Future Chevrolet Silverado owners won’t need to visit their dealers as often. Apparently, GM is developing a system to deliver more advanced over-the-air (OTA) updates to its cars, which would reduce how often an owner has to travel to a dealership to get new software loaded into their system.

While current GM-brand vehicles are capable of OTA updates, the current system is limited in its scope and hampered by multiple subsets of software for different cars. Right now, GM has electric, hybrid, and ICE vehicles, all of which are running software that’s different from one another. This new system plans to rectify that, unifying it to one set of software for all cars.

Advanced Features and OTA

General Motors’ Senior Vice President of Vehicle Products, Jaclyn McQuaid, went on an interview with The Drive in order to talk more about the new central compute system that GM has planned. Among the features that were discussed, McQuaid said that OTA updates will be a part of the system’s capabilities.

While the verdict on the new future-thinking features is still up in the air, the confirmation of OTA updates means that vehicle owners, whose cars are capable of receiving OTA updates, won’t have to visit dealers anymore to update their vehicles’ software, saving them a trip or two to the dealership, which “could have been an email,” so to speak.

McQuaid told the drive: “The goal is to significantly reduce what would need a dealership visit versus what can be done OTA.” GM’s new central compute system will also become the bedrock for its new features, and it will also revolve around the AI reboot of OnStar, LMR-powered BEVs, and autonomous driving features for the company’s new vehicles.

McQuaid did still mention that owners will have to visit dealerships for maintenance and for worn-out or damaged hardware. No amount of compute power can fix a ruptured airbag or fix a broken windshield, so don’t expect your next oil change to come over-the-air. The goal here is to eliminate the need for in-dealer software updates for some parts of the car. The new compute system will simply allow OTA updates to reach more vehicle systems.

Scheduled for 2028

The new central compute system will use multiple modules and put them into one system. The new computational architecture will allow GM to go further and deeper with its OTA updates. McQuaid also mentioned that the new central compute system will have more capabilities than today’s systems because of the “dozens of different modules,” which, paired with the central compute, will “significantly expand what is capable of an OTA,” McQuaid continued.

Unlike some brands that use several ECUs to govern and control different parts of the car, we can expect GM’s central compute system to have less fragmentation. This arrangement will be key to unlocking the next big features for GM, and the brand is designing its architecture and software to have 40 times more computational power than the systems of today. This development has been in the works since 2019, and the company’s goals remain the same, which is to deliver a more powerful computer for the car and enable more powerful OTA updates.

What Is An Oil Catch Can?

This is where the oil catch can enters the equation, but what is it, and what does an oil catch can do? It is installed inline with the PCV system and is designed to filter the oil droplets out of that oil mist coming from the crankcase. These gases pass through a set of baffles, and as the gases suddenly slow down and cool, the heavier oil and water droplets condense onto the filter media and trickle into the catch can. Higher-quality catch cans also have stainless-steel or copper mesh filters to make sure that the fluids stay in the catch can and don’t get sucked back into the engine. Only filtered air can exit the can, while the heavier fluids stay behind to be drained at regular intervals.

What Type of Engines Benefit from an Oil Catch Can?

The engines that most benefit from oil catch cans are the ones with direct fuel injection. These engines have no manifold injectors that spray fuel onto the backs of the intake valves to keep them clean, so any oil that collects on the valves will stay there. Engine heat will cause the oil to harden and form a hard carbon crust, which gets thicker and thicker as the miles roll by, with engine efficiency and performance eventually suffering. If a direct-injected engine is turbocharged, an oil catch can is even more beneficial to prevent the intercooler and its plumbing from getting coated in an oil layer that may reduce its effectiveness.

Dual-Injection Engines

Some direct-injected engines do have additional manifold injectors – the so-called dual-injected engines – that help keep the intake valves clean, and some examples include:

• The Dynamic Force naturally aspirated 2.0L and 2.5L Toyota 4-cylinder engines in cars like the Toyota RAV4 and Lexus NX, and the turbocharged Dynamic Force engines: the 2.4L 4-cylinder (in vehicles like the Tacoma and 4Runner), the 3.4L twin-turbo V6 (Toyota Highlander, Lexus GX, etc.), and the 1.6L 3-cylinder in the GR Corolla.
• The FA24 naturally aspirated boxer 4-cylinder engine in the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ.
• Later generations of the Ford 2.7L and 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engines, as well as recent generations (2018+) of the Coyote V8 engine.
• Some later variants of the VW/Audi EA888 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, depending on the year and market.

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Dual-injected engines have manifold injectors, so their intake valves stay far cleaner. These injectors don’t work all the time, but only when needed, so they will greatly reduce carbon buildup, but may not be able to entirely prevent it at high mileages.

Which Oil Catch Can is the Best

You generally get what you pay for, so the more expensive oil catch cans are better. An oil catch can should not just have baffles, but also a filter to be properly effective, and to make sure as little oil vapor as possible makes it back into the engine. The more expensive ones have a proper filter, a drain plug, and a bigger can that you don’t have to empty as often. Here is an interesting discussion by Jason Fense of Engineering Explained about the different types of oil catch cans and why they are so important for direct-injected engines:

How to Install an Oil Catch Can in Your Car

A home mechanic with a basic mechanical interest can fairly easily install an oil catch can themselves. First, you must check how much under-hood space you have for one. Bigger catch cans require more space. You also need to find a spot high up enough so it’s easy to get to the catch can and check the level or drain it, but not too close to a heat source like an exhaust manifold. You’ll need high-pressure fuel- and oil-resistant hoses to connect it, and you may have to fabricate a bracket or devise a way to mount it safely and securely.

What is the Fluid in the Oil Catch Can Made Up Of?

The fluid that accumulates in the oil catch can may hardly look like oil to you, because a lot of it isn’t. It’s made up of fuel-diluted oil, unburnt fuel, soot, acidic combustion byproducts, and water, and may be an unsightly yellow sludge. Humidity and water vapor condensation can turn it milky white. The result is only partly oil, and the rest is made up of a cocktail of substances generated in the crankcase and PCV system.

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Final Thoughts

A modern car with direct fuel injection can benefit greatly from an oil catch can, and the earlier in the car’s life you install it, the better. It’s an affordable way to keep your intake valves clean, and a high-quality oil catch can installed when the mileage is low will keep your engine running efficiently far longer because it’s not being choked by baked-on carbon on your intake valves. It is even more indispensable in turbocharged direct-injected engines.

Even at high mileages, once you’ve had your intake valves and intercooler system cleaned, you can install a catch can to massively reduce future carbon buildup. The first time you empty that oil catch can, you’ll get a graphic demonstration of all the gunk that would otherwise have gone straight into your engine. It’s absolutely worth the few hundred dollars it costs you to buy and install.

Why Carbon Builds Up on Your Engine’s Intake Valves

To understand why carbon can build up on intake valves, we have to understand how crankcase pressure works. In the normal operation of a piston internal combustion engine (ICE), some of the combustion pressure generated above the pistons escapes past the rings into the crankcase below, because the rings don’t form a perfect seal. These blow-by gases being pumped into the crankcase build up crankcase pressure that has to go somewhere, so in pre-emissions regulation days, the vapors were simply vented to the atmosphere via a vent pipe.

But these gases are essentially exhaust gases mixed with oil vapors and soot, so modern emissions legislation no longer allows them to be vented to the atmosphere. Instead, a PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system reroutes them back to the intake manifold via a tube with a one-way valve, so the engine can suck the gases in and burn them. The problem is that the oil droplets in these vapors hit the backs of the intake valves and stick to them as they are sucked into the engine. 

This is typically not a problem on old-school engines with indirect fuel injection, because the fuel injectors sit in the intake tract and spray the gasoline directly onto the back of the intake valves, dissolving and cleaning off the oil droplets before they can bake on in the form of stubborn carbon deposits. But many modern engines employ direct injection, so the injectors are in the combustion chambers, spraying fuel directly into the cylinder and not into the intake tract. Without the fuel constantly cleaning the intake valves, the oil droplets harden and bake onto the valves, building up more and more over the years until they turn into a thick layer of hardened carbon gunk. It’s made worse by short trips and stop-and-go traffic in congested city centers, which never allows the engine to warm up properly to burn off the soot and oil before it hardens.

Symptoms of Direct Injection Carbon Buildup on Intake Valves

As the carbon deposits get thicker, they take up more and more space in the intake tract, restricting the amount of air that can pass over the valve and into the cylinder. When the engine is choked like this, it can’t get enough air and will start to run poorly as combustion is disrupted, losing both power and efficiency. The carbon can even prevent the valves from seating properly to seal off the combustion chamber, leading to burnt valves. Misfires, exhaust smoke, difficulty starting the engine, rough running, and an illuminated Check Engine Light (CEL) may be some of the many possible symptoms. In turbocharged vehicles, these dirty gases flow through the intercooler and may also coat the inside of this component, reducing its effectiveness.

What You Can Do to Prevent Carbon Buildup

If you buy your direct-injected car brand-new, it gives you an opportunity to stay ahead of carbon buildup before it becomes excessive. In terms of driving habits, an “Italian tune-up”, where you occasionally run the engine hard through its entire rev range to increase temperatures and airflow to burn off light and loose deposits, can help keep your valves cleaner. Highway driving helps, and short city trips that don’t allow your engine to warm up properly don’t, and will make the problem worse.

PCV valve maintenance is important so the PCV system works correctly and doesn’t get stuck or act erratically and dump excessive amounts of oil into the intake at once. Also use only the highest quality low-volatility oil in your engine, as recommended by the manufacturer, to reduce evaporative byproducts and sludge formation. And change your oil frequently, every 7,000 miles or so, or annually if you drive less than that per year.

An additional measure – and arguably the most important one if your driving habits are likely to worsen carbon buildup – is to install a high-quality oil catch can inline with your PCV system. A baffled catch can with a good non-return filter will intercept a lot of those oil droplets on their way to the intake, and the fluid will accumulate in the can, which you can periodically drain.

What You Can Do to Fix Carbon Buildup Once It’s There

The least invasive cleaning method is using an aerosol induction cleaner sprayed into the vehicle’s air intake while the engine is running, but it is also the least effective. It may help if you do it regularly to remove very light buildup, but it’s unlikely to slow carbon buildup much unless you do it at least every 10,000 miles or so.

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Manual cleaning with chemicals and a brush is far more invasive and labor-intensive, and requires you to remove the intake manifold and follow the product’s instructions to spray, agitate, and scrape the carbon off the valves physically, and then vacuum and flush the debris, all without getting it into your engine. This may be beyond the scope of a fairly inexperienced DIY home mechanic.

The only fully effective and guaranteed way to fully remove all the carbon buildup from the intake valves – and the only way to remove heavy, baked-on carbon crusting – is to walnut-shell blast the intake valves. A mechanic will remove the intake manifold, seal the valves, set up a vacuum system to extract debris, and blast the hardened carbon with a media blaster using fine 18/40-grit walnut shells and an air compressor set to around 90 psi. This can be accomplished without removing the cylinder head if you have a media blaster and the right tools. It can even be done at home by an experienced home mechanic.

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Final Thoughts

The design of a direct-injected car’s PCV system and your driving habits can have a big effect on how quickly carbon buildup becomes a problem, but the issue can rear its head from as little as 20,000 miles in some engines, though many cars will get to 60,000 miles or more before action is needed. Some engines feature dual-injection, which means that each cylinder has two injectors – one in the combustion chamber and one in the intake tract. Examples include the 2.0L and 2.5L 4-cylinder engines in modern Toyotas and the latest generation of the Ford 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine (below). These engines will stay carbon-free for much longer, as the manifold injectors help keep the intake valves clean.

For cars with regular direct injection, we suggest following the guidelines in this article to stay ahead of the problem, as removing carbon that’s already built up can turn out to be labor-intensive and expensive if left for too long. Worse, your engine gradually loses performance and fuel economy as the buildup worsens, so it’s already costing you money even before the engine starts to run poorly. We would recommend a good-quality oil catch can in combination with the other measures above to postpone the problem for as long as possible.

This timing is critical because most engines have an interference design, meaning the valves and pistons occupy the same space when the valves are open and the pistons are at top dead center. If a valve stays open but the piston keeps moving up, they will collide, causing very expensive or engine-ruining damage. The camshaft(s) are usually connected to the engine via a timing chain or belt. A timing belt usually sits on the outside of the engine. It runs more quietly but wears out more quickly and has to be replaced more often. A timing chain sits inside the engine, in the engine oil, and usually lasts longer, though it’s more expensive and noisier.

A New Frontier: The Wet Belt Engine

Ford turned this logic on its head and brought the first engine to market in 2007 with a timing belt that sat inside the engine and ran in engine oil, just like a chain, hence “wet”. The belt was supposed to be the silver bullet that brought the best of both worlds together. The belt could last a lot longer by running in protective lubricating engine oil, while maintaining the benefits of quiet, low-friction efficiency. It’s made of specialized chemical-resistant polymers and high-strength glass fiber or aramid cords, and should be good for 100,000 miles or more – more than some chain designs. 

It arrived first in the 1.8-liter TDCI turbo-diesel 4-cylinder engine used in vehicles like the Transit and Mondeo in international markets. In 2012, Ford’s new Fox engine – the award-winning 1.0-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder that also made it to the U.S. in cars like the Fiesta and Focus – also received a wet timing belt. It also appeared in Ford’s 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo-diesel EcoBlue engine and its naturally aspirated 1.5-liter 3-cylinder Dragon gas engine. Honda dabbled with wet-belt technology for its 1.0-liter engine in some markets, and Peugeot designed the wet-belt PureTech 1.0L and 1.2L engines, which are now used by Stellantis in some markets.

A Good Idea, Until It Wasn’t

In practice, the wet belt soon became a nightmare. The belts started degrading prematurely, shedding teeth (below left) and belt fragments that ended up in the engine oil, blocking oil passages, the oil pickup (below center), and the filter, and leading to total engine destruction if oil starvation or complete belt failure occurred. Wet belts require specific, manufacturer-approved oil formulations that contain belt conditioners to preserve the specialized PTFE, aramid, and hydrogenated nitrile rubber compounds found in these belts, and failure to do this leads to premature belt degradation.

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Additionally, oil acidification in modern turbocharged engines shortens belt life, and the natural oil dilution that takes place during lots of city driving, where fuel that comes past the piston rings mixes with the engine oil, also breaks down the belt faster, especially in the case of ethanol-rich fuels. All these factors, combined with the appropriate neglect, can lead to belt degradation at mileages as low as 30,000 miles.

Ford’s decision to use a wet belt in its EcoBlue diesel engine, which is used in work trucks like the Ranger in international markets, caused so many problems that it had to re-engineer the engine at great cost to revert to a timing chain, following customer backlash and engine failures. Stellantis has also quietly re-engineered its PureTech 3-cylinder engines to revert to chain drive, starting in 2023, after years of problems.

Which U.S.-market Cars Have Wet Timing Belts?

Most engines using wet timing belts never made it to the U.S., and the only one that ever did came from Ford. The 1.0-liter turbocharged inline 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine used a wet timing belt, and it was found in these cars:

• 2014-2017 Ford Fiesta sedan and hatch (below center)
• 2015-2018 Ford Focus sedan and hatch (below
• 2018-2021 Ford EcoSport subcompact crossover (below right)

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We suggest avoiding a used Ford with this engine, as it’s generally not regarded as a very robust engine and has been problematic in the U.S. Ford’s wet timing belt design adds to its problems, and even a clean used one may not always have received the correct engine oil to preserve belt life, so you’d have to have the belt replaced as a precaution anyway. To add insult to injury, this engine also uses a separate wet oil-pump belt, complete with its own tensioner, and this will have to be swapped out as well.

Another Hidden Wet Belt Lurks in the Shadows

Ah yes, that rarely talked-about oil-pump belt we just mentioned above in the Ford Fox engine. Oil pumps are now increasingly driven by a short, oil-bathed rubber belt. It’s found in some 2017-2022 Honda 1.0L engines, the current EA288 2.0L turbo-diesel and EA211 1.4L gas engines from the VW Group, the 1.0L and 1.2L PureTech I3 gas engines from Stellantis, and the 1.5L BlueHDi diesel engine, also used by Stellantis. However, none of these engines are found under the hoods of cars sold in the U.S.

Engines in U.S.-sold cars with a wet oil-pump belt include:

• Ford 2.7L and 3.0L turbocharged V6 engines
• Ford 2018+ Coyote V8 engine
• Ford 1.5L 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine
• GM LM2 and LZ0 3.0L inline 6-cylinder Duramax turbo-diesel engine

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So, while the U.S. might be lucky to have escaped most of the cars that used wet timing belts, there are several cars using wet oil-pump belts on our market, some of them selling in large numbers. A wet oil-pump belt is generally more reliable than a wet timing belt, because it only drives the oil pump and nothing else, but it’s not maintenance-free, even though Ford lists it as a “lifetime” item in most of its engines.

This is a very optimistic claim, and our position, borne out by real-world experience and supported by specialists’ recommendations, is that there is no such thing as a lifetime rubber belt. That lifetime claim is heavily dependent on the use of the correct Ford-approved synthetic oil formulation, and you have no way of knowing if a used Ford you’re buying has always received the right oil, so you end up changing the belt as a precaution anyway. 

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Since Ford regards it as a lifetime item, it’s not easily serviceable, and the invasive engine teardown required to get to the belt can cost anywhere between $3,000 and $6,000 on the V6 engine, depending on where you have it done, even though the actual parts only cost $200. Even with the right oil, specialists recommend a replacement interval of 80,000 to 100,000 miles. This recommendation is supported by the fact that Ford had to revise its belt-change intervals on the 1,5L Dragon engine from 150,000 miles to 100,000 miles, following premature belt degradation.

Final Thoughts

The U.S. market was spared the worst of the wet timing belt drama. Only one such engine ever made it over here, and it’s easy to avoid. But the belt-driven oil pump has become quite commonplace nowadays, and it brings many of the same problems. Premature belt degradation due to harsh usage patterns, incorrect oil, deferred maintenance, and long replacement intervals will lead to the same issues as a degrading wet timing belt, just a bit later. Worse, when the oil-pump belt fully fails, your oil pump stops, your engine loses oil pressure, and you can terminally damage it in a few seconds. It can be difficult to avoid cars with some sort of wet belt in their engines, so we suggest going for lower mileage when buying used, with a full official dealer service history and frequent, conservative maintenance.

On older cars, one should at least drop the sump or stick one of those small borescope cameras into the sump drain plug to examine the oil pickup for any rubber fragments. If any are present, the belt must be changed, and you’ll also have to examine the cylinder bores via the spark-plug holes to see if there is cylinder scoring due to particles circulating in the lubrication system. The entire lubrication system will have to be flushed as well.

Are wet timing belt materials improving? Yes, more advanced elastomer chemistries, protected tensile cords, tougher tooth fabrics, and rubber compounds more resistant to oil and oil contaminants have made wet belts more durable, but they still need religious maintenance and specific oils, and pose a bigger risk than a chain, so all we can say is “buyer beware!”

