One of our economy’s biggest engines is brand loyalty: both trying to keep it and trying to break it. If you’ve seen the first episode of the most excellent Mad Men, you’ll remember the scene where Don Draper is trying to figure out why his waiter smokes X brand of cigarettes, while simultaneously musing about what makes Lucky Strikes so damn special. I mention this not only because i’m a recent convert to Mad Men but because I’ve got to reattach the rear view mirror on my fiancee’s Focus. See, I grew up in a GM household. My dad’s dad was a Buick/Cadillac man and once my father got Renaults and Datsun Zs out of his system (i.e. my sister and I were born) it was Buicks, Chevys and Pontiacs to haul us around. Until he discovered Acura. But I digress. One of the big reasons we were GM-only, was because of my mom’s Ford Falcon. I can still see my dad’s eyes rolling back in his head while he says, “three valve jobs.” Never again. At least for my Mom. Me? I’d buy a Ford, despite this POS focus. But after how I was treated by Chrysler after my father died and I had to deal with his leased Jeep (nightmare), I can easily say never again. You?
115 Comments on “Question of the Day: I’ll Never Buy [Blank Brand] Again...”
Back to TopLeave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You can also login using Facebook Connect.
VW. We had a POS rabbit for 18 months in the late 70s. Car, dealers, service, were amazing.
My Dad spent 4 years fighting world war II. Hitler and his minions took it out on me with this car.
Schiesswagen!
I know I’ll never buy an extended warranty from Dell. Horrible phone support.
Every Olds my family ever owned (me included as I was driving a 98 in college) was a POS. Good thing I don’t have to be tempted by any more Aleros.
Although my 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage’s two bad axles before 36,000 comes close there is not an automotive brand that has completely lost me.
I have refused to buy any Nintendo products since the NES due to lack of backwards compatibility when the Super Nintendo was released. They fixed that by the time the Gamecube came around but that was about a decade after I swore them off. Xbox currently has my video game dollar wrapped up.
I’ll Never Buy [a new car] Again! PERIOD
Those clowns are using our tax money to bail out their ill business practices. They were loosing ground to begin with prior to the economy slide.
And now they have retooled, reworked, and reconfiged their plan yet again.
All these talk show guys talking and nothing getting done, we the people need to realize this will keep happening. And the 50 billion is going to walk! Wait till 2012. It will not even matter.
No soup for you! NEXT
me thinks snafu has some larger issues…
Snafu beat me to the punch. I bought my new car, Ford already tried to destroy it when I took it in for service… liking new cars is expensive and stressful. Used appliances for me in the future! Except that damn Aston Martin V8 Vantage…
Pontiac, thanks to the 1999 Montana and the head gasket issues, among other things. It was nice in terms of seating for 8, ride and handling, but it stranded us too many times, and when the motor blew in 2005 @50k roughly, I added up the total cost of owning this thing and realized that I took one helluva bath.
That thing put such automotive fear into me that I actually bought an extended warranty on a brand new Pilot!
I loved my Audi A4 (2.8 V6 30 valve manual tranny). It handled well and was fun to drive. The dealers though were the biggest pain in the ass. There are two here in my city that work specifically on Audi’s and both of them would keep my car for days on end when it just needed a service. They were apparently booked. The service jobs were never done properly and it was just a bunch of excuses when I questioned them about it. I phoned Audi USA to make a complaint and I was told that it would noted to those dealers. I asked if there was a dealer near by that had a good rating and was told NO! I loved my Audi, but I do not think I will ever get another one!
Volkswagen. Never again, under no circumstances, ever.
Ford is a distant #2.
I’ll never buy a SAAB again. They have some great features, great design, and the turbos really drive very well. BUT, I swear, it’s like they were built in Boliva by disaffected Yugo workers. Everything has gone wrong on this car, including having to have the transmission replaced at 23K miles (under warranty, thank God!). When I called the dealer to ask why it was taking so long to fix (three weeks at that point), he replied, “Oh, you’re fourth of seven!”
I was briefly tempted by the new XWD models, until I read that GM was dialing back SAAB’s drivetrain warranty coverage from 100K miles to 50K miles – and only for SAAB. Couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? Seems like GM has as much faith in SAAB’s reliabilty as I do.
My favorite failure is when the driver’s side window fell into the doorframe as I was driving in a rainstorm on the freeway in LA. This is a 2004 model, by the way. Not at all one of the older models.
Nunca mas!
Come on JL, those are some larger issues, connected to and will be shaped by today’s planning forecasts for future production.
