A lot of people have very strong opinions of brands based on a woefully inadequate sample size. Typically this comes from a higher than expected failure rate, possibly even much higher than expected. It could’ve been a bad model, a bad batch at manufacturing, improper handling from the retailer, or even an improper running environment. But even the greediest data hoarders only have a few dozen drives, often in just a couple of environments and use-cases.
Very few of these results are actually meaningful trends. For every person that swears by WD and will never touch a Seagate, there’s someone else that swears by Seagate and will never touch another WD. HGST and Toshiba seem to have a very slight edge on reliability, but it’s very small. And there are still people that refuse to touch them because of the “Death Star” drives many years ago.
It’s also very difficult to predict which models will have high failure rates. By the time it becomes clear one is a lemon, they’re already EoL.
I avoid buying WD new because of their (IMHO completely illegal) stance on warranty, but I’m comfortable buying their stuff used.
Don’t worry too much about brand. Instead go for specs and needs. Follow a good backup strategy and you’ll be fine
Ok, I have to ask- what the hell kind of place do they live where HVAC costs $27k and windows cost $40k? Were these new installations where there had never been ductwork or windows before? Because those are way, WAY out of line for replacements in a typical single family home. By about an order of magnitude.
But to your larger point, yes, structural work can very easily (and quickly) hit 6 digits. I wouldn’t accept it unless the terms are that the original owner makes the repairs first.
Recalls are not a problem by themselves- much better to address an issue directly than to just let it burn (no pun intended).
Hyundai/Kia also has a long list of problems that should not be ignored. On top of them skimping on immobilizers, they’ve done everything possible to avoid making it right. First they avoided even acknowledging the issue. They took forever to issue a software update to address it. They announced a solution where you, the victim of their shoddy designs, could buy (at a very healthy profit) a product to protect yourself. Under pressure from numerous lawsuits, they started giving out “The Club”, which was peak 1980s anti-theft technology. But they did so in the absolute worst possible way - in an incomprehensible patchwork of local police departments.
Their fire issues are multiple. In addition to the one you mentioned (22V-633 / 22V-626), there’s also 23V-651000 / 23V-652000, 21V-160 / 21V-161, 21V-137, 22V-056, and 22V-810000. While there is a lot of overlap in these, there are also multiple distinct issues. This also doesn’t even address the repeated battery fires, since that seems to affect all EV brands.
You mention Takata airbags, which is an odd detail- Takata just issued another recall. This one affects nearly all brands, except Hyundai/Kia.
Then there’s the critical issue of their datamining. Kia explicitly states that they collect and sell data on your sex life, genetic information, religious or philosophical beliefs, and the contents of your text messages.
I’m not here to defend Toyota; they certainly have their own list of problems. But I am going to say that Hyundai/Kia is not the solution.
Don’t reply at all unless you talk to a lawyer. Seriously, no good can come from it. Quietly disable/delete whatever they list, and never mention it again.