Batteries degrade over time. Whether it’s phones, laptops, or even cars, you, as the owner, will notice a drop in performance as the batteries degrade. How fast batteries degrade depends on a number of factors, but this guy takes it to another level with this 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV.

Seven years is a lot of time for an EV to be on the road, and the Chevrolet Bolt is far from perfect, having experienced a recall in the past. This particular model went in for a recall at 138,000 miles. After that, the Bolt went another 330,000 miles before the battery pack was replaced again.

Still on the Original Motor

The battery pack is considered a consumable item on EVs. Charging and discharging are part of an EV’s wear-and-tear cycle, but what’s impressive about this Bolt is that it’s still on its original electric motor after about 470,000 miles.

Out of Spec Renew, the video’s poster, noted that the Bolt had its suspension parts and wheel bearings replaced during its life. Impressive, considering these parts outlasted the car’s motor.

With the old battery pack, the Bolt couldn’t go into drive, reverse, or charge. When the old battery pack was opened, it revealed widespread swelling and a low voltage. Those familiar with battery health and degradation will know these are signs the pack needs replacing. Because of how electric vehicles are assembled and packaged, the only way to physically check is to open the cells and inspect them.

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Beyond 470,000 miles

To keep the Chevrolet Bolt EV on the road, I had to procure a replacement battery. The replacement pack came from an even older model from 2017, and its mileage was estimated at around 10,000 to 15,000.

Now, getting the replacement pack working wasn’t plug-and-play. Some software wizardry was required to tell the car that there was a new battery. After some tries, the car was up and running again.

The estimated cost of a second-hand battery, the installation, and labor totals about $2,651. The breakdown includes a $1,800 bill for the second-hand battery, $800 in labor, and $51 for the software programming. For a typical customer repair, the pack is estimated at about $2,500 to $3,000, which is reasonable if you don’t factor in the Bolt’s second-hand value.

After the battery replacement, the car is running, but it’s still far from perfect. There are a few more minor things to address, which include the leaking passenger-side axle seal and a gear reduction oil change. At this age, it’s also a good idea to change the coolant in the battery and fully charge the cells. I mean, it’s still a car that’s been run for nearly half a million miles.

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At that point, ZF had had great success with its 8HP longitudinally mounted 8-speed automatic, which is still immensely popular today, and one of the most ubiquitous transmission options in use in many brands of modern cars. Though the perfect transmission doesn’t exist, ZF no doubt hoped to at least emulate the 8HP’s success with its new transverse 9-speed transmission, offering a hugely improved ratio spread of 9.808 in a housing no larger than a 6-speed transverse automatic. The first car to use it was the 2013 Jeep Cherokee that was on sale until MY2024, and the transmission is manufactured in the Indiana Transmission Plant and the Tipton Transmission Plant, right here in the U.S.

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It Had All the Credentials on Paper

The 9HP seemed set for greatness. ZF patented its compact planetary gearset concept that combined serial parallel power flow to reduce manufacturing complexity and save space. It was the same size and 16.5 pounds lighter than ZF’s previous 6-speed automatic by making use of innovations such as a nested gearset (above right) to save space, an extra-compact, vane-type hydraulic pump (below), and two dog clutches to replace conventional clutch packs. As dog clutches make no provision for slip, and must be perfectly lined up to engage smoothly, this was done by precise computer control while shifting.

The transmission debuted in the Jeep Cherokee and soon spread to other then-FCA (pre-Stellantis) cars such as the Dodge Hornet, Ram ProMaster City, Chrysler 200 and Pacifica, and Alfa Romeo Tonale. It would also be used in the Infiniti QX60, the Land Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport, the Jaguar E-Pace, and the Nissan Pathfinder. Honda and Acura adopted the 9HP while its own in-house 10-speed automatic was still in development, and used it in many of its cars and SUVs.

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What Went Wrong?

From day one, the ZF9 transmission was slated by the motoring press and exhibited many quirks and problems, including noisy operation, delayed shifts, slow kickdown, throttle lag, harsh or jerky 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts, an inconsistent shift feel, and incessant gear hunting at cruising speeds. The transmission would sometimes downshift as expected for merging or overtaking, but would, at other times, take an inordinate amount of time to respond to sudden throttle demands. ZF blamed the issues on software and calibration problems and said that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the transmission.

The Transmission Control Module (TCM) software was notoriously complex in order to integrate the novel shift regime and dog-clutch actuation, and many of the problems stemmed from its inability to effectively manage all nine gears. The adaptive learning software was also supposed to tailor shifting to driver behavior, but flaws in the shift logic often led to hesitation and unpredictable shift patterns. Repeated Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) requiring the valve body to be recalibrated and the software to be reflashed were issued to improve control logic.

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Earlier variants also experienced a higher rate of mechanical failures, mainly related to slipping, valve-body wear causing delayed engagement, lurching, and harsh shifts, and overheating under high loads, such as when towing. Because of the space constraints of its transverse layout and its compact housing, the 9HP holds about a quart or two less transmission fluid than the longitudinal 8HP transmission, so there is less margin built into the cooling system, and thermal management becomes an issue under high-stress conditions.

Were the Problems Fixed?

The software problems were eventually fixed, significantly improving throttle response, gear hunting, and harsh shifts, but some of the quirks remain due to the transmission’s novel layout. Mechanically sensitive drivers will notice how the shifts don’t all feel the same, as some of the shifts are handled by traditional multi-plate friction clutch packs, but others – specifically the 4-5 shift and 7-8 shift – are handled by the dog clutches that have to be lined up by the computer first before engaging, making those shifts slower and feel subtly different to the others. 

The delays to engage the dog clutches could never be engineered out completely, and downshifts requiring both dog clutches to be electronically lined up and engaged will still be significantly delayed, making the transmission feel like it’s hesitating.

Is the 9HP Considered a Reliable Transmission Today?

Even with all its software problems solved, and with the tighter tolerances and updated later transmissions, the 9HP’s expected longevity is only average. Its space-constrained mechanical limitations and limited capacity for transmission fluid mean that it is more sensitive to negligence and abuse, and can overheat more easily. It is absolutely critical to do a proper transmission flush or fluid exchange at least every 40,000 to 50,000 miles, or sooner if you drive an SUV and you tow heavy loads.

Don’t just do a drain & fill, because that will only get 3.5 to four quarts of fluid out of the transmission, with more than that in dirty fluid staying behind. A proper fluid exchange is essential, or you risk the old fluid accelerating wear on the valve body (above) and other components. If your car’s instruction manual states that the transmission is “filled for life”, this is a red flag, and you can expect problems to start before 130,000 miles without fluid changes. A well-cared-for 9HP that’s looked after properly and flushed periodically should be able to get you past 200,000 miles before a rebuild. It’s not as good as many rivals, but still decent; better than the average CVT and not too far off the 8-speed transverse automatic from Toyota’s Aisin brand.

Final Thoughts

The ZF 9HP was heavily criticized for its shifting behavior when it launched, and earlier variants were more prone to mechanical failure and worn valve bodies, but ZF softed out the software and tightened up quality control, so the 9HP can now be considered average for longevity, with caveats. It’s a fairly delicate transmission that doesn’t take kindly to abuse and may overheat if worked very hard and when towing. In normal use, and with a transmission flush every 40,000 to 50,000 miles, it should last well and is capable of high mileages. Still, it’s generally not regarded as a particularly robust or long-lived transmission.

The software issues have been sorted out, but keep in mind that its unique design and use of dog clutches will affect its shifting behavior, and all shifts won’t feel the same, or happen at the same speed. If you demand instant power of it and it lands up in a situation where it has to drop three or four gears and perhaps engage both dog clutches, you will still experience a delayed response, but people have gotten to know its quirks, and you learn to compensate for the occasional stumble. Honda has abandoned it in favor of its own in-house-designed 10-speed automatic, and it’s safe to say that it hasn’t become a smash hit as its longitudinal 8-speed 8HP sibling has.

The repayment part is pretty easy to work out, but knowing what to expect in terms of maintenance costs is not always that simple. The best method is to analyze what existing owners have experienced during their ownership period. So, we used data from industry experts at CarEdge, Kelley Blue Book (KBB), and RepairPal, to get a better look at what you can expect to pay to keep your vehicle on the road for the first five years.

Breaking Down Costs by Brand

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The badge on your hood plays a big role in your yearly maintenance bills. Looking at car maintenance costs by brand, economy and Japanese automakers consistently lead the pack in affordability, while luxury European brands tend to command a premium.

According to 5-year cost projections from CarEdge, Fiat is currently ranked as the least expensive popular brand to maintain, costing an estimated $1,178 over a 5-year period. However, with just one model on offer and sales figures barely breaking 1,000 units per year, it is not really statistically relevant here.

Toyota falls to the other end of the spectrum, having shifted over 2.5 million vehicles in the US last year, its 5-year average maintenance cost of $1,814 is far more representative of what to expect. Mitsubishi is not far behind with a figure of $2,141, while MINI ($2,162), Honda ($2,185) and Volkswagen ($2,194) round out the top five.

Tesla tops the luxury brands charts with a 5-year maintenance cost of $1,583. Lexus comes in at second with $2,377 while Genesis ($2,457) and Acura ($,2715) are not far behind.

Popular German marques like BMW, and Mercedes-Benz cost $5,145 and $4,217 respectively for the same 5-year period. Land Rover comes in at second last at $5,725, but Bentley owners pay a whopping $12,032 on average over five years. That is almost 7 times more than it costs to maintain a Toyota over the same period.

RepairPal’s data confirms the majority of these findings in its study. It notes that historically reliable brands like Honda and Toyota boast average yearly repair and maintenance costs of just $428 and $441, respectively. That works out to be $2,140 over 5 years for Honda and $2,205 for Toyota.

Luxury automakers demand more from you than just ahigher asking price; maintaining a Porsche, for example, averages about $1,192 per year, while a BMW is $968 annually.

Maintenance Costs by Vehicle Segment

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While the brand you pick is clearly important, the figures above cover all the models that a manufacturer sells. Splitting up these numbers by segment allows us to see how much of an impact the size and positioning of your vehicle dictates the price of things like parts, tires, and labor. Using data sourced from RepairPal, we can see how the annual maintenance cost shifts as you move up in vehicle size:

Compact SUVs: The most popular SUV segment by far, these vehicles offer a great balance of utility and economy, and they are also surprisingly cheap to keep running. RepairPal data shows they cost an average of $521 per year to maintain.

Midsize Sedans: This segment is making a comeback in 2026, and cars like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry aren’t only affordable to buy, they’re incredibly budget-friendly, too, costing an average of $526 per year.

Midsize SUVs: As you step up to larger family haulers, the costs rise slightly due to larger brakes, bigger tires, and beefier suspension components. Midsize SUVs average $573 per year in upkeep.

Full-size Pickups: Trucks are built for heavy-duty work, meaning their components are larger, more complex, and more expensive to replace. A poor reliability record across the board also doesn’t help. That is why full-size pickups are  the most expensive segment on this list, averaging $936 per year.

What Drives Your Maintenance Bill?

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Looking at the data as a whole, the average car maintenance cost per year generally ranges anywhere from $400 to $1,200 depending on the vehicle. As the data shows, driving a compact SUV will cost a fraction of what it will take to maintain a luxury European model or a Full-size pickup.

However, routine maintenance is vastly different from sudden, unexpected breakdowns and an unreliable vehicle is more likely to need additional repairs that can push your costs way up. According to Kelley Blue Book thanks to increasingly complex car technology, the average cost of car repairs for a single unplanned trip to the mechanic now sits at $838.

Newer cars often benefit from factory warranties and complimentary maintenance programs, keeping out-of-pocket costs very low for the first few years. As a car ages, the likelihood of major component failure (like transmissions or head gaskets) increases significantly, especially on brands that aren’t known for their reliability.

There are ways to keep your maintenance costs low even if you don’t already own one of the top performing brands here. Driving style is a key factor, as aggressive acceleration and braking will wear out the mechanical components far quicker than a measured driving approach. Regular servicing and keeping your car garaged in harsh climates can also help keep things running smoothly as well.

The truth is that there are different types of transmission services, and unfortunately, like many things in life, the cheap fixes often cost you in the long term. Let’s look at the proper way to maintain your automatic transmission, how to know what to ask for, and what difference there is between the different types of transmission fluid changes. We focus on traditional automatic transmissions in this article, but the principles apply to other automatics as well, with the numbers suitably adapted.

Why must I change my automatic transmission fluid?

Automatic transmissions have many moving parts, and there are friction surfaces that rub on each other, such as clutch packs and brake bands, giving off particles that become suspended in the oil as these surfaces wear away. Think of it in terms of the black brake dust that is produced when your brake pads wear away in use, only the particles released from the friction surfaces in your transmission cannot be removed in an easy weekly wash like brake dust, but stay inside the transmission, and contaminates the transmission fluid, turning it black. 

It stands to reason that more and more contaminants get added to the fluid as time goes on and that this fluid will have to be changed at some point. The particles are abrasive and will accelerate wear of the transmission components if allowed to circulate unchecked. Automatic transmissions typically have strainers and filters to catch these contaminants before they can cause harm, but these will eventually become clogged and will have to be replaced as well, alongside the fluid.

The “lifetime filled” lie

Some transmission manufacturers and automakers market their transmissions as “lifetime filled”, but transmission experts across the industry agree overwhelmingly that there is no such thing as a lifetime filled transmission, and that it is a marketing term to sell cars that seem to require less maintenance. The manufacturer may have designed the transmission to survive for say 100,000 or 150,000 miles without any fluid changes, and they may regard that as the typical “lifetime” of the vehicle. But the truth is that many Americans drive their cars and trucks for far longer distances, and the transmission will simply wear out and fail if you never change the fluid. No transmission is filled for life; it’s a lie and a myth.

What is the difference between a drain & fill and a flush?

A drain & fill entails only draining the transmission pan and removing the fluid that will drain from the transmission under gravity only. Only around 30-50% of your transmission’s fluid can be drained this way. You read that correctly – half at most. The rest of the dirty fluid stays behind in the torque converter, valve body, and oil-cooler circuit. This is the cheapest option (usually less than $300), but the filter is sometimes not even replaced. This is often sold to customers as a “transmission service” that gives them peace of mind, but the reality is that you drive away with more than half of your old dirty fluid, as well as, in many cases, the old filter kit.

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A flush (also called a fluid exchange) uses a special machine to pump all of the old fluid out of the transmission, including the oil cooler and torque converter. A special fluid is then pumped through the transmission to flush it before the new transmission fluid is added. This is the most invasive and expensive method and can reach the $400-$700 range, but it includes cleaning the strainer and replacing the filter kit. This is the only effective way to get rid of all the dirty fluid.

How frequently to change your transmission fluid

This is not an easy question to answer and depends on many factors. You can check your vehicle’s instruction manual to see what the transmission service intervals are, but if it says “filled for life”, we already know that you should disregard that. It may state a mileage, but it will be a very optimistic starting point; manufacturers want to sell cars with minimal maintenance requirements. Conversely, our advice is conservative to give you the best chance to keep your transmission trouble-fee, so the manufacturer’s interval should be regarded as the absolute maximum between flushes under ideal driving conditions, not in moderate to severe use.

The most conservative practical maintenance regime would be to flush your transmission every 30,000 to 50,000 miles, including a new filter kit. Under the lightest possible use, which would be lots of highway driving and little town driving or towing, this can easily be pushed to around 60,000 miles, and you can do a cheap drain & fill halfway, at 30,000 miles to tide you over until the flush. In severe driving conditions in extremes of temperature and when towing, we would not exceed 30,000 miles between flushes. Keep in mind the the intervals of CVT and dual-clutch transmission are even shorter, and that all CVTs, and ever more so the ones on older Nissans, can be very unreliable if neglected.

Take note that these limits are only a guide, and your manufacturer’s prescribed interval may be even shorter. Volvo burnt its fingers with many transmission failures on old 2000s models with the 5-speed Aisin automatic transmission that was billed “filled for life”, and drastically shortened the interval from “lifetime” to a full flush every 37,000 miles in some markets. This kind of about-face clearly illustrates what can be regarded as a sensible mileage when a manufacturer is finally forced to deal with reality and prescribe sensible intervals.

Final Thoughts

A drain & fill can be considered, at best, a waste of money compared to a proper flush, considering that it will cost you a few hundred dollars anyway, which could have gone to a full fluid exchange that may have been good for 60,000 miles or so. Don’t take shortcuts with your automatic transmission’s maintenance, and don’t be fooled into thinking you can do 100,000 miles on the original fluid, or that it’s filled for life.

Do a flush every 30,000 to 50,000 miles and a good transmission design can last you 200,000 thousand miles or more. And keep in mind that even the cheapest economy car’s automatic transmission will cost you around $2,000 to rebuild, while a big and expensive transmission may be three times as much. Suddenly, that flush looks like pocket change for the peace of mind it can bring.

What The Numbers Show

At lower mileage, there’s almost no difference: between 20,000 and 40,000 miles, 12 percent of EVs failed versus 11.7 percent of gas cars. From around 60,000 miles, though, EV failure rates flatten out near 16 percent while gas and diesel rates keep climbing. For cars aged three to eight with 90,000 to 120,000 miles, 16.5 percent of EVs failed versus 22.1 percent of gas cars, roughly 25 percent less often. Beyond 120,000 miles, it was 16 percent versus 23.5 percent. That fits with real-world outliers like a Tesla Model 3 that reached 380,000 miles on its original battery.

Where EVs Still Struggle

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It isn’t a clean sweep. EVs recorded about 1.8 times as many tire defects as gas cars, especially early models built on combustion-car platforms. Older, low-mileage EVs also showed more brake problems, which researchers linked to corrosion from friction brakes going unused thanks to regenerative braking. Suspension, often blamed on EV weight, actually looked better: 4.7 defects per 100 tests at 60,000 to 90,000 miles versus 6.1 for gas cars. And an inspection isn’t a battery check. It doesn’t measure capacity, so battery health can still vary widely between models.

What This Means On This Side Of The Atlantic

The U.S. has no national equivalent of the MOT. Inspection rules vary by state, and many don’t require periodic safety inspections at all, so nobody can run this analysis on American cars. Failing an inspection also isn’t the same as breaking down. Still, the direction matches what American buyers are seeing: used EVs can beat gas cars on total cost of ownership as long as the battery holds up, and most carry 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranties. The window is narrowing, too, as used EV prices climb again with gas prices. The practical takeaway is to treat mileage as one input rather than a dealbreaker, and pay for a battery health report on anything past 100,000 miles.

