[martinm1]

a couple of links I enjoyed, you don't often see Hyundai and Porsche in the same sentence.............

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5894686/Honda-tops-reliability-survey.html

and

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/2752821/Japanese-cars-Honda-Toyota-Daihatsu-are-most-reliable-survey-says.html

[Dazzler]

Great find Martin.. although the 2nd link kind of takes the gloss off the first...

[MRH130]

Interesting reading...

I think it actually shows a bit that where you get your cars from makes a difference. Unfortunately, due to the Free-Trade Agreement we have with Thailand, a lot of manufacturers are shifting where they are sourcing their Australian market cars from, and getting ostensibly Japanese cars, like Hondas, from Thailand instead of Japan. Having had a lot to do with those cars after the changeover, I can say 100% that the Thai-built cars are nowhere near as good as the Japanese ones, which I imagine are what you get over in Europe.

Of Australian-delivered Honda models, only the Accord Euro, the Odyssey and the Legend come from Japan, the rest are this Thai-built rubbish. They'll tell you all their factories have the same quality standards, but don't believe it. I also note that, in Australia at least, even the Euro is giving trouble with pinging and poor running.

Honda aren't the only offenders either, a lot of manufacturers are doing it. Holden/Isuzu are another good example. 2001 Japanese built Rodeo is a great truck, 2002 Thai built Rodeo is a disaster. 

Also, in Europe I imagine you are getting the Czech Hyundais - not disparaging the owners of those cars in the club but it'd be interesting to see what the reliability figures are for Hyundais not built in Korea. Having met Korean Hyundai people, I'm very happy to buy a car built in their factories, but those values don't always cross international borders. Even the Australian-built Volvos, Volkswagens, Corollas, etc etc don't seem to be quite up to the standard of the ones made in the company's home country.

In any case, it's an outstanding result for Hyundai, which is supposedly not a premium brand, and goes to show that spending a shedload of ca$h doesn't guarantee you the best car. Just ask your mate with the new Jag or Audi while you're driving him or her to work in your i30. 

[Dazzler]

Hi Michael.. I really enjoy your posts...

[2i30s]

but most australian built cars are as rough as hesian undies. ive always owned aus cars before my i30,and im converted now,

[Dazzler]

but most australian built cars are as rough as hesian undies. ive always owned aus cars before my i30,and im converted now,

   

At the risk of being off topic ... I like hessian undies....

[2i30s]

kinky.

[martinm1]

Great find Martin.. although the 2nd link kind of takes the gloss off the first...

For the i30 to come 4th most reliable out of 121 vehicles surveyed is a great result. Which? magazine is the UK equivalent of Choice magazine in Oz. Interesting to see the Santa Fe 10th from bottom in the survey, maybe that's what pulls Hyundai down a bit in the manufacturer's table, although 8th position out of 38 manufacturers is still pretty good

   

[MRH130]

Hi Michael.. I really enjoy your posts...

Aw fanks Dazz - I love the forum! 

[MRH130]

but most australian built cars are as rough as hesian undies. ive always owned aus cars before my i30,and im converted now,

   
At the risk of being off topic ... I like hessian undies....

I like Australian cars, we certainly know how to make them drive well. Take an XR6 Turbo for a drive and tell me we don't make amazing cars. Would be good if they just screwed them together a bit better... 

Unfortunately in my frail dotage I'm getting to the point where knowing that the car is going to start is more important to me than how much rubber it can shred in 3 minutes. How depressing... 

hmmm hessian undies - sounds intriguing... 

[bumpkin]

Michaels take on this makes interesting reading and makes me wonder how much of the reliability figures for the Japanese manufacturers are really for cars built IN Japan. 

In the UK for example Honda, Toyota and Nissan all have factories.  I believe that the parts are all shipped from Japan but final assembly is British in some deal the UK government took with the Japanese to fool us the taxpayer into believing we have a British Car Industry which is not about left wing strikers drinking mugs of tea over a brazier and building crap when they do finally get in to work.

The flip side to this is that Vauxhall is the British arm of GM and I know of stories that Vauxhall's are all built from the parts that Opel in Germany did not want as they did not meet their quality standards.

I am rambling a bit here but I am getting to the point which is that Skoda are now classed as a good European manufacturer and the accolade has a lot to do with them being owned by VW.  A similar situation therefore exists, VW's are put together in the Czech Republic and badged as Skodas and I would suggest that like Hyundai most Skoda owners would go back for another one.

Perhaps then with Hyundai Korea QC and Hyundai Czech building, Europe may be getting the best of both worlds

[MRH130]

it is an interesting question, bumpkin - certainly when they started sourcing Golfs and Mercs from South Africa for the Australian market the quality of those supposedly premium brands took a big dive. M class Benzes from America are hardly brilliant either. I'm not convinced the tendency for manufacturers to become more cosmopolitan is entirely a good thing, but it's certainly a reality.

Interesting in one of the links above it mentions that the Accord (built in Japan) is at the top of the charts but some Civic models (built in the UK) are near the bottom.

I do think the '70s stereotype of the pinko British car worker demanding an iron lung to work in before they take 6 weeks to build you a crappy Allegro is a bit unfair - certainly the quality of the British Leyland cars built on this continent left rather a lot to be desired too... 

But Datsun was certainly able to improve the old A series engine... 

In any case, aside from the paint issue I read on here I haven't noticed that any club members are having any more trouble with Czech Hyundais than those of us with Korean ones.