Buying Used Cars in Taylors: How Reliable are Car Reliability Scores?

Reliability rating is a popular term in the used car market. If you are researching used cars for sale in Greenville, SC, chances are high that you will first check the reliability rating of the model and then move forward with the other parameters. But making a purchase decision solely based on reliability is not always the wisest path. Even the most reliable vehicles can break down often while the least reliable can run over 300,000 miles. You need to ask how reliable are reliability ratings actually and look beyond the scores for a change.

What exactly are car reliability ratings?

Companies like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power analyze car manufacturers and their models on grounds of the inconveniences caused to the customers through frequent breakdowns and repairs. In other words, if a car sees fewer repairs than another during the same span of ownership, the former is tagged with a higher reliability rating or score.

And how do Consumer Reports and J.D. Power collect that information? They survey car owners directly. They ask around about the frequency of repairs in 12 months, what all were covered under warranty, and more such questions and come to a conclusion. The system seems to work. If you purchase a highly reliable used car from a top buy here pay here in Greenville, you will likely see fewer repairs during your ownership than a vehicle with poor reliability scores.

Then, why are reliability ratings often not reliable?

Used cars for sale in Greenville, SC are ultimately machines put together by machines. Manufacturing defects are common and a few parts can fail. Not even the best carmaker in America can guarantee that every model it produces will run seamlessly for years without defects and this is what makes reliability one of the many important parameters rather than being the top one.

Also, a used car’s overall health is dependent on its maintenance. Even if you stick to Honda used cars for sale in Greenville, SC because the auto manufacturer is known for its high reliability ratings, the vehicle you buy is bound to break down soon if it was not properly maintained by its previous owner. Then, comes internal wear and tear due to city or highway mileage, driving habits, routine replacements, and a host of other factors. A reliable car can only live up to its fame if its owner had been responsible.

Give reliability its due credit

And do not judge used cars for sale in Greenville, SC solely based on reliability. Buy from a top dealership like Family Auto of Taylors where you can be sure of the underlying quality. Look at the vehicle’s maintenance history. Focus on getting a used car warranty and then measure the vehicle’s reliability. On its own, reliability might be an unreliable parameter but when combined with others, the metric works.