Lower Purchase Price Means Lower Everything Else Too

The obvious savings compound in ways that aren’t obvious. The 2026 Toyota Corolla LE starts at $22,725 against the XSE’s roughly $27,000-plus, a gap that shows up not just at signing but in every monthly payment over a typical loan term, plus lower sales tax in states that calculate it as a percentage of purchase price. A smaller loan principal also means less total interest paid over the life of the loan — a base trim isn’t just cheaper today, it’s cheaper on a compounding basis for years afterward.

Insurance Companies Notice The Trim Level Too

This is the part most shoppers don’t factor in at all. Insurers price policies partly on what a vehicle would cost to repair or replace, and a loaded trim with leather seats, a bigger touchscreen, and driver-assist hardware is simply more expensive to fix after a claim. Industry analysts consistently point to trim level as having significant sway on the actual premiums; a base sedan and its loaded or performance-oriented sibling can carry meaningfully different insurance profiles despite sharing a nameplate.

Fewer Features Means Fewer Things That Can Break

This is where the “will last longer” part of the equation actually holds up under scrutiny. J.D. Power‘s 2026 Initial Quality Study found infotainment was the only vehicle category to get worse year-over-year, now the single largest source of reported problems industry-wide at nearly 45 problems per 100 vehicles in the mass-market segment — and the separate 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study puts infotainment complaints even higher, at 56.7 per 100 vehicles, more than double the next-worst category. Base trims typically run simpler infotainment setups with fewer connected features, which directly reduces exposure to the exact problem category dragging down quality scores across the industry. Autoblog’s reliability rankings back this up at the model level — the Kia Sportage‘s base gas engine consistently outperforms its more complex hybrid and PHEV siblings, and base trims like the Corolla LE and Impreza Sport top our list of the most reliable small cars for exactly this reason.

Even The Wheels Cost Less To Maintain

Especially with larger vehicles, the savings extend down to individual parts. Larger wheels, standard on most upper trims for styling reasons, run measurably more to maintain: 20-inch tires typically cost $220-260 each compared to $180-220 for smaller sizes, and a full set of 20-inch wheels alone runs $1,400-1,900 versus meaningfully less for the smaller wheels base trims usually wear. Low-profile tires on bigger wheels are also more vulnerable to pothole and curb damage, since there’s less sidewall to absorb an impact — meaning higher trims don’t just cost more to maintain on a schedule, they’re statistically more likely to need unscheduled repairs too.

None of this means a base trim is right for every buyer — plenty of higher-trim features genuinely improve safety or usability enough to justify the premium. But for buyers optimizing purely for total cost of ownership and long-term dependability, the base trim isn’t the compromise it’s often treated as, in fact, the data suggests it’s usually the smarter bet.

Picture this: you’re coming in for an oil change in your Ford truck. You pull in, sign the forms, wait for everything to finish, and then proceed to pay for the service. As your service advisor wraps everything up, you notice a little message on the reminder sticker.

Dealers usually give you a reminder sticker with your next oil change date; some service managers are even nice enough to leave a message, not dissimilar to how Starbucks baristas write “good morning” or “thank you” on your coffee cups. This is not one of those times.

Not the Only One

Larry Martin Jr. left his truck at Rusty Eck Ford in Kansas for routine maintenance, including an oil change. Martin picked up his truck and “assumed they changed the oil and finished my truck and brought it back,” speaking with Wichita TV station KAKE. However, the dealer contacted Martin to say that one of their employees put something on his sticker. He’s been a regular customer at Rusty Eck Ford and has a great relationship with them, so the incident came as a surprise. “It felt humiliating,” said Martin.

“Thank you, come again! N-[redacted]” was printed. The thing is, this wasn’t the only sticker that left the dealership with the slur. The dealer also had to contact three other customers to apologize. The same message was printed, and a long-time customer contacted the dealership to report the incident on September 7, 2026, after a July service visit.

Rusty Eck Ford fired the employee responsible the same day that the incident was discovered. Three other customers received the same slur on their stickers. The dealer then contacted these three individuals to apologize; Larry Martin Jr. was one of them.

Statement

Following the initial statement, investigation, and subsequent roster edits, Rusty Eck Ford issued a follow-up statement, in which they said: “We have zero tolerance for racial, hateful, discriminatory, demeaning, or derogatory conduct. What occurred does not reflect the standards, culture, or values we expect at Rusty Eck Ford.”

Two employees reportedly lost their jobs after the incident. The first is the employee who originally entered the slur in the reminder sticker. The other employee detected the language but failed to notify management, likely trying to cover for the erring employee. According to Automotive News, those two are no longer connected to Rusty Eck Ford.

Racism in the auto industry isn’t always this blatant. Sometimes you have something like software unable to detect certain individuals, or something as crazy as a high-stakes trial. Regardless of who sent out that message and his ethnicity, handing out stickers with slurs on them is far from what’s expected in a professional environment.

The Subaru Lineartronic CVT is designed in-house by Subaru to integrate with the company’s longitudinal boxer engines and AWD system, and built by Subaru in its Gunma Oizumi plant in Japan. Lineartronic launched seven years after Nissan’s 2003 Xtronic CVT arrived here. Nissan had a lot of trouble with its early CVTs, which led to transmission failures and class-action lawsuits, so how does the Subaru Lineartronic CVT’s reliability compare?. Does its later entry into the market make it less troublesome? Let’s find out.

The Two Main Subaru CVT Types

As is the case with most new technologies in a specific market sector, especially CVTs, the most Subaru CVT problems occurred in the first few model years.

TR580

The TR580 is the standard-torque variant of the Lineartronic, used in models with naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engines, and rated for a maximum torque of 184 lb-ft. Subaru still uses the TR580 today, so one has to look at model years to know which TR580-equipped cars to avoid.

TR690

The TR690 is the high-torque variant of the Lineartronic used with all the turbocharged engines and with the now-defunct 3.6-liter flat 6-cylinder engine. It has a maximum torque rating of 295 lb-ft and uses a heavy-duty, multi-layer drive chain.

The Most Unreliable Subaru CVTs

2010-2018 TR580 (Outback, Legacy, Crosstrek, Forester, Impreza)

These early years of the TR580 suffer from torque converter lockup failure (which causes stalls when coming to a stop), premature wear, valve-body and solenoid failure, overheating, breakdown of the transmission fluid and coolant, and even catastrophic chain failure. The problems were exacerbated by Subaru specifying that these transmissions have a “lifetime fluid” that never has to be replaced. Most failures were related to fluid breakdown.

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There were especially many 2013-2015 transmission failures because by then, this transmission was very commonplace, and Subaru had to extend warranty coverage of more than 1.5 million affected vehicles to 10 years or 100,000 miles to cover the failures after class-action lawsuits were brought. Typical symptoms included slipping, surging, P0841, P0868, and P2764 error codes, vibrations, whining, delayed engagement, the Check Engine light, an “AT Temp” warning, and more, starting from around 90,000 miles.

The 2013-2015 Impreza and Crosstrek models with the TR580 also suffered from software calibration faults, lurching, and gear-ratio pressure errors, in addition to the valve-body wear. The failure rate decreased after 2015, but many 2015-2018 Foresters with the 2.5-liter NA engine still reported problems, with valve-body and solenoid failures occurring from around 100,000 miles. 

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Given the above, we wouldn’t trust any pre-2019 TR580. The main problem is that Subaru persists with the “lifetime fluid” myth that only required visual inspection when not towing, so many of these transmissions have been neglected and never received fresh fluid. The reason why post-2018 transmissions seem to last a lot longer is that most specialists taking over the maintenance of these cars after they are no longer covered by the factory warranty recognize that the fluid should be replaced every 30,000 to 40,000 miles and advise owners of this.

2010-2018 TR690 (Outback, Legacy, Forester XT, Ascent, WRX)

The TR690 experienced many of the same problems as the TR580, including torque-converter lockup failure. The 2010 and 2011 model years were the worst. TR690s can suffer jerking, harsh gear engagement, droning or whining noises, shaking and shuddering, error codes, and the invocation of limp mode. A delayed engagement between Drive and Reverse is also a red flag. Matters improved a bit from 2015.

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2019-2020/2024 TR690 (Ascent)

The heavy 3-row Ascent SUV first received the TR690 for MY2019. Its weight, the torque of its turbocharged 2.4-liter engine, and the typical SUV uses it was subjected to, like towing, exposed marginal reliability under hard use. Chain slip and sometimes catastrophic failure occurred more frequently during these first two years of the Ascent using the TR690. Some problems were still encountered up to as recently as 2024 in cars with the 2.4 turbo-four.

Best Model Years for Subaru CVT Reliability

Both the TR580 and TR690 transmissions became a lot more reliable after 2018, but this is heavily dependent on owners changing the fluid, which is still not mandatory. While it’s easy to recommend that you avoid pre-2018 Subaru CVTs, the post-2018 ones must come with verifiable proof that fluid changes were done every 30,000 to 40,000 miles, especially if it was used for towing. If this is the case, a post-2018 Subaru CVT can stay reliable for a long time.

Final Thoughts

Whenever we talk about transmission reliability, especially that of CVTs, maintenance comes up. It remains the single most important factor when assessing CVT reliability, and if a high-mileage CVT’s service record doesn’t show fluid changes at least every 40,000 miles, this should serve as your deal-breaker.

The presence of a tow hitch should also make you think twice, as you know the transmission may have been under strain for prolonged periods. Remember that a Lineartronic transmission replacement can cost you between $5,000 and $7,000, which is just not worth it on an old Subaru that’s barely worth that amount. Like most CVTs, a failed Lineatronic can usually not be rebuilt and must be replaced. You have been warned.

Toyota’s Tundra Engine Crisis Keeps Growing

Toyota’s twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6, which replaced the legendary 5.7-liter V8 in the 2022 Tundra redesign, has been recalled three separate times over machining debris that can damage the crankshaft’s main bearing and cause complete engine failure — most recently in May 2026, covering over 43,000 additional 2024 trucks, on top of the roughly 100,000 covered by the original 2024 recall. Toyota’s own official explanation is that tighter emissions-driven tolerances leave the new engine unable to tolerate debris the old V8 shrugged off, but independent teardowns have raised real questions about whether debris is the whole story, and Toyota has now issued a fix, revised the fix, and revised it again. The company still hasn’t said whether the 2027 model is confirmed clear of the issue.

A Transmission Problem Hiding In Plain Sight

Toyota’s 8-speed automatic spans a huge swath of the lineup — RAV4, Highlander, Camry, Tacoma, and several Lexus models — but complaints concentrate heavily on Highlanders from 2017 onward, with owners describing jerky, clunky low-speed shifts and a shudder like driving over rumble strips. It rarely fails outright, but on a $50,000-plus vehicle, that’s a legitimate complaint. Toyota markets the transmission fluid as a lifetime fill that never needs changing; mechanics who see these transmissions regularly recommend ignoring that guidance and servicing it on a normal interval anyway. Buyers who want to sidestep the issue entirely can opt for the Highlander Hybrid, which swaps the 8-speed for a far more durable eCVT, allowing Toyota time to figure out the automatic.

The Cheapest Part In The Car Is Stranding EV Owners

Toyota’s bZ4X and Subaru’s Solterra — built on the same shared platform — have been hit with a consolidated class-action lawsuit over 12-volt batteries that drain repeatedly, sometimes within days of being replaced. A Subaru technician’s own diagnostic notes, shared by an affected owner, traced the drain to the vehicle’s data communication module repeatedly waking to sync with cloud services, pulling current well outside normal spec. Both automakers have moved to dismiss the consolidated case, and no permanent fix has shipped yet — meaning owners are still stuck jump-starting or replacing batteries that keep failing the same way.

Honda’s Head Gasket Problem Just Got A Real Response

Honda’s 1.5-liter turbo four, used since 2016 in non-hybrid CR-Vs, Accords, the Civic Si, and Acura’s ADX and Integra, has a documented pattern of premature head gasket failure past roughly 60,000 miles, running around $5,000 to repair and drawing class-action suits in both Canada and the US. What’s changed recently is that Honda has now extended head gasket warranty coverage to 10 years or 150,000 miles on affected models. A real response, even if it stops short of a formal recall. Failure is far from guaranteed; plenty of these engines run past 200,000 miles with no issues at all, but the failure rate is high enough to weigh seriously against any non-hybrid Honda with this engine.

Mazda’s Newest SUVs Had A Rough Launch

The CX-70 and CX-90 arrived as genuinely all-new vehicles — new platform, new drivetrains, a new hybrid option, all at once — and the risk of launching that much new technology simultaneously showed up fast: jerky 8-speed transmissions, prematurely worn brakes, steering and suspension complaints, PHEV stalling issues, and enough electrical gremlins to trigger multiple recalls and lawsuits. The good news is timing: the overwhelming majority of complaints trace back to 2024 and 2025 model years specifically, meaning a 2026 or 2027 example should be a meaningfully safer bet.

The pattern across all five issues is the same one driving nearly every reliability story in the industry right now: smaller turbocharged engines, newer multi-speed transmissions, and new EV or hybrid platforms replacing simpler technology that had already proven itself. None of it erases what these four brands do well — it just means the badge on the hood isn’t a substitute for researching the specific powertrain you’re actually buying.

It also means that the transmission can keep the engine spinning in its optimal speed range to provide maximum power or maximum economy, depending on the driver’s demands. Because of this, the engine revs often tend to stay the same while the speed increases, which is the “slipping-clutch feel” or “CVT drone” people often complain about. In fact, some manufacturers have started moving away from CVTs again.

CVTs Are Not Created Equal

Not all CVTs work the same. Some rarer types of CVTs don’t use this system of pulleys and friction belts. A toroidal CVT (below) uses tilting power rollers and bowl-shaped discs to smoothly pass the power between discs, and can handle significantly higher torque loads than belt-based systems, but is very rare in cars. 

The other increasingly common type is the e-CVT, or electronic CVT, used by brands like Toyota and Ford, which uses a planetary gearset and electric motors to blend the power from the gas engine and electric motors by varying the motor speed. They are considered very reliable because they eliminate the belt system. In this article, we focus only on belt-drive CVTs.

Factors Affecting CVT Transmission Reliability

These factors most affect a CVT’s reliability:

Heat

Overheating will quickly accelerate wear and destroy a CVT. This can happen during hard driving, with sustained high engine speeds, and when towing. If you drive your car hard, or it works hard, it may be best to avoid a CVT altogether. Even if you tow within your vehicle’s rated towing capacity, extreme conditions may still generate excessive heat in CVTs with insufficient cooling margin.

Maintenance

This is possibly the most common reason for CVT failure. It is critical to stick to the manufacturer’s stipulations for CVT maintenance and oil changes.

To make a CVT last:

• Change the CVT fluid every 30,000 to 50,000 miles, or according to the manufacturer’s prescription. Consider significantly reducing the change interval if you tow frequently or drive in city traffic constantly.
• Use the exact CVT fluid prescribed by the manufacturer, which is formulated for your CVT. Putting anything else in the transmission can damage it and may leave you without recourse when it comes to warranty claims.
• Avoid an aggressive driving style, sustained high engine revs, or frequent heavy towing.

Avoid a used car with a CVT unless you have verifiable proof that all the CVT maintenance was carried out on schedule by a qualified professional.

Driving Conditions

As we’ve intimated above, driving conditions can reduce CVT lifespan. Ample cooling-system margin is required for high-torque CVT applications, but towing and heat buildup will still reduce transmission life. If you live in a very hot area, or you tow frequently, consider a more traditional torque-converter-based planetary automatic transmission. Do research on your CVT to determine its reliability. Some CVTs still use clutch packs for pulling away from rest, and these can wear out. A CVT that has a torque converter for pulling away may be preferable, especially when you do a lot of stop-start driving.

Most Unreliable CVTs

The older the CVT, the worse it generally is, because earlier designs were more unreliable, and those cars have now been on the roads for a long time, so the transmissions are tired and prone to failure. Older generations of Nissan X-Tronic CVTs were unreliable, especially in the 2000s, and were the subject of several class-action lawsuit settlements in March 2020 (for 2013+ CVTs), March 2022 (mostly older Pathfinder and Rogue CVTs), and mid-2025 (2015-2018 Murano and Maxima CVTs). Try to avoid CVTs in Nissan Altima, Sentra, Rogue, and Pathfinder models between the years 2007 and 2014, which sometimes fail before 100,000 miles.

Some older Mitsubishi Outlander CVTs have also failed at above-average rates, and past Jeep Compass models with the Punch-built transmission have had CVT trouble mostly because a CVT is not really suited to the heavy-duty use and off-roading some owners subject their Jeeps to, accelerating wear and heat buildup. Earlier Subaru Lineartronic generations should also be avoided, particularly the earlier 2010-2018 TR580 in the Outback.

Most Reliable CVTs

The newer the CVT, the more reliable it generally is. Manufacturers have ironed out the kinks and learned from past mistakes and lawsuits, and the CVTs from the latest generations of Toyota, Honda, and Subaru vehicles are considered the most reliable. Toyota’s latest K120 CVT built by Aisin (below left) has a torque converter to pull away and a planetary gearset and physical first gear, just like a regular automatic, before first gear hands over to the CVT, once on the move. This lets the belt drive operate in its most efficient range, where wear is lower, and it takes the strain off the belt system in low-speed, high-torque situations. It should translate into excellent longevity.

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Subaru’s latest Lineartronic CVT (above right) is robust and built for high-performance applications like the WRX and off-road vehicles such as the Forester, so it seems to have ample reliability and cooling-system margin. It also uses a torque converter to connect the transmission to the engine, so there’s no clutch wear in slow going. Nissan also seems to have mostly sorted out its X-Tronic reliability issues, and CVTs in general have become much more reliable in their latest generations, but avoid anything before 2019. Honda’s latest Earth Dreams CVT also lasts very well if properly maintained, often exceeding 200,000 miles. The latest Jatco CVT in the Mitsubishi Outlander also seems to have become properly reliable at last.

CVT Vs. Automatic Transmission Reliability

CVTs are generally not considered as reliable as the traditional planetary automatic transmissions used for generations, but they’re getting better. The planetary gearbox is a known quantity, and many shops know how to service and maintain them, while CVTs are more specialized transmissions that need fresh oil more frequently. A traditional automatic transmission of a sound design and with frequent maintenance can easily exceed 200,000 miles, which is still more than most CVTs can do.

Final Thoughts

So, are CVT transmissions reliable? The CVT’s track history is patchy, and they are not all created equal. Early generations are to be avoided, and any used CVT without a meticulous dealer service record should not even be considered. The presence of a tow hitch should be cause for a pause, and may indicate that the transmission has worked hard and is tired. Keep in mind that many CVTs cannot be repaired or rebuilt, and must be entirely replaced at great cost when they fail.

Though the latest generation of CVTs has become a lot more reliable, they must still be approached with circumspection, and no maintenance gaps or signs of strain can be tolerated, else you may be up for a hefty bill in the near future. So it really does depend on a lot of factors, but if everything checks out as a resounding “OK”, you should be able to proceed without too many worries.