If we were all happy that we could draw a line in the sand and call that start, then we can leave behind the notion that we have lost market value . . . m3thinks.
Let’s see how many times I have had my 07 GMC in for warranty work, crap, I’ve only two hands.
Ford.
I’ve never had a good experience in one.
An Escort I rented once burst into flames (literally) at a stop light in the 1980s.
My wife had a POS Tempo when I met her. It was a vague collection of parts moving mostly in the same direction. Made her get rid of it before I’d marry her.
I drove an Expedition once (another rental)… I swear that thing handled like a La-Z-Boy chair perched atop a shopping cart. I can’t believe they haven’t killed more people.
Oddly enough, I’ve owned a half-dozen fantastically reliable VWs. If you service them yourself, they just keep running. NEVER have a VW dealer service a VW -that is like buying “protection” from the mafia – you always lose.
–chuck
JG,
The AM V8V, that is a horse of a different color.
:)
I’ll never buy another TOYOTA EVER AGAIN! Got a 2001 Solara, one year old, with a certified used warranty. Every dealer I’ve been too has treated me poorly, I had my car in to fix a window this summer, the dealer didn’t fix it for 3 months AND lost my car! Unfortunately I got it back, I will never EVER step foot back into a Toyota dealership.
You didn’t specifically restrict this to car brands, so here is the one that I will go to great lengths to avoid: “Made in China”
Lead paint in toys, formaldehyde in children’s clothing, melamine in the milk powder, and god knows what they have in other food. If/when they start selling us cars, I for one won’t be lining up to buy one.
I think it’s extremely stupid to swear off buying a car from a particular brand ever again. Things change
Jonny, aren’t you Jewish? What do you think your feelings about VW would have been back in the 1940s (had you been alive back then)? But in the year 2007 (I think) you wrote a rave review about the RS4. Like I said, things change
Pontiac.
We had a Pontiac GrandAm, bought new in 1987 before my parents had me, and before I was 4, it literally didn’t work/start/move. I think the odometer was at 70k-80k? Also VW. Mom had a Rabbit a few years before.
We got a really old Cressida that worked reliably after, even though my dad was adamant on getting us a Templo. I really liked the Toyota growing up because it was the first family car with a sunroof, and not breaking down at every stoplight wasn’t as embarrasing. :) It’s been Toyota ever since.
Chrysler. I enjoy having a valid warranty too much.
I said “never again” to Oldsmobile and front wheel drive after dealing with a used Delta 88 for a few months in college, but I’ve already gone back on the second one so I’m not sure my resolve would have held up if Olds had managed to produce a car for me.
I’ve basically loved everything else I’ve owned, especially the cheap trucks.
Chrysler, for two reasons:
1. It is rather disconcerting to have a vehicle’s instrument panel suddenly go completely dead while one is driving. The Maroon Beast (my 1995 Plymouth Grand Voyager) did this with distressing frequency. As the saying goes: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action. Well, the Maroon Beast was showing signs of enemy action WRT the instrument panel. While I eventually found a way to reset things (stop the vehicle, pull the instrument panel fuse, wait a few minutes, reinstall the fuse and restart the vehicle), I shouldn’t have to go to such lengths to placate the electrical gremlins in a vehicle.
2. More importantly, by the time I’m ready to replace my 2007 Suzuki SX4, I rather doubt that Chrysler will be in business. Even if Chrysler still is in business by that time (hey, the three-headed dog may learn to fly in the next few months), I’ll likely stick with Suzuki. So far, I’m pleased with both my SX4 and the service I’ve received at my local Suzuki dealer; why should I abandon Suzuki in the absence of vehicle or dealer issues?
VW and Subaru. Both are fun to drive and tight when new, but they slowly loosen up (body/parts) and become a creaking slack mess.
I also won’t buy new again, except for a Lotus Evora for which I would sell most of my duplicate organs for.
I’ll never buy BMW again.
I’ve owned five cars, and they’ve all been RWD with manual transmissions.
There are a very limited number of RWD manual transmission cars for sale in the US (even less back in 2001 when I got the BMW), so I was tricked by the Germans.
But, as they say, never again.
The Detroit companies have cheap, fast RWD manual transmission cars like the old F-bodies and the current Mustang. And also the Corvette, which, despite my disgust with its manufacturer, is amazing.
The Japanese have incredibly well made, precise RWD manual transmission cars like the Miata, S2000, G35 and IS250.
The Germans are more expensive than the Japanese with lower quality than the Detroit automakers. Their cars are filled with Achilles heels, and their dealers are horrible.
