When you ’re car shopping , what ’s the most important thing you look for ? One survey found that " reliability " was theNo . 1 factorfor three - quarters of American respondents , closely follow by " safety machine . " It ’s wanton to see why reliability would score so high . driver want to have public security of mind , screw that the vehicle they ’re place considerable money into can put in year of service , and not leave them stranded on the highway .
However , buyers may not know precisely what goes into build a reliable car . At a basic spirit level , it needs to have durable factor . There are many ways to retrace engines , contagion and brake , but certain methods are more proven and long - lasting than others . We ’ll go over a few features to believe about while browsing for your next car leverage .
1. Engines: Timing Belt vs. Timing Chain
Every home burning engine requires what is known as atiming system , which keep the piston and valve springs in perfect sync with one another . You probably do n’t give it much thought , but the timing system is one of the most important part in your vehicle , asmistiming will quickly leadto the pistons and valves smacking into each other inside the locomotive engine block and stimulate dear damage .
Most engines will apply either a timing mountain range or belt that twine around paraphernalia link to the nut case and camshaft . The whack and chains are both responsible for for keeping everything in sync , but they each have slightly unlike characteristic . Timing beltsare made from sword - reward rubber and naturally bear out over time . Usually they must be replace every60,000 to 100,000miles ( 96,561 to 160,934 klick ) , depend on vehicle model . It ’s a costly procedure . auto-mechanic have to absent many components to get into the timing system of rules , and the swath replacementcan easily run over $ 1,000with parturiency .
Timing Sir Ernst Boris Chain , on the other hand , are made amply from metallic element , and typicallylast the life of the railway locomotive . For this reason , an engine with a chain can bring through thousands over several age of use . Why did manufacturers bulge using swath at all ? A main intellect isengine dissonance . Rubber swath are able to operate more restfully than chattering chains , which helps eliminate noise in the cabin . But today , automobile manufacturers have chance ways to make chain less noisy and so timing chains are increasing in popularity , thanks to their reliability reward .
With either timing component , the number one wood should keep up on regular oil changes and fomite inspections to be certain the organisation will stay running smoothly . one-time oil color can deposit contaminants in the timing vitrine and lead to premature wear .
2. Transmissions: Manual & Auto vs. CVT
The transmission is one of the most mechanically complex components in any vehicle , and it has to withstand a stack of hardship over many one thousand of miles . Manual transmissionsare one of the honest-to-goodness gear case designs , making them evidence technology . With regular maintenance , the manual transmission system can often last the life of the vehicle . However , its batch pad will finally need replacing , which can run afew hundred dollars . The gear case also use parts calledsynchromesh , or syncros , to keep the shifter engaging smoothly . These can wear out over several age , causing a clumsy gearstick which may pop out of gear until the part is replacedto the tune of $ 1,000 .
But most cars nowadays , in particular in the U.S. , habituate torque converterautomatic transmissions , which are very undestroyable . Auto gearboxes are built with hard sword constituent and will often last C of thousands of miles . To ensure this , it ’s important to keep up on regular inspection andautomatic transmission fluidchanges for keep the mechanism free of contamination . On the other deal , torque converter autos are expensive to manufacture and rebuild , which can lead tothousands of dollarsin repair bills if the transmission does eventually fail .
Continuously varying transmissions(CVTs ) are taking over much of the new automobile food market . They are a type of automatic transmission that ischeaper to make . They ’re alsonominally more efficient , since they do n’t have to wobble gear mechanism at all . Most vehicle CVTs expend a condom belt that connects the engine side and the driveshaft side of the transmittance , like the previously advert timing belt . This knock can also be the weakly link of the system , andwear out earlierthan old transmitting designs . CVTs also demand more frequent unstable change . Despite being cheaper to manufacture , aCVT rebuildcan still ply a number one wood chiliad of dollars . So , in terms of reliableness , a CVT and an automatic are about the same , but the CVT will have a more demanding maintenance agenda .
3. Internal Combustion vs. Electrified Vehicles
Electric and intercrossed vehicles areseeing increase popularityin the raw railroad car market , mostly thanks to their superb fuel efficiency . In addition , they can offer a few reliableness advantages when compared to traditional engine configurations .
Most crossbreed and electric car today total equipped with what ’s promise aregenerative braking organization . This organization essentially runs the electric motor in reverse while decelerating , or coast downhill . The friction from the motorsslows the fomite down , while transmit exponent back into the battery and extending electric range .
cable car with regen braking systems also have regular mechanically skillful brake as backup , but they only really have to utilise them at the last mo of coming to a stop , or during emergency hard braking . As a solution , brake launch area and rotors can last much longer . They can runabout 45,000 miles(72,420 km ) before servicing , as opposed to 15,000 miles ( 24,140 klick ) . When a brake job can runup to $ 1,000with part and labor , that ’s a lot of change back in your sac over the living of the vehicle .
Fully electric car also require very little fluid alternate during use , since they do n’t require engine oil or coolant . Electric power steeringand braking system likewise run without lubrication . Likely , the only fluid that will necessitate to be changed is thetransmission oil . This will save quite a spot of fourth dimension and money in the shop class . take note that this dependableness reward only goes to pure eV . Since hybrid vehicles make utilisation of internal burning engine , most of the conventional service separation will still apply .
flatulency locomotive do however have one leg up over electrified cars ; their deficiency of expensivelithium ion batteries . These power cells will degrade over century of charge cycles and see rock-bottom scope content . Batteries are often warrantiedup to eight years and 100,000 miles(160,934 klick ) . However , interchange the unit of measurement out of warranty will scud up a considerable service department greenback . function and labor caneasily bunk over $ 5,000for pocket-size - assault and battery electric car and hybrids , maxing out over $ 10,000 for long - kitchen stove electron volt .
Before You Buy Your Next Car …
When you ’re at a dealership , or shoot e-mail to a vendor , do n’t be afraid to call for questions about the prospective car ’s drivetrain components . A knowing salesperson should be capable to tell you if the fomite has a timing chain , CVT or regen braking . Also , research those particular model spec online . If a common event arises with a certain component , people will probably be raise their voices about it , particularly if the mannequin has had a few eld to show those washy points . situation likeKelley Blue Book , Consumer ReportsandJ.D. Poweralso can provide expert resources to make you more informed while shop for a vehicle .