The 2ZR: Coolant Crossing Between Cylinders

The 2010-2013 Prius (and 2009-2010 Corolla and Matrix) with the 2ZR engine develops a well-documented pattern: coolant crosses between cylinders 1-2 or 2-3, showing up first as a rough cold start that clears up once residual coolant burns off, and eventually as visible coolant smoking from the exhaust. Our deep dive into a decade of Prius reliability data flags the third-generation Prius as generally exceptional, but this specific issue is real enough that independent owner analysis on forums like PriusChat reached the same coating-defect conclusion years before this diagnosis.

The Bigger Problem: UR-Series V8 Trucks And SUVs

The more consequential version of this issue hits the 3UR-FE and 1UR-FE V8s used in the 2008-2013 Land Cruiser and Lexus LX570, the 2007-2013 Tundra (4.6L and 5.7L, not the 4.7L), the 2008-2013 Sequoia, and the 2010-2013 Lexus GX460. Failures cluster overwhelmingly at cylinders 5 and 7, and the GX460’s 1UR-FE appears more susceptible than the 3UR-FE found in the larger trucks. Toyota’s reputation for full-size truck durability is well earned overall, which is part of why this specific failure mode catches so many owners off guard — it doesn’t fit the brand’s broader track record.

The Root Cause Is A Coating, Not Bad Luck

The theory, based on direct comparison of failed gaskets against later designs: Toyota’s earlier multi-layer steel gaskets carried a black coating only around the perimeter of each cylinder bore, leaving the rest of the sealing surface uncoated. That partial coverage creates uneven sealing pressure, and the coating itself is prone to bubbling and flaking — a process accelerated by acidic old coolant that was never flushed on schedule. Once the coating degrades in that narrow coated band, coolant finds a direct path into the cylinder. A separate, less common failure on the 2GR-FE V6 (roughly 2012 and earlier) shows the same coating breakdown, but leaks externally rather than internally, since the vulnerable area sits outside the combustion chamber on that engine.

What Changed In 2014, And What To Do About It

Toyota switched to a fully-coated head gasket design across these engines starting in 2014, and the mechanic reports a sharp, near-total drop in failures on 3UR/1UR trucks built from that year forward. The fix wasn’t announced or recalled — most of these engines simply never failed inside their warranty period, so the change went unannounced. For owners of affected pre-2014 vehicles, the only real prevention is coolant replacement every 50,000 miles or 5 years, since acidic coolant is what accelerates the coating failure in the first place; for anyone shopping used, a car past 150,000 miles with no documented service history is a real risk regardless of how it drives today, and a borescope check through the spark plug holes at cylinders 5 and 7 is a legitimate pre-purchase inspection step on affected V8 trucks.

Toyota is the parent company of Lexus, but the two automakers have very different missions. Toyota is the mainstream behemoth, founded all the way back in 1937, and is today the biggest automaker in the world, selling 11.32 million vehicles in 2025. It competes against other mainstream automakers like Honda, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and Hyundai.

Lexus is its luxury offshoot and premium brand, founded in 1989 as a way to crack the American market with a lower-volume, higher-margin premium brand, and today a flourishing luxury automaker in its own right. It competes against luxury brands such as Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, and Genesis. It sold 882,331 vehicles worldwide in 2025.

Toyota Vs. Lexus: Design Philosophy

As the mainstream brand, Toyota vehicles have more generic styling that appeals to a broader audience and is mostly less polarizing and more conservative in its mainstream models aimed at selling in large numbers. As the luxury brand, Lexus’ styling is more distinctive, with the now-iconic spindle grille that first appeared on the 2012 GS now a common sight on Lexus cars. 

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A Lexus has more premium detailing, makes more use of jewel-like LED lighting, and showcases more distinctive and easily recognized Lexus styling cues like the L motif in its daytime running lights, headlights, and taillights, the more chiseled body creases, and the generally wider, more aggressive stance that make the cars look more elegant and give them more presence.

Purchase Price

As an affordable, mainstream brand that caters to the masses, a Toyota is cheaper to buy. The most affordable 2027 Toyota sold in the U.S. is the Corolla compact sedan, which starts at just $23,325. The most expensive Toyota sold in the U.S. is the Sequoia SUV in Capstone trim, which tops out at over $86,000. The cheapest Lexus is the 2027 UX subcompact SUV, which kicks off at $38,850, while the most expensive Lexus is the LX 700h Ultra Luxury at $143,050, clearly reflecting its luxury positioning.

Comfort, Luxury, and Refinement

Toyota interiors are more serviceable than plush, more mainstream than luxurious, with cheaper materials selected for durability, not soft-touch appeal, and more hard plastics. This makes for lower manufacturing costs and cheaper cars that compete with mainstream brands. A Lexus has a premium cabin with more expensive, soft-touch plastics and the more liberal use of natural materials like real leather, wood, and metal instead of plastic. 

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The cars have more sound-deadening, more advanced noise-cancelling technology, and more carefully tuned rubber bushings in the suspension, while features like adaptive dampers to improve ride comfort are more commonly found in Lexus models than Toyotas. And while both Toyota and Lexus models are safe, you are more likely to find some of the most advanced driver-assistance features as standard on a Lexus.

Performance and Powertrains

Is Lexus better than Toyota in terms of powertrains? Yes, a Lexus typically gets a more sophisticated and powerful powertrain than the equivalent Toyota. As an example, the 2027 Toyota Land Cruiser comes only with a 326-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder powertrain, but the Lexus GX, which is based on the Land Cruiser, comes only with a 349-hp twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 engine. 

The GX may not be that much more powerful, but the creamy V6 is whisper-quiet and a lot more refined than the somewhat gruff 4-pot used in the Toyota, elevating the driving experience well above that of the Land Cruiser – and justifying the $10K higher starting price. This pattern repeats itself on all models.

Reliability and Maintenance Cost

Are Lexus and Toyota the same when it comes to this important section? Yes, this is the one area where Toyota and Lexus are very similar indeed. Toyota arguably already has the reputation for building the most reliable cars in the world, and this quality translates to Lexus, proving that more complex and luxurious cars do not necessarily have to be unreliable.

J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, assessing problems over the first three years of ownership, ranks Lexus number one out of 30 brands assessed, and Toyota number 4, with 140 and 162 problems per 100 vehicles, respectively. 

A Lexus is more expensive to maintain and repair than a Toyota because it’s a premium brand with more expensive parts, but both brands still way outperform the industry, according to CarEdge:

Consumer Reports’ results generally closely match these numbers, with $5,950 in maintenance over 10 years for Toyota as a brand and $7,400 for Lexus. Consumer Reports also takes a more long-term view and has studied vehicle reliability over the last quarter of a century and 380,000 assessed cars. Because the period is much longer and older cars break down more, the reliability results are also lower, but there’s again a clear pattern. This time, Toyota wins with a Predicted Reliability score of 66/100, Subaru is second at 63/100, and Lexus is third at 60/100. Again, Toyota and Lexus score at or near the top of the vehicle industry.

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Final Verdict

Lexus may have been criticized as merely being a posh Toyota, but the brand has gone to extraordinary lengths to differentiate its cars with unique styling, high-quality finishes, advanced powertrains, and luxury features, and it can go toe-to-toe with any premium rival today when it comes to quality of life on board. But let’s not forget that the Toyota connection gives Lexus an advantage that no premium rival can match – Toyota-grade reliability and maintenance costs. 

It may be more expensive to run than the average Toyota, but it’s the most reliable luxury car you can buy, and the cheapest one to maintain. There are many differences between Toyota and Lexus vehicles, but the one thing that is the same is also the most reassuring thing for a pleasurable long-term ownership experience: the knowledge that your Lexus will keep going reliably long after most rivals have given up.

We looked into the difference between the maintenance costs of cars in the first five years versus the 6-10-year period and uncovered some interesting trends that may influence your next car purchase. All the data below was sourced from Consumer Reports as it provides a reliable benchmark for these costs. CR is a trusted source because it conducts unbiased, large-scale annual auto surveys that analyze real-world repair and maintenance records across thousands of vehicle owners.

Maintenance Costs when Your Car Is New

Those lucky enough to be able to afford a new car benefit from a manufacturer warranty, and in some cases, even a complimentary maintenance period. The warranties tend to cover most unforeseen issues for at least 3 to 5 years of a new vehicle’s life, and in most cases servicing amounts to simple low-cost things like oil changes.

This all goes a long way to keeping maintenance costs low, and the latest CR survey of 29 brands showed the 5-year average for new car maintenance to be just $,1850. That’s just $370 each year.

Maintenance Costs Between 6 and 10 years

Once a vehicle passes the 5-year mark, maintenance and repair expenses can increase substantially. This cost spike occurs because wear-and-tear components will need to be replaced, and depending on the annual mileages, this can include tires, shocks, brake pads and discs, as well as more frequent fluid changes. Vehicles with low reliability levels also tend to suffer here, as the factory warranty falls away and any unplanned maintenance and servicing will be borne by the owner.

The average figure across all 29 brands surveyed is $6,311 over 5 years, or $1262 each year. But while new car maintenance prices are focused in a relatively narrow band, the figures for older vehicles can vary greatly. More affordable and value-focused brands like Buick, Mazda, Toyota, and Hyundai keep the 6–10-year maintenance costs relatively low, compared to luxury brands like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi.

Lincoln stands out as one domestic brand that manages to combine luxury with low running costs, with a 6-10-year average of $4,700. Compare that to the $9,300 figure over the same period for Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Porsche and Land Rover models cost an average of $12,950 and $13,900 respectively to maintain between 6 and 10 years.

Should You Buy New or Used?

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Depreciation figures based on a new car value of $50,000

Buying new gives access to the latest safety and tech features, plus the short-term peace of mind provided by warranties and low initial service bills. However, there is one major downside that can often negate any maintenance cost savings, and that is the massive depreciation that new cars suffer. As a rough average, the typical new vehicle can lose up to 50% of its value in its first five years. So, if you paid $50,000 (the current average price of a new car) for your new car, in five years it will be worth $25,000. Compare that to the $4,461 extra an older car will cost to maintain over five years.

Used cars lose value as well, and the average over the 6–10-year mark is around the 20% figure. So, that 5 year old $25,000 car will be worth $20,000 in year 10. Maintenance costs also escalate, and driving style, mileage and vehicle brand all have a big impact on what you can expect to pay. A catastrophic engine or electronic failure is always a possibility, but these are rare occurrences that influence online sentiment more than the average figures across a fleet of cars. What makes the big difference in terms of running costs, though, is the rate at which your vehicle depreciates.

The table above shows the average depreciation and maintenance figures for a $50,000 vehicle in its first and second half decade. While costs like insurance, and fuel are not included here, the massive saving buy going used is clear to see. As the maintenance costs may rise even further as the vehicle heads into its second decade, it may become untenable to keep it running. But in the time-frame evaluated here, it is more cost-effective to buy used.

On more reliable brands that hold their value well, a new vehicle lose less of its initial value, but it will also be less expensive to maintain as it gets older, so, unless you absolutely have to have a new car, the additional maintenance costs of a used vehicle are often more than worth it.

Don’t Trust The Standard Oil Change Interval

The gas engine still needs conventional care, and the interval depends heavily on which hybrid you own. Turbocharged and performance-oriented hybrids should get oil changes every 3,000 to 4,000 miles or three to four months, while naturally aspirated models running Toyota’s common A25A engine can stretch to 5,000 miles or six months — provided you’re using OEM filters and quality oil to avoid oil consumption issues. Spark plugs remain a 120,000-mile or 10-year job and are an easy DIY swap on four-cylinder engines. Coolant is where the guidance breaks from Toyota’s official schedule most sharply: rather than waiting for the extended factory interval, a drain-and-refill every 50,000 miles or 5 years is recommended, alongside proactively replacing the electric water pump around 150,000 miles — a part known to fail without warning symptoms.

The Transmission You Don’t Actually Need To Worry About

Hybrid e-CVTs are mechanically simpler than they sound, and it shows in how little maintenance they demand relative to a conventional automatic. Because they lack the clutch packs that make late fluid changes so damaging in a traditional transmission, mechanical failures are rare even with less-than-perfect service history. Genuine Toyota WS or TE fluid changes every 60,000 to 90,000 miles are still worthwhile, and performance hybrids running a 6-speed automatic should stick to a tighter 60,000-mile interval — but the fluid swap itself is a straightforward DIY job either way.

What Really Kills A Hybrid Battery (It’s Not Age)

The single biggest factor in hybrid battery failure isn’t mileage or calendar age — it’s overheating caused by restricted airflow. Because the battery pulls cabin air for cooling, the intake screen and filter can quietly clog with pet hair, lint, and dust, and that filter is one of the most overlooked maintenance items on the entire car — a detail most owners never learn about until a battery already shows problems. Extended inactivity is a separate risk: parking a hybrid unused for three to six consecutive months accelerates degradation, while daily short trips or even weekly drives keep a pack perfectly healthy. When a battery does start aging, the honest signal is a real diagnostic trouble code — not a mobile OBD app reading, which can’t accurately assess internal cell capacity the way the vehicle’s own ECU can.

Stop Chasing Lost MPGs

Gradual fuel economy loss across 200,000-plus miles is normal wear, not a battery emergency, and spending money replacing a healthy hybrid battery to claw back 2-3 mpg is often solving the wrong problem — seized brake calipers are a far more common culprit. It helps that hybrids simply have fewer things to wear out in the first place: no alternator, no starter motor, no serpentine belt. And because regenerative braking handles most day-to-day deceleration, factory brake pads on a well-maintained hybrid routinely outlast the 100,000-mile mark most drivers associate with a brake job, sometimes reaching 200,000 miles before rotor corrosion — not pad wear — forces a replacement.

None of this requires specialized tools or high-voltage disassembly. Fluid changes, filters, and spark plugs remain firmly within reach of a standard home mechanic, which may be the most underrated part of owning one of these long-haul hybrids in the first place.

Related: Ford’s Recall Count Keeps Climbing With Another F-Series Camera Issue

So far this year, more than 23 million vehicles have been recalled, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – roughly twice the number we saw at this point last year. At the current pace, experts warn, the industry seems certain to exceed the previous full-year record of 31.3 million vehicles reached in 2025.

What’s ironic is that the ongoing surge in recalls is coming at a point when research suggests new vehicle quality is also at an all-time record. One only has to look at Ford Motor Co. to see that seeming contradiction. After years of struggling to address design and production problems, Ford showed up as the top-ranked mainstream brand in the latest JD Power Initial Quality Study, just behind the luxury brands Porsche and Genesis which led the industry. Yet, Ford has so far recalled about 10.3 million vehicles this year, putting it on track to beat the full-year record of 13.6 million vehicles set by General Motors back in 2014.

Related: Toyota Recalls Its Quickest SUV Because Stability Control Can Shut Off

Lagging v Leading Indicators

It might seem like a complete contradiction: how can quality be better than ever at a time when recalls are setting new records. Yet, that’s what we’re seeing with a variety of studies like Power’s IQS – which asks consumers to report on the problems they’ve experienced during the first 90 days of ownership. The 2026 results released in June found the industry collectively delivering the best year-over-year improvement in their quality scores since 1997. Yet the recall count continues to rise, sometimes by millions of vehicles at a time.

In reality, there are some logical explanations. For one thing, quality studies like the IQS– are “leading indicators,” said Paul Waatti, director of industry  analysis for AutoPacific, Inc. On the other hand, recalls are “a lagging indicator,” he added. “With recalls, we’re looking into the past.”

Ford is a good example. Over the last decade, it’s been dragging near the bottom on most quality studies. Two years ago, it was 15^th among mainstream brands in the IQS, hardly something to brag about. So, while CEO Jim Farley called the latest showing “a proud day for everyone at Ford,” the company’s past quality problems will continue to cause it headaches for years to come, cautioned Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst with Telemetry Research. Most recalls cover vehicles that were built two, three, four, even 10 years ago,” he explained. As such, “recent improvements in quality aren’t reflected in most recalls.” (The Stellantis backup camera problem is an outlier, covering mostly new or recent models.)

Related: Subaru Recalls Over 541,000 Vehicles Due to Stickers

Cracking the Code

There are other reasons why recalls are rising, even as quality improves. In their search for improved economies of scale, automakers today rely on common platforms and shared parts and components. In some cases, faulty hardware can be installed across a wide spectrum of products. A full 42 million vehicles sold in the U.S. have been recalled due to defective Takata airbags sold under 34 different brands by 19 automakers. The flawed V-6 engine that’s triggered a pair of Toyota recalls? It’s used not only for the Tundra pickup but the Lexus LX and GX models. The new Stellantis rearview camera recall? It covers models including the Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager vans, the Dodge Charger, the Jeep Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator and Grand Wagoneer, and the Ram 1500 pickup and ProMaster vans.

The recalls at Toyota and Stellantis offer further insight into the recall issue. The sort of hardware headaches that plagued the industry in the past – in Toyota’s case, failures involving a turbocharged V-6 engine used in products like the Tundra pickup – have become increasingly uncommon. That’s reflected in NHTSA data. Sure, there are still recalls triggered by reports of vehicle fires and loss of engine power – but more and more are triggered by digital defects.

“The car is becoming increasingly more complex with millions of lines of code that can become a safety issue,” said Waatti. The good news is that manufacturers often can address these high-tech problems with a minimal amount of disruption for owners. Stellantis will update the faulty code on those Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram models, fixing their cameras using smartphone-style over-the-air updates. An approach first pioneered by Tesla, almost all new models coming to market these days now allow OTA fixes.

A Shift in Strategy

Here’s what may seem the oddest explanation for the rise in recalls. In many cases, automakers are actually increasing the numbers intentionally, suggested Frank Hanley, Senior Director, Automotive Benchmarking at JD Power.

In years past, automakers would often go out of their way to avoid recalls, whether due to the cost or the potential hit to their image. General Motors in 1984 took NHTSA to court block the recall of its compact X-Car family due to alleged brake problems. It won that case but lost another battle with NHTSA in 2014 over defective ignition switches blamed for 124 deaths. That cost the company about $5 billion in lost profits – in part due to a $900 million settlement fund for owners. GM also came under much tighter federal scrutiny – and that’s led to changes across the industry.

Automakers’ “recall strategies are evolving as more manufacturers take a proactive approach, initiating recalls for known issues before customers experience them,” said Hanley. “For example, if an OEM identifies a faulty fuel sensor or a required software update, the issue may be corrected during a service visit before it creates a customer problem. As a result, the customer does not experience the issue and is less likely to report it in IQS. This proactive approach can have a stronger positive impact on the customer experience than the more reactive recall practices used in the past. Fix it before it becomes an actual issue for the consumer.”

There’s no question manufacturers would prefer to avoid recalls by simply preventing problems in the first place. Ford, for example, revealed it spent about $10 billion on warranty fixes and recall-related repairs last year. That doesn’t even take into account the marketing challenges such issues create when they impact brand loyalty. The latest industry quality numbers offer hope that we may be reaching the peak in the recall surge. But the increasing reliance on digital technology is just one reason why owners should continue to expect finding recall notices waiting in their mail for years to come.

