While it might be a clash of personalities or an argument based on opinion, there's nothing car enthusiasts and mechanics love to fight about more than the reliability of a car.
If you're even slightly into cars (or have asked the enthusiast in your life about purchasing a car), you've probably heard about Subaru head gaskets, Ford differential bushes and Mazda 3 timing chains.
However, is any of this true? Is Toyota the only brand that makes a half decent car? Will your brand new VW be breaking down 15 minutes after you pick it up from the dealership?
The overwhelming answer is no. While car enthusiasts love to give brands a hard time, a lot of opinion is based on experience and hearsay of 20 year old project cars with too many km's and a fair few modifications.
In fact, even some of the notoriously bad brands are really not as bad as their reputation, such as Fiat and Hyundai.
Realistically, the reputation of an unreliable brand almost always comes down to people picking the exact wrong model, a lack of service and a lack of knowledge.
For example, while Toyota is almost universally seen as the brand that can do no wrong, the new 2.8L diesel Hilux appears to be littered with problems. The 3.2L Ford Rangers are also notorious for issues throughout with tales of gearboxes, differentials and engines all failing. Whereas cars like the Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 are always going to be the kings of reliability for us due to their easy of service.
The real answer to our question isn't what car you should be buying but more a case of what cars to stay away from in each brand, usually a case of checking forums and recalls online. However, in our experience so far the least reliable car is one that isn't serviced.
If you have any questions about this blog post, would like a second opinion from a mechanic or would like to find an honest mechanic in Brisbane, check out Kashy here.