It's pretty much luck of the draw, but I guess I am pretty lucky, over the years I have had more than 30 cars, most of them are 1st year models, and only 2 of them that really stand out as not reliable. Every other one was perfect or maybe had one warranty work done, among my 3 Porsches, zero work done.
My 1st gen Bangle 7, the automatic closing trunk had to be fixed 6 times and they had to replace the amp 5 times at $9000 a pop over the 3 years I owned it. I still loved that car to death, and the service was top notch, BMW provided a loaner 7 for me to drive when my car is in the shop no question ask.
My other bad car was a 03 RX330, within 6 months I have had the cam broke, and a replacement engine put in, the nav computer had to be replaced twice, traded the car in not long after that. Lexus service was just BAD. They think their car are bullet proof and the problems I had was my fault and never Lexus, I had to fight tooth and nail just to get warranty work. Replacement car? Never. They say I can RENT a car on my own expense while they 'fix' my car. Staffs are just the snobbiest bunch I have ever seen, worse than those in a Ferrari dealership.
I voted with my wallet, never had a Toyota/Lexus since and I am on my 10th BMW since. Reliability is not the end of the world, but HOW you are being treated is, the 745 I had was very troublesome, but with a replacement 7 loaner, I was never really without the car, I had a 745 sitting in my driveway for the whole 3 years, didn't miss a day.
