[randomdata]

> It's surprising to me that people would want to make a major financial decision like a car without knowing about its reliability history.

Some people will always be surprising, but it is pretty clear that the pickup truck is the most purchased type of vehicle (in North America) exactly because they have a much better reliability track record as compared to most cars. This idea doesn't escape the typical buyer.

[tyre]

> it is pretty clear that the pickup truck is the most purchased type of vehicle (in North America) exactly because they have a much better reliability track record as compared to most cars

The pickup truck is also deeply engrained in American culture as masculine, even if the owner does nothing that requires it.

[randomdata]

Yes, it seems most products that gain a reputation for reliability end up taking on a "masculine persona", of sorts. Which I guess stands to reason as in popular culture reliability is what defines the "manly man".