Wow, you guys have much better luck than I have!

Last month, flat tire on the empty livestock trailer. WE had stopped at a bicycle shop, heard hissing and found a 6" screw in the tread. Back on the road in ten minutes. Bought the wife a new one speed adult trike, she loves it.

In May, the wife's 2001 F150 would not start when we came out of Tractor Supply. Towed to the repair shop, and the starter was replaced.

In 2011, the fuel pump instantly went out in my 2004 Mustang GT, towing required.

Before I retired in 2016, I had a 65 mile each way commute, plus business miles. I put a lot of miles on and keep my vehicles for decades. Sometimes I break down. It's not that memorable.

Basically never since buying Japanese cars in 1984.

It was around 2001. I had a 1984 Toyota 4runner that blew the exhaust manifold I think cracked block.. It was a great old truck up until that point.

Last year the radiator blew in my 2008 Lexus with 155,000 miles on it. Towed to repair shop, got a ride home, and after a new radiator and some hoses all was well.

Non-mechanical: blown tire in 2008. Mechanical: circa 1992 (1985½ Ford Escort water pump). My current car had a couple of things break, but I was able to get it home, so they don't count as breakdowns.

I don’t own any “modern automobiles”, the newest one is 21 years old.

There’s sort of three of them broken down in my driveway at the moment. One broke down there, the other two I managed to get home. The fourth, well I just use it semi broken down/on the verge of death, all the time. It would be “broke down” for most people.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Well, I didn't vote because I do recall the last time I broke down and it was well over a decade ago...

So if it’s over a year ago it doesn’t count?

Been a long time, but then last week my Hertz rental blew a trans. Wasn't very happy with how they resolved it either.

I don’t count flat tires with as much crap there is on the roadways.

Modern cars run everything electrical through the battery because of all the computers, so I’ve had 3 “breakdowns” on 3 separate vehicles due to batteries dying (although one battery boiled over and melted the fuse block on an F150).

I had my BMW 335 stop running because the water pump crapped out, and I could only move it 20 feet or so at a time before it decided the water temp was too high and shut off the engine.

All of these happened in the last 10 years. Before that I had a head gasket on Toyota Supra Turbo leak, but that didn’t disable the car.

1998 my girlfriend’s mid ‘80s Cavalier gave up the ghost at a stop light. I pushed it over the crest of the hill to get it out of traffic. Don’t remember if the it was the engine or transmission. It went to the junkyard.

Maybe 2.5 years ago. The starter on my car gave up in the parking lot at work. Thought it was an issue with the ignition at first and got a ride home.
Realized it was a dead starter, so I popped the clutch, drove it home and ordered a new starter.

Edit: forgot to add this one, which was a little tricky to solve.
Maybe 2 years ago with the same car.

Came out of work with the car 100% dead battery. Jump starting worked, but battery drained again.

The brake pedal has a switch on the top that is pressed in when you let off the brake, and that's what turns off the brake lights.
Turns out the rubber button that engages that switch gets brittle and crumbles in pieces with age and thus, not turning the brake lights off when you let off the brake pedal.
Super simple to fix, but only figuring it out after I looked at every fuse and relay inside and under the hood and only realizing that the brake lights never turn off as I was walking away.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nismo,

2005. Drove my wife 200 miles through some pretty desolate country to El Paso to catch a plane. Halfway way home the 2000 model F250 7.3L diesel engine quit like it had been turned off with the key. I Stood in the bed of the truck to get a cell signal to call a wrecker. It ended up being a failed cam position sensor, a $20 part. After that, I carried one in the truck with us. We never had anything else go wrong with that truck in the 144k miles we owned it.

 
I did drive my '56 Chevy wagon home from the junkyard using only the e-brake. Made it just fine, with some caution, but did not break down (then).

Within the last year. Although I was asking for it, driving a 1998 MB E430. Idler pulley went. Cheap fix. The repair was about the same as the flat bed charge. Still, enough to compel me to finally pull the trigger on a new car.

With all of the tech in my 2022 X3 M40i, I expect I'll probably have MORE trouble vs less. But I doubt I'll have to call a flatbed for the sorts of tech trouble in my future.

Circa 2008-ish?? Timing belt on my ‘97 Toyota Corolla (my “airport car”) broke; I was on the way to the airport for a trip. Luckily it happened fairly close to home and my mechanic’s shop, so towing charge was pretty low.

Around 2003.

1999 Chevy Tahoe, went to Lowes, came out, truck wouldn't start. Had power, thought it might be a fuel pump issue, crawled under, banged on tank and nothing. Had it towed and yep, fuel pump.

On a side note this was the 4th fuel pump this truck needed. The 1st was under warranty, the 2nd and 3rd weren't. Traded it in with 115K miles because the truck was unreliable (had many other issues with it over 6 years of owning it). The other times the fuel pump died I was thankful it was in my driveway.

Before anyone wonders if it was a fuel issue, no it wasn't. There are known issues with the GMT400 series fuel pump. Also I never let the fuel level go below 1/4, usually filled it back up when it went just below half.

Back in the mid-70s, on my way to work one afternoon (3-11 shift) and the timing belt broke. I pulled over, borrowed a phone from the lady at the house I stopped in front of (no cell phones back then-I know, hard to imagine) and called a wrecker. Got a loaner from the Ford dealership and, in only 7 days, got mine back.

Bob

quote:

1999 Chevy Tahoe

My daily driver. Best vehicle I've ever owned.

My last breakdown was in 2016 in my Kenworth T2000. The Cummins ISX CM861 dropped a valve on #5. Cost me $28,000 and two weeks in a motel.

I’ve never broken down in my life which is weird I guess. I’ve had two flat tires and needed a couple of jumps from dead batteries but that’s it all American cars besides a Toyota truck an Hyundai Genesis. 40 years of car buying.

My wife always drove Japanese cars and two of them were the biggest piles of crap ever. A Mazda probably stranded her and had to be towed 5 or 6 times in its lifetime.

I haven't broke down, nor had a flat tire in 35 plus years. (Knock on wood)