Has "disposable" replaced quality?

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

...
I have a friend who worked for a Big 3 automaker in the 1990s in finance. He told me they would get really upset if any part for a new car had a design life longer than 100k miles....

I'm old enough to remember when a car barely made it past 100K miles; now, they're commonplace. In fact, if a car can't make it well past 100K miles now, it's considered junk. As long as maintenance is heeded and repairs are done in a timely manner, there's no reason a modern car can't reach 200K miles and more. I remember having to adjust the points a couple times a month, adding oil between 3K oil changes, and replacing the plugs around 12K miles. I'll take my modern car any day and twice on Sunday.

I knew a Ford engineer that said that any engineer that could predict at what mileage a part would fail would be worth their weight in gold.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I'm old enough to remember when a car barely made it past 100K miles; now, they're commonplace. In fact, if a car can't make it well past 100K miles now, it's considered junk. As long as maintenance is heeded and repairs are done in a timely manner, there's no reason a modern car can't reach 200K miles and more. I remember having to adjust the points a couple times a month, adding oil between 3K oil changes, and replacing the plugs around 12K miles. I'll take my modern car any day and twice on Sunday.

I knew a Ford engineer that said that any engineer that could predict at what mileage a part would fail would be worth their weight in gold.

Off topic, but I was reading an article the other day about how buyers are avoiding the newest cars and seeking out slightly older models to get away from all the new technology like touch screens and "driver assistance" options. I can understand that as my MB GLC300 has some seriously annoying "features." The collision avoidance warning won't make a sound if a semi crosses my path, but God forbid I drive by a mailbox at the end of someone's driveway.

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I'm old enough to remember when a car barely made it past 100K miles; now, they're commonplace. In fact, if a car can't make it well past 100K miles now, it's considered junk. As long as maintenance is heeded and repairs are done in a timely manner, there's no reason a modern car can't reach 200K miles and more. I remember having to adjust the points a couple times a month, adding oil between 3K oil changes, and replacing the plugs around 12K miles. I'll take my modern car any day and twice on Sunday.

I knew a Ford engineer that said that any engineer that could predict at what mileage a part would fail would be worth their weight in gold.

I’m with you on the older cars not lasting. Oil changes every couple of thousand miles, spark plugs well under today’s 100k miles.

That said, I can find numerous examples since 2000 of parts failing and cars being “mechanically totaled” for it. Even Bentley and Rolls! You can maintain them and be proactive about it, but my current BMW (2006 e66 750Li) has numerous NLA parts and some that if you could find new, the part and/or installation is worth more than the car! I’m approaching 60k miles on the car and I’m sure it won’t make 100k before something too expensive to replace fails, or the diagnosis process will eat too much money to be worthwhile. And I have a good scan tool, INPA and everything I need to eliminate a bunch of wasted paid time!

I’m convinced it is intentional. Manufacturers know most new buyers don’t own to 100k miles, and no lessors hold that long. So why design and incur cost for the second or third owner?

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

I’m convinced it is intentional. Manufacturers know most new buyers don’t own to 100k miles, and no lessors hold that long. So why design and incur cost for the second or third owner?

The last two vehicles that I purchased (other than my Bavarian Golf Cart) were designed for commercial use. The Cummins diesel in my old Ram was rated for 350K miles between rebuilds in extreme commercial service. The diesel in the almost-Mighty Freightliner still purrs at 230K miles, and some of them go to 600K+ miles.

On the downside, they take three GALLONS of oil every time you change it.....

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

I’m with you on the older cars not lasting. Oil changes every couple of thousand miles, spark plugs well under today’s 100k miles.

That said, I can find numerous examples since 2000 of parts failing and cars being “mechanically totaled” for it. Even Bentley and Rolls! You can maintain them and be proactive about it, but my current BMW (2006 e66 750Li) has numerous NLA parts and some that if you could find new, the part and/or installation is worth more than the car! I’m approaching 60k miles on the car and I’m sure it won’t make 100k before something too expensive to replace fails, or the diagnosis process will eat too much money to be worthwhile. And I have a good scan tool, INPA and everything I need to eliminate a bunch of wasted paid time!

I’m convinced it is intentional. Manufacturers know most new buyers don’t own to 100k miles, and no lessors hold that long. So why design and incur cost for the second or third owner?

Yeah. Used to be, manufacturers had to have parts available for 10 years after the model disappears. Apparently, not any more. The only reason I moved on earlier than I planned from my Lincoln LS was lack of available replacement/repair parts.

[M-technik-3]

Love a nice quality piece. My John Deere 318 and 322 have been running with simple maintenance since the 80's. My E30 is the same way!!

[dmatre]

Nowhere is this more evident than in the ‘fast fashion’ area. Buy the latest ‘thing’ that your favorite influencer is wearing, wear it twice, throw it in the trash because after two weeks it has become ‘out of fashion’ already.

I’ve often thought that the best way to return our society to appreciating quality would be to charge by the pound to throw things away. Pretty quickly society would go from disposable to durable.