks for your feedback. The classification of MINI as either a German or British car brand can be somewhat nuanced due to its history and ownership. Yes, MINI is now owned by BMW, but still mainly produced in the UK.
@@DWREV Sir, are you British? The influence of BMW should have been mentioned in the video and you know it.
@@DWREVBMW bought MINI in 1996. The survey is from 2023.
Lots of VW cars are manufactured in China, is VW now a Chinese car manufacturer?
The decline started about 25 years ago. This is because they cannot afford to build cars like they did in 1989-98 plus they realised that they could whore their brands and sell cheaply made cars with a thin veneer of quality and make a fortune. Take any German engine made since 2006 for example and you have - oil leaks, timing chain woes, plastic chain tensioners breaking, injectors, sensors, coolant leaks from cracked plastic bits etc. German engineers love to make something incredibly clever and complex but then they make it out of materials that simply aren't up to long term use.....and keep repeating the same mistakes. Mercedes haven't built a decent engine in 15 years for example. BMW differentials whining, manual gearboxes with complete failure of a synchro hub, collapsed air suspension, severe corrosion on Mercedes rear subframes, terrible water leaks into steel folding roof convertibles (3 and 4 Series are appalling). VAG stuff is the worst by some margin btw. Absolute crap.
If you want reliability, head to your nearest Toyota dealer. They build cars to a quality standard German car manufacturers can only dream of.
Someone I know has a top end BMW, and drives it around with the check engine light on all the time. He was told that to turn it off requires a lot of meddling at the garage, which could cost him over a $1000! That is mainly for labour to access certain part of the vehicle, and does not involve replacing any expensive parts.
Or he could buy a code reader for $20 and turn it off himself.
They became too complicated with more things that can go wrong
we have to 20 year old benz,both over 200000 km and thy are still working. i think they are still reliable but all the sensors and tech in high end are all sensible components. i guess a problem is that efficiant engines are running on pretty high pressure on the components
A friend's 2004 320CLK became a money pit after 10 years.
Since 2001 the reliability dropped a lot on german cars. Today, only Toyota/Lexus is the number one on that matter. Specially Lexus.
My BMW 320D 2014 (bought it brand new from BMW) broke down after 3 years, it was a cable going from the battery in the back to everything. Sensors, electricity everything went to hell. I took it to the dealer asking "wtf?". My warranty ended 2 months earlier, the dealer told me that BMW's insurance had changed the fine prints and in the new fine printed text it was obvious that this was a problem, and an expensive one. Paid 2k euros for having the cable replaced. Sold that piece of shit that I used to love and went on buying Volvo. When a brand you identify with, a brand that you tust does shit like this.. There isnt anymore trust or fandom. Imagine that, buying a BMW brand new from the "respected" BMW dealer, BMW insurance for what? For NOTHING.
All my Audi, Mercedes Benz and VW has been an utter reliability nightmare, never again.
Besides the deep pocket pain, the frustration and danger is just unforgivable.
You can’t pay me to own these.
Whot you drive right now ?
Audi is the worst offender, they are literally a nightmare to own
Over the last 34 years, I have owned many cars, including an Audi, three VW’s and a BMW and will never own any of these brands again. I am very happy with my 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio that has been exceptionally reliable and will likely purchase another when it’s time to replace my current car.
@@tonyvargas368italian cars and reliability😂😂😂
@@socko1019 Lexus & Tesla
Even the Tesla is far better in reliability than these German car makers, just too many short cuts for prestige brand and price from these German brands. Enough is enough
0:39 I saw Mini at number 3 of the reliability ranking. I immediately closed the video after posting this comment.
Although I drive an electric car at the moment, I absolutely adore the dear old Volkswagen Beetle.
VW's dieselgate , as it turns out, was no different to many other manufacturers. Recent add on the the list....Toyota. As for reliability...purely subjective. Does a fuel pump replacement at year 12 equal unreliable? Depends on where you were stopped and how long you waited for help and replacement.
Wasn't "dieselgate" a result of Germans outsourcing to industry standard AMERICAN consultancies.
Looks very politically motivated (see Soc Generale's massive fine there). America and Germany refused to kowtow to America's Neoimperialism in the Middle East and get massive fines because of it.
