The silent happy majority
Discussion
I recently discovered this website. It gives the impression that TVRs are unreliable and breakdown all the time. Human nature means that unhappy people are more likely to vent than happy people...but it is worrying that many potential owners will be put off by reliability fears. So...
I have owned 5 TVRs over the last 10 years, covered well over 100,000 miles in them and they have all been 100% reliable. I'll say that bit again. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN 100% RELIABLE.
I am not at all mechanically minded. I expect to get in the car turn the key and go and have a blast getting from A to B. This is exactly what all my TVRs have done ie started and got from A to B.
I have had problems - a speedo stopped working, a temp guage stopped working, a rear light cover fell off, misc. bits of trim have fallen off various cars. But these aren't really serious things considering that you get a car that is more exciting to drive than anything else.
I wonder how many of the people complaining of failed engines are telling the whole story. Last time my car was serviced I talked to one of the mechanics about engine failures. He had just replaced 2 engines in Cerberas.
The first had failed because the owner hadn't realised you needed to check the oil from time to time, the engine had run dry : result new engine. The second had failed because the owner had driven through a flooded road. Water had flooded the engine! Result : new engine. To me both these cases seem more like 'owner problem' than TVR problem.
My advice to anyone thinking of buying a TVR is definitely do it, but be aware that
1. You will need to check the oil occasionally
2. It'll run better if you do lots of miles.
3. Let the engine warm up before redlining it!
4. Quality has improved enormously over the last 10 years (my current Cerbie4.2 is leagues ahead of my first S2)
5. Silly, but annoying things will happen, but even this is becoming less common.
6. You'll love it!!
I hope this message will generate a series of similar, happy ownership stories.
I have owned 5 TVRs over the last 10 years, covered well over 100,000 miles in them and they have all been 100% reliable. I'll say that bit again. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN 100% RELIABLE.
I am not at all mechanically minded. I expect to get in the car turn the key and go and have a blast getting from A to B. This is exactly what all my TVRs have done ie started and got from A to B.
I have had problems - a speedo stopped working, a temp guage stopped working, a rear light cover fell off, misc. bits of trim have fallen off various cars. But these aren't really serious things considering that you get a car that is more exciting to drive than anything else.
I wonder how many of the people complaining of failed engines are telling the whole story. Last time my car was serviced I talked to one of the mechanics about engine failures. He had just replaced 2 engines in Cerberas.
The first had failed because the owner hadn't realised you needed to check the oil from time to time, the engine had run dry : result new engine. The second had failed because the owner had driven through a flooded road. Water had flooded the engine! Result : new engine. To me both these cases seem more like 'owner problem' than TVR problem.
My advice to anyone thinking of buying a TVR is definitely do it, but be aware that
1. You will need to check the oil occasionally
2. It'll run better if you do lots of miles.
3. Let the engine warm up before redlining it!
4. Quality has improved enormously over the last 10 years (my current Cerbie4.2 is leagues ahead of my first S2)
5. Silly, but annoying things will happen, but even this is becoming less common.
6. You'll love it!!
I hope this message will generate a series of similar, happy ownership stories.
Chill out Steelnads, it's just one persons point of view.
I agree with the comments as I have found my 10 year old TVR to be 100% reliable. I know that there were issues with the early S6 lump (mainly due to supplier isses it would seem), but the vast majority of TVRs are as reliable to use as any other high performance car as long as you service them regularly and don't cut corners on maintenance. However that is not the general impression given by some of the posts on this site.
I agree with the comments as I have found my 10 year old TVR to be 100% reliable. I know that there were issues with the early S6 lump (mainly due to supplier isses it would seem), but the vast majority of TVRs are as reliable to use as any other high performance car as long as you service them regularly and don't cut corners on maintenance. However that is not the general impression given by some of the posts on this site.
From a soon-to-be-newbie ....
I'm currently in the very fortunate position of acquiring my boss' S2 (or is that 1.5).
I know very little about them, so naturally the first thing I did was come here. It is scary for a newbie to read all these horror stories of consistent engine/radiator/electric problems, and visions of ££££ going up in smoke (possibly quite literally).
