So to name a few issues:

• pixel 1: headphone jack issue so bad they needed to issue a recall, audio would just FULLY stop working, loud speaker as well.

• pixels 2, 3 (and theorized 4 and 5): using cheap ram that literally just died within 3 years. They refused to issue a recall claiming that was "fine for the expected life span of the phone"

• Pixels 1-4: if you let them discharge long enough, they don't charge anymore, ever!

• Pixel 4/a and 5/a: lemon units. Bad ram, bad flash storage, things like that. Some would be very slow and others would be fine. My pixel 5a died in 7 months.

• During this period of time from the 4 though 6 lines they were notorious for trying to deny your warranty replacement any way they could. It took me 5 months to get a new pixel 5a.

• Pixel 6: buzzing coming from loud speakers (not sure if recall issued)

• Pixel 6 and 7: first 2 tensor chips, known for draining battery too quickly and overheating.

• Pixel 8: OLED issues, I think random lines showing up on the display. They have issued a recall tho.

So in sum:

• In the older pixels there were some shitty cost cutting measures they used in order to recoup cost of development of the phones.

• their warranty service around this time was also piss poor

• QC issues with just about every pixel phone released.

Where we stand today:

• their warranty replacements are much better I've heard.

• There are significantly less glaring issue with the pixels, and they're still reasonably priced

So, back in the day, if you got lucky you got a decent phone for a good price, if you got unlucky you got a shit phone and they probably wouldn't replace it. Now, you'll probably get a good phone, with some semi useful AI features and a decent warranty.