Once the stars of the auto industry, why is the quality of German cars out
of sync with their stellar reputation? Buckle up 'cause this could get messy.
What’s going on with German cars? You know, the ones that used to be the cool
kids on the reliability block? Well, turns out, the ride might be a bit bumpier now.
Let's spill the tea on why German cars just aren’t living up to their hype anymore.
According to US non-profit organization... Consumer Reports’ 2023 reliability survey: Mercede
s ranks 29th, Volkswagen
27th and Audi is 19th. Ouch! Squeezing into the Top 10 are Porsche and
BMW in 8th and 9th place respectively.... Engineering was limited from the management. That’s Tom Fischer, an expert in restoring
classic cars, who sheds light on a growing concern. He says managerial decisions
have restricted certain aspects of innovative engineering. And that’s at odds with
Germany’s tradition of engineering excellence. Then there's the German auto association’s
Martin Ruhdorf
er, dropping some truth bombs about how cutting corners during
production might mess with your reputation: Try slashing production costs for too long and you
run the risk of damaging your image at some point. Remember the glory days when
German cars were as reliable as Old Faithful? Or as an old VW Beetle ad put it:
This car runs and runs and runs and runs… Germany and cars, they go way back! Let's rewind
to 1886 when the automobile was born in Germany. Karl Benz set the stage for the tr
iumph
of the "Made in Germany" quality label. Back in the 1930s, Mercedes was crushing it
on the racetrack, building up the hype for German cars. And Germany's racing scene? The
stuff of legend: from the Silver Arrows to Michael Schumacher, seven-time
Formula One world champion. Those days are history ….
The era of delayed recalls and manipulated tests began...Starting with the now
infamous Diesel scandal, a seismic event that shook the automotive landscape in 2015. It came
to light th
at several German car manufacturers, notably Volkswagen, had employed
deceptive software to manipulate emissions tests, creating a façade of compliance. This revelation triggered mass recalls,
substantial financial penalties, and a severe dent in the once-unblemished
reputation of these iconic automakers. So how long can they ride the fame
train, given incidents like these? Journalist Niko Ganzer launched a website where
German consumers could find out about recalls and other behind-the-sce
nes car drama. Because,
after Dieselgate, transparency was a must. My main intention was to bring in
at least a rudimentary transparency, similar to what exists in the US. There, on
the websites of the respective authorities, you’ll find most everything
on the subject of recalls. Fast forward to today, and German cars
aren't rocking the reliability charts anymore. Remember how Porsche and BMW just made
the Top 10 in Consumer Reports’ latest survey? Audi, Volkswagen and Mercedes
all ranked
far behind. Every year, Consumer Reports asks
its members about the problems they've experienced with their vehicles over the last 12 months. Their most recent survey
includes data on over 330,000 vehicles even a few early 2024 models.
“The German cars, what we see is that cars have become increasingly sophisticated, but
sometimes it causes issues for the customers.“ German automobile association ADAC identified other problems in its 2022 car check.
In newer models that have come ou
t in the last couple years, cheaper materials tend
to have been used. Roof trim panels are no longer covered in fabric, and everything
under the door handles and armrests is simply molded and made of hard plastic.
The next challenge – electric cars. German automakers aim to be major players in the EV
game, but they're a little late to the party. Plus, these high-tech cars are complex, so software glitches have been common. Folks
who’ve splurged on pricey rides -- often dropping more tha
n 130,000 Euros --
say the tech sometimes goes crazy. Still, some industry veterans
think the Germans can ace it. Electric energy, electric motors and digital
services in the car - the German manufacturers, they work very hard to take those new
competencies on board. If they can do this, they will have the better cars
because they know how to build a car. So, are German cars still reliable,
or are they losing their mojo? What do you think? Don't forget to hit subscribe
and share your ride
-or-die thoughts below.
Comments
The main issue is the use of cheap materials, lots of failure-prone plastic engine components which should be metal
The problem is predatory planned obsolescence engineering. Their cars are engineered to break down after the warranty ends. I will never buy another German car. Paid $1500 to replace a $50 part because so many other parts had to be removed to get to the plastic part.
Such a shame. German made was synonymous with quality. My family, and myself, have owned quite a few over the last 50 years. VW, Audi, Mercedes and BMW... we've had them all. These days, if you look up the driveway at any of our houses, you'll see Honda, Toyota and Mazda. No, they don't have the dynamic appeal of our old German cars, but they are reliable to a fault and ridiculously affordable to own and service. By the way, none of us are what you would consider "poor", either. But we all appreciate value for money, and German car manufacturers can no longer fulfil that requirement.
In the past German cars build by engineers, now by accountant.
It's not just cars, all manufacturing these days is done with the mindset of shareholder uber alles. Back when companies were making quality products they were generally run by engineers who put the product first as opposed to job hopping BS artists with MBAs who parachute in to high powered positions, cut costs and sell the family silver to increase dividends and then move on to the next victim. A brand used to mean something - nowadays all a brand is is a marketing tool. Its completely unsustainable and its going to come crashing down one of these days.
It is absolute planned obsolescence. For example, Audi, you have to change the main engine chain every 100 000km or so. Where is the chain? At the back of the engine. So you have to take everything out to get to it every 100 000km. Where was the chain before in these cars? At the front of the engine so that you can remove it without taking the engine out.
My dad tells me the stories of when Mercedes quality and reliability was second to none back in the 80s. Now he doesn't even wanna look at a Mercedes any more. I am buying the Japanese Mercedes (Lexus) soon for its reliability and quality.
