Audi broke down

[vacerator]

Greg,

I'm impressed that you know the MKS, Taurus, Explorer, Flex, and MKT are on the first Volvo S 80 platform.
Sadly, the Taurus is selling slow currently.
As for GM, products, I think the high feature 3.6 litre V6 used in most of their large FWD fleet, and some rear drive Cadillacs has none of the bugs the former 3.1, 3.4, or even 3.5 V6's had.
Any car can have certain glitches with quality. These can and do change when suppliers are switched between model year runs, or even mid year.
Why we hear of so many recalls. When you change suppliers for a lower price, quality can be at risk.
TRW airbags were costly, but they didn't explode metal shards into accident victims. At worst, you walked away with a facial bruise.
My neighbor still likes his older generation Ford Fusion, but the inside door handle release has fallen apart.

 

[lordkenmore]

I've had fairly good luck with the European cars I've owned. The shortest lived was admittedly less than a month--but it was taken out by an accident, not mechanical failure.

My most recent car was a mid-90s Jetta. I still have it, but it needs repairs that I can't afford. (This is more about my cash flow than the nature of the repairs, alas.) This car hasn't been trouble free, but I've had few problems given the age/miles (20 years/nearly 300K miles), and that it was bought used with age/miles (about 15 years, 250K miles). The engine seemed to be going OK--until the most recent problem. Most impressive, though, is that the body still feels solid--much more solid feeling than a late 80s Honda I drove that had about 300K when it died.

However...my experience is older cars, not what's being made now. I get the impression--and it may only be an impression--that reliability could be much better years back. Repairs could apparently be easier, too, and require fewer special tools.

Not sure what the future holds... Not even sure I'll ever be able to afford a car again in my pessimistic moments... I like the way German cars drive, but I'm more concerned now (partly with life circumstances, partly the stories I hear about more recent cars) with the practical reality of keeping one going.

 

[cfz2882]

my kraut reliable

my 1981 Porsche 928 actually has been just about dead reliable over the 14 years I have had it with minor electrical problems the only trouble area

 

[vacerator]

Yes,

and Neckarsulm has built some very good machines both before VW acquired NSU in 1969, and afterward.
The Prinz was reliable enough, and the Wankel engined RO80 sedan. A large Passat variant, the VW Karman was also made there.
Well then there was the air cooled beetle from Wolfsberg which ran and ran, as long as it had oil in it.