Ford and VW reliability 

"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin) 12/23/2016 at 23:37 • Filed to: None

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I’ve been re-watching 2nd Top Gear and now that I’m on season 7, I’ve noticed that they keep talking about the high reliability of Fords and VWs. Is there really that big of a difference between European and American builds of these makes? Or do they just take care of their cars better over there?

The want is real...

At this point, I’m really curious because almost all the other brands reliability stereotypes carry over between the continents. Are Ford and VW that different across the pond?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/23/2016 at 23:39

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Probably no different, but they get access to new French cars over there. Also, where they are made makes a HUGE difference.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/23/2016 at 23:42

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VW build quality is good , their engineering / r&d let them down

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/23/2016 at 23:46

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The Ford of Europe vehicles have always been a bit better than the Ford of America vehicles. I also believe that in America we get more of the vehicles made in the Mexico plants while the vehicles sold in Europe tend to be built over there.

wiffleballtony > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/23/2016 at 23:46

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I wouldn’t but Ford and VW anywhere near each other in terms of reliability.

DipodomysDeserti > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/23/2016 at 23:52

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Japanese cars aren’t nearly as prevalent in Europe as they are in the US. That’s why Fords and VWs are seen as reliable.

Tazio, Count Fouroff > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/23/2016 at 23:55

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When the parentals first moved from USA to Europe (for work), as a kid who was already a 12-Step-qualified car nut — but hadn’t had any exposure to overseas Fords — personally the difference between Detroit Fords and RoW Fords was astounding.  It was like they were two different manufacturers

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > pip bip - choose Corrour 12/23/2016 at 23:58

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That’s not what the people I know that have worked at VW dealership service departments have told me. Their(admittedly anecdotal) evidence points to Mexican built cars of being unreliable and the German built ones are fairly reliable.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/24/2016 at 00:01

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I have relatives in England who swear by the reliability of Land Rover. Also, one of my Great Aunts over there has a red previous generation Mazda 2 with a single offset black sebring stripe. Neat.

pip bip - choose Corrour > e36Jeff now drives a ZHP 12/24/2016 at 00:02

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we here in Australia don’t get Mexican vehicles (that i’m aware of anyway)

bob and john > e36Jeff now drives a ZHP 12/24/2016 at 00:09

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Yea, europe didnt get ANY mexican built VWs. At all

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/24/2016 at 00:09

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Both are built in Germany over there. The Ford DCTs, for example, are quite reliable in Europe, but they’re notoriously bad in the US (the DCTs are made in Mexico).

Tazio, Count Fouroff > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/24/2016 at 00:11

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Enjoy some Granada...lol

Matt Nichelson > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/24/2016 at 00:13

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You must have just watched episode 3 or 6.

Like the others have said, it’s largely based on where it was built. Aside from those, they always seem to speak highly of Jaguar. With the exception of older models (because Lucas electrics), you never hear them say much on reliability issues with the newer models as the show progresses. Same with Land Rover/Range Rover. Jeremy swore by his Range Rover he had.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Tazio, Count Fouroff 12/24/2016 at 00:19

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Really!? Oh wow, I can’t believe that Ford would allow such a gulf in quality. I wonder if they’ve improved with the one Ford direction they’re going.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Matt Nichelson 12/24/2016 at 00:21

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Episode 3 is a personal favorite

Shift24 > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/24/2016 at 00:24

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They dont know what reliability is mainly because British cars make the Yugo look like a Honda. I do agree that Fords over in Europe are built a bit better but the huge thing Euro Ford and VW is the fit and finish are 10x better than what we are used to. Doesnt mean they are particularly more reliable but seem better built because less cheap stuff used. When Clarkson reviews the BMW M135i, he refers that BMW is reliable. Which here we know thats a total joke. Heck they arent even in the top 3 reliability of luxury brands. I also think there 200km there is seen as a huge mile marker where here thats seen as just breaking a Toyota or Honda.

The other thing to look at is Texas and California can make up most of Europe. We travel way more by car than Europeans because our mass transportation is no where near Europe’s mainly because it doesnt make as much sense since everything is way more spaced out. It takes alittle over 5 hours to get from Paris to London. Five hours across Texas your not even half way though.