Measuring quality not by the ride, or shakes and quivers, or the feeling of the interior plastics, but simply by the number of times something breaks and needs to be fixed by the dealer, the last generation F-bodies have higher quality than anything the Germans have made in the last fifteen years.
I had an 89 Dodge Daytona that went to the dealer nine times in the first year. The repairs were all under warranty but what a horrible dealer experience. TWICE they said they repaired something and I had to bring it back to have them actually fix the problem. Maybe they thought I wouldn’t notice. Left a bad taste in my mouth and Chrysler never got my business again.
I’ve already indicated my growing disdain for Saturn in the recent “Truth About” comments.
After 3 Jeep products, unlikely to go for another even if the brand survives. Loved the ‘78 Cherokee Chief (401 w/Quadratrack!). Liked the ‘90 Cherokee Limited, once I put proper tires on – but lost that vehicle to a flood. The currently owned ‘01 Grand Cherokee – not so much. Liked it on the test drive but various annoyances that turn up over longer periods are getting to me. Being upside-down on the loan doesn’t make the experience any better.
Had good experiences with Subaru – would go for a recent Outback or LGT wagon without much hesitation. Loved my ‘91 Nissan Sentra SE-R back in the day – but Nissan doesn’t build anything I’m interested in now.
Tthetopdog: So… Jews can’t buy German cars?
Who are you, my mother?
Car related, I will never buy car parts from Autozone or Advance Auto again. Decent prices and a hassle-free lifetime warranty are great, unless you have to utilize the warranty all the time. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, fool me 7 times…
VWs and Audis for the crap they call engineering.
Any Chevy product- the cheapness and penny counting, the rebates undercutting resale, the poor customer service. And for the Aveo, especially the Aveo.
As much as I hate to say this, Porsche, for not owning up on the shaft failures of 986/996 cars and just sucking up the cost when hugely profitable. No I haven’t been bitten, but it is like waiting for an axe to drop.
Chrysler, cause… well, I don’t have time to write enough about Chrysler.
I suppose there are certain cars that I would never own simply out of principle, like any GM from the era of Roger Smith, but other than that I have no huge qualms with any particular marque.
no_slushbox … what BMW did you buy? I couldn’t be happier with my 135i RWD stick. The N54 twin turbo is astoundingly powerful, my rear tires break loose at will. It’s as fun as any Mustang I’ve had (and I’ve had 2 GT’s and a Cobra). And I’ve had not one warranty issue so far in a year.
I would never buy another Ford after they discounted their cars with these stupid rebates which destroyed the value of the loyal customers who bought new before. Their residuals are the WORST the dealers are horrible. I can only imagine what they are like now in this economy.
Any GM car since the service manager at the local Caddy dealer started recognizing my voice on the phone. VW. Maybe Benz, mine is a disaster reliability wise but on the road it’s great. One of my friends just bought two newer ones and I’ll base my decision on his experience.
I cannot completely swear off a brand, but I can observe with caution. I had worked an ad agency a few years back and we had several VW company cars. All were new models and were adored by the typical adcrafter crowds. We had a Passat wagon and sedan. Ironically, both cars experienced transmission problems at around 40,000 miles. Both cars had consistent stalling at around 55,000 miles. You have to understand that these cars were maintained well with oil changes every three thousand miles and with generous tune ups.
VW=fun to drive…not so fun to maintain
Once I drove the owner’s Phaeton I was convinced that the so-called “German precision engineering” was overrated.
rkeep820:
I had a ‘95 e36 318i. I replaced the engine mounts twice, replaced the rear lower control arms twice (using stronger aftermarket control arms the second time), replaced the front control arms twice (again with a stronger aftermarket product the second time), had the transmission rebuilt after a fork bent, and constantly stared at an airbag warning light. All while being hustled by various dealers and independent repair specialists. And nobody could align the damn thing because of weird ballast requirements. The car had some sentimental value (even in 318 trim the propeller logo closed the deal with a lot of fun women) so I didn’t give it up as soon as I should have.
Compared to my previous, bullet-proof 1995 240sx (that unfortunately was totalled) it was a mess.
If they did a minimalist, cloth, manual seat (I love power locks and doors, 6 airbags and ABS, but power seats just add complexity and annoyance – why get my seat into position in 5 seconds when I can use electric motors to do it in a minute), turbo-4 version of the 1-series I would be very tempted, but still have to say no.
For my next car I don’t need much space and the current Miata is just way too good.