However, I know that this is not the norm, and by documenting it, you're helping others who will experience the same fault.
I was very pleased to find (over in the 'S' forum) that when I placed a question regarding fuel consumption, I received 3 responses within minutes, and that's what sold me on this S1.5/2 - the support thru this forum. I can only hope I'll be able to help others over time.
My only issue is that there is not enough model info anywhere - lots of bits here and there - but no one single place could answer all I need to know - something which I will rectify over the coming months.
Anyhow - keep documenting all your problems - as I'm sure I'll experience them in the future! And I fully agree with HappyOwner .... hopefully I'll be one quite soon (and be ready for lots of stupid questions over the coming months).
I'm currently in the very fortunate position of acquiring my boss' S2 (or is that 1.5).
I know very little about them, so naturally the first thing I did was come here. It is scary for a newbie to read all these horror stories of consistent engine/radiator/electric problems, and visions of ££££ going up in smoke (possibly quite literally).
However, I know that this is not the norm, and by documenting it, you're helping others who will experience the same fault.
I was very pleased to find (over in the 'S' forum) that when I placed a question regarding fuel consumption, I received 3 responses within minutes, and that's what sold me on this S1.5/2 - the support thru this forum. I can only hope I'll be able to help others over time.
My only issue is that there is not enough model info anywhere - lots of bits here and there - but no one single place could answer all I need to know - something which I will rectify over the coming months.
Anyhow - keep documenting all your problems - as I'm sure I'll experience them in the future! And I fully agree with HappyOwner .... hopefully I'll be one quite soon (and be ready for lots of stupid questions over the coming months).
Mark,
For info on the S2 (S1.5) try Steve Heaths excellent manual. I used to have an S1.5 (2.9 engine) and it never let me down. Moved on to a Griff 500 which I have now owned for 4 years and again this has never let me down.
I can understand Steelnad's frustration on the Speed 6 engine, having heard all the stories about reliability but then my experience has been limited to the Ford V6 and the old faithfull Rover V8 lumps.
Mike
For info on the S2 (S1.5) try Steve Heaths excellent manual. I used to have an S1.5 (2.9 engine) and it never let me down. Moved on to a Griff 500 which I have now owned for 4 years and again this has never let me down.
I can understand Steelnad's frustration on the Speed 6 engine, having heard all the stories about reliability but then my experience has been limited to the Ford V6 and the old faithfull Rover V8 lumps.
Mike
All,
I concur with the tone of this thread. I believe that the vast majority of TVR owners are happy with reliable cars. However, the few that complain seem to get the most attention - we are British remember....
I can also concur with the theory of "owner" problems. I used to have a Citroen Xantia Activa - the one with the trick suspension. The motor trade hates them due to the unfair reliability issues (famous last words). In two years and 65K miles I had one rattle in the boot, and a small leak from the suspension. I left the company and handed it to the next person - within 6 months it needed a complete suspension rebuild and re-alignment. Was it me? No, in fact it was the next driver that was the problem - no mechanical sympathy and this lead to him not realising that you needed to check the LMH levels! Result, £5K damage... owner problems.....
As TVR expand their image and range, they are capturing new and different customers. These people potentially dont realise what they are getting. As has been mentioned in so many other threads, a TVR is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a BMW or Merc - not in ease of use, not in reliability.....
Having just spent 1hr changing the lights on my early Chimaera, I know this for a fact!!! However, consider the performance, looks and cost - you do get an awful lot of all of those for the money....
Anyone seen Evo this month? A Brabus Merc versus a Cerbera RR - the most expensive car that TVR currently does (excluding the Tuscan R which is not available yet). It only costs £53K - not a lot of money really. Consider the alternatives, a XK8 (NOT XKR), Boxster S (NOT 911), NO Ferraris, you could JUST get an M5 (but can get Z3M & M3).
Thats my 10p worth...
Cheers,
Paul
(A happy TVR owner who knows that he will have to spend money on it!)
