Raise your hand if you enjoy driving and maintaining an unreliable car. Nobody? Exactly what we thought.
Despite that–and yes, we’re guilty here too–many of us still choose to buy, drive and own cars that are simply not reliable.
So, why do you keep driving that car instead of selling it? Are there some nostalgia-laced memories tied to the …
Because I'm poor, and reliability costs money.
My unreliable Jeep was driven as it had full warranty coverage with rental car. It was still a hassle for me on multiple occasions when it stranded me requiring multiple days of repair work sometimes hours from my home. Once the warranty period was close to expiring I jettisoned it.
The minor fixes will still be less than a monthly payment.
That said, I drive two cars that are quite reliable (looks around for wood...QUICKLY), but I've been there before
Oh, just yesterday I was telling the gf....er, FIANCE about the mercury capri that I kept a 5 gallon bucket in the trunk with various bottles/containers of water because we couldnt figure out why it kept overheating.
RevRico said:Because I'm poor, and reliability costs money.
Truth.
Plus, I'm becoming more of a penny pinching miser as I get older and starting to get that "get off my lawn" vibe when I see new car prices. I remember being 20 and laughing at my grandfather talking about how expensive new cars are and I've heard myself say the same thing.....
-Rob
I'm not poor anymore. But I was scrounging for so long that it's just second nature. Honestly, I just can't stand the idea of a car payment. So I have a fleet of semi-reliable cars I shuffle around with.
Reliability is boring.
At least that's what I tell myself.
I keep it because I listened to the PO about how great it was with rose coloured glasses of it being a dream vehicle of mine and then I overpaid for it.
Needs work / refinement as it is, and its not worth anywhere close to what I paid for it, let alone what I have already invested into repairing it. It has potential, just not nearly as great of a car as I was led to believe it was prior to purchase.
I've been mostly spared unreliable cars but I do have one. The infamous black hole of cash; our one off single seat race car, the Yamaha 1000cc D-Sport Racer.
The car pulled 2.5Gs in corners and 3Gs on the brakes. It would out accelerate Vipers and Turbo Porsches at track days. The lap times were within a second of GT1 / Trans-Am Cars. Driving it was an almost transcendental experience.
After a host of teething problems it suddenly started blowing engines, the only change was installing a large radiator to solve an overheating issue. Three engines later we found out why; I talked to a friend and Yamaha engineer. Apparently this generation of engine is clearanced as such that if you run at water temps much below 150 you'd lose oil pressure to the big end of the #1 rod bearing and it seizes..........kablamo.
Again the driving experience was phenomenal; even now I think "if I had that car I could rule my run group at vintage races".
After three seasons, the lousy ownership experience far outweighed the great driving experience.
There is nothing more useless in this universe than an unreliable race car.
I drive a reliable car to work because I have to get to work.
I drive unreliable cars on weekends because there is no place I have to be on weekends.
My rally car is 8 years old. My tow rig is 20 years old. My daily driver is 36 years old.
Priorities.
In my younger years I subscribed to the theory that just purchase more than one example of said unreliable car and in some cases 3 or 4 of them. That way you can just cycle them through as they need fixing. I did it with 944s and RX7s. You know you are in trouble when you forget what car has a plate on it or what car a plate is currently actually suppose to be on. Simpler times.
Can we define "unreliable"?
My car is pushing 200k and seems fine. Yes, I have had to replace things aong the way, but don't worry about it.
Probably just jinxed myself.....
Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) said:Can we define "unreliable"?
My car is pushing 200k and seems fine. Yes, I have had to replace things aong the way, but don't worry about it.
Probably just jinxed myself.....
I'd define it as a car that can't be counted on to "just work" when you need it to. Amount of planned maintenance required to keep it in that state notwithstanding.
Owning unreliable cars is easier when you have more than one.
A individual should have two cars. A couple should have three.
A family of four should have six at minimum.
The dealerships service isles are full of broken newer cars.
Price is no object, I can't think of another vehicle that does what my Jeep does, as well as the Jeep does. Every year of ownership has brought me at least one major issue. It's left me stranded for a month at a time, twice. I'm a big whiner about driving cars that don't fit me ergonomically and it just fits, like a GLOVE.
The Beemer: I only keep driving it because I have the "usually running" Jeep for when it breaks down. Anybody want an M3 swapped 318ti....
RevRico said:Because I'm poor, and reliability costs money.
This!
But of course I am lazy too. 
Dang it. Don't tell anyone.
noddaz
Because just when you have FULLY sorted the unreliable beast in the garage, it's now worth the same as the unsorted dream unreliable beotch you have always wanted so you gotta ditch it and sort the next ladder rung. One day I will have a project Lambo in the garage I am certain.
Any car can be unreliable if you don't maintain it.
Any car can be reliable if you do maintain it.
Except a biturbo.
I'd drive any of my 1980s cars 500 miles any time without any worries (other than them being less comfortable than my newer cars).
Because it's paid off, and it still looks pretty good broken down in the garage waiting for the box of parts to arrive.
So, why do you keep driving that car instead of selling it?
I didn't. I only kept the WRX wagon for six months.
Everything else is good, including the mega miles GMT 400 and the 17 year old Mitsubishi.
I don't know. Ask the guy who bought the FD RX-7.
But seriously, I had a run of unreliable cars as a youth, but they were all fun when they ran. A fun car, like a particularly attractive romantic partner gets more slack than the homely or the boring.
When you fall in love, you will do things that make absolutely no sense to those who are not.
Masochist.
No other reason. Though most of my cars are unreliable because I keep mucking about with them if they were stock they would do just fine.
I think a lot of it is the cars are still more reliable than the cars I grew up with, and I have a cell phone with roadside assistance.
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