Shannon Desjardins is a woman based in Ontario. She’s “been around engines and stuff pretty much my whole life,” and she’s been doing her own oil changes for years now. Her current car, which is also the one in question, is a 2024 Subaru Outback that is on lease and has been in her care for two years and about 44,000 miles of driving.

For Dejardins, she’s been conducting her own oil changes at home, where it’s more convenient for her. According to her, she’s been on top of her oil changes in the 44,000 miles of ownership. However, that all changed when an oil light came on one night, went away, and then came back the next day.

The day after the oil light initially came on, Dejardins drove her car normally. However, when it came back on again, she promptly called a tow truck and brought it to the dealer.

Warranty Claim: Denied

The inspection did not go so well. Dejardins was told that there was sludge in the engine and other major problems. When asked about her maintenance intervals and to provide proof of maintenance, Dejardins told the dealership that she was doing the oil changes herself.

When the dealer found out about her D.I.Y. oil changes, the warranty claim was denied. “They’re telling me the only reason they are denying it is that I did my own oil changes, Dejardins stated.

CTV News, our source for this story, was able to talk to three parties in this case: Dejardins, Subaru Canada through a spokesperson, and Car Help Canada. Subaru Canada’s spokesperson was able to put in a word with CTV News, stating that “Owner-completed maintenance must follow the maintenance schedule outlined in the vehicles’ New Vehicle Warranty/Maintenance and Roadside Assistance Booklet, and a record of all service done must be maintained and supported with documentation, including receipts of products used, in order to ensure warranty coverage can be determined appropriately.” Subaru Canada is reportedly still investigating the matter.

“The risk is too high”

Car Help Canada’s spokesperson, Mohamed Bouchama, stated, “When you do your oil changes yourself, the risk is too high, I wouldn’t do it.” He further stated that building trust with your dealer is part of the transaction. On top of taking care of you, the establishment also keeps records of your car, so any maintenance item, service work, or problem is documented properly. In addition to that, the right parts and oils will be used and are up to the manufacturer’s recommendations. “You might think you are saving $100 or $150, but it could end up costing you thousands of dollars afterwards,” said Bouchama.

For Dejardins, she will still continue to make lease and insurance payments on the car she cannot drive. However, she remains hopeful that Subaru will come up with a resolution after their investigation. Dejardins had the last word in CTV’s report, stating that “it (the situation) doesn’t sit well with me.”

Breaking Down The Problem

The core conflict is a battle over monopolies. Automakers and tech companies argue that independent mechanics and aftermarket parts compromise vehicle safety and cybersecurity. This stance effectively forces consumers into expensive dealership service bays. Yet, insurance organizations have long recognized the financial absurdity of these claims. Previous industry analysis highlighted that building a standard car entirely from original manufacturer replacement parts would cost roughly four times the price of a brand new vehicle. When manufacturers restrict access to diagnostic data or ban independent software resets, they eliminate the competition that keeps repair prices affordable.

Auto insurers possess the exact data needed to dismantle manufacturer excuses. Organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have conducted rigorous crash tests showing that independent aftermarket parts perform just as safely as original manufacturer components. By actively supporting federal legislation like the REPAIR Act, which demands data sharing equality between dealerships and independent shops, auto insurers can ensure consumers have a choice. The legislation simply requires manufacturers to give independent mechanics the same technological access they give their own authorized dealers, dissolving the artificial barriers that drive up your insurance premiums.

Insurance carriers can push this cause further by continuing to demand the use of certified aftermarket parts, such as those verified by the Certified Automotive Parts Association. To date, over 160 million replacement parts have met these stringent quality standards, proving that affordable alternatives exist without sacrificing safety. If insurers educate their policyholders about how these parts directly lower auto insurance costs, they can mobilize a massive voter base to support repair legislation.

Can Insurers Ensure Affordability

The battle over who gets to fix American cars is still raging. Manufacturers will continue to protect their lucrative service revenues, but the insurance industry holds the financial power and safety data to demand a fair market. By throwing their full weight behind the right to repair, insurance companies can ensure that fixing a minor collision does not completely drain the wallets of everyday drivers.

Nissan is recalling its Armada SUV because of a tiny sticker in your door jamb. Yes, that’s right: Nissan Armada owners are being called back to dealerships to get a sticker replaced on their vehicles.

While a mislabel might seem inconsequential, that sticker is actually the one that you reference whenever you fill your tires with air, load your car with cargo, and then some. I’m talking about the Gross Axle Weight Rating sticker. While it is a small thing, running the wrong pressure or axle load might lead to unnecessary wear and tear. Thankfully, however, no known issues have come about because of this mislabel.

The kicker here is that the recall list includes some year models that are more than a decade old at this point. So essentially, that would mean that some drivers who reference the door jamb religiously could have been running on the wrong tire pressures or the wrong vehicle cargo weights for more than a decade, though that seems a little extreme.

Timeline

In May 2025, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) recall report reads, “during the development phase of a new vehicle model, Nissan identified a discrepancy between the regulatory language specified in FMVSS 110 and the corresponding NHTSA Test Procedure. Nissan initiated an investigation into this potential concern.”

“During the Summer of 2025, an initial review indicated that Nissan’s engineering standards defined requirements based on the original regulatory statement. Due to the ambiguity in the standard, the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) value was calculated based on the maximum tire pressure as opposed to both the maximum tire pressure and the manufacturer-recommended tire pressure listed on the placard,” the report continued.

It took the first half of 2026 to get this sticky situation sorted. In June this year, Nissan conducted a feasibility study of simply replacing the label, and by the end of June, the brand had already pinned down all of the affected models. On July 8, 2026, Nissan conducted the recall for the affected U.S. market vehicles.

Affected Models

Affected models will experience a stop sale on July 16, 2026, and owners of all potentially affected vehicles will be notified at the beginning of September 4, 2026. Owners will be able to search their vehicle identification numbers (VINs) after July 16, 2026.

The 2020 to 2024 and 2025 to 2026 year models of the Nissan Armada are affected by this recall. Conversely, the related 2011 to 2013 Infiniti QX56 is also included in the recall. Finally, the 2014 to 2024 and 2025 to 2026 year models of the Infiniti QX80 are also affected. Interestingly, the QX56 is the oldest model affected in this recall, which suggests that Nissan took more than a decade to remedy the error; the same goes for the 2014 QX80 models.

Now, if you don’t want to hassle yourself with a dealer visit just for a sticker, the NHTSA’s recall report also stated that Nissan will also conduct mailing services for affected owners. As with all recalls, all “repairs” will be conducted free of charge for parts and labor, and it will take less than half an hour to complete the recall per vehicle. Heck, it might not even take a minute.

If you’ve followed the Right to Repair movement over the past few years, you’d be forgiven for thinking independent repair shops finally got what they were fighting for. Laws have expanded access to diagnostic tools, service information, and repair procedures, making it easier for drivers to choose where their vehicles are fixed instead of being tied to the dealership. But modern cars have quietly created a new advantage, and it has nothing to do with replacement parts. Increasingly, it’s the data your vehicle sends back to the manufacturer every time you drive.

Your Car Could Be Reporting Problems Before You Even Book A Repair

Most new cars are constantly transmitting health reports through built-in cellular connections, a system known as telematics. Fault codes, battery health, calibration records and other diagnostic information can all be uploaded directly to an automaker’s cloud servers.

That creates an advantage many motorists don’t realize exists. A dealership may already have a good idea of what’s wrong with your car before you schedule an appointment, allowing technicians to line up parts and plan the repair in advance. Independent shops, meanwhile, often don’t see the same information until the vehicle physically rolls through the workshop doors.

Adi Bathla, CEO and co-founder of Revv, a vehicle calibration operating system used by more than 6,100 repair shops across North America, believes this is the next major challenge. Bathla says, “The Right to Repair Act is a real win for independent shops, but it isn’t the finish line.” While the legislation improves access to diagnostic and repair information, he argues it leaves one crucial blind spot. “Modern vehicles constantly send diagnostic information to manufacturers through the cloud, but independent repair shops often can’t access that information until the vehicle physically arrives in the shop.” Think of it as two doctors treating the same patient, except one already has access to the medical records while the other doesn’t see them until the appointment begins.

EVs Could Make This Information Gap Even More Important

This matters because tomorrow’s repairs will rely less on replacing worn-out parts and more on understanding software. Electric vehicles and increasingly connected cars generate enormous amounts of diagnostic data through battery management systems, advanced driver assistance features, over-the-air updates and dozens of interconnected control modules.

For independent repair shops, having access to the same information at the same time as manufacturers could mean ordering parts before a customer arrives, diagnosing faults more accurately and getting vehicles back on the road sooner. Bathla says that’s already becoming clear among the shops Revv works with, where combining repair information with tools that make it easier to use helps technicians complete repairs faster.

The first chapter of Right to Repair was about gaining access to parts, tools and service manuals. The next chapter may be about something far less visible but arguably more important: who gets access to a connected vehicle’s digital trail. As cars become increasingly software-defined, the biggest advantage in the repair business may not be who has the wrench, it may be who already has the data.

Currently, the aftermarket parts landscape is dominated by four major players. Merging two of them eliminates a massive layer of competition. Here is what the numbers and the localized impacts actually look like for American consumers and independent garages.

Franchise vs. Corporate

The core friction in this potential buyout lies in the contrasting business models. O’Reilly operates as a tightly controlled, publicly traded corporate machine with highly standardized retail experiences. NAPA, conversely, utilizes a hybrid model. Of its roughly 6,000 U.S. locations, nearly 4,500 are owned and operated by independent small business owners. These local franchises cater heavily to the commercial “do-it-for-me” mechanic market, which accounts for 80 percent of NAPA’s sales.

If O’Reilly absorbs NAPA, the survival of the independent speed shop is entirely up in the air. The transition from a local-owner network into O’Reilly’s corporate structure could mean the end of the experienced, old-school parts counter workers that enthusiasts and local garages rely on for specialized troubleshooting.

Antitrust and the FTC

This acquisition faces an immediate regulatory nightmare. Data indicates there are approximately 1,800 O’Reilly stores located within one mile of a NAPA store. Crucially, in about 600 of these overlapping markets, there is no AutoZone or Advance Auto Parts nearby. An O’Reilly buyout creates an immediate, localized monopoly in those 600 American neighborhoods. The Federal Trade Commission will likely force aggressive divestitures or closures in these areas before green-lighting any merger, disrupting the supply chain for mechanics who depend on immediate parts delivery to get cars off their lifts.

Pricing Power and Consumer Implication

When the supply chain tightens, the consumer ultimately pays the premium. Combining O’Reilly’s retail footprint with NAPA’s 51 distribution channels will consolidate unprecedented pricing and availability power. Fewer independent distribution paths mean less competitive pricing on everything from basic alternators to specialized tools.

GPC originally planned to spin NAPA off into its own standalone public entity in 2027. O’Reilly’s aggressive $10 billion preemptive strike proves exactly how valuable market dominance is right now. Whether regulators allow them to secure that dominance—and whether local independent owners survive the fallout—will directly dictate the cost of your next car repair.

The Failure Points

The video documents the agonizing over-engineering that turns standard repairs into massive labor bills. Under the hood, the LS460 features an unnecessarily complicated belt routing system and brittle plastic coolant connections that easily snap, turning a simple water pump job into a full radiator replacement. But routine accessory failures are just the beginning of the ownership nightmare, an experience not typically associated with Toyota-Lexus vehicles.

The real danger lies within the drivetrain. The LS460 is plagued by a notorious torque converter shudder. Repairing it requires dropping the transmission, a process where fragile manual shift linkage cables frequently snap. When that happens, technicians are forced to remove the transmission pan and valve body just to make the car drivable again. If the starter goes out, its buried location guarantees an exorbitant repair invoice.

The Deal-Breakers

Then comes the terminal diagnosis: oil burning. According to the technician, sourcing and installing a properly built new engine for the LS460 costs upwards of $40,000. Because no used LS460 commands that price in today’s market, a failed block instantly totals the vehicle. Even meticulously maintained examples aren’t safe from factory defects, pre-2014 models are infamous for severe interior material degradation, leaving owners with sticky, literally melting dashboards and door panels.

Takeaway

For American buyers tempted by the severe depreciation of a used luxury flagship, the presenter’s verdict is a hard stop. The LS460 delivers a temperamental, German-car ownership experience disguised under a Japanese badge, carrying continuous repair cycles that far exceed the upkeep of its predecessor, the LS430. As the technician bluntly warns, “This is the least reliable Toyota product ever made”. You may be better off absorbing the depreciation on a 2026 Lexus LS.

Analyzing The Findings

On paper, it looks like the ultimate buyer’s market. In practice, it’s a minefield. The immediate assumption is that these bargain lots are old beaters – thirty-year-old sedans with rusted floorboards and blown head gaskets. The data tells an extremely different story; nearly a third of the vehicles in the dataset are 2018 models or newer. They sit on the lot with glossy paint, intact interiors, and supposedly clean paperwork.

So, what is actually dragging the market value of a seemingly solid, new-ish car down to pocket change? The answer lies not in what you can see, but in what the auction block hides.

Things To Look Out For

First is the silent killer of value: extreme mileage. Government, fleet, rental, and rideshare vehicles are frequently cycled into auctions after being driven into the ground. A late-model crossover might look fresh, but its odometer could easily be pushing past 200,000 miles. More alarmingly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that over 450,000 vehicles are sold annually with artificially rolled-back odometers.

Then comes the physical trauma. According to the auction data, roughly 53 percent of these low-cost vehicles harbor prior collision damage. This is often masked by quick, cosmetic bodywork that looks passable from ten feet away. Another substantial portion of these vehicles hides flood or hail damage. Floodwater, in particular, is insidious—corroding wiring harnesses and electronic control units slowly, causing catastrophic failures long after the carpets have dried.

The “Clean Title” Fallacy

This brings us to the most dangerous misconception in the used car market: the clean title. A clean title is a legal document, not a mechanical clean bill of health. It simply means an insurance company hasn’t formally branded the car as a total loss in a federal database. A car can suffer a major collision, undergo a shoddy repair job out-of-pocket, and retain a spotless title. This is exactly why relying on a visual inspection and trusting the title may get you burned.

How To Safeguard Yourself

If you are venturing into the auction market—or buying any used vehicle from a private seller—running the vehicle identification number (VIN) through a comprehensive VIN checking app is all but mandatory. You cannot afford to skip this step. A reliable VIN report bypasses the sanitized title and pulls the raw, unedited history: actual mileage records, hidden damage photos from prior auctions, undisclosed accidents, and rapid ownership changes that usually signal a flipped lemon.

A $2,500 auction price tag isn’t a miraculous deal; it is a warning sign. You will either pay for it up front with a thorough background check, or you will pay for it later in the service bay. Do the research, pull the VIN, and don’t buy the illusion.

President Donald Trump, not surprisingly, has weighed in and he’s pointing his finger at a familiar culprit: “illegal immigrants.” But while they may play a minor role, experts put the blame on a variety of other factors, starting with the pandemic that triggered a rash of risky behaviors by U.S. motorists, in general.

A Familiar Scapegoat

Inflation is again accelerating and that’s putting particular pressure on motorists who’ve seen insurance premiums accelerate far faster than the overall cost of living since the beginning of the decade. Last week, Trump spoke out about that in a post on Truth Social.  “Car Insurance Premiums rose to RECORD HIGHS, forcing Law-abiding American Citizens to subsidize the ‘free riding’ Biden Illegals,” he wrote. “After over a year of ZERO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, and our highly successful efforts to REVERSE the Biden Invasion, Car Insurance Premiums have come tumbling down.”

Experts say the president was dead wrong on his first claim, and only partially right on the second. “This claim is pure fiction,” Michael Clemens, a professor of economics at Johns Hopkins University and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, when it comes to illegal immigrants driving up insurance costs. “It does not arise from any study by the White House, by the auto insurance industry, or even by anti-immigration pressure groups. It has no basis in anything but inflammatory statements that juxtapose two unrelated trends.”

Trump based his claim on a report by the Council of Economic Advisers using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But critics say he seriously misinterpreted the results. That’s not to say illegal immigrants – who often can’t get a driver’s license or insurance – haven’t play a small role. Clemens said that this would have resulted in auto insurance premiums going up just 0.7% during the Biden administration.

What’s Really to Blame?

That’s a small contribution to the average 64% rates went up across the U.S. from 2020 to 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (The figure varied widely from state to state and even in specific cities. The typical American motorist now pays $2,250 to $2,350 annually, but premiums have topped $5,000 in places like Detroit, Las Vegas and New Orleans.)

Crime – car theft, in particular – has long been a factor in such differences. But the surge in insurance overall has largely been the result of the pandemic seen the beginning of this decade. Initially, government-ordered lockdowns led to a sharp decline in traffic, millions of U.S. motorists no longer commuting under work-at-home policies. That soon led to a surge in speeding and other risky behaviors. The California Highway Patrol, for example, reported a record number of fines and arrests in 2020 and 2021 for motorists exceeding 100 mph.

Another factor: a pandemic-related shortage of spare and replacement parts, everything from sheet metal panels to microprocessors. The semiconductor shortage was so severe that it caused major automakers like General Motors and Toyota to shave millions of vehicles off production schedules. And, lower on the totem pole, repair shops often were forced to delay work following an accident while waiting for parts – which were often more expensive because of the laws of supply-and-demand.

The Good News – Well, Not Entirely

If the administration is right on one subject, it’s there’s been a “lowering (of) car insurance premiums” over the last 18 months or so. And at least some of that has been the result of rising pressure on insurers – though typically at the state level where premiums normally are regulated.

Some insurance companies actively have begun taking steps to reduce costs. State Farm, for one, claimed an average rate reduction for its customers of 10% last year. And there are signs that rates are experiencing “negative growth” in 2026, according to the AP. “Average auto insurance premiums have begun to stabilize, and….we are seeing average rate decreases being implemented across numerous states, as well as dividends being paid to policyholders by major auto insurers such as State Farm and USAA,” Mark Friedlander, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute, a leading industry association, told the wire service.

Whether the downward trend will continue is uncertain. Overall inflation can’t be ignored by insurers, not when the average transaction price of new vehicles has topped $50,000, according to Cox Automotive. But the Trump administration is also driving costs up. While parts shortages have largely disappeared, there’s the president’s tariffs on imported aluminum, steel and auto parts. A sizable chunk of automotive repairs rely on imports and that could result in as much as $200 per year in higher insurance costs for those carrying comprehensive coverage, website Insurify estimated.

As Rivian pivots away from being a niche startup and toward being a mass-market manufacturer with sweeping structural changes, CEO RJ Scaringe says the days of driving to a service center or a physical shop may be over. In a recent interview, Scaringe claimed that Rivian wants to take care of 80 percent of all service needs using mobile service trucks. According to this approach, a technician from Rivian will arrive at the customer’s home in a mobile service station and address the issue with the car still parked on the customer’s driveway.

