Are Hyundai's and Kia's junk?

I was going through Reddit and reading horror story after horror story about engines suddenly failing on models as recent as 2020, along with various other problems. And then their customer service is apparently a joke? I've never owned a Hyundai or Kia so I wouldn't know any of this first hand. Maybe someone on here could share an experience.

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pdqsailor1 · 61-69, M

asking the question on line came up with the following answer..

[i]How many miles can a Hyundai last?
A well-maintained Hyundai Elantra will likely last over 150,000 miles. A Hyundai Elantra should be able to stay on the road for at least 150,000 miles and could be expected to make it to 200,000 or even 250,000 miles without any serious repairs. That's a lifespan of ten to 15 years for the average driver.[/I]

So this is what constitutes durability today? Really? Not for me it does not.. I own a 1993 Mercedes W124, that can commonly last for 1 million miles, one of the most durable vehicles to have ever existed and mine happens to be a low miles example - 85,000 and pristine despite only being 29 years old.. and parts are commonly available from multiple sources.. I paid far less for it than a new Kia or Hyundai would cost, I drive a far better, safer, fuel efficient, truly durable (proven already) car that has already lasted twice as long as any one of these "vehicles" will last.. You could [u]not force me [/u]to drive one of these "vehicles" every day if you pointed a gun at me..

SubstantialKick · 31-35, M

@pdqsailor1 My old 1999 Toyota Camry had 187,000 miles on it before I sold to an auto wrecker. The only reason I did that was because some idiot had stolen my catalytic converter, and it wasn't worth putting $1000 into a 22 year old vehicle. Other than that, it was still running great when it was towed away.

pdqsailor1 · 61-69, M

The First W124 to hit one million miles was a taxi cab in Portugal. Mercedes purchased the car and it is in their museum in Stuttgart. It was simply the first one not by far the only one. Show me one model of cars that durable . I hear a Tesla Model S is close but not with the original battery in it. @SubstantialKick

pdqsailor1 · 61-69, M

The million mile taxi - sits in the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart - it only the FIRST one to have reached this # of miles..

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@pdqsailor1
[quote]1966 Volvo P1800 Hits 3 Million Miles with Original Owner[/quote]

https://www.motortrend.com/news/1966-volvo-p1800-hits-3-million-miles-with-original-owner-404243/

pdqsailor1 · 61-69, M

@ninalanyon The car actually outlived the owner.. these P (and EP) Volvo's and the 240's were exceptionally long lived cars and ones that built the company's reputation.. Same with the Mercedes W124 - the car that lived up to the promise of "the best or nothing" - a promise which BTW nothing that either builder makes today can fulfill.. I own the nicest W124 in Canada... and I enjoy driving it..

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@pdqsailor1 I had a 1965 Volvo Amazon that I scrapped at over 300 thousand miles in 1984. There was nothing wrong with it, we just wanted a more comfortable car so we bought a 1976 245 which I scrapped in 1996 because it had a hole in the floor due to road salt that would be more expensive to repair than the value of the car. The car had done almost 300 thousand miles. Anyway, it was time for a change.

pdqsailor1 · 61-69, M

@ninalanyon I have a beater for the winter.. My Mercedes has never seen one spec of salt, ever. Its only got 85,000 miles on it at 29 years of age..

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@pdqsailor1 I've only had my 2015 Tesla Model S since December 2017 and I've done 100 thousand km. The previous owner put 80 kkm on in two years!. I drive instead of flying. Plenty of salt on the roads in the winter. I just hope that the all aluminium body tolerates it, so far so good.

I'm 66 now so I don't suppose I'll get the car to the same mileage as my Amazon.