Scotty, you always say that Chrysler makes terrible cars, my parents have a 2015 dodge grand caravan r/t with 230,000 miles with the original engine and original trans I've done all the maintenance for it, and it still runs like a clock. I think the problem with people is that they don't take care of their cars. Toyota's and Honda's can just take more of a beating than domestic cars.
This would be something akin to the exception not the rule. Looking for horses not zebras.
Good for you, but to counter just because I can, both Chryslers in my family, a Cirrus and a Sebring both had just too many issues to list and both failed catastrophically and we're sunk cost fallacies even being under 100k miles.
Also Toyota and Honda in general are of better longevity reputation wise but that doesn't mean that there are no bad Honda or Toyotas. My buddy has a 98 civic also under 100k miles and it's a POS. By these small metrics you can't just say that "oh I never had issues so x must be y" or vise versa.
It's a statistical thing. Chrysler products have a much higher probability of developing serious issues as they age than for example a Toyota. However you'll sometimes find a Chrysler product that has held up or a Toyota that is a lemon. If I were shopping though I know which I'd put my money on. (Also note that a 2005 model was designed and manufactured before Fiat took over Chrysler and their quality really took a nosedive.)
He said his van is a 2015, not 2005, haha.
Oops, then I guess they really are lucky! Time to buy lottery tickets!
yeah as Chrysler products age they go bad but many things can be prevented if you take care of the car like I said Japanese cars can take a beating more than domestic cars can because Japanese cars have stronger built engines and trans
Scotty's opinion is a mechanic's perspective based on taking apart and fixing thousands of cars.
Your one example means absolutely nothing.
My neighbor has a 2010 ram 1500 5.7, with about 200,000 miles he still has the original engine and trans, and he takes good care of his truck. I worked for dodge for 10 years now in engine rebuilding and I've noticed many of the cars that come in are mostly customer error, like a lot of people don't do their oil change when needed causing premature wear, a lot of challenges/ chargers come in with engine problem and its usual people abuse their car. When I took auto class in high school we put milk in a civic instead of oil and it ran for an hour before the engine seized because the Japanese build stronger engines and trans
Yes, of course taking good care of a vehicle will give it the best chance of lasting a long time. Everyone understands that. But some things cannot be helped. Good intentions and maintenance will not overcome poor factory workmanship and quality control, manufacturing defects, or flawed design. For your two examples, I can think of many more unhappy Fiat customers who were let down in an expensive way, by things that they could not have helped. I have seen too many examples of domestic car manufacturer screw ups and half-baked designs. I have owned GM vehicles my whole life ... up to this day. I have stripped them down to bare metal, examined and worked on every square inch of them. I have watched the decline in quality and results of cost cutting over the course of 30 years. I have also seen how Toyota builds vehicles... in the same price bracket, and the difference is night and day. I have to say that my own experience matches Scotty's. He knows what he's talking about. Yes, there will always be negligent owners. I'm sure you've seen your fair share working at a dealership. That goes for any brand. The fact that you've seen Japanese cars stand up better is a testament to their superior design and build quality. Nothing you've said has changed my mind even a bit.