Nitro cars are only as reliable as the person thats driving it.................most guys think your suppose to play chicken with curbs and tree's and stuff like that.............not to reliable when you bang up against things like that. Then again why do you even bother to be in RC toys if your not willing to make repairs from the chances you take when driving.............Take up needle point or something like that for a sport, not to many repairs doing that [:@]