The German Un-Reliability Thread

Not German but Japanse, my uncle has a pathfinder and the engine is leaking oil like a stuck pig and the then the injectors are on the way out too. Start the engine and it revs itself to death.

Originally Posted by purple145

BMW just plain ugly and driven by d*cks

Prick.

Originally Posted by Andyboy

Prick.

Not much can be said about that really.

Indeed.

A bit like everyone on BMW forums saying Alfa owners are deluded fools driving unreliable rust buckets. Of course a small percentage of that is true, but to generalise is the mark of an idiot.

Only thing is, it doesn't happen on BMW forums. The subject of Alfas doesn't crop up very otfen - seems to me that many Alfa owners have some kind of sad inferiority complex. In which case - get over it. The guy in the new BMW doesn't give a damn what you think.

I quite like some BMW's, especially the M series and some of the V8's. My dad had a 540I SE (E39) and I loved it, although I am not too keen on the styling of the latest generation myself.

I like both. My Dad had BMW's as company cars when he worked for them in the early eighties and a 635CSi was the stuff of dreams. On a more attainable level I badly wanted an Alfasud and got my first one (first of many) in 1985. All told I ran around 8-9 Alfas of various sorts, we had a few in the family (my Mum was a big fan). I like both marques equally and hate it when I hear ignorant comments about each.

If you live in Carterton (a place I know well!) you may know Tony Favarin and Nick Suiter? Many a night was spent at the Beehive in the mid nineties followed by a curry at the Shamiana.

Originally Posted by Andyboy

I like both. My Dad had BMW's as company cars when he worked for them in the early eighties and a 635CSi was the stuff of dreams. On a more attainable level I badly wanted an Alfasud and got my first one (first of many) in 1985. All told I ran around 8-9 Alfas of various sorts, we had a few in the family (my Mum was a big fan). I like both marques equally and hate it when I hear ignorant comments about each.

If you live in Carterton (a place I know well!) you may know Tony Favarin and Nick Suiter? Many a night was spent at the Beehive in the mid nineties followed by a curry at the Shamiana.

No, I don't know those two people. I only moved to Carterton recently, but I did grow up in Witney, so I know most of the people there...

This thread wasn't about saying the German cars are crap BTW, it was just meant to show that Alfa's are not the only cars that have issues. Although Alfa's tend to get more stick if something goes wrong. Mercedes have had awful reliability problems recently, but no body mentions it, yet Alfa have also had a few issues and they get slated for it.

Oh you'd be surprised. Mercedes are known to be bad, it's common knowledge that they've been crap for the last 15 years. I'm of the opinion that they were never THAT good anyway.
The reality is that Alfa stuff is okay but they still have too many issues - I've worked for three dealers and know the score. The Selespeed was an absolute disaster and seeing how many 156's were thus equipped, it tends to tar the whole lot with the bsame brush. A lot of the issues were inflicted by the useless dealers and Alfa GB - the 72'000 mile cambelt issue was a catastrophic own goal. What on earth were they thinking?
Buying Japanese is about your last chance of a really reliable car. Are BMW's reliable? They're not bad but they have issues. The difference is though, there's a dealer in every town, parts are there within 2 days and there is an answer to everything. With Alfa it's a 40 mile trip to a useless dealer who orders the wrong bits that turn up after 3 weeks because the factory is on holiday and Alfa GB have no idea why your car doesn't work.

Ford almost bought Alfa in the eighties - a pity they didn't because Fiat have done them no good at all. In the old days Alfas used to rust like buggery but the oily bits went on forever.

Originally Posted by Andyboy

The reality is that Alfa stuff is okay but they still have too many issues

I think the issues are rapidly being dealt with. I do agree that the 156/GTV models dealt Alfa a particularly hefty blow, because the models were desirable and it looked like Alfa had turned the corner in terms of reliability and that wasn't the case. A lot of people were stung then that are now too nervous of the current model range to try them. Things are a lot better now but there are still some dodgy dealerships that need sorting out. The current economic climate is going to make that even more difficult.

Originally Posted by Andyboy

Indeed.

A bit like everyone on BMW forums saying Alfa owners are deluded fools driving unreliable rust buckets. Of course a small percentage of that is true, but to generalise is the mark of an idiot.

Only thing is, it doesn't happen on BMW forums. The subject of Alfas doesn't crop up very otfen - seems to me that many Alfa owners have some kind of sad inferiority complex. In which case - get over it. The guy in the new BMW doesn't give a damn what you think.

my experience is that I have not come across a bloke that drives a BMW that I would want to have a pint with.

Still haven't.

Then you live a very sheltered existence My Dear Chap.
Maybe if you put aside your childish bitterness, you might discover something called 'a life'.

I have one, you clearly do not.

I rest my case.

And what case would that be then Son?

That you're a bigotted idiot? That much I already know!

I have no idea how old you are (only your mental age) but I'm fairly confident that I waas driving an Alfa when your Mum was wiping your arse.

Look next door are just taking a blown up gearbox out of this Merc

Aaargh!! Mercs, the kiss of death!! Don't tell me, an E Class with around 100K - that's about all they are good for.
What were 164 autoboxes like? I recall they put a limiter stop on the racks to stop the tyres fouling the casing!

I was going to respond to the thread about Alfa Workshop. I think you'd just started when I worked at Robinsons in Cambridge? That would have been around 1996 and I did put a few cars your way - 33's where they'd quoted four hours to change the belts! God they were useless - you must have had a few disgruntled Alfa owners from there!

Dont ask me what it was, it was a merc and it was the nearest German car to my door, they had another 5 or 6 in there as well all broken down