It is time for my daughter's first car. She loves the FJ Cruiser and the H2/H3s, with preference for the H3. I found 2006 H3 in our budget, with 83k miles on it, but after reading some reviews online, I am really worried about the reliability.

While the FJ Cruiser is just getting warmed up at 84k miles, the H3s seem to be falling apart straight off the factory floor. There are numerous reports on this site, of blown cylinder heads and other very expensive defects.

http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/hum...2845/comments/

Are these representative of the general quality and reliability of the H3?
Can I expect to get 200k miles out of the H3, like most avg. cars these days?

I have to say, that I would like to have one of these in my driveway, but this car has to last her through college, and I have another daughter coming up 2 years after her, so I cannot afford blowing my money on expensive repairs.

I appreciate your feedback.

 

I have an 06 with 42k on it. I haven't had the first mechanical issue yet with it. I don't mud it hard but I have been off road a few times, mostly hunting and around the deer camp. Not just to go get muddy. The only thing that has even come up mine is the key fob quit working. I put a new battery in it but it still doesn't work. Everything else is copasetic! That's all I can offer you on it. I'm sure the FJ is quite a bit higher in price.... You can't find a car made that you can't find problems with it if you look back to conception. And there are lemons in everything made. Over all average I would rate the H3 for reliability in the 85% range and the FJ a little over 90. Hope I helped a little.

 

Thank you slumlord. High mileage 2007 FJ is very comparable to high mileage 2006 H3 in price, at least here in Houston. I like them both from the outside, but driving the FJ you feel like you are in a cave after a short while. I have not driven the Hummer yet. It looks like the 06 were underpowered, so I want to see how bad it is. It may be a good thing for a teenager.

 

I would pass on the 2006 and aim for a 2007 if reliability is the main concern. There were more issues with the 3.5 than with the 3.7, or at least that is what my research pointed towards. Either way, you are looking at higher mileage vehicles and how they stack up in reliability has more to do with how they were kept up over the course of those miles than anything else. Another plus for the 07 is that it would still have a bit of factory powertrain warranty.

A 2007 with a 06 inservice date would still have warranty until that date in 2011 or 100,000 miles. The 2006 H3 does not have the same powertrain warranty. I don't know what your budget is, but a 2007 with a 5 speed and 24,000 miles went for 17K in Indianapolis a couple of months ago. There are great deals to be found from time to time. A little bit of patience could net you a lot more vehicle for your money. Over the past few months of shopping, I saw price spreads of over $10,000 for like models. That is a lot of money to be saved by exercising some patience and waiting for the best fit for what you are looking for.

 

I think he's comparing prices of a '06 H3 to a '07 FJ. Not a '06 H3 to a '07 H3.

 

The h3 as long as its maintained well will last well over 100k there are quite a few guys here with 100k plus. I would watch out with the fj cruisers, before I bought my h3 I looked into them a bit and it seems especially the older years there is a issue with strength of the chassis welds and the chassis separates from the cabin. The fj's engine is built to last but the rest of the truck is up in the air. The h3 over all though has a very good record, like I said aslong as its taken care of and maintained it will last.

 

Thanks for your feedback so far. After some more research, I decided to steer clear of the 06 H3. It is between the 07 H3 and 07 FJ now.

I can see how a cabin could separate from the chassis if you take it offroad. This is going to be a "poser" truck, except for the occasions when I borrow it, lol. But it will have to pull the boat for relatively short distances several times/yr. Either truck will get a workout with that. I think it is about 4500 lbs. including the trailer, but I may have to close one eye to get it to that weight.

Now that I did some research, I am really impressed with the H3 mileage. If my daughter goes for the FJ, I may get the Hummer.

 

I realized that. Just recommending that he should be looking at an 07 H3 instead, given his concerns for reliablity. I also researched the FJ, but it got ruled out fairly early in my search due the the suicide door limiting access for getting my son in and out of his rear facing infant seat. Up to that determination, the FJ was neck and neck with the H3 for me. Given who he is buying the vehicle for, it doesn't sound like that should be a concern for awhile yet.

 

I have a 2006 H3 with 86K on it. I have replace the thermostat and a CV boot. The power from the 3.5 L isn't bad. If you aren't towing something heavy or just wanting to haul butt, it does the job. There are some inexpensive modifications you can do to get some extra horsepower if you decide you want to play or want better gas milage. As for the cylinder head, if it was defective or going to have some problems, they would have almost certainly shown up before 83K. I think the future will prove the inline 5 to be a quite durable design that will go a long way. That is speculation but it seems the inline 5s from other auto manufactures have proven to be a good design. So, I can't speak for the FJ, but from someone who is driving an 06 with 86k, I don't hesitate to recommend it. I enjoy mine. I have a few modifications and am getting over 17mpg in town. If you take care of it I think it will go the distance.

 

I don't think even the "small" H3 is a good idea for a teenager driver since they are so distracted behind the wheel. My wife ran into the back of an Altima and folded it's trunk all the way into the back seat. Thank god there was no lawsuit involved!