The life cycle of the average car as intended

[forddeliveryboy]

Modern cars are designed to look as good as possible on the surface while being as crap as possible underneath. Unless it costs over £50k, in which case it's possible there is some better running gear.

 

Ideally they never go wrong for 2½ years, then make as much profit for the parts department and service bay as possible before the value crashes - ie so the customer is forced into paying £3k bills for routine stuff which should last 10 years.

 

Makers will make the first two years of a model to a better standard, they used to alter the steel quality through the lifespan, not sure if that's still the case. Once a good reputation is established, it's milked for all its worth by making poorer quality stuff for as long as they can get away with it.

[spike60]

I parked next to a 56 reg Seat something or other yesterday and the wing was rotted through between the arch and the passenger door on an otherwise smart car. Not good.

[HH-R]

I can fully understand why some modern stuff gets bridged, I was close to taking my Fiat many a time.

 

People just get pissed off with it breaking and dealerships/garages giving it back as no fault found/rinsing you for a "fix" then having to ring work the very next morning because it's broken down for the 3 millionth time, or having to waste precious holidays pissing about arranging lifts to garages/long walks home. The stress of knowing you've got to somehow get to work and worrying about the  total war every morning getting there with nonexistant public transport. The trade in I got was insulting, nobody wants these mate and all that, it would have been far more satisfying seeing the hateful bastard being crushed into tiny pieces. I could have filmed it, and taken an axe to the shitty wiring, sensors and ECU, damn, maybe I made the wrong choice.

[chaseracer]

Wasnt it the Trabant that had a life expectancy of 27 years?

 

No, that was the waiting list... 

[New POD]

The chief engineer of Lucas Car Braking's Research and Development Centre at Fen End (Site Now owned by JLR after a period of ownership by Prodrive) told me in about 1993 the following.

 

European, and American Manufacturers, give us a requirement for a Brake Design with a design life of 10 years and 100,000KM with minimal faults during the warranty period.

 

Japanese Companies, ask for maximum unspecified life (The best you can achieve within reason) but no faults ever during the warranty of the vehicle.

 

Subtle difference ?

[New POD]

I parked next to a 56 reg Seat something or other yesterday and the wing was rotted through between the arch and the passenger door on an otherwise smart car. Not good.

 

Given that many cars have some accident damage, it only takes a bodged repair done quickly and 6 or 7 years later, half the car is rusting apart.

[Pete-M]

I was at a taxi place yesterday that were about to bridge a very tidy looking Mondeo ST TDCi. That nice blue metallic, black leather, 6 speed, 18" wheel, xenon headlamp spec car. Even the interior was very tidy. I asked him why it was being scrapped as it seemed a real shame.

 

"340,000 miles. This is the second engine it's had and it's finally thrown the chain. Not worth fixing as it's too old to get another taxi plate. So it's going over the bridge. We collect them and send them all at once. "

 

The thing is, he wouldn't sell it. The Bridge is the only was their cars leave them. 7 years old and off they go.

[twosmoke300]

The chief engineer of Lucas Car Braking's Research and Development Centre at Fen End (Site Now owned by JLR after a period of ownership by Prodrive) told me in about 1993 the following.

 

European, and American Manufacturers, give us a requirement for a Brake Design with a design life of 10 years and 100,000KM with minimal faults during the warranty period.

 

Japanese Companies, ask for maximum unspecified life (The best you can achieve within reason) but no faults ever during the warranty of the vehicle.

 

Subtle difference ?

Yet the Lucas brakes are the most unreliable component on any Swindon built Honda !

[New POD]

Yet the Lucas brakes are the most unreliable component on any Swindon built Honda !

 

That's the Welsh or the Germans for you. Can't get the staff.  If only they'd stuck to making brakes in Birmingham, instead of Pontypool and Koblenz

 

Who owns that bit of Lucas now then?   A lot of the aerospace side ended up at Goodrich, and now lots of those bits are owned by UTC and Rolls Royce.

 

TRW took quite a bit of the automotive electrical, including the New fangled Electric Power Steering that Fen End Were working on in 1990, so I assume they took the brakes.

[twosmoke300]

Doesn't Arvin Meritor own the Lucas name now?

[chaseracer]

 

 

Sorry!

 

Wrong 'Prince of Darkness'...

 

[Bren]

When I put the deposit down on my new car I asked the trader how much in p/x for my vectra,76 k full history in excellent condition.

 

He offered £1500, never even looked at it and said he would just send it to auction.

 

On his forecourt was a vectra, same year as mine with 70k on the clock, up for £2795. It was a petrol.

 

It would appear that the trade have wised up in relation to diesels, they are not the cash cow they once were.

 

They do not like selling them as they have a habit of coming back for work which costs ££££.

 

Is the fad for derv over?

[Junkman]

Life cycle as intended by the manufacturer:

 

1. Design and build a car that will last until the end of the warranty period.

2. Sell Get someone to sign a finance plan for the car.

 

After number 2, not a single shit is given what happens to the car.

 

EFA

[oldcars]

I parked next to a 56 reg Seat something or other yesterday and the wing was rotted through between the arch and the passenger door on an otherwise smart car. Not good.

There is a 2010 Focus estate in the local police station, front arch is rotten already. They are not looked after but its only 4 years old!

[2MB]

There is a 2010 Focus estate in the local police station, front arch is rotten already. They are not looked after but its only 4 years old!

you can bet the owner will be wondering why it has gone funny rather than investigating the cause and preventing it spreading, if of course they've noticed at all