I can't believe Mercedes dropped so far behind Lexus these days, it wasn't like this in the 90s
My friends auto repair shop is full of mostly BMWs, then MB, then Audi. Over the past 20 years, they are DESIGNED ON PURPOSE to fail after 4 years and 60,000 miles. They make a lot of money in repairs. They are for lease only for the smart person. Owning them as a status symbol is a joke. Foolish purchase.
I wouldn’t read to far into Consumer Reports. They listed Mini as high in reliability when in fact they are made by BMW with BMW parts so those “surveys” are flawed and have a lot of bias. Also, Americans and Germans are very different when it comes to vehicle maintenance.
They love using plastic, especially in the engine areas where heat cycles make it prone to failure.
This video offers 0 insight. Just showing some old clips and a couple of sentences from selected invidivuals
Company owners greed, putting profits first, short-term scope of management caring only for bonuses, no long term reputation building.
The last German vehicles I owned were the MB 83 240D and a GD300. After keeping both for close to twenty years, I never purchased another German vehicle ever. Their philosophy changed drastically from nineties, I switched to Japanese vehicles, namely Toyota and Honda and have never looked back.
Easy: cars are no longer build by engineers, instead controllers have their thumb on everything. We know what we should do, but we aren’t allowed to. The freedom to engineer what’s sensible was reduced bit by bit, and now it’s meetings over meetings how to cut cost or how to „optimize“ even more. At one point this „optimizing“ cut into the longevity, and today it’s not only cut, it’s sliced. We know how to build cars and other things. We just aren’t allowed to do so. Regards from Germany. (i think i sounded harsher than i wanted to, but I’m a bit frustrated. Some cars are still great, and the design choices on the engineering side are often very innovative. I still drive one of our cars, and it’s even a fully electric one. Very reliable, nearly no maintenance necessary - a thing the BWL guys strongly dislike - if we get the chance to do better, to decide engineering topics on the engineering side, the cars will be what they were, and people would appreciate that, i think. Maybe it would be a little bit less profitable for the shareholders, but it the right thing to do - for the reputation and for the people driving and loving the cars!)
I have a 2024 GLS Benz wagon sitting in my garage with 2100 miles and a check engine lamp ( dealership said software issues and emission issues). I also have a 2011 BMW 335i with 70,000 sitting in my garage undriveable because to change the $18 abs sensor this car requires a $4,000 front axle replacement, since the sensor plug (something that is regularly serviced on all cars) is anchored to the axle by design on this car. In addition the Bmw has been leaking oil from cheap $15 rubber seals that require close to $3000 in replacement costs. In addition to this the 2G onboard telephone has malfunctioned and keeps calling 911 every time the car is turned on. This is an unknown cost as my dealership has no resolution since 2G technology is absolute and cannot be serviced or removed from the car. In addition to that all these issues (except the oil leak) have set off the check engine lamp which voids the car from passing inspection. I'm the second owner of the car from a certified CPO purchase and the car has always had proper servicing done timely at my local bmw dealership thru the extended warranty and about $8000 spent since 2017 when the warranty expired (water pump x 2, brakes, oil seals x 2, fan belts and pulleys x 3, coolant hose, coolant tank, washer fluid tank, key fob, battery x 2, fuses, daytime running lamps x 2, there more....). Even with careful ownership and money my BMW 335i became undriveable. The car dealerships make cars to last 3 years/40k miles tops before you will need to replace it
Here in the USA, VW has just replaced the old Mk7 Golf with the more 'electronified' Mk8. To say that the new one has been a disaster is generous. I had my daughter buy one of the last Mk7's deliberately due to this- we've been down this road with every new Golf since the Mk3 replaced the Mk2.
In 2010, I made a decision that I thought would fulfill a dream of mine: owning a Volkswagen GTi. This car, a symbol of aspiration and desire, was chosen over the Civic Type R FD2, despite their similar price tags in my country. It was not just a car to me; it was a dream realized, a testament to hard work and dedication. However, this dream soon turned into a costly nightmare. Within just four years, I faced a slew of issues: premature oil leaks, electrical failures, an intake manifold leak, water pump failure, and prohibitively expensive replacements. These problems forced me to sell the car, a decision that weighed heavily on my heart. A decade has passed since then, and the landscape has drastically changed. Volkswagen vehicles have become a rare sight on the roads in my area, tarnished by a reputation so damaged that used car dealers are wary of accepting them, if they do at all. In stark contrast, the Civic Type R FD2 has ascended to legendary status worldwide, a testament to its enduring appeal and reliability. The infamous Dieselgate scandal further exposed Volkswagen, revealing a startling lack of integrity at the heart of the manufacturer. This was not just a matter of reliability or the normal wear and tear one might expect from owning a car. It was a matter of principle. To discover that a company could act with such disregard for ethics, transparency, and environmental responsibility was deeply disheartening. The essence of this experience transcends the personal. It serves as a powerful reminder to the world of the paramount importance of integrity in business. Companies wield significant influence over our lives, our dreams, and the health of our planet. When they choose to betray the trust of consumers and the broader community, they do more than fail on a corporate level; they undermine the very fabric of ethical responsibility. Let this be a call to action: to demand better, to hold corporations accountable, and to support businesses that prioritize ethical practices, transparency, and integrity. It's about more than just cars—it's about the values we champion in our communities and the legacy we leave for future generations. Shame on Volkswagen and any entity that forsakes its moral and ethical obligations. Let us learn from these mistakes and strive for a future where integrity is not just expected, but demanded.
Overconfidence killed them.
I like that Audi ranks higher than Volkswagen, when they use the same parts 🤣