Will today's cars last 20 years?

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Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
I just had a cluster rebuilt on my Y2K Mustang in Richmond, VA by a local electronics repair place. They claim they can rebuild anything, so the electronic stuff I once worried about I don't worry about so much anymore.


I would love to see them rebuild an EBCM from a '97-'00 Corvette...the circuit boards in these things are covered in a thick, epoxy-like resin material, which makes it impossible to get to the components on the board without destroying them...

The circuit board in the ECM on my Explorer was also covered in a resin material. Yet there are companies that sell remanufactured ECMs for my Explorer. So it can still be done.
 
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
I just had a cluster rebuilt on my Y2K Mustang in Richmond, VA by a local electronics repair place. They claim they can rebuild anything, so the electronic stuff I once worried about I don't worry about so much anymore.


I would love to see them rebuild an EBCM from a