Mobile Service Strategy

The strategy relies heavily on bypassing the traditional dealer model altogether. Scaringe recently detailed a massive shift toward off-site repairs, revealing that approximately 60 percent of Rivian’s service is now handled by the company’s mobile service fleet, with Rivian targeting to increase this figure. In order to achieve this target, Rivian has deployed around 800 mobile service vehicles across the country. The bulk of this fleet consists of modified vans acting as rolling repair bays, dispatched directly to owners’ driveways. For more extreme scenarios, the automaker uses specialized Rivian Service Trucks (RSTs) capable of reaching even those drivers who were stuck on the side of a mountain. Rivian claims that no matter where a vehicle is located, an RST can make the recovery journey.

This aggressive mobile strategy is not just about convenience; it is a logistical necessity. The newly launched R2 SUV is currently rolling out to early reservation holders, fundamentally changing Rivian’s volume metrics. They are no longer solely servicing $80,000 luxury adventure vehicles. An influx of tens of thousands of new Rivians on American roads will place unprecedented strain on an already inefficient service operation.

Big Picture

While mobile vans can handle software glitches, tire rotations, and minor hardware swaps, major work and complex battery diagnostics still require physical bays and additional tooling. Recognizing this, Rivian is also racing to increase its brick-and-mortar service footprint to over 150 service centers by the end of 2027.

Rivian’s mobile-first service vision sounds viable on paper, eliminating the need for loaner vehicles and long commutes. However, execution is paramount. As for the mass-market rollout of the R2, the automaker’s 800 van service fleet will be the first line of defense keeping these new vehicles out of the shop and on the road.

Philosophy of Familiarity

At the heart of the 2026 RAV4’s legendary reliability is Toyota’s take on “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. As YouTube’s favorite mechanic, The Car Care Nut, puts it, this Toyota keeps things simple, serviceable, and lives up to Toyota’s reputation for reliability. Even at a time when Toyota is under heavy scrutiny for its failing twin-turbo V6 engines featured in the Sequoia, Tundra, and other models.

Rather than introducing an overstressed downsized turbocharged motor, for the 2026 RAV4, Toyota kept the proven naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four engine from the previous generation RAV4. This bulletproof power plant lacks a traditional drive belt entirely, opting instead for a highly durable electric water pump and electric air conditioning compressor. By removing these failure points, Toyota eliminated common maintenance headaches.

Typically Toyota

The powertrain itself is paired with the brand’s redefined fifth-generation hybrid system and ultra-reliable eCVT. Unlike traditional CVTs or dual clutch setups, this unit employs two robust electrical motors and a single planetary gear set, which means there are no internal clutches or complex hydraulic circuits to fail over time. For American buyers who want performance and efficiency without the penalty of complexity, the 2026 RAV4 PHEV delivers 324 horsepower and roughly 50 miles of electric-only driving range. All while retaining its simplicity.

When we speak of serviceability, mechanics will find a crossover designed for genuine serviceability. The engine bay offers sufficient space to operate without needing to remove the engine from the vehicle, even for major work such as cylinder head jobs or front cover jobs. The brake system has been streamlined as well. Rather than spreading components across the vehicle, the RAV4 features a single, easily accessible hydraulic control unit that houses the accumulator and stroke simulator – a design trick borrowed directly from the notoriously rugged 4Runner.

Underneath and Inside

Underneath the RAV4, the build quality shines through. Toyota resisted the urge to fit fragile adaptive dampers, fitting the RAV4 with a heavy-duty MacPherson strut in the front and a double wishbone rear suspension made of thick steel components. This suspension is engineered to handle potholes and rough roads from Dallas to Detroit without a flinch.

Inside, while tech such as a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster brings the cabin into the modern era, physical buttons and a traditional layout make drivers feel right at home, leaving the vehicle’s underlying architecture blissfully analog.

Verdict

In a market where new vehicles feel like disposable technology, the 2026 RAV4 proves that advanced hybrid capability doesn’t have to compromise serviceability or be overly complex. The 2026 RAV4 is a masterclass in 250,000-mile engineering. For families seeking a dependable and reliable vehicle to hold on to for years without issue, the RAV4 stands out as the best crossover on the market in 2026.

BMW’s reputation for being expensive, temperamental money pits is practically gospel. Any time someone talks about buying one, horror stories about oil leaks, electrical gremlins, and massive repair bills enter the conversation. Sreten, the man behind M539 Restorations and arguably the internet’s most dedicated BMW enthusiast, decided to stress-test that reputation when he picked up a 2006 BMW E61 530i Touring off Copart for roughly $4,900. It had 117,000 miles on the clock, an M Sport package, a six-speed manual gearbox, and a check engine light burning bright. While it wasn’t exactly a confidence builder, Sreten’s whole thing is finding cars that everyone else has written off and proving they have more life left in them than people think.

The Service History Was Exactly As Bad As You’d Expect

The service book told a grim story. First oil change at 15,500 miles. Another at around 30,000. Then a dealer visit somewhere around 62,000 miles, and after that, almost nothing. For a car now sitting at 117,000 miles, that is not a lot of oil changes. The evidence was everywhere once Sreten got it on the lift. The oil filter had literally collapsed inside its housing, which caused oil to spill everywhere when he pulled the cap. 

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The Vanos solenoids, which control valve timing, were packed with sludge so thick that passages were completely blocked. There was an oil leak from the valve cover, a transmission seal weeping fluid, vibrations at around 3,000 RPM, a wobbly clutch pedal with shot bushings, dry-rotted tires from 2015, and brakes worn down to significant lips on the rotors. Someone had also keyed the car and then had it resprayed so badly that you could still see the original scratch underneath terrible sanding marks. It was a lot. And yet, the cylinder walls in the motor looked excellent, and the cams were clean. The six-cylinder N52 engine, despite everything, was still running.

An Oil Change Fixed More Than You’d Think

After replacing the Vanos solenoids and running an engine flush followed by a fresh oil change, the check engine light cleared, and the rough running smoothed out considerably. The vibrations that had been rattling through the whole car at 3,000 RPM largely disappeared. Sreten’s plan from here follows the same formula he’s applied to every project before this one. Mechanical refresh first, cosmetic work second.

He does all of this himself, which is the part people miss when they calculate the cost of owning an older BMW, or any luxury car, really. Labour is what kills you, not the parts. A lot of what looked catastrophic turned out to be fixable with an oil change and about $120 worth of solenoids. The cars that get written off to neglect are often the ones that just needed someone to actually look after them.

What One Test Revealed About the Broader Problem

Across the ten different Toyota dealerships, a front brake pad set carried pricing ranging from its MSRP of $122 to a high of $153, a massive 25 percent jump in pricing. It’s a similar story with Lexus, where $104 MSRP brake pads were listed as high as $131. Less than half the dealerships contacted accurately stated the correct MSRP for the parts enquired about. One dealer even quoted $145 for the pads over the phone, then offered a “deal” which was still over MSRP. 

Unfortunately, this is far from a Toyota/Lexus problem. Reddit posts and forums have shown instances where customers have been overcharged by dealerships across various manufacturers. From price differences between dealers to dealers charging over the MSRP displayed on the dealer’s website, the list is endless. Both Ford and GM have officially instructed their dealer networks not to charge customers over MSRP, which shows just how bad this problem has gotten. 

Why Are Dealers Charging Over MSRP For Genuine Parts?

All franchised dealers receive OEM parts at the same wholesale cost. The MSRP is set by OEMs above the wholesale cost, so dealers can legitimately make money off those parts. Any dealer making a profit over and above that MSRP is probably banking on the customer not having done their research first.

According to Cox Automotive, 45 percent of car owners have expressed dissatisfaction with dealership services, primarily due to unexpected charges and lack of communication. These pricing inconsistencies also play a part here. The survey found that only 54 percent of car owners with vehicles two years or younger go back to the dealership for maintenance, a drop of 18 percent over the previous years. Dealers are losing customers to independent shops, and this lack of transparency when it comes to pricing is exactly the reason why. 

The best way to safeguard yourself from getting price gouged at the dealership over parts is to figure out the OEM part number, cross-check pricing across at least three dealerships against the listed MSRP, and then make a decision. The dealerships quoting correctly deserve your business. The ones that don’t are counting on you not knowing the difference. Or, you could avoid the trouble altogether and shop from a third-party source with verified OEM parts.

The automotive landscape of 2026 tells the story of automakers frantically pushing to meet incessantly changing regulations as well as deliver shareholder profits. The result is downsized engines with turbochargers and hybrid systems incorporated, causing a massive wave of premature engine failures, class-action lawsuits, and historic highs of federal-level recalls. If you are currently in the market for a new car, automotive consultant Shari Prymak, aka Car Help Corner on YouTube, highlights which legacy brands warrant a deeper dive before signing finance and purchase papers.

1. General Motors – 1.2L Turbo 3-Cylinder

GM’s little 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder powerplant, which powers the Chevrolet Trax, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Buick Envista, and Buick Encore, is currently facing a class-action lawsuit with owners reporting catastrophic engine failure. Internal damage, ranging from shredded bearings and bent connecting rods, is causing sudden and dangerous engine failure. This issue is currently exacerbated by the fact that owners report month-long waiting periods for replacement motors. Reports suggest that the reason for damage to the internals is the high stress these engines experience due to high compression designs, common amongst turbocharged powerplants, and extreme operating temperatures.

2. Nissan – 1.5L VC-Turbo 3-Cylinder

The Nissan Rogue stands out as the absolute nightmare for Nissan. Following a massive recall of half a million units in the summer of 2025, Nissan doubled down in February of 2026 with an additional 650,000 unit recall. The culprit? Nissan’s variable compression (VC) 1.5-liter motor. Extremely high oil temperatures cause the oil to break down rapidly, causing the engine bearings to seize, thereby bricking the motor. You may be starting to notice a pattern at this point; most of these failing motors are turbocharged, high-compression motors.

3. Volkswagen – 2.0L EA888 Turbo 4-Cylinder

Volkswagen’s omnipresent EA888 4-cylinder power unit has a history plagued with litigation. Having recently settled a massive class-action lawsuit over failing turbochargers spanning model years 2008 through 2024, the trouble is far from over. The 2026 VW Tiguan still employs this motor, and current ongoing lawsuits target its piston rings, which are reportedly causing severe oil consumption issues, leaving owners with a fragile motor that could one day, quite simply, stop motoring.

4. Toyota – 3.4L Twin Turbo V6

The Japanese stalwarts are not immune to the current onslaught of failing drivetrains. Toyota, arguably the brand with the most famous reputation for building reliable and robust vehicles, has brought a disaster onto itself. Toyota’s new-ish twin-turbo V6, introduced in the Tundra, Sequoia, and Lexus GX/LX range, was meant to replace its legendary V8 motor. Instead, debris from the manufacturing process is reportedly causing catastrophic rod-bearing failure. Even after two massive recalls, 2025 owners continue to report identical failures.

5. Honda – 1.5L Turbo 4-Cylinder

Honda, like Toyota, was built on a reputation of reliable, affordable, and easy-to-own vehicles. Currently, though, Honda is in crisis mode due to a bruising head gasket on its 1.5-liter turbo. According to reports, coolant leaking directly into the combustion chamber, sometimes on cars with less than 60,000 miles on the clock, is causing the motors to fail.

The cost to fix this? $5,000, which Honda does not cover with an extended warranty. Honda is currently in the process of phasing out this powerplant, but it is still on duty in the non-hybrid variants of the Honda Accord and CR-V.

6. Hyundai & Kia – 2.0L Theta/Nu 4-Cylinder

Hyundai Group has worked very hard to shed its reputation of building cheap, but also quality-compromised vehicles. However, the ghost of its Theta engine failures still haunts it. While both Hyundai and Kia models have largely moved to their new “Smart Stream” architecture, the infamous fire-prone Theta/Nu motor is still being used in the Kia Seltos, which continues to suffer rod-bearing failures and sudden engine seizures.

7. Jeep – 2.0L Turbo 4-Cylinder

Stellantis’ off-road brand is experiencing an immense struggle. Late last year, Jeep recalled roughly 100,000 Wranglers and Grand Cherokees due to manufacturing defects that could cause catastrophic engine failure or engine fires. Cracked cylinder liners, blown head gaskets, and turbocharger failures are routine complaints on models using these motors.

Buyer Bottom Line

Assuming that a brand with a long and illustrious history still continues to build the quality of vehicles they used to could land you with some big bills and lighter wallets. The era of bulletproof engineering seems to have walked away from us all. For as long as automakers continue to build over-stressed and downsized powertrains, buyers should be doing their research and making sure the cars on their shortlist come with stress-tested drivetrains without any active federal recalls or class-action lawsuits. The days of over-engineered vehicles with under-stressed motors have unfortunately been replaced by hastily thrown together, eco-friendly metallic paperweights.

The core allegation in the class action is that GM’s L87 V8 has a defective design causing insufficient lubrication between the bearings and crankshaft, generating friction and heat that wears the components down, leading to spun bearings, broken connecting rods, loss of propulsion, and complete engine failure. Affected model years run from 2019 through 2024, covering roughly 600,000 vehicles, with at least 11 class-action lawsuits filed. Now, GM is trying to get one of them covering 44 plaintiffs thrown out with its latest motion to dismiss the lawsuit, as reported by CarComplaints.

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The Recall That Didn’t Fix The Issue

The regulatory timeline here does not paint a good picture for GM. The NHTSA opened a formal investigation into L87 engine failures in January 2025. The first class-action lawsuit followed shortly after. GM issued a recall in April 2025 covering roughly 600,000 vehicles, with dealers replacing engines at no cost for vehicles that failed an inspection, while those that passed received a thicker 0W-40 oil in place of the factory 0W-20, along with a new oil fill cap and a new filter. All recalled vehicles received a 10-year, 150,000-mile extended warranty. 

The NHTSA expanded its probe late last year after the recall was approved. Then, in January 2026, it opened a new recall query, specifically to evaluate reports of subsequent engine failures in vehicles that had already gone through the recall process. Essentially, engines that were inspected, potentially replaced, and sent back to owners were failing again. The NHTSA is now trying to determine whether the recall even covered all the affected vehicles.

GM’s Legal Argument and Why Owners Aren’t Buying It

GM’s motion to dismiss leans on two main pillars. First, it blames suppliers, arguing the failures trace back to sediment contamination in connecting rods and crankshaft oil galleries, and to crankshaft dimensions and surface finishes that fell outside specifications. Basically, GM is pointing to manufacturing and quality-control failures at third parties, not a design flaw baked into the L87 V8 itself. 

Second, it points to the 3 percent figure. Only about 3 percent of the engines in the affected population actually experienced problems, and GM’s logic is that if it were a defect in the design of this engine, it would have produced failures at scale across all units. The automaker also argues that plaintiffs who never personally experienced a failure cannot claim damages on behalf of those who did, and that warranty claims should fail because GM never denied anyone a repair.

Our Take On GM’s Motion To Dismiss The L87 V8 Lawsuit

The problem with all of this is what GM does not adequately address. Replacement engines were failing too. If the fix itself is producing the same outcome, the argument that the recall remedied the defect becomes very hard to sustain. 

GM tells the court that NHTSA-approved recall repairs satisfy what the plaintiffs are asking for, and that if owners have further concerns, they should take them to the regulator. But the NHTSA is currently running a separate inquiry because the recall may not have worked. GM is essentially pointing to a recall that the NHTSA is still evaluating, to be used as proof that the case should be dismissed. That is a bold ask, and considering how many people already aren’t convinced, a judge may not be either.

What Failed, and Why?

This is not a new issue, and General Motors is very aware of it. While the immediate symptom was a leaking head gasket, the deeper, systemic issue with the L87 engine lies deep within the block: the crankshaft. During the teardown, microscopic analysis of the rod journals revealed improper surface finishing from the factory.

Given the recalls and legal trouble, for General Motors, the L87 powerplant is like a toothache that will not go away. In a healthy engine, oil rides smoothly across the crankshaft journals. However, the factory L87 crankshaft possesses microscopic “shelves” or uneven ridges. As oil flows over these ridges, the pressure builds up and then abruptly collapses. These rapid, localized drops in oil pressure cause the rod bearings to suffer microscopic impacts, eventually leading to catastrophic engine failure over time.

Exacerbating this mechanical flaw are modern manufacturing choices driven by fuel economy and emissions standards. To reduce internal friction and increase efficiency, these engines are designed to run on water-thin 0W-20 oil. While this reduces resistance, it offers a dangerously thin margin for error with regard to bearing lubrication. Furthermore, the factory bearing clearances on the L87 are incredibly tight.

The Fix

For the rebuild process, the shop begins by throwing out the problematic factory crankshaft and replacing it with a high-quality aftermarket crankshaft featuring a proper surface finish. Next, the engine builders open up the main bearing clearances and switch the engine to a more suitable 0W-40 oil. Finally, they install a delete for the Dynamic Fuel Management (DFM) system and top the whole build off with a supercharger.

By spending the extra money on a comprehensive rebuild rather than taking a massive depreciation hit by selling a broken vehicle, the owner saved approximately $50,000 compared to trading up for an Escalade V, all while ensuring the luxury SUV will, hopefully, reliably stay on the road for the next 15 to 20 years. Ultimately, this 9,000-mile failure highlights a frustrating reality of modern automotive engineering, where emissions standards and rapid manufacturing can compromise longevity. But as this build proves, with the right expertise, even a factory flaw can be transformed into a high-performance masterpiece.

Trump In Disbelief Over Restricting Self-Repair

Trump said the automakers told him they didn’t want people fixing their own vehicles, and his response was candid disbelief. “They don’t want people to fix their car,” Trump said. “I said, that’s strange. I’d never heard of that.’” He also claimed that someone had reportedly received a seven-year prison sentence for repairing their own vehicle, though no further details or context were offered to clarify what legal case he was referring to. Ford has since confirmed that Andrew Frick, who heads both Ford Blue and Ford Model e, attended the June 3rd White House meeting, but the company offered no additional comment beyond that.

The Right-To-Repair Battle Continues

The right-to-repair debate has been simmering for years, and the auto industry has been one of its most contentious battlegrounds. Automakers have long argued that restricting access to vehicle software, diagnostic systems, and telematics data is a matter of safety and cybersecurity, not consumer suppression. Independent repair shops and consumer advocacy groups see it differently. Their position is that as vehicles become increasingly software-defined, locking diagnostic access to dealer networks forces owners into expensive, often unnecessary dealership visits for repairs that a local shop could handle at a fraction of the cost.

Several states have seen legislation on this. Massachusetts passed a landmark automotive right-to-repair law, which automakers challenged in court. The fight over what data owners can access and who gets to fix modern vehicles is far from settled. What Trump’s remarks do is drag that ongoing tug-of-war into a very public, very political spotlight.

iSeeCars released a data set that might shock you. According to industry averages, cars have a 4.8% chance of reaching 250,000 miles, and the data show that certain brands last longer than others.

