Does anyone else think Japanese quality is overrated?

Question

i do.

Answer 1

yes. very. i have a pathfinder...it has 145,000 miles on it and the rings are shot. it burns oil and runs like crap...i mean i still like it, it runs but rough...but i'd rather have a Chevy truck. they're just more reliable.

Answer 2

Yes. Toyota just announced a recall involving over 400K vehicles, and have more than the public generally knows of. The domestics are now getting unfair press and I think Americans have for some unknown reason been exceptionally hard on them as well, as their quality has greatly improved over yrs past. I've driven several well over 100K trouble free miles; I own domestic and imports too.

That is not to say they do not build good cars, they do but simply are over rated. They also lack the exciting hisotry of the domestics for racing, customs, Mustangs etc.

Answer 3

I think Toyota in particular is not over-rated...They are told to conceive parts thinking of them as trouble free from the begining...from design and engineering. And in the asembly line anyone working there that spots a potential defect can stop the whole process...and fix it before the car is finished. Of course sometimes you can find a defect in a toyota, but considering i.e. that ford is recalling more than 1 million vehicles...a few hundreds is not very bad. And also you have to evaluate the kind of defects that make Toyota worth it a recall...usually they are not very big and many are even recognized as acceptable by other cars manufacturers...

Answer 4

All Hondas sold in the US are built --- in the US. This is also true of most Toyotas and Nissans. Americans have always had the ability to build ANYTHING better than anyone on earth. Alas, unions, poor attitudes and idiot CEO's almost ruined the US auto industry in the seventies. Japanese quality is excellent, because they learned it from us after WWII.

Answer 5

YES !!! Look at the 2 companies now involved in the biggest recall of cars and trucks in the USA roday Nissan and Toyota When was the last time you saw a 1960's ,70's or even 1980's Jap car or truck on the road?

Answer 6

No, my first Mazda RX7 had 278,000 miles on the original (rotary)engine before it died, and that was from a broken heater hose and someone kept driving it while it overheated, not from a defective engine. My second Mazda RX7 has 138,000 miles on it with no problems. My third RX7 has 54,000 miles on it and runs like brand new. I have had other Japan built cars, and I have always found them to be well built. However, I have to say I have also have had 3 Geo Metros and they are the best built (3 cyl.) cars....it is almost impossible to kill them. They are the most reliable cars I have ever driven....absolutely no problems, even with 250,000+ miles on their tiny engines.

Answer 7

Japanese car quality was never good to began with.

Answer 8

Not from my experience. I've had new Ford's, Chevy's, Dodge's, Honda's, Toyota's, and Mazda's.

It's not so much as to where they are built, but how they are built.

I have found as a whole, Japanese cars have better long-term reliability and fit and finish.

Answer 9

No, but I think American quality is SOMETIMES under rated...
There are some REALLY good quality AMERICAN cars like Buicks and Jeeps...
The Asians ALWAYS copy American inventions...
They are not very creative...look at their cars...very basic, very dull...but for the most part reliable quality...
even their "luxury" models are not really exciting or innovative...

Answer 10

I used to think that the only car to buy was an American car, until I bought a Honda. It's the best car I've ever had, has 148,000 miles on it and still running strong.

Answer 11

Yes especially Datsun