Matt Nichelson > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/24/2016 at 00:28

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Indeed. I’m a huge Pagani fan so having it in the main film just added to it, but that one definitely ranks up there as one of the best films they ever did on the show.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Tazio, Count Fouroff 12/24/2016 at 00:39

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Interesting. I always though Americans just had higher expectations. Similar case with BMW I’d assume?

Tazio, Count Fouroff > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/24/2016 at 01:07

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Yes a few years ago there was just no comparison — so it seems — in engineering philosophy, build quality, design, performance (except 0-60 times), everything. Now it seems like Ford has more one-world models here, as mentioned in your post, so the difference seems less stark.

idk how worldwide quality is now but when we were overseas Ford had the reputation there, well-deserved as far as I could tell, of rock-solid reliability

Tazio, Count Fouroff > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 12/24/2016 at 01:17

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BMW not so much...cars are pretty much same models wirldwide and each model built in one or two designated sites so not the same type of disconnect between USA and Europe.

One difference tho is USA market BMWs are pretty much fully loaded with few choices and oversaes you can get, like strippers with cloth or vinly seats, nontinted glass, steel wheels, no A/C, 4-cyl., etc. Also you can spec and order your Bimmer how you want...power brakes but no power steering and crank windows, lilac-colored upholstery, mudflaps...and on and on. Like ordering a Big 3 car here :)

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Tazio, Count Fouroff 12/24/2016 at 01:40

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Hmmm. Stripper Bimmer with no power steering sounds amazing.

Edit: Wait no power steering OR brakes? You can’t even get that from the big 3 anymore. Hell power brakes might be mandatory now.

Chinny Raccoon > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 12/24/2016 at 02:45

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You don’t get a BMW that basic any more, you can get a 318i on steelies in Germany (at least). 

Cé hé sin > bob and john 12/24/2016 at 05:06

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One! The (tiny selling) Jetta is made there and some forthcoming Audi will come from Mexico as well.

Cé hé sin > DipodomysDeserti 12/24/2016 at 05:10

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Japanese cars are everywhere, at least where I am. Mind you they’re not as common as they were and are nowadays unlikely to actually be made in Japan. My mother, for example, has had a series of (very reliable) Nissan Micras which were made in the UK. The current, and unsuccessful one, is from India and the next is coming from Renault in France.

Svend > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch 12/24/2016 at 07:00

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What you want.

What you don’t want to see on the road lit up.

With the reliability thing. I think it’s several factors,

1) where they are built shouldn’t but often does impact how reliable the car is.

2) Where and how it’s operated. In the U.K. and Europe we drive much shorter distances to get from home to work for example. Visiting family across country isn’t an expedition.

3) Vehicle inspections (M.O.T.s in the U.K.) are conducted annually in almost all countries in Europe (in the U.K. a dashboard light on that shouldn’t be is enough to fail an MOT) where from what I’ve seen and heard over the years in the U.S. is hit and miss from one state to the next with some not even having any form of test. This I think catches many issues before they even start to take hold.

4) Perception is also part to do with it. Many will class reliable simply on that it was more reliable than expected, more reliable than the previous car they had or simply more reliable than a neighbours car.

Have a Ford Mondeo ST-Line (Mondeo with bodykit) for your time.

Car is a 2.0TDCi available in 150 and 180ps in manual or diesel.

bob and john > Cé hé sin 12/24/2016 at 09:35

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Little google shows they want to build the q5 there...for global export.

Oh hell.

Tazio, Count Fouroff > Cé hé sin 12/24/2016 at 10:01

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Mexican-built Audis? Ach, nein!! Say it ain’t so. As if not being able to buy a clutch pedal isn’t grim enough...

Cé hé sin > Tazio, Count Fouroff 12/24/2016 at 11:04

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But I can get manual Audis! I can also, or even at the same time, get Spanish and Hungarian ones.

To say nothing of British and French Toyotas, Spanish Nissans, Thai and Romanian Fords, Polish Fiats...

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Tazio, Count Fouroff 12/24/2016 at 11:08

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Not really that surprising. Germany and Mexico have been close friends for well over a century. Quite a few VW models are top sellers among new cars in Mexico and they’ve produced cars there for at least 3/4 of a century.

Tazio, Count Fouroff > Cé hé sin 12/24/2016 at 11:14

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Just go ahead and rub it in

Lucky!!

bob and john > Cé hé sin 12/24/2016 at 19:20

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Also, in season 7 of top gear, they didnt get any yet