Do such cars exist? I don't mind known problems with easy fixes, like cars that eat ignition coils, but I don't want to deal with randomly unreliable electrics.
Do such cars exist? I don't mind known problems with easy fixes, like cars that eat ignition coils, but I don't want to deal with randomly unreliable electrics.
Sure they do. Just sold my '96 Volvo 850 GLT wagon. Had it for 2 years and never had a single electrical issue with it. Everything electrical worked...except for the heated seat on the passenger side.
No issues in my '89 Porsche 951
My recently sold '94 SAAB 9000 had no serious electrical problems....I wish I could say the same about my c900 turbo.
I haven't had any electrical issues with my E36 M3. They occasionally throw a CEL, but is usually an O2 sensor, or emissions related.
I didn't have any issues with my E30 325is either. The Volkswagens I've owned......a bit of a different story. 
100,000 mile Maserati Biturbo.
Knurled wrote: 100,000 mile Maserati Biturbo.
I wish my Biturbo had electrical problems vs the engine scattered throughout the garage.
Got a '97 BMW 328i, and it hasn't been prone to electrical gremlins either. Just a few relatively straightforward issues that haven't cropped up especially often.
Knurled wrote: 100,000 mile Maserati Biturbo.
No 100k Biturbo has ever existed.
I had a '95 Volvo from 106k to 170k and every switch/knob worked. Nearing 190k now and my nephew told me the one heated seat went out but all else still good. He just paid to have the original clutch replaced .
Everything worked on the '87 BMW 325is that i sold off months ago at 150k
JohnRW1621 wrote:Knurled wrote: 100,000 mile Maserati Biturbo.No 100k Biturbo has ever existed.
Just as no '93-98 European car ever existed without electrical problems.
When I put down my 83 BMW 533i in ~2003 or thereabouts, it didn't really have any major electrical problems. There were a few little annoyances, however, but these were not at all unpredictable; they just stopped working and stayed dead. I did notice some of the wire insulation becoming a bit brittle in a few spots. I guess it depends on how tolerant one is of small, non-critical failures.
95 318ti - electrics all work just fine.
85 e28 - everything worked electrically.
85 911 targa - cruise control issues,
86 911 coupe - all worked.
86 928, cruise control, wiper motors, heater blower, windshield washer pump, mirror switch, seat switches, rear hatch release switch (most of these switches/motors are repairable/rebuildable).
87' Scirocco 16v. Rear defroster never worked, too lazy to trouble shoot it.
Battery was going out, caused some loopy operations, new battery fixed it.
I consider that pretty trouble free.
I had a 95 VW Golf that never gave me a single electrical issue.
Find one with the LEAST options on it that you can. Mine was a diesel and had manual windows.
Just a little reminder to everyone posting: 15-20 years or younger means built after 1993. I see a lot of cars from the 80's in the comments, and as far as euro electrics, younger isn't better.
I don't think such a thing exists. Most people that say they don't have any problems with their old euro cars are the ones that find it perfectly normal to carry a spare ignition coil in the glove box and be able to change it in less than 15 minutes on the side of the road. Kind of like those old guys that try to convince you that their old British roadster is a perfectly reliable DD.
Klayfish wrote: Sure they do. Just sold my '96 Volvo 850 GLT wagon. Had it for 2 years and never had a single electrical issue with it. Everything electrical worked...except for the heated seat on the passenger side.
Funny, that is the same problem my 96 850 has
02Pilot wrote: When I put down my 83 BMW 533i in ~2003 or thereabouts, it didn't really have any major electrical problems. There were a few little annoyances, however, but these were not at all unpredictable; they just stopped working and stayed dead. I did notice some of the wire insulation becoming a bit brittle in a few spots. I guess it depends on how tolerant one is of small, non-critical failures.
Can you believe that 2003 was ten years ago?
fanfoy wrote: Just a little reminder to everyone posting: 15-20 years or younger means built after 1993. I see a lot of cars from the 80's in the comments, and as far as euro electrics, younger isn't better.
I blame the Japanese.
No, really.
Before the influx of Japanese luxury cars, BMW and Mercedes could charge whatever the heck they wanted for their cars, so they would not skimp on things like components and connectors (ever SEE an older Mercedes's electrical connectors? WOW!) and they weren't in a kind of perpetual gadgetry arms race which means lots of not quite fully developed crap thrown in the cars to try to stay ahead of everyone else.
Then came the LS400, and the Q41, and then they had to start upcontenting and cost-cutting. Begin the crapfest.
So if you want a dead nuts reliable Euro car, get nothing newer than 1990 or so.
I'm not counting VWAG because VW could be hit or miss and Audi was more miss than hit, electrics-wise.
In reply to Knurled:
That's a pretty interesting observation, actually. You may be on to something.
do you believe in unicorns, bigfoot and fairies?
Knurled wrote:fanfoy wrote: Just a little reminder to everyone posting: 15-20 years or younger means built after 1993. I see a lot of cars from the 80's in the comments, and as far as euro electrics, younger isn't better.I blame the Japanese. No, really. Before the influx of Japanese luxury cars, BMW and Mercedes could charge whatever the heck they wanted for their cars, so they would not skimp on things like components and connectors (ever SEE an older Mercedes's electrical connectors? WOW!) and they weren't in a kind of perpetual gadgetry arms race which means lots of not quite fully developed crap thrown in the cars to try to stay ahead of everyone else. Then came the LS400, and the Q41, and then they had to start upcontenting and cost-cutting. Begin the crapfest. So if you want a dead nuts reliable Euro car, get nothing newer than 1990 or so. I'm not counting VWAG because VW could be hit or miss and Audi was more miss than hit, electrics-wise.
So what you're saying is just buy a Japanese car? I couldn't agree more!
Missing a few pixels on the '98 e36 M3. Other than that, problem free.
had a 1996 Jetta for 100k with no electrical problems at all. Unless you consider the CEL an electrical problem
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