All cars are now loaded with tech. They also strive to be lightweight requiring plastic in place of metal. Sad that there is no longer an option for low tech, high;y reliable, durable car.
In the mid 2000s I did allot of business all over Germany for several years on behalf of fleets who owned 100,000s of vehicles and were trying to reduce their perennial expenditure on replacement parts. Seeing the sheer size of the VW OE Teile / Original Parts building at Baunatal, Kassel was a revelation to me. I realised then that these cars were DESIGNED to fail unlike 1960s/70s/80s/90s German cars that were absolutely rock solid and 100% reliable. Similar to GM in the USA, when the accountants overruled the engineers then the end product and ultimately the Customer suffers. People will only tolerate so many failures. Every single brand new German car I owned had major parts failures. Just go back to making reliable and dependable machines - like the Japanese do to this day - and some customers may come back.
The 1980’s were the peak of Euro car reliability. I have a 2000 BMW 528i and a 1998 BMW 740i lastly a 2006 MB CLK350. They all run well, but they also all get constant attention from me. My wife’s Toyota we just change the oil and it’s pushing 200k miles. My German cars will have significant money invested into them to get to 200k miles. In Germany the marketing and financial guys have pushed the engineers out of the room. The most expensive new cars on the road aren’t worth the money.
This is not new. It's been many decades since German cars have been highly reliable. Perhaps an additional problem is the focus of US dealers and consumers to lease new German cars. It is a fact that leasees do not maintain their cars properly so they suffer more wear and tear in a short time. Buyers of those cars encounter more problems than other car brands and cause German brand reputation to suffer even more than deserved.
Dude all my German friends know that new BMW/Mercs aren't reliable. They've had them and know people with them lol.
might be one of the points, but only a small one. How can Audi/BMW have plastic chain tensioners inside of the engine? There things are on a timer to break. Plastic part without anything rubbing on it/friction and inside of the engine = 5-7 years, metal part = forever. Germans do not care about forever not a single bit anymore.
I bought a VW in Malaysia back in 2012 and it was so cool back then with its sophisticated TSI and DSG. VW was selling 12000 units a year back then. After being plagued by its poor reliability and bad after sales, VW only managed to sell less than 2000 units a year.
I sold my Polo TSI and bought a Toyota MarkX instead. No replacement for displacement, NA and torque converter is still the best combination for reliability.
If you want prestige, get a Lexus or higher end Toyota models like Crown, Land Cruiser or Century.
You'd love the GS460, it's the same chassis as the Mark X but 4.6L engine, Lexus luxury and adaptive shocks, 8 speed trans. Hauls ass, not much slower than a lot of new muscle cars lol.
Have owned BMW and now VW, middle of range vehicles for last 10 years. I have found my main issues have mostly always been electrical/electronic failures. Even had an entire door harness fail and need replacing. This caused the car unable to be locked and threw a check engine/immobilization errors. Real pain and expense to diagnose.
GM is a role model for disaster. Went from the biggest corporation in the world to being bankrupt.
My electric ID4 had some software problems a year ago, but all the problems disappeared, thanks to over-the-air software updates. Other than the software issues, the car has worked perfectly.
8 years time it'll be scrap when the battery is fucked.
Electric cars are simple and no wonder it did not break. It is much harder to build long lasting petrol car
I drive a 2007 VW Jetta. I had no issues, no more than 1000€ of investment till now. But the hull body is bad, started to corode, so this will be expensive now.
Quality of Germans has got worse since 2007, it's predictability declining every decade.
$14,000 gearbox that lasts well less than 100,000 km is a big kick in the balls for anyone...
omg....
Just passed 140k in my 2018 Opel Insignia. Only one failure so far, which i had to pay around 200 euro´s to get fixed. That´s it..! No problems what so ever... Before the Insignia I had a Opel Vectra. Drove in that car for more than 10 years. It died around 440k´s. First failure on the car came around 200k´s with a broken cable that drove the electric window...
BMW seems to be holding the line here considering they were the number 1 Brand from consumer reports. Title may be a bit misleading.
BMW and Porsche get excellent ratings.
Too much tech and screens and less reliability. Need to get away from big infotainment systems leave it at bluetooth music and a heads up display for GPS. Then you can remove that monstrous centre atrocity.