Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Church Rock, New Mexico

Church Rock, NM Car Consumer Discussions

Reliability

by kapaaian on Thu Sep 04 07:05:12 PDT 2008

Mazda Reliability is kinda a hard thing to really get a grasp on due to a couple factors. These being the type of car, and thus buyer, they attract. And second, the age. Of full car lines, Mazda has the youngest demographic of any brand. Only Scion skews slightly younger, and that's obviously not nearly as diverse a product line. Also, Mazda buyers tend to be enthusiast. Put young and enthusiasm together and you get people who will notice things in their cars. I know that I'll notice a little rattle in my car that only happens when exiting an off ramp at 50 mph while someone with a honda accord or toyota camry won't notice that because they'll never take an off ramp at 50. Young people in general demand more from their products and cars than people beyond then. Also, young people tend to not have kids or other responsibilities. They have the time to take a car in for something minor. A house-wife/house-husband has kids to juggle. They could car less about the little click coming from their back window when they open and close it and oh, it went away before they brought it in for their oil change. (Seen that happen exactly.) What I've seen with Mazda reliability first hand is this. Miata and Mazda3. Bullet proof. Even consumer reports says so. Now check JD power numbers for the mazda3. They're horrid. In fact, they pull the entire line down. Why? Youth and enthusiasm, and volume. Mazda6. Started kinda bad, but evened out a lot toward the end. 2008's were probably on par with Mazda3's from 2007. CX-7 and CX-9. Here's where it get's wierd. I have yet to see a single 7/9 with any engine or transmission problem. With the 7, there were a couple of gas cap recalls and ECM updates and a fuel filler spout replacement on the 7, but nothing ever breaking down. Oh, so let's make the 7 well below ave for reliability. Hmm. Oh, and the bridgestone tires on the 7 don't last long. Try and get one with the goodyear eagles. As for the 9? Who the heck knows. They're been rock solid here and we're not exactly ideal weather here. RX-8. Dumb people buying it = problems. The Renisis engine is made for being driven hard. I've seen an RX-8 with 150k on it. When someone asked him how he had so many with no problems, he said he drove the piss out of it. The vast majority of RX-8 engine problems are with the automatic because those people buy the car for the look, not for the performance. So they drive it 10 mph 1 mile to church and wonder why their engine goes. Don't just trust surveys and reports. Heck, do you really think that there's such a huge difference in reliability between ford and mercury? Umm. No. It's the simple fact that the mercury brand appeals to people who may not notice/care as much.

Re: Considering Equinox - good long term investment? [kmauss]

by daddysangel on Thu Aug 28 23:03:00 PDT 2008

Hi, kmauss. I have a 2005 Equinox LT with upgraded upholstery, bells & whistles. It is a low-mileage vehicle. It hauls my frail dad, senior ladies, groceries, rolling walkers and folding walkers nicely. My only major complaint is that its 44 foot turning circle makes it hard to park in Marsh Hometown Market store & church parking lots. My home town driving speed ranges from 20 to 35 mph with lots of stops & gos so the 14 MPG is lower than what was posted for 2005MY. All it has needed is oil changes & tire rotations. As to the motor; it does have get up & go both in town & on the highway. Just about all you have to do is put the peddle to the metal; then steer where you want to go. I plan on keeping blue boy as long as my WWII VFW dad is alive. We get snow, ice & salt here. With the Traction Control on, higher ground clearance, tires properly inflated, downshift to a lower gear, & a lower speed you shouldn't have very many problems. Turn off the TC to rock out of a slick spot should you be unlucky enough to get stuck (use plain clay kitty litter for grit under the tires). :blush: daddysangel

Re: 05 Malibu [shadow5599]