In 1990, my young family needed an inexpensive, reliable car. We believed all the “Quality is Job 1″ crap and wound up with a Mercury Topaz. Needless to say, it was neither inexpensive or reliable. Every quarter after the warranty expired, Ford put me in the position of having to decide whether to feed the kids, pay the mortgage or fix the car. The experience turned me into an anti-Ford evangelist – my goal was to turn as many people as possible away from Ford and I did so with a wild-eyed zeal that would rival the most rabid TV evangelist.
No matter how good their candy is today, I will NEVER let them molest me or my family EVER again,
VW – never owned one, never will. MANY friends have, and I’ve never heard from A SINGLE ONE who had a good long-term experience. Always starts with a love-stricken 10K miles to begin the relationship (they look and drive GREAT off the line), and ends with endless trips to the shop followed by a “NEVER buy a VW.”
An ‘89 Suburban ended any hope of GM getting my business again. Our ‘01 Civic and the experience I’ve had with it are threatening to eliminate Honda from my list of potentials.
VW is a brand that I’m very wary of. Everyone around here buys one and then says they never will again.
VW – Never, never, never again – even if they came out with a Microbus redesign.
Nice to see I’m not the only one with VW issues. Mine shed both front wheel bearings about 2000 miles off warranty. Loved the car but never again.
I would not own a Chrysler or VW. Both are ranked among the worst on many lists and only about 20% of the people I meet who own them seem happy about it. I had a 1989 Nissan Maxima that was a total lemon, not sure I would go with them or not. If I do, it will be with their luxury spin off brand. I had owned 3 different Ford products from the 1980s and 1990s. The last one was good, but not great.
Honda has been great for me. For my family Honda and Toyota have been great and the American brands have okay at best. I wish Toyota had more performance vehicle options in their line-up. If I bought a Toyota, it would most likely be a new Supra or Celica GT if they ever made a new version of those.
Ford might get me to buy them again, but I do not care if Chrysler made a car as fast as the ZR-1 for that retailed for 30k, I wouldn’t want the headaches of owning a Chrysler.
@chuckgoolsbee
“NEVER have a VW dealer service a VW -that is like buying ‘protection’ from the mafia – you always lose.”
That is truly brilliant, and it summarizes my VW dealer experiences.
I recently wrote about this on another thread, but it applies here as well. My ‘99 Jetta TDI was serviced at a VW dealer exclusively — religiously! They were the first ones to tell me to take a hike when the turbo needed to be replaced ($2,500) and the engine was just barely out-of-warranty (at 50K miles, not 100K).
As I recall, you have had much better luck with VW diesels. I know other people who have, too, which makes my experience even more disappointing.
I will never buy a FORD again. FAR to risky of a proposition.
And that is too bad because I think the 2010 Taurus looks fantastic…it is very hard to believe that Ford NA designed it.
I love my Saab but it is nickel and dimeing (quarter and half dollaring?) me to death. Our Volvo bled us dry. My Audi was very finicky. The end choice was replace the fuel injection in the Bimmer or finish college. Etc.
Meanwhile, the Toyotas, Isuzu, Nissan and Mazda have all been incredibly durable despite my best efforts.
Never a GM or Chrysler. Ford….maybe. They’re moving in the right direction.
Chrysler, Mercedes and Rolls Royce are off my list.
My Ram 1500 spent half its life in the shop, sucked gas like it was free and of course the dash self-destructed. My LeBaron convertible’s rear power windows were replaced numerous times, a common problem with these cars throughout their production run. The transmission and head gasket failured within 1,000 miles of eachother,
ouch!
My Mercedes SLK 230 had a headlight fail, so I went to NAPA, bought a replacement bulb and installed it. It didn’t work, so i took it to the dealer. The computer had to be reset to get the light to work, $80. Then traveling on the interstate the brakes locked up by themselves and wouldn’t release, leaving me in the center lane stopped with the emergency flashers on. I hauled ass to the curb and called a tow truck. Its amazing the car wasnt creamed by a semi.
I bought an 94 Rolls and it was a great car when it ran. I was told buy a guy (after I bought it) that it would cost $1,000 a month to keep it running, and he was right. Lots of little electrical problems and small stuff failed. Two steering racks @ $3,600 each, and a $6,000 brake job later I decided the fun was over.
I think that my single most important car-related I-won’t-ever-buy decision is this: I’ll never, ever buy a house that doesn’t have walking/mass transit access to a critical mass of relevant jobs.
So I start by taking the “value” I assign to a car, any car, and adjusting it down a couple of notches.
Next up, Chrysler and GM are dead to me due to them being brazen thieves.