Unsurprisingly, Toyota is at the top of the heap, followed by Lexus. The likelihood of a Toyota reaching 250,000 miles is reported to be 17.8%, while a Lexus vehicle’s likelihood is at 12.8%. Meanwhile, Honda’s not too far behind and still above average. The last brand that beats the industry average is Acura, but after that, it’s the wild west.

Tesla is ‘Average’

The craziest thing is that Tesla nearly matched the industry average, with its cars 4.6% likely to reach 250,000 miles. At just 0.2% behind, we can say that the relatively young EV maker’s doing pretty well. However, the brands it towers over, according to the iSeeCars study, may raise an eyebrow or drop a few jaws.

Trailing behind Tesla were brands like Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Mazda. You’d think we’d see another Japanese brand earlier in the list, or another above Tesla, but that’s not the case. Tesla’s tied for 5th and 6th place with GMC, but if you’re wondering where the other Japanese brands are, Mazda’s 9th, Nissan is 14th, Subaru is 15th, and most jaw-dropping of all, Mitsubishi is 20th out of 32 brands covered.

Your Mitsubishi Has About a 1.1% Chance of Reaching 250K Miles

Near the bottom of the barrel is Mitsubishi, coming in with a paltry 1.1% chance of reaching 250,000 miles. This is about five times less than the industry average, which is unfortunate. For decades, Mitsubishi was known for selling some of the most robust cars in the world. Whether you’re talking about its rally-bred Evos or the Pajero line, reliability was one of the words that was always thrown around whenever we’d talk about a Mitsubishi.

However, we’re looking at a very different Mitsubishi today. Whether it’s a CVT issue or something else, you could say that there is some truth to the matter. With a 1.1% chance of its cars reaching 250,000 miles, that’s a far cry from what I was expecting to see.

Nissan and Subaru: A Little Better

Compared to Tesla, Nissan and Subaru are 2 times less likely to reach 250,000 miles, with rates of 2.4% for Nissan and 2.3% for Subaru. Whether you expected that or not is up for debate, but based on the data, perhaps it’s time to accept that some Japanese brands have taken a misstep or two over the last few years.

Of course, there are other brands on the list as well, and some stereotypes still hold true, such as BMW having less than a percent chance, and Jaguar, Mini, and Maserati having zero chance of reaching 250,000 miles, according to the data. Land Rover got a tenth of a percent (0.1%) chance of reaching 250,000 miles, which is expected.

Suggesting Otherwise

Before you drop everything and buy a Tesla, there are other factors to consider. The likelihood of a car going the extra mile could also depend on the model that you choose. For example, the Nissan Frontier ranked higher than Ford and Chevrolet trucks in reliability, but not Toyota trucks. While Subaru didn’t shine in iSeeCars’ study, another story says that the gap between Toyota and Subaru isn’t that far off. Meanwhile, the most reliable new SUV in 2026 is not actually a Toyota, but a Honda Passport.

You could say that, across the board, Tesla vehicles are just simpler when it comes to their powertrains compared to cars with internal combustion engines or hybrid systems. There could be truth to that matter, and perhaps that’s what’s helping Tesla now. However, I think it’s good to check other data sources to arrive at the best possible conclusion on top of this.

According to in-depth reviews from top sources like Consumer Reports, a Toyota Camry is likely to be less troublesome than a Chevrolet Malibu, but you can still get many happy miles out of your Malibu if you follow some tried and tested reliability practices. In fact, even transmission and engine issues that afflict certain models can be minimized or completely avoided with some prudent maintenance and understanding how your driving behavior has a real impact on your vehicle’s longevity.

While getting your car to last a million miles is going to require some serious effort, it has been done before, and not only in cars that were considered to be the paragon of reliability. So, to help you get the most out of your vehicle, here are five simple ways to get your car to last for decades instead of years:

1. Maintenance Intervals Aren’t Suggestions

Every car comes with an owner’s manual, whether it’s a physical booklet in your glovebox or available online. Aside from information and instructions on your specific model’s features, the most important bit of info is the service and maintenance schedule. The older your car gets the more this matters.

Regular oil changes are perhaps the most crucial aspect of engine longevity, but there are plenty of other often overlooked service tasks:

• Transmission Fluid: Especially important for CVTs and high-mileage automatics.
• Coolant: The best way to prevent internal corrosion and blocked radiators is to flush your coolant every few years.
• Spark Plugs: Worn plugs force your ignition coils to work harder, leading to poor performance and fuel economy.
• Brake Fluid: Brake fluid absorbs water over time. Leave it too long and it can corrode your brake lines and boil when you really need to use them.

Servicing requirements and intervals are a bit different for electric vehicles, but in general, they require less maintenance than gas or plug-in hybrid models.

2. Drive Like It’s Your Last Car

Your driving style is the biggest variable in how fast your car wears out. If you treat every green light like a drag race and trips to the shops like a qualifying lap, the parts of your car will wear out or fail sooner. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy your car, but a smooth driving style and anticipating the road conditions ahead will prevent undue wear on your engine, transmission and brakes.

Allowing your car to warm up for the first few miles of every drive will make a major difference on how long it lasts. Don’t let it sit idling in your garage, just get in and drive at low RPMs while the water and oil get up to temperature. If you own a sports car, it was meant to be driven enthusiastically but remember that you abusing it every day will cost you a lot in the long run.

3. Practice Proactive Rather Than Reactive Maintenance

If your engine belts are getting on, or you haven’t changed your car battery in years, it may be a good idea to be proactive about replacing them before they fail. Your car’s battery should last around five years, so if you are in year four then get its volage levels checked before it stops being able to power the starter motor.

Serpentine belts that power the auxiliary devices in many cars (A/C compressor, power steering pump) are not all that expensive, but waiting until they snap or fail can cause damage to far pricier components. Check your belts for fraying or brittleness takes just a few minutes and can save you a lot of hassle. Having your vehicle inspected before a long trip is also a great way to help it last longer and keep you safer on the road.

4. Don’t Ignore The Noises

Hearing strange noises at night in your home can be pretty frightening. But this is also true if you are in your car on a deserted stretch of road. In most cases, the noises tend to start off as niggling background squeaks and rattles. Finding the source of a new grinding sound from under the hood should be investigated sooner than later.

Leaving things too long can not only cause components to fail at inopportune times, but they may cost you a whole lot more, too. If your new noise is accompanied by a dashboard warning light, don’t ignore it just because the car still feels fine.

5. Keep It Clean

Washing your car may seem like a chore, but it can be quite therapeutic to clean the grime and dirt off your vehicle. It is also a great opportunity to look for visible signs of wear and tear. Uneven wear on your tires can be spotted sooner, and you may notice leaks or loose bits of trim.

Road salt, dirt and small stones can wreak havoc on a vehicle’s undercarriage. Regularly cleaning the underbody can minimize this. It can also alert you to brake or fuel line corrosion or body damage that might otherwise go unnoticed until it is too late.

The Baseline Numbers

The aggregated total cost of ownership (TCO) over 5-years for Toyota’s undeniably popular Rav4 currently sits at $34,317. Stripping away the cost of borrowing exposes the raw running costs, equating to roughly $572 per month in unavoidable out-of-pocket expenses and lost equity. Summarized in the table below:

Depreciation: Typically Toyota

With prices for new models starting at $31,900 and going up to $43,900 for the range-topping Limited AWD Hybrid, the RAV4 holds its market value exceptionally well, consistently ranking in the top tier for value retention among compact SUVs. Still, depreciation remains the heaviest anchor on the balance sheet. Real market data shows a well-equipped model will shed $16,447 over five years – according to CarEdge. Assuming a purchase price of $37,900, the RAV4 holds approximately 56 percent of its value after 5 years of depreciation – about 8.8 percent annually is lost to depreciation, well below the average annual depreciation on new vehicles in America.

Warranty & Maintenance

Toyota issues a standard 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty alongside a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain guarantee. Dealerships routinely pressure buyers into extended warranties, but just like the Toyota Corolla, the RAV4’s historical reliability makes self-funding potential repairs the smarter approach.

The immediate cost-saver is ToyotaCare, which shields owners from scheduled service costs during the first 2 years or 25,000 miles. After that period expires, routine maintenance and wear items tally up to a highly manageable $1,938 by the end of year five. Stretched over a full decade, the probability of the RAV4 requiring a major mechanical repair is a remarkably low 16.6 percent, beating the SUV segment average by a wide margin.

Fuel Economics

For the outgoing generation, the gas-powered LE and XLE AWD models pull an EPA-estimated 30 MPG combined (27 city / 34 highway). Operating on a 15,000-mile annual baseline, fuel expenditures will drain approximately $5,937 over 60 months. Buyers logging heavier highway miles frequently pivot to the RAV4 Hybrid (39 MPG combined) or the RAV4 Prime plug-in (42 miles of EV-only range), which surgically cut that 5-year fuel expense down despite higher initial transaction prices. Toyota could have offered more powerful variants; however, it chose not to, as it is unsure about potential demand. The 2026 RAV4 has significantly improved its MPG figures.

Insurance Premiums

Actuarial data places the RAV4 right in the sweet spot for national coverage rates. The average American driver will spend $1,999 annually for full comprehensive and collision policies. Over five years, that $9,995 premium becomes the second-largest financial drain behind depreciation.

Current Market Action (May 2026)

Toyota is fighting to maintain its segment dominance this month with aggressive incentives valid through June 1, 2026. For buyers shifting away from a cash purchase, Toyota Financial Services (TFS) is currently offering 4.99 percent APR for 60 months and 5.99 percent for 72 months on 2026 models.

On the lease side, the 2026 RAV4 is actively advertised at $299 per month for 36 months (10,000-mile annual allowance) with $3,999 due at signing. Toyota also continues to stack $500 targeted cash rebates for currently enrolled college students, recent graduates, and military personnel, keeping the RAV4’s barrier to entry ruthlessly competitive. If you’re shopping for a used previous-generation RAV4, make sure you do your research and pick a clean example after a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

Start-stop features are a staple in most modern cars, and while annoying, they can save you a few dollars on every drive by turning the engine off and then back on at a temporary stop. However, Ford Maverick and Bronco owners got the short end of the stick when a recent recall was issued over the potential loss of power when the stop-start system fails to hold up its end of the bargain.

Up to 456,000 Maverick and Bronco Sport SUVs have been recalled by Ford due to a failure of the auto start-stop feature to restart the engine. Year models 2021 to 2024 Ford Bronco Sports and 2022 to 2023 Mavericks were cited in the recall, which was covered in 2024. However, two years later, it appears that things did not go as planned, and Ford is now facing a proposed class action lawsuit over an “inadequate repair,” Classaction.org reports.

Inadequate Repair

To remedy the situation and restore power, Ford offered a free repair service in the form of a software update. However, upon further investigation, the issue was traced to hardware rather than software.

According to the class action lawsuit, Ford and Camel Group (USA) Battery, Inc., actively “concealed and omitted” the defective 12-volt batteries’ issues in the affected SUVs and pickups. The cells contain an internal weld and a cast-on strap that are “susceptible to failure.”

Ford’s free repair failed to address the cause of the issue. Instead of replacing the defective batteries, a software update was sent to the car, and without a “more comprehensive” repair in line for recalled cars, the lawsuit argues that vehicle batteries will continue to fail, resulting in dangerous situations.

Unneeded Charges and a Devalued Vehicle

Customers who’ve experienced a power outage and been unable to restart have resorted to having their vehicles towed back to the dealer, costing them hundreds of dollars in transportation fees and a free headache. Apart from that, the plaintiff has also claimed that she has been left with a devalued vehicle, which is also worth less than one with an actual working battery.

The proposed Ford Motor Company class-action lawsuit looks to cover individuals in the United States who have purchased a 2021 to 2024 Ford Bronco Sport or a 2022 to 2023 Ford Maverick. The defective 12-volt battery, with an internal weld and a cast-on strap, manufactured by Camel Group (USA) Battery, Inc., is the ticket.

If you’ve kept an eye on Hyundai and Kia models from the 2010s, the Theta engine probably rings a bell. The Theta II 2.4-liter, in particular, picked up a reputation for trouble – think rod knock, bearing wear, oil starvation, and sudden failures. It showed up in everything from SUVs to family sedans, and over time, it became one of those engines owners learned to be wary of.

However, the worst Theta might not be in the usual family haulers. Based on what I Do Cars found, the 2.0-liter turbocharged RS Turbo in the Genesis Coupe could actually be the most problematic. These engines often struggle to reach 150,000 miles, and owners start asking about replacements long before the cars are old enough to be scrapped.

The engine in question came from a stock 2014 Genesis Coupe automatic, showing about 104,000 miles on the clock. On paper, it looked well cared for, with oil changes every 4,000 to 5,000 miles.

Looking Ugly Underneath

The Theta engine here looked fine at first glance. The spark plugs were okay, the turbo spun smoothly, and the intake ports were cleaner than expected, likely thanks to multi-port injection. Even under the valve cover, there was just some mild discoloration and barely any sludge, so it didn’t seem like the engine had been ignored.

But once the timing cover came off, things started to appear worse. There was metal contamination stuck in the timing guides, and bits of bearing material caught in the variable valve timing solenoid screens. That was the first real sign that damage had reached the oil system.

The real trouble showed up when the oil pan was removed. Inside, there was copper-colored powder, chunks of bearing debris, and metallic sludge sitting in the pan and oil pickup. The oil pump showed clear scoring from the contaminated oil, and several rod bearings were badly overheated and worn.

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When Regular Maintenance Isn’t Enough

Most importantly, it wasn’t just a single bearing that failed. Multiple rods showed signs of heat, pistons had visible wear, and the crank journals were heavily damaged. The likely cause? Oil starvation or long-term oil consumption, possibly from an engine that was quietly burning oil without anyone noticing – a typical Theta problem.

Well, this teardown serves as a reminder that just having clean oil isn’t always enough. Even engines with solid service records can hide problems if oil consumption slips under the radar or lubrication issues build quietly. It’s worth checking your oil regularly between services, listening for odd noises, and keeping an eye on how much oil the engine uses.

And if you’re looking at a used Genesis Coupe 2.0T, it might be smart to check for bearing wear or even drop the oil pan and inspect the pickup before any issues get expensive.

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Surviving the fuel crisis might get a bit harder. Now it appears that we have a real motor oil crisis here. Earlier this month, Toyota released a bulletin to its dealers, telling them to ration and substitute certain grades for their cars, Automotive News reports.

The shortages continued into Nissan’s camp. We caught wind of its announcement before the brand even sent it. Now, about a week later, the rationing has begun, and there are now guidelines on who gets priority.

Motor Oil Shortage

Nissan is rationing 5W-30 and 0W-20 Nissan Genuine Motor Oils. Starting this week, Nissan’s stock of these oils has dropped by 30% year-on-year. With only 70% left in the tank, the brand is already taking precautions, sending memos to dealers to manage its stock during the shortage.

The brand will prioritize certain owners, such as those claiming “warranty, extended warranty, recall repairs, goodwill, and prepaid maintenance,” according to Kim Less, the vice president of aftersales at Nissan Americas, in the bulletin addressed to Nissan dealers.

“Given these constraints, it is critical to prioritize the use of Nissan Genuine 0W-20 (and 5W-30, where applicable) for warranty, extended warranty, recall repairs, goodwill, and prepaid maintenance,” Kim Less, vice president of aftersales, Nissan Americas, said in the May 15 bulletin to Nissan dealers.

Alternatives

Less also stated in the bulletin that the brand will try to secure alternative sources of motor oil for its customers, and that they “have options.” It’s not yet known whether Nissan will field substitutes, as Toyota stated in its announcements.

On top of that, there are industry-wide shortages. Other sources have reported that retailers like Autozone have also reported shortages from Exxon Mobil, leaving a lot of shelf space unfilled.

Meanwhile, dealer groups are sitting on a good supply of oil, while oil change centers like Valvoline’s quick-service chain have stated that the U.S. and Canadian markets will have enough for “today and for the foreseeable future.”

The Forseeable Future

For now, the brands’ top brass is taking the most action in light of this shortage. Simple economics also dictates that if a product is in short supply, prices are sure to rise, and some brands are already feeling the pinch. “We’re all grabbing it, and we’re all paying stupid prices for it, but if you want it, that’s what it is,” said Gacita of Petra Automotive Products.

Unfortunately, consumers will be paying higher prices for their oil changes, if not now, then maybe the next one will cost you a lot more. Back then, it was fuel; now it’s oil and maintenance. Parts are also getting more expensive, so consumers will be paying more across the board.

The Baseline Numbers

The average 5-year total cost of ownership (TCO) for a standard gas-powered Toyota Corolla currently hovers at approximately $28,290 – depending on trim level and local taxes. That breaks down to a monthly operating cost of roughly $470—a figure completely independent of your monthly loan payment and interest on said loan.

Depreciation: The Silent Expense

New cars hemorrhage value the second they leave the lot, but the Corolla stops the bleeding better than most competitors. Expect a 5-year depreciation hit of roughly $8,200 to $9,700, considering a mid-range Corolla costing about $28,000 new still sells on the secondary market for between $18,000 and $20,000. Even the base LE trim driven 15,000 miles annually retains nearly 66 percent of its original value after five years, working out to a depreciation of roughly 6.8 percent per year. This retention rate consistently outperforms the industry average for the compact segment.

Warranty & Maintenance

Toyota’s standard factory warranty provides 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage, handling everything from infotainment glitches to HVAC failures. The 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty strictly covers the engine, transmission, and drivetrain components. While dealerships frequently push extended warranties at signing—often running $1,500 to $2,500—the actuarial math on a Corolla rarely justifies the premium. The car’s historical reliability footprint means you are statistically better off self-funding repairs post-warranty.

The immediate cost-saver is ToyotaCare, which covers all factory-scheduled maintenance and 24/7 roadside assistance for the first 2 years or 25,000 miles. Because of this, initial maintenance costs are negligible. Over a 5-year timeline, aggregate data from CarEdge projects total routine maintenance between $1,430 and $3,747, with unexpected repairs adding a mere $600. Stretch that to a 10-year timeline, and a Corolla costs about $4,434 to maintain—beating the segment average by over $1,300. The probability of a major repair exceeding $500 during the first decade is a remarkably low 12.2 percent.

Fuel Economics

Standard gas models pull an EPA-estimated 34 to 35 MPG combined. Assuming a national average of 15,000 miles driven annually, expect to spend approximately $6,600 on fuel over 60 months – calculated using national average gas prices. Opting for the Hybrid variant (which achieves 44–50 MPG) slashes that 5-year fuel expenditure to $4,500–$5,000, easily recovering the hybrid markup within the first three years.

Insurance Premiums

Premiums hinge on specific demographics and zip codes, but national actuarial data shows the Corolla to be highly favorable to insure. The average American buyer will spend roughly $2,112 annually ($10,560 over five years) for full comprehensive and collision coverage. That total sits significantly below the national average for similar popular sedans.

