8 Japanese Sports Cars That Are A Pain To Keep Running

2022-08-20 09:51:23 By : Ms. Termein tdp

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If you think all JDM cars are inexpensive and reliable, you'll be shocked by how quickly these 10 models will drain your wallet.

Despite being a tad on the boring side, daily commuter cars tend to be extremely cheap to own long-term. On the other end of the spectrum are high-performance sports cars, which push the limits of technology, and raise the cost of ownership, repairs, and maintenance sky high.

The questions that remain then are, what does it take to keep a cool sports car running, and can a sports car be cheap to own? Sports cars have steep price tags, to begin with, and lose a ton of value the moment they leave the dealership, but that is just part of what you'll be paying in order to keep them in running condition. This is sadly something many owners realize too late.

Many enthusiasts believe JDMsports cars are a more inexpensive deal than their European counterparts, but there are several instances where maintenance of cars from the Land of the Rising Sun ends up being a headache. Here are eight Japanese sports cars that run the cost of keeping them running high and deep into your pockets.

The Lexus LC 500 is a beautiful and extremely powerful car and is one of the most desired JDM cars ever made. With 471 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque always raring to go under the hood, the LC has a 5.0-liter engine that is as powerful as the car's striking road presence. Of course, with that kind of power also comes state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line Japanese tech, and those two combined result in a lot of complexity.

The vehicle costs almost a whopping $100,000 and is most certainly not for someone on a budget. With the best of everything in the car, it also costs an arm and a leg when anything breaks. Lexus clearly spared no cost in making the car, and owning one requires the same attitude.

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The Lancer EVO X was the 'final' Lancer EVO, with the 4g63 engine and all its derivatives finally being retired. The Evo has always been a great car to drive. However, the transmissions, turbos, and cam bearings have always been prone to breakage, especially when every second one of these was boosted and upgraded to churn out more performance.

With problematic shaft bearings, actuators, and idle control valves being just a few of the common problems, the Evo also requires constant and careful maintenance, which could end up translating into a $2,000 bill every year with service, maintenance, and repairs included.

Who doesn't dream of owning a Nissan Z car? Much like every single Z car that has hit the streets after the second generation over 25 years ago, the 370Z remains just as expensive a car to service. All Z cars have been tough to work on and not at all cheap to maintain.

Furthermore, if you're running up the odometer in your 370Z, you will more than likely run into oil consumption problems- a staple for the Nissan Z cars. With that would also come timing chain problems, and misfires, power loss, and white exhaust smoke could soon follow. That being said, the car is as painful to keep running as it is fun to keep driving.

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The Mazda RX series models have always been painful to keep running, and the only kind of enthusiasts who should ever opt for one are those who have considerable mechanical experience with engines and parts. Naturally, the model was never renewed after 2012, since it was already pretty terrible at efficiency and emissions control.

However, this car, too, was plagued by the Wankel rotary engine, which, despite evolution, continued its legacy of problems with leaking Apex seals, catalytic convertor failure, engine flooding, and more. Furthermore, be prepared for really high costs if you're thinking of an engine rebuild, as the RX 8 would have to go to a specialist to be repaired or rebuilt in that case.

It is no secret that an AWD turbocharged rally car that runs with premium suspension and brakes, outfitted with a 2.5-liter engine that churns out north of 300 horsepower would cost plenty of money to maintain. The Subaru WRX is chock-full of technology, which makes it a great racer, but an even pricier deal to keep running.

Sadly, if you were to opt for a last-gen Subaru WRX, which ran between 2015 and 2019, you could very well run into steering seizure trouble. Moreover, many of the internal sensors and levers could be quite prone to damage and require replacement, as per complaints to the NHTSA. Undoubtedly, the WRX STI could prove to be a headache to keep running.

RELATED: 10 Reasons Why The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Can Still Compete With The Subaru STI

Some might argue that the Toyota Supra wears the crown of being the most iconic JDM car. The 2022 model comes with either a 2.0-liter or 3.0-liter engine. Bear in mind, both are high-revving, and both are expensive.

Apart from having oil consumption issues plague the Supra throughout the years, J.D. Power's terrible reliability and quality rating for the 2022 model year is nothing but a warning to keep away, lest you want to be troubled by a loss of brake assistance and steering shudders that make you drive all the way back to the service center.

Everybody who is into the Japanese Domestic Market cars has once wished to own a Mitsubishi Eclipse. While many avoid even talking about the first-generation DSM car, the subsequent generations are where the crowd usually oohs and aahs. Alas, if you're driving one of these home, you better stop at the pharmacist for some aspirin, too.

The 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse was rife with technical problems, notably a problematic fuel system. Thus, steering wheel lockups and the engine cutting off were common problems. The electrical harness also caused problems in the engine. Suffice to say, a third-generation Eclipse would look great on the JDM meetups, but not so much on the monthly budget report.

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This 1992 convertible came with a lot of history to live up to, which was the CRX nameplate. This could be why the uninitiated might end up buying one of these since the CRX Del Sol replaced a great JDM icon that gear heads all over revered. Sadly, the 1992 model was nothing short of disappointing.

The reliability and build quality of this JDM car were never up to the mark, and wouldn't ever be a great reason to buy this today. The roof had leakage problems, and the cabin was plenty noisy. More often than not, one could get stuck with a model with a bad engine mount, and be treated to harsh noise and vibration levels, and some even had warped front brake rotors. All in all, this JDM car couldn't live up to the CRX name, and getting this just to keep it as a part of history would result in plenty of trips to the repair center.

If it has wheels and an engine, Samarveer Singh is going to be obsessed with it. He is a budding Indian motorcycle racer, competing at the national level in his country in his very first year, chasing his dream around every corner of the racetrack. A touring enthusiast, Samarveer is forever stuck between the urge to constantly redline his bike, or save its clutch plates for longer.