by robo_geek on Fri Apr 27 09:12:05 PDT 2007

Over the years, I have owned lots of GM cars and worked on lots of them as well. I have also owned three Honda Accords, and am currently looking to buy another one (or maybe an Acura TL) I also currently own a Honda CR-V and a Toyota Avalon. GM has come a long way. But I cannot 'forgive and forget' the amount of time, money, and frustration I have had to deal with in the past. Sure, it's sorta fun to swap an alternator, starter, or radiator on a GM V8, and when my THM250 tranny exploded into pieces on my Grand Prix, it was sorta exciting. And when the 86 GrandAM threw a rod that destroyed both the engine and tranny at the same time, that was classic! ($2,800 USD). Part of my honeymoon was spent at a tranny shop when my Delta 88 decided to chew up and spit out one of it's clutches on it's THM-350 (true I was hauling a 1500lb trailer, but had a tranny cooler). I worked on many of the delighful 'quad-4' engines with cracked heads/blown head gaskets, and helped diagnose all sorts of whacked out sensor problems, stalling and driveability issues or similar problems with mid-90s GM cars. My parents gave up on GM in 1990, when they sold their GM stock and bought their first Honda Accord with the proceeds. They had always owned Buicks, but the build quality and design problems of their last buick were horrible. Honda is not perfect. There are a couple weak points, like brake durability and cabin noise. But in terms of long-term reliability, I am sold. At 175K miles, the only hard parts that my 90 Accord ever needed were brake rotors, CV-joints/axles/front wheel bearings. Period. Alternator? original. AC compressor? original. Yes, the tranny was starting to get a little rough, the struts were getting soft. BUT, the engine burned no oil, and there were NO rattles, squeaks, or leaks. My 92 Accord, which I sold at 145K miles was just the same. Only parts were distributor (done free by Honda), top radiator tank ($130) and a vehicle speed sensor ($70). That's it. I sold my 97 Accord at only 85K miles. The only part that failed on that car was the AC condensor due to a big rock. Everything else was untouched from the factory, except for rotors and brake pads. I know that comparing mid-80s GM cars to mid-90s Hondas is like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Personally, I have had to replace one GM engine, and three GM automatic transmissions. The single most expensive hard part I've ever bought for a Honda was a set of front axles and wheel bearings for around $250 for the set. I've never had to tow a Honda vehicle, or ever been stranded by one. GM may have 'come a long way baby'. But the stories I hear from some of my co-workers who have to replace A/C compressors, alternators, and silly things like window regulators or AC control units tells me otherwise. I sincerely wish you good luck with your Malibu. But the only way you'll ever see me in a GM showroom is if I win a Corvette in the church raffle. Cheers.

bumpy, kyfdx, woody

by michaell on Fri Nov 30 12:09:57 PST 2007

Thanks for the feedback - I really appreciate it! I knew I could count on the folks on this forum to provide me with some good advice. If (and I stress if) I do this, I'll probably take ky's advice and donate it to a church first, with explicit instructions to turn it over to this specific person. Now that I think about it, the person who runs the school age before and after school program for the district is married to a minister; I'm sure he could help arrange the donation part. I hadn't thought about the tax implications, but hey, every little bit helps. woody, here in CO the plates stay with the original registered owner. There was a story in the paper earlier this year about someone who sold a used car, forgot to remove the plates, then ended up with a bunch of unpaid traffic tickets, since the new owner simply re-used the plates. bumpy, I had thought about the registration and insurance issue .. the whole community is rallying to help this family, so I suspect that there would be enough available to cover those costs, at least in the short term. In the end, we'll just wait and see if someone can pony up a spare vehicle for her to use. If not, well, perhaps I'll be doing some car shopping!

Re: rock... [steve_]

by gagrice on Mon Sep 10 06:34:12 PDT 2007

It is appealing. However I have one rental and it is in Hawaii. That is more than enough headaches. It does point out that there are other opportunities for those that are willing to get out and look for them. I cannot imagine getting laid off and staying put until I was flat broke. All in hopes that a Union or the government would save my hide. I can understand being devastated if the job you have worked at for 25 years evaporates. Survival instincts need to be put into play at that point. I would take a job at Church's Chicken or as a WalMart greeter before I would go hungry. We have a friend that worked 11 years for VON's when that big strike/lockout took place. The first week she went to an independent grocer and took a job. They needed people as many shoppers switched because of the strike. She is now an assistant manager. She would probably still be a union checker making less money if she had stayed on the picket line for the whole strike. The UAW workers are given ample warning of plant closings. Pack up the kids and head south where the work and lower cost of living exists. We have gotten soft. We should look at the mess in the EU. I would not want to live in any of those countries as a worker. I just read an article on Germany. There are more people leaving than immigrating into Germany. Many consider Germany very progressive. The major reasons for the exits are best left for a different forum.

Re: Transmission quirks [quietpro]

by nosirrahg on Thu Mar 08 21:50:46 PST 2007

One other thing I/ve heard of with "smart" transmissions is if you have various people driving the same car it will sometimes make the car drive differently from one time to the next. I've heard of parents who drive sedately and let their teenage son (or daughter) take the car out Saturday night, and then on the way to church Sunday morning the folks find the car to lurch and such, supposedly because the kid drove the car hard the night before and the car adjusted to that driving pattern. Could be an urban legend, but just throwing it out there as a possibility.