Product Reliability
How reliable is the product?
Reliability is more than whether something works today. Consider how often it fails, how long major parts tend to last, whether maintenance changes that lifespan, and whether repairs restore dependable use.
Repair, maintain or replace?
Compare the repair cost with the product’s age, condition, expected remaining life and replacement cost. A lower repair bill can make sense when the rest of the product is sound; repeated failures can change that calculation.
Useful question: Is this one repair likely to restore reliable use, or is it part of a pattern of failures?
Look beyond the purchase price
Reliability can affect the real cost of ownership through repairs, downtime, replacement parts, maintenance and how soon the product must be replaced.
Important: A product that costs less initially is not always less expensive over its useful life.