How long should a new car last?

Maybe it is not down to the build of the cars but the type of driving.

After all, years ago, it was very rare to see a 3 year old car with 100k miles on the clock. These days, with all the running up and down the motorways, this sort of mileage is easy to do but it does not require the car to work hard to do it.

So maybe, the high mileage cars just have an easier life these days?

Most certainly cars of today last considerably longer than the ones built 30 years ago did. I suppose it's a combination of factors - better engineering to tighter tolerances, advanced metallurgy, use of sealed bearings, nylon 'cups' for track-rod ends, vastly improved lubricants, dramatically better rust proofing of bodies, etc. etc. Added all together it equals improved longevity. Of course their is a significant downside as well. As cars have become far more technologically advanced - so there is more to go wrong. The car driver of 30 years ago would not have needed to replace electric window motors, air-con units, lambda sensors, etc. etc. The two most unreliable cars I have ever owned were the two most expensive that I have ever bought - an Omega and a Rover 75. The two Ladas that I drove over a period of eight years when I was a hard-up family man with two young kids were more reliable (no kidding!!)

Kev

A mate had one for three years, he loved it, however, his girlfriend refused to get in it..so it was good news all round really ;-)

Regards to

Junk like Anglias/ Moggies/beetles etc you mean? There's still a sprinkling of them about, plus 1100/1300, hunters, vivas etc.

So how many octavia/ vectra/mondeo/lanos are you expecting to see around in

2050?

Or what cars of today do you think will last 40-50 yrs?

Steve

I think that cars of today have mechanical components more capable of lasting 40-50 years. The electronic complexity may make it harder to last that long though, but more importantly they're pretty soul-less.

Cars like Moggies, Beetles and Anglias lasted *not* because of superior engineering (compared to today's cars) but because their owners wanted them to last and because people understood the cars well enough to keep them running.

Cars of today will have a hard time lasting that long since anyone who wants to run an old vehicle will probably choose something older yet (i.e. Moggies, Beetles and Anglias).

Hello Uno.

19 Jan 04 14:30, you wrote to The Bean Machine:

UH> The two most unreliable cars I have ever owned were the two most UH> expensive that I have ever bought - an Omega and a Rover 75. The two UH> Ladas that I drove over a period of eight years when I was a hard-up UH> family man with two young kids were more reliable (no kidding!!)

I don't believe you.

Sergey Moscow, Russia

... A writer thinks of critics as a tree feels about dogs

They still rot. Just takes 12 years to perforate instead of 4. Almost all cars reach a point where they become so cheap that the people that buy them throw it away rather than do any expensive work on it. A clutch on a FWD car will take 4/5 hours and cost at least £200 in labor, £250 goes a long way towards the next £500 car. As a DIY job it's a pig. Smaller cars used in town a lot don't fare so well on clutch life. Every model is bigger, heavier and just a little bit more fuel efficient than the last.

It appears few people do any real work on vehicles these days. There are only 5 firms listed on

as engine rebulders in the whole of Hertfordshire (one of those is commercial truck engines). Clearly no demand for head skims or other major engine work. It would appear the trade down there aren't up to doing a head job properly, so it's either bodge it, just stick a new gasket on or gamble on a secondhand one from a breakers yard or an expensive rebuilt engine from a specialist re-builder. Clearly there is more money in doing an engine swap and they only have to warrant the work done which is technically far less demanding, the engine rebuilder covers the engine. I have a choice of 5 firms than can undertake head skims to crank grinds within 12 miles of where I live.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

Well - although the Ladas were pretty appalling to drive, and my first Lada

1200 did around 25 mpg (the distributor didn't even have a vacuum advance!), I did not have a lot of problems with either of them. There were niggling things like slightly warped front brake discs that caused a tremor through the brake pedal on braking - and the second one had a problem with the ignition switch in that the contacts kept burning due to 'arcing' - but nothing that I couldn't live with. My Vx Omega on the other hand had numerous faults - several of which caused break downs (my two Ladas never left me stranded). On the Omega: Two failed oxygen sensors, failed crankshaft sensor, failed differential oil seal, failed water pump, failed CD player, failed idle air valve, etc. My Rover 75 has suffered *four* failed fuel pressure sensors in five months (it was due to a faulty pressure regulator which neither my dealer nor MG/Rover seemed capable of diagnosing. These failed pressure sensors caused two complete breakdowns necessitating removal from the roadside back to the dealer. I also had to have both front struts replaced on the 75 within the first six months of ownership because the 'KPI' (king pin inclination) was incorrect and can't be adjusted. So - believe it or not - my two cheapo Ladas were definitely more reliable than my two most expensive cars!

Kev

Hello Uno.

20 Jan 04 14:40, you wrote to me: [...skipped...]

UH> Well - although the Ladas were pretty appalling to drive, and my first UH> Lada 1200 did around 25 mpg (the distributor didn't even have a vacuum UH> advance!), I did not have a lot of problems with either of them. There UH> were niggling things like slightly warped front brake discs that caused a UH> tremor through the brake pedal on braking - and the second one had a UH> problem with the ignition switch in that the contacts kept burning due to UH> 'arcing' - but nothing that I couldn't live with. My Vx Omega on the other UH> hand had numerous faults - several of which caused break downs (my two UH> Ladas never left me stranded). On the Omega: Two failed oxygen sensors, UH> failed crankshaft sensor, failed differential oil seal, failed water pump, UH> failed CD player, failed idle air valve, etc. My Rover 75 has suffered UH> *four* failed fuel pressure sensors in five months (it was due to a faulty UH> pressure regulator which neither my dealer nor MG/Rover seemed capable of UH> diagnosing. These failed pressure sensors caused two complete breakdowns UH> necessitating removal from the roadside back to the dealer. I also had to UH> have both front struts replaced on the 75 within the first six months of UH> ownership because the 'KPI' (king pin inclination) was incorrect and can't UH> be adjusted. So - believe it or not - my two cheapo Ladas were definitely UH> more reliable than my two most expensive cars!

Where is this world coming to!

(rips hair on head, runs away crying...)

Sergey

... Only XT users know that January 1, 1980 was a Tuesday.