Are some cars more reliable than others or is it just about how well taken care of they are? What matters when buying a car, who made it, where you live, or how well you're going to take care of it? It's the classic argument of nature vs. nurture, except in this case instead of a child, we're talking about a car. There are some people may even consider them equally as important.
Nature- How Well Built the Car Is
The age old question: are some cars just generally more reliable than others? The facts clearly point to one answer: a resounding YES. According to Consumer Reports, which is considered an authority on automobile reliability data, Japanese brands continue to dominate in car reliability. That, however doesn't mean that just by buying a Japanese vehicle you're free and clear from any issues, as different models can perform differently and one car manufacturer that was considered reliable could make a poorly designed vehicle, or start building vehicles with diminishing quality over time.
Reliable cars are those that are better engineered with higher quality parts. J.D. Power is also a great resource for automotive reliability as their annual vehicle dependability study is used by vehicle manufacturers worldwide to help with vehicle design. It's interesting to see what older model cars are still on the road, as these tend to be the cars that are inherently more reliable as the less-reliable cars start to fall apart and are no longer on the road.
Nurture - How Well You Take Care of It
So if some cars are generally more reliable than others, how big of a role does the work that you put into maintaining your car play in overall reliability? The answer is; it plays a big role. Keeping up with vehicle maintenance is imperative if you want your car to last as long as it can. Keeping up with your car's service schedule and things like oil changes, regular fluid checks, brake maintenance, and all standard vehicle upkeep is imperative. Nipping car problems in the bud is another thing you absolutely must do if you want to get every mile out of your car.
You need to find a good mechanic that will help you keep your vehicle maintained throughout its lifespan and proactively manage any problems before they get out of hand. People who take meticulous care of their cars keep them running longer than those who don't and keep the car's resale value higher than it would be otherwise. In short, taking care of your car makes a big difference in the reliability that you'll get out of it.
Conclusion
So in the nature vs. nurture debate, which is more important for car reliability? The answer is...both, sort of! You can buy a reliable car, but if you don't take good care of it, it will soon turn into an unreliable car. Similarly if you buy an unreliable car, you can extend it's lifespan with meticulous car care.
However, if you buy an unreliable car, no matter how much effort you put into maintenance, it will still be unreliable at its core. Many years ago, I bought what was at the time my dream car, a Volkswagen Corrado G60. This car was beautiful, but notorious for being prone to a whole host of issues. Within six months of owning it, I had to replace a muffler, sunroof seal, power window motor and coolant hose, and that still didn't stem the tide of issues I continued to experience with it. Every time I fixed it, something new would go wrong, and if a vehicle is just poorly built, that's what will keep happening.
The ideal situation is to buy a reliable car and take good care of it. Again, you could buy an unreliable car and prolong its life through excellent car care but it will still be a money pit. And buying a reliable car but damaging it through neglect and poor maintenance is a great way to make it an unreliable care, just like with children, right?
