Are JDM Cars More Reliable?

Here atGarage Dreams, it’s no secret that we love Japanese cars.

In fact, one of our editors even lives in Tokyo!

We are especially fond of JDM cars (if you’re not familiar with themeaning of JDM, then read our article on the subject here).

In ourrecent article on whether or not JDM cars are betterthan Japanese cars made for export, we looked at the pros and cons of buying JDM.

One particular area we wanted to pull out in more detail is whether or not JDM cars are more reliable?

JDM卓越的可靠性是一个都市神话吗?

The truth is that Japanese cars in general are reliable, especially vehicles that aren’t aimed at the luxury or sports car market (even then, Japanese luxury and sports vehicles tend to be more reliable, hence why Lexus often tops the list of most reliable car makers). You can read more here about why Japanese cars are generally more reliable than their c

With that in mind, are JDM carsmore reliablethan the average Japanese car?

In our opinion and personal experience, no they are not. However, they are not less reliable either.

There may be some differences in that JDM cars are made in Japan, whereas there are many Japanese cars available that are assembled in plants in other countries – and there is the chance for variation in build quality and durability in this case.

However, any element of superior build quality and reliability ultimately comes down to the individual car that is being built, as JDM is a broad catch-all term; which brings us on to our next point

The Type Of Car Matters Greatly

While we tend to think of JDM in terms of legendary performance cars like the Nissan Skyline or Toyota Supra, there are many other types of JDM cars.

For example, there are lots of JDM “economy cars” that are built to the requirements and desired vehicle characteristics of the Japanese market (namely with regards to dimensions and engine displacement in order to qualify for lower road tax).

一个例ample of this is something like a Toyota Ist – hardly the world’s most exciting vehicle. However, the Ist is likely to be a very reliable and economical car to run.

On the other hand, something like a Toyota Crown Majesta will probably still be more reliable than a European or American class equivalent (large, powerful, luxurious “business man’s conveyance”). However, a Toyota Crown Majesta is still a complex car, with all sorts of gadgets and gizmos that can and will ultimately go wrong, especially if the car is not correctly maintained. While luxury and sports JDM cars are more likely to be reliable than their European and American counterparts, don’t think that buying JDM is a ticket to faultless reliability and no need to do proper maintenance!

Beware Hidden Or Unexpected Costs

One thing to bear in mind with JDM cars is the potential for big repair bills.

Whileallcars have the potential to throw up big bills, JDM cars can be particularly problematic versus export Japanese cars. The main reason for this is that JDM cars can vary in spec from their export counterparts, meaning that spare parts availability isn’t always as good as you’d like and you can wind up paying a lot more than you might expect for repairs and maintenance.

If you are considering buying a JDM car, then it’s worth looking into the availability of both parts and specialist labour/knowledge in your local area (if you won’t be doing repairs yourself). Also don’t bank on being able to just look up a repair tutorial on YouTube; this simply may not be possible.

Conclusion – Are JDM Cars More Reliable?

最终,JDM汽车可靠性不是太度均nt to any other Japanese car. Japanese vehicles – in general – have a solid reputation for reliability when compared to their European and American counterparts, and often for good reason. You can learn more about this on ourguide to why Japanese cars are generally more reliable.

There is some truth to the popular claim that Japan reserves their best cars for Japan (at least in the case of some of those quirky JDM luxury cars like the Crown Majesta, Nissan President and so on that really are in a league of their own) and often these cars are quite reliable.However,when they do go wrong, then the costs of repair can be rather high due to limited parts availability and lack of knowledgeable mechanics.

At the end of the day, if you’re considering buying a JDM car, then the same rules apply as buying any other type of car:

• Buy the best condition vehicle you can afford within your budget – and make sure you buy on condition and not mileage
• Don’t fall behind on maintenance, and if you have no service records available then attend to service items that are appropriate for the age/mileage of the car you’ve purchased
• Treat your car with respect, for example not thrashing it until it is properly warmed up

Follow these rules and you’ll be far more likely to have a reliable car that you can enjoy for many years to come; whether you ultimately choose to buy a JDM vehicle or not.

We would also love to hear your experiences. Do you think JDM cars are more reliable than their “export” Japanese counterparts? Let us know by leaving a comment.