I had a VW (2007 model, bought 2013, sold 2019), and man, owning that thing was frustrating and expensive. Off the top of my head:

- ABS sensor on one wheel broken.

- Long running problem with the fault indicator light suggesting some problem with the intake. Opened and cleaned the intake valve. Didn't help. Then found out a plastic cogwheel worth maybe 10c for controlling a valve in the intake manifold was broken. But you can't buy that, have to buy the entire intake manifold for EUR 700. Thanks VW. Then the shop doing the work managed to forget a bolt in the combustion chamber when changing the intake manifold. So new engine block needed, since in order to save cost the fricking engine doesn't have separate cylinder liners. Luckily the new engine block was on the shop's insurance. On a positive note, the new engine was a slightly newer model which had the fixed camshaft chain that had been a common failure with that engine model.

- Alternator failed.

- Turbo charge air pipe fell off.

- Rear brake pads jammed and had to be prematurely replaced. Again, a common problem with VW disc brakes if you drive carefully and not that much.

Currently I have a Toyota, which I also had before the VW. So far so good.

While they are not designed to break down, Teslas are among the least reliable cars on the road. Don't get me wrong, BMW and Mercedes are bad too.

They are a general nightmare to own after the first year or so. They encounter hardware issues way more frequently compared to Japanese cars. For a typical Japanese car like Honda / Toyota / Mazda, you typically don't need to do anything other than regular maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, break and tire replacements) for the first 5–6 years or 60000 miles. These are simple enough to be done very easily at any regular mechanic. Many Japanese cars run 100K+ miles without encountering any issue.

BMWs, otoh, you would be lucky if you went a few years without encountering any mechanical issue. And when you do, you are more likely to have to take it to their dealership, and my friends' experience of visiting those hasn't been great either.

They are not as high quality as Toyota or Honda. Not that Tesla is any better.

As the saying goes "America designs for lowest cost, Germans design for high performance and Japanese design for high reliability and ease of maintenance".

I heard this in the context of someone marveling at the layout in an engine bay of a 80s Toyota, but it also applies to a friend's brother who restores boomboxes. This gentleman was describing how a single motor turned a bunch of different things, depending on which switch was pressed, and how elegant and simple the design was.

My BMW had the following failures within a short time-frame. The dashboard was "lit up like a Christmas tree". (Does not including normal wear items like brakes, battery, filters)

Mechanical failures - Water pump, air condition compressor, loose seat bushings

Sensor failures (Possibly all from the same sensor supplier) - fuel level sensor (!), all oxygen sensors ($$$), passenger seat airbag sensor (!), air mass-flow sensor, engine air intake sensor, rear ABS brake sensors, coolant temperature sensor, cam position sensor

These are known problems and fixes documented on car forums, thus home garage repair was possible for everything except the AC. The price of parts and sensors is high (compared to Honda).