Posted On: January 26, 2007, 12:13 pm CST

Posted By: El Squid

Hate to disappoint all of you domestic car fans. I have spent the last 34 years working as a factory warranty rep and since 1984 I have managed service contract programs for several providers and insurers.I have examined repair costs and breakdown frequencies on millions of cars and light trucks.

Hondas overall have fantastic reliability records as do Toyotas and Nissans. Many (but not all) domestics have had and still have horrible repair records. It's not import car fans that drive down the resale value of domestic cars but rather the crummy products that some domestic manufacturers sell us.

Do I want the domestic brands to survive? Absolutely! I use a domestic car as a daily driver and I am saddened by the stupid things that have broken on it in the 4 years I have owned it. My previous car (a Japanese sporty coupe) lasted 300,000 plus miles in my hands with no breakdowns. Tires, brakes, and a clutch at 210,000 miles. The current owner has passed the 400,000 mile mark and the engine and transmission stillhave not been taken apart. My current domestic ride has suffered a blown up transmission, failed ABS computer, seized supercharger, and broken drive axles all before reaching the 100,000 mile mark. I keep it because it's red and fairly fast when it's running.