Other than that, I can’t say there’s any manufacturer I wouldn’t consider. However most of their models/trims/option packages I find anywhere from annoying to detestable, but that’s probably me being weird.
(rant begins)
For example WTF is up with xenon headlights? Why should I pay more for something that’s more likely to cause me (and oncoming traffic) glare, especially in bad visibility conditions like rain/snow? I’d take a halogen-powered, euro-spec-beam if possible, projector headlight over HID any day. Complete form (well, looks) over function. Yuckiness.
(rant ends)
Mercedes Benz. Worst car ever. Worst dealers ever. Most expensive parts ever.
I wish I could attach files here. I’d post the spreadsheet I used to keep track of everything that went wrong. Or the presentation I created when I took them to court. Or…oh, ***k it, thank God it’s gone.
I’ll jump on the “never VW again” bandwagon. I’ve ben pleased with my BMW experience, but that’s more a function of a fantastic dealer service experience.
I’m not sure I’d ever buy a Peugot again, which I don’t have to worry about at the moment, but i migh.t My dad’s experience with an Alfa hasn’t scared me off of potentially getting one of those if the opportunity presents.
Unfortunately, the more interesting cars to own usually cause more grief as well. One of the pitfals of being a car person. I’m looking forward to the posibility of owning a Fiat (500 Abarth) despite all I’ve heard.
Our late model, low mileage Acura RL is a very nice car, but it has not been problem-free. Acura customer care has been unhelpful. We will not buy another.
Let’s see. My first car was a 20-year-old Buick, which was cheap and functional. I’d buy another Buick, but only if it was cheap and 20 years old.
1995 Saturn SL1. This was a sweetheart. If Saturn were still the Saturn it was then, I’d buy another one if I wanted cheap and reliable transportation. As it is, not a chance in the world.
1997 Toyota Camry. Thoroughly boring in every way. I’d buy another Toyota, but I’d get a smaller one.
1998 BMW Z3 2.8. Fun little car. Bankruptcy-inducing maintenance. Depreciated like mad. Wouldn’t buy another one unless someone else picked up the repair tab.
2000 Nissan Maxima V6. More fun than a Camry, but plagued with electrical gremlins that required alternator replacement 3 years in a row. My wife swears by Nissans, so I’d consider another one, but I’d think long and hard about it.
1927 Ford A400 Tudor Sedan. Yes, I’d buy a Ford, but only if it’s eligible for Social Security. (Insert bailout joke here.)
I think it’s extremely stupid to swear off buying a car from a particular brand ever again. Things change.
With so many automakers out there, why would you ever want to give more money to one that already screwed you?
I’m fortunate that I haven’t had to swear off an automaker yet. The GMs and Mazdas I’ve cared for have been reliable.
I agree w. you no-slushbox. Leased a Z4 and that was the junkiest car I have ever had. The back of the seat literally fell off driving off the dealer’s lot; had it in for service about 5 times in 2 years and they never did fix it even though I constantly requested it. Rain sensing wipers: never worked. Various pieces of plastic in the cab and trunk would randomly fall out. Leather picked up grime like no tomorrow. Thank God I leased . . .
No VWs for me. A 1971 VW 411 which I bought in 1976 blew up its auo transmission and I was making a car payment on a car in the junkyard for 6 months on pathetic Carter era 1-striper Airman “pay”. Needless to say,”see above” for plenty of other VW horror stories. Porsche are morons to want it.
No more GM products for me. My first GM was a 68 Pontiac bought in 1974 – nylon gears on the crankshaft for the timing chain? Should have sworn off GM right then. Last GM straw for me? A new 1997 Cavalier. Windshield wipers that wouldn’t, wonky electronic automatic with Gremlins, brake rotors continually warping and a warrantee with less value than used TP.
No more Chrysler products for me. Gave them way too many chances. Final straw was a 1999 Neon commuter car. Modern cars should not blow head gaskets. Multiple times.
(Dis)honorable mention, Saab. Head gasket Failmobile – amateur effort all around – hope their planes are better for the sake of pilots and passengers. This was a pre-GM Saab no less.
I avoid stuff made in China, as much as is possible. My wife (ex-Brit) loves electric kettles, but all we can get (suitable for her specs) are Proctor Silex. We’re on #3. The warrantee is 180 days and they “just make it” then expire. At least they haven’t burnt down the house (yet) but the last one was a close run thing, by the smell of it. Chinese cars? Um – lemmee think…NO.
Microsoft sucks.
rant mode now off.
Wow, now I feel great! Thanks for the chance to vent.