Toyota Corolla Deals and Offers (May 2026)

Toyota is actively moving inventory this month with targeted incentives. Qualified buyers financing through Toyota Financial Services (TFS) are seeing APR cuts down to 4.99 percent for 60 months or 5.49 percent for 72 months.

For the lease market, the 2026 Corolla is being advertised at $199 to $209 per month for 36 months, with roughly $3,700 to $3,999 due at signing (structured around a 10,000-mile annual limit). Additionally, Toyota is running $500 targeted cash rebates for currently enrolled college students, recent graduates, and military personnel. These rates represent a highly controlled, predictable cost of entry for the compact sedan segment.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has just published a recall order for the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Ioniq 5. The electric SUV’s rear suspension apparently needs some work, as it has a loose rear suspension that can cause accidents.

Certain production numbers have been marked, with the report citing that specific production dates from Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America need to undergo the recall service.

Specific Production Dates

Hyundai Ioniq 9s that were produced between March 25, 2025, and July 23, 2025, have been flagged for recall. Meanwhile, Hyundai Ioniq 5s that were produced between December 10, 2024, and July 10, 2025, are also being recalled for the same issue.

These models were all locally produced for the U.S. market at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Bryan County, Georgia. As per usual, check with Hyundai America’s VIN checker to see if your car falls under the recall parameters, then go to your assigned dealer in order to facilitate the recall process.

The Problem

As for the production defect itself, the rear suspension of the affected Ioniq 5s and Ioniq 9s “may have been assembled with insufficiently torqued fasteners, which can loosen over time and result in noise or vibration. If the vehicle is continuously operated under this condition without being addressed, the nut and/or bolt may detach from the vehicle over time and potentially reduce vehicle stability or control during operation,” the recall report reads.

In a nutshell, the Hyundai factory might not have tightened the bolts on certain Ioniq 5s and 9s, which will cause discomfort and possibly a crash. With that being said, the early warning signs include noise coming from the rear of the car while it’s running.

The problem was first identified through a field report, dated August 1, 2025. From there, investigations were held, durability testing was done, and on May 11, 2026, the recall order was underway. At this time, there are no confirmed fires, crashes, injuries, or fatalities that are linked to this recall, thankfully.

The Problem with Turbocharged Hybrids

Historically, both Hyundai and Kia have suffered severe setbacks, most notably the $5 billion Theta II engine recall nightmare. The recall centered around an engine that was plagued by manufacturing debris, oil starvation, and seized bearings. While Hyundai and Kia have pivoted to newer powertrains, their current engineering choices present deep long-term longevity concerns.

Take their modern 1.6-liter turbocharged, direct-injection hybrid powertrain. Combining turbocharging with a hybrid system is a well-known engineering risk. Hyundai and Kia hybrids are designed to aggressively shut off the gas engine to coast in EV mode, a choice made to drive up MPG figures, showing tangible use of the hybrid powertrains. However, repeatedly cutting power to a hot, spinning turbocharger starves the component of cooling oil and subjects it to extreme thermal cycling. Over 100,000 miles, this rapid on-and-off behavior is a recipe for premature mechanical fatigue.

Critical Failure Points by Design

Hybrid turbocharging decision aside, these vehicles rely exclusively on direct injection rather than dual port-and-direct injection. Without port injectors washing fuel over the intake valves, severe carbon buildup becomes inevitable over time, strangling engine performance. Toyota chooses port injection for the Corolla hybrid, and it seems like the smarter engineering choice.

The structural vulnerabilities extend to the undercarriage and accessories. The hybrid starter generator (HSG) is belt-driven and subjected to immense mechanical loads to crank the engine over. If this vital drive belt snaps out of warranty, the car immediately depletes its battery and shuts down completely. Below the vehicle, essential coolant lines lack structural shielding and rely on fragile plastic quick-disconnects exposed directly to road debris. This used to be acceptable when Hyundais were sold new for about $20,000 a long time ago, but now that a fully kitted new Kia Sportage Hybrid sells for over $40,000 MSRP, this sort of visible cost-cutting is difficult to justify.

Built for the First Owner

Ultimately, Kia and Hyundai build vehicles packed with impressive out-of-the-box tech, refined drive dynamics, and accessible price points that make them appealing to initial buyers. But with unshielded underbody wiring harnesses, thermal mismanagement risks, and complex, high-stress powertrain combinations, these vehicles are optimized to survive the 100,000-mile finish line—leaving secondary owners to inherit the inevitable.

At the time of writing, Geely and BYD are leading the charge in terms of, err, charging speeds. The two Chinese EV makers are pushing the limits of current battery technology. We’re seeing Megawatt chargers that can deliver charging speeds as fast as 5 minutes or less with over 1,000 kW of charging power. With the right outlet, owners of these ultra-fast charging EVs are essentially getting a refill at the pumps.

It’s not advised for EV owners to constantly use fast chargers, lest they risk premature battery degradation. The heat and the strain put into the battery as a result of 300 kW, 500 kW, 800 kW, or megawatt charging can lead to lower ranges in the long run, or a trip to the dealer for a replacement. Though what if AI could help mitigate battery degradation? Would you take advantage of it?

Up to 23% More Life

Researchers at Chalmers University have developed an AI that manages electric vehicle batteries, netting 23% more battery life with no sacrifice in charging speed. Theoretically, the AI-based charging system adapts the battery’s charging behavior to the current state of charge, battery chemistry, and battery health to deliver a fast charge that improves long-term battery health by up to 23%.

The AI model was trained on reinforcement learning. The researchers dropped it into an environment using some of the most common electric vehicle batteries on the market and simulated charging parameters that affect charging time and battery health. However, at the time of writing, further physical testing is required. The question is: what if charging speeds are increased further, what if more heat builds up, and what if the environment becomes less-than-ideal for charging an EV quickly?

In simpler terms, the AI model adapts to the current state of the battery, minimizing unwanted electrochemical reactions while maintaining charge speeds and maximizing battery health.

Just a Software Update

The new AI-based charging software should be easy to implement, as it could be delivered via a software update. However, as stated previously, further testing is needed. With so many battery technologies and chemistries out there, not to mention the impending arrival of solid-state batteries in future EVs, the system will need to learn and adapt to different systems.

However, once the next steps are implemented and the system learns beyond simulations, it could make EV ownership more efficient in the long run. Not only that, but it could also serve the second-hand market for these cars in the future, allowing car-buyers additional peace of mind knowing that the original factory-installed battery can go just a bit further.

It will be interesting to see how this technology progresses in the industry if automakers ever give it the green light. The question is, with further testing, will opening up battery health management to AI make a big impact? More longitudinal studies are needed for this; in other words, it will take some time.

The BMW S55 engine has earned its fans, and it’s easy to see why. This twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six, found in the F80 M3 and F82 M4, is often called one of BMW M’s more reliable modern engines – if you keep up with maintenance. Out of the box, it puts down 425 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Even better, it can take a fair bit of tuning abuse before your wallet starts sweating.

That said, the S55 is a tuner’s dream. Bolt-ons, bigger turbos, ethanol mixes, wild ECU tunes – these cars see it all, and many keep running strong for years.

But even the S55 has its limits, especially if you ignore maintenance or brush off warning signs. Not every engine gets an easy life. A recent I Do Cars teardown showed exactly what happens when a small problem is left to spiral into a full-blown disaster.

This particular engine came out of a 2015 BMW M3. From the first turn of the wrench, it was clear: something had gone seriously wrong inside.

The Damage Started Bad and Somehow Got Worse

Even before cracking it open, the clues were there. The engine wouldn’t turn over like it should. A few spark plugs were missing. One cylinder looked suspiciously wet. Rust and moisture in the ports hinted that this S55 had spent some time outside after it died.

Then things got ugly as soon as the valve cover came off. Multiple intake cam caps were shattered – some of the worst valvetrain carnage the host had ever seen. The S55’s Valvetronic system puts a lot of spring pressure on the valvetrain, and once oil stopped flowing, the camshaft just started eating into the cylinder head.

As for the oil filter, metallic bits everywhere, including copper-colored shavings that usually mean bearing failure. At this point, it was obvious the damage went way beyond the top end.

Digging deeper, the real culprit showed up: cylinder six had a rod-bearing failure of the worst kind. Bearing material had spread through the oil system, contaminating almost every part that needed lubrication. Things got so hot that plastic parts inside the oil pan actually melted.

Surprisingly, the pistons and valves weren’t smashed up as you’d expect from a failure this bad. Instead, the engine just slowly tore itself apart from oil starvation and heat, bit by bit.

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Modern Performance Engines Still Need Attention

What’s wild is this probably didn’t happen all at once. As I Do Cars pointed out, the damaged cam journals and broken cam caps indicate the engine kept running for a while after oil pressure began to drop.

That’s the uncomfortable truth here. Modern performance cars warn you about almost everything. Knocks, low oil pressure, rough running, weird vibrations – you usually get plenty of hints before things get this bad. This teardown makes it clear: someone kept driving this BMW M3 long after the trouble started.

If you own an S55, the advice hasn’t changed. Stay on top of oil changes. Watch your oil pressure and temps. Don’t ignore weird noises just because the car still moves. Rod-bearing wear is always something to watch, especially if you’re running more power than stock.

The surprise? Even after all this carnage, some good parts survived, such as the block, a few pistons, and the oil pan and injectors. But the cylinder head? That one’s done for good.

It might already be safe to assume that the rest of the industry will also issue service bulletins regarding the motor oil shortage. To recap, Toyota issued its own service bulletin to its dealers, which was sent out earlier in May. The reason for the shortage is the same here. The conflict in Iran has damaged some key facilities related to motor oil supply.

The Drive managed to catch a Nissan service bulletin before it reached dealers, and it’s pretty much the same story: Nissan is monitoring its oil supply for an impending oil shortage. If Toyota and Nissan are feeling the pinch, it’s likely that more and more brands will follow or have already sent out their own announcements.

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Subject: Important

Sent under the subject: “Important Engine Oil Supply and Product Availability Changes.” The document is dated May 1, 2026, but the source indicated that it hasn’t been sent out just yet. Nissan announced to dealers that there will be a “reduced production capacity for most lubricant products.” Following that, the brand gave several recommendations and largely cited the same reasons that Toyota did in its service bulletin.

Nissan’s supply allocation will be constrained to 55% Year over Year (YoY) based on its gallons purchased. This is alarming because dealers will only be able to purchase just a little over half their purchaseable volume compared to last year. This applies to all oils, including Mobil and Mobil 1 Nissan Genuine Oil.

In a nutshell, the conflict in Iran is to blame for the impending shortage, with the brand citing raw materials, refining capacity, availability of key lubricant components, and an industry-wide shortage. The document also states that there will be a price adjustment due to reduced motor oil supply, so dealers should expect a price increase, and consumers can expect a price bump on their next service. Nissan is also cutting its oil allocations to just a little over half, effectively rationing what dealers consume year-on-year.

Solutions and FAQs

While rationing is one of the solutions to the problem, Nissan U.S. stated in its announcement that it will seek supplemental sourcing options and will also explore sourcing Nissan Value Advantage lubricants. Apart from that, dealers will receive support if their stock runs low, and Nissan will prioritize critical cases. The brand even went so far as to mention that “these geopolitical supply issues are out of our control.”

Finally, there is no substitution clause in the bulletin, which states that dealers are required to use Genuine Oil or oil approved by Nissan and paid for by Nissan. In case things were a little unclear, there is a helpful FAQs section to smooth things over.

I can see that the brand seems so done with this crisis already, but just like the rest of the industry, it has to power through. Dealers and their service clients can expect a price bump on oil changes soon, but Nissan says it’s due to supplier price adjustments amid the current landscape. Now the question won’t be whether oil changes are getting too expensive, but whether or not you will be able to get one at all from your service center.

Hyundai’s rise in the US has been nothing short of impressive. Over the past few years, the brand has rolled out new SUVs, EVs, and hybrids, steadily growing its lineup and pushing annual sales past 900,000 vehicles for 2025. That’s a huge leap from the 665,000 units it moved in 2017, and the company doesn’t plan to slow down.

But as Hyundai’s showrooms fill up, the service side hasn’t kept pace. In fact, Hyundai has landed below the industry average in JD Power’s service satisfaction rankings every year since 2017.

The issue is becoming harder to ignore as more owners complain about long wait times, delayed repairs, and difficulty getting answers about warranty coverage or parts availability.

Customers Are Growing Frustrated With Service Delays

A big part of the problem comes down to capacity. Dealers are seeing far more Hyundais roll in for service than they did ten years ago, but many shops never grew fast enough to handle the surge.

Take the case of one Alabama owner, as chronicled by Automotive News: a 2024 Hyundai Palisade sat idle for months, just waiting on replacement rear shocks. Stories like this aren’t rare – online owner groups are full of similar complaints about backordered parts and repairs that drag on far longer than expected.

Hyundai Motor America’s Michel Poirier, who oversees aftersales and customer experience, knows what’s happening. He points to the sheer number of engine replacements from warranty and recall campaigns as a major culprit. These jobs can tie up technicians and service bays for days, slowing everything else down.

Poirier added that the ongoing technician shortage and Hyundai’s famously long warranties – which keep more cars coming back for covered repairs – are part of the problem, a recipe for bottlenecks that are now hitting owners where it hurts.

Hyundai Says a Major Fix Is Already Underway

Hyundai says it’s not standing still. According to Poirier, the company is rolling out several fixes aimed at cutting delays and making service more efficient across its dealer network.

Hyundai now has about 150 mobile service vans on the road, handling everything from oil changes to software updates right at your doorstep. The company is also teaming up with dealers to boost shop efficiency, bring in more technicians, and ramp up training so techs can tackle today’s more complex vehicles faster.

Dealerships are also adding more service bays as part of Hyundai’s updated facility program. Poirier expects these changes to start moving the needle on service satisfaction by 2028. For Hyundai, the real test is making sure the ownership experience finally catches up with the brand’s rapid growth.

First, rising fuel prices were pushing people to the edge; now, car maintenance will tax owners. Following all the news surrounding the Iran war and its economic effects, fuel prices were the first gut punch consumers had to stomach, but now, as NBC San Diego reports, “Drivers [are] delaying car maintenance as costs rise.”

Higher costs of ownership and busy schedules are to blame. Apparently, it’s a luxury to be able to keep up with your maintenance schedule now. The Iran War is sending massive ripples through the automotive industry, and consumers will have to face another crisis on top of what’s already happening.

Delays

According to the report, mechanics are noticing that cars aren’t returning as often for their scheduled maintenance intervals. One owner even admitted that her car is about 1,000 miles overdue.

The main reason is the rising prices across the board for car ownership. Not only are cars set to cost more due to the ongoing energy crisis, but parts supply and fuel supply are eating into the maintenance budget. NBC San Diego also states that putting off car maintenance could be more expensive in the long run; however, some consumers are fearful of higher maintenance and repair prices, leading to neglect.

NBC’s source also states that newer cars tend to be more disposable and less reliable over time. A 2025 CarFax study suggests that 41% of vehicles are overdue for major service, the report cites.

The advice that NBC and its source left us with was to maintain a good relationship with the shop that takes care of our vehicles. Set budgets, get what’s most important at this time if money is tight, and your car will thank you later.

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Substitutions

Third-party shops, like NBC‘s source, aren’t the only ones that are feeling the pinch. According to a Toyota service bulletin, their motor oil supply chain is getting strained, leaving dealers with a shortage of 0W-8 and 0W-16 motor oils, which are typically used in modern hybrid and non-hybrid Toyota engines. Substitutions are ongoing, as per the bulletin issued to service managers.

Furthermore, oil brands are unable to supply shops and stores with sufficient motor oil. In the coming months, we can expect prices to rise more, not just for motor oil but also for car parts and perhaps even skilled labor.

It’s no secret that the war in Iran has put a strain on the world’s oil supply. Fuel prices have shot up, but now it appears a motor oil shortage is on the way, at least according to a post on X about a Toyota bulletin issued to North American service managers.

The document, dated late last month, April 30, 2026, details that there will be a shortage of certain oil weights at North American Toyota dealerships and that dealers might have to substitute these oils for something else in the meantime. Other sources, such as The Drive, have picked up on the story, going so far as to reach out to a Toyota rep to verify the story. So far, no further comment has been logged.

Parts and Accessories News Today (PANT)

What may sound like another automotive maintenance blog is actually an internal bulletin issued to dealers that informs them of changes and incoming news that could affect them. The latest was sent to Toyota parts and service managers under the subject line “Temporary 02-8 and 0W-16 Oil Supply and Maintenance Guidelines.”

“Toyota and our supplier ExxonMobil may experience challenges in fulfilling demand for Genuine Toyota Motor Oil (GTMO) 0W-8 and 0W-16 oils due to production and logistics constraints within the global petrochemical supply chain. While Toyota and ExxonMobil continue to work diligently to maintain supply, the following substitution guidelines are recommended for dealers to help manage the demand for the affected products. These measures may allow ExxonMobil to maintain a consistent service-level fill for dealers and help provide continued support for our guests.”

“TMNA [Toyota Motor North America] recommends dealers follow these substitution guidelines one day per week for 0W-8 and 0W-16 or use the substitution percentages set forth below until further written notice. This approach is intended to temporarily reduce demand for both oil weights and support continued national supply.”

This is a PANT Bulletin – but I expect a further move as supply shortens pic.twitter.com/1PPZHwWPqi

— Costa Kapothanasis (@CostaKapo) May 12, 2026

Recommended Substitutes

To alleviate supply woes, the bulletin also instructed dealers to field substitutes in light of storage, albeit only for one service interval. According to the bulletin, 20% of incoming cars that require 0W-8 GTMO will use 0W-16 GTMO instead, and 10% of incoming cars that require 0W-16 will use 0W-20 GTMO. The bulletin further clarifies:

• “Toyota Genuine 0W-8 motor oil can be substituted with Toyota Genuine 0W-16 for one service interval.”
• “Toyota Genuine 0W-16 motor oil can be substituted with Toyota Genuine 0W-20 for one service interval.”
• “Always use Toyota Genuine API SP (0W-16) / GLV-1 (0W-8) multigrade oil of the specified viscosity.

As for the substitution, certain issues may arise, but given that Toyota issued the memo themselves, you could say that anything related to the manufacturer’s warranty and car insurance should remain intact. The memo doesn’t detail whether a price increase is on the way; in fact, the guidelines in the memo speak more about inventory management than a price hike. As for Toyota’s supply, one can infer that they’re in the yellow zone for now. As the situation develops, we can expect more bulletins to come out, not just from Toyota but from the rest of the industry as well.

In the same X thread, Kapothanasis stated that Mobil and Shell are also informing their retailers that they have nothing to send, so customers might see the brands’ shelves “bare” in the next few weeks as demand outpaces supply. In that case, Toyota’s already managing its consumption given the current shortage environment.