I concur with the tone of this thread. I believe that the vast majority of TVR owners are happy with reliable cars. However, the few that complain seem to get the most attention - we are British remember....
I can also concur with the theory of "owner" problems. I used to have a Citroen Xantia Activa - the one with the trick suspension. The motor trade hates them due to the unfair reliability issues (famous last words). In two years and 65K miles I had one rattle in the boot, and a small leak from the suspension. I left the company and handed it to the next person - within 6 months it needed a complete suspension rebuild and re-alignment. Was it me? No, in fact it was the next driver that was the problem - no mechanical sympathy and this lead to him not realising that you needed to check the LMH levels! Result, £5K damage... owner problems.....
As TVR expand their image and range, they are capturing new and different customers. These people potentially dont realise what they are getting. As has been mentioned in so many other threads, a TVR is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a BMW or Merc - not in ease of use, not in reliability.....
Having just spent 1hr changing the lights on my early Chimaera, I know this for a fact!!! However, consider the performance, looks and cost - you do get an awful lot of all of those for the money....
Anyone seen Evo this month? A Brabus Merc versus a Cerbera RR - the most expensive car that TVR currently does (excluding the Tuscan R which is not available yet). It only costs £53K - not a lot of money really. Consider the alternatives, a XK8 (NOT XKR), Boxster S (NOT 911), NO Ferraris, you could JUST get an M5 (but can get Z3M & M3).
Thats my 10p worth...
Cheers,
Paul
(A happy TVR owner who knows that he will have to spend money on it!)
I can understand Steelnad's frustation too - I had an early Lotus Esprit V8 a few years back (during a holiday from TVRs) which developed problems leading to a replacement engine under warranty - its a real pain to say the least. But these things happen to manufacturers other than TVR & Lotus. About 3 years back BMW developed a new engine which failed prematurely and led to them having to replace an awful lot of 3 series engines.
The reason I posted my original note was to try to give another view so that potential first time TVR buyers would not be put off. If people lose confidence in TVR then residuals will plummet and no-one will buy new ones. TVR is a company like any other - no sales - no company - no TVRs which would be bad news IMO.
The reason I posted my original note was to try to give another view so that potential first time TVR buyers would not be put off. If people lose confidence in TVR then residuals will plummet and no-one will buy new ones. TVR is a company like any other - no sales - no company - no TVRs which would be bad news IMO.
I have to agree with the original post on this but with a slight exception and that is the S6 engine.
I'm sure that TVR have most probably sorted this now, but the first S6's in the Cerbies and Tuscans were complete shite. You can't put that down to oil changing or maintenance. I know a couple of guys who have owned 9 or 10 TVR's and are on engine number 3 already!! When I say 3 though I imagine that these are being repaired and re-built rather than a new lump.
Lets hope they are sorted now as I have just ordered a Tamora. IMO = Reliability my arse they are still the rarest and most exciting cars around and I love them!!!
I'm sure that TVR have most probably sorted this now, but the first S6's in the Cerbies and Tuscans were complete shite. You can't put that down to oil changing or maintenance. I know a couple of guys who have owned 9 or 10 TVR's and are on engine number 3 already!! When I say 3 though I imagine that these are being repaired and re-built rather than a new lump.
Lets hope they are sorted now as I have just ordered a Tamora. IMO = Reliability my arse they are still the rarest and most exciting cars around and I love them!!!
People don't seem to notice that of the many hundreds of members that post here everyday, many of them are seeking advice or help which is a good thing, so most people, and especially newbie's, only see the posts where people are essentially saying "Help, my Griff just went bang" or "The real wheel just fell off my Tuscan"! I suspect, 99.9% of all members who own cars from every marque represented on this site are happy 99% of the time!! Something which is not seen too often! Maybe some more threads like this one should be started!
any thoughts on this one ted??
any thoughts on this one ted??
quote:
any thoughts on this one ted??
I plan to integrate the fleet functions more closely with the member profiles. As part of that I could introduce a 'days off the road' counter to give a measure of reliability of cars? Any further thoughts on that or how else it might be expressed?
Monthly reports would be a help, on a selection of new and used TVR's, but particularly S6 cars. I see no-one has entered histories to give a clue as to running reliability. Perhaps ask a few new owners to contribute more formally - I will happily contribute reports on my Tamora, when I get it, and I'm sure a few more would do the same. A forum of 10 or so people, posting regular reports on the up- and down-sides of TVR ownership will make the debates more informed...
Ted,
I would be happy to post about reliability and the like with my new Chim. It hasnt had its 1000 miler yet but from that point on as I believe that faults before then arent really faults but teething issues. I think that that will give the fairest representation.
Perhaps another idea may be faults by mile as it seems the higher the mileage the fewer the faults as the cars that sit for periods of time are the ones with the most faults.
Just a suggestion.
Matt.
I would be happy to post about reliability and the like with my new Chim. It hasnt had its 1000 miler yet but from that point on as I believe that faults before then arent really faults but teething issues. I think that that will give the fairest representation.
Perhaps another idea may be faults by mile as it seems the higher the mileage the fewer the faults as the cars that sit for periods of time are the ones with the most faults.
Just a suggestion.
Matt.
While there seems to be a growing body of evidence that the S6 engine is problematic, don't get carried away with the idea that the Rover lumps are/were 100% reliable.
My car (1996 500 Chimaera) ran two set of cam followers when oil pressure dissappeared, fortunately both times within warranty. The car went back to TVR Power in Coventry for investigation, and it turned out that the oil pickup pipe in the sump had come loose and was picking up oil and air in varying proportions.
Can't see how this would have been an owner issue. Someone forgot to tighten up some nuts on assembly, a quality control issue I think.
My car also suffered the dual fan fuse blowing problem, a design fault without doubt, and a spate of related overheating problems as a result.
The bent wishbones were without a driver issue
, but the degree of corrosion discovered in the chassis generally, and wishbones in particular, when repairing the crash damage was surprising at least. However (fairs fair) Audi have recalled TT's due to corrosion failures on rear wishbones, so perhaps TVR are not alone in not taking the best care over the bits the owners don't normally see.
Ted, the "days laid up" count might be useful, but be careful! My car has missed a whole season, but I elected to repair the crash damage myself, and the job grew like topsy due to the above mentioned corrosion problems. How would you quantify that?
Edited by philshort on Monday 19th November 13:48
My car (1996 500 Chimaera) ran two set of cam followers when oil pressure dissappeared, fortunately both times within warranty. The car went back to TVR Power in Coventry for investigation, and it turned out that the oil pickup pipe in the sump had come loose and was picking up oil and air in varying proportions.
Can't see how this would have been an owner issue. Someone forgot to tighten up some nuts on assembly, a quality control issue I think.
My car also suffered the dual fan fuse blowing problem, a design fault without doubt, and a spate of related overheating problems as a result.
The bent wishbones were without a driver issue
, but the degree of corrosion discovered in the chassis generally, and wishbones in particular, when repairing the crash damage was surprising at least. However (fairs fair) Audi have recalled TT's due to corrosion failures on rear wishbones, so perhaps TVR are not alone in not taking the best care over the bits the owners don't normally see. Ted, the "days laid up" count might be useful, but be careful! My car has missed a whole season, but I elected to repair the crash damage myself, and the job grew like topsy due to the above mentioned corrosion problems. How would you quantify that?
Edited by philshort on Monday 19th November 13:48
All,
The idea of "days laid up" is a good one. Only problem is people like me - three cars and if one breaks down then I can just take another. Then have all the time that I need to get it fixed...
Would kinda skew the figures a little. However, an excellent idea to get a guide to supposed reliable or un-reliable cars....
Cheers,
Paul
The idea of "days laid up" is a good one. Only problem is people like me - three cars and if one breaks down then I can just take another. Then have all the time that I need to get it fixed...
Would kinda skew the figures a little. However, an excellent idea to get a guide to supposed reliable or un-reliable cars....
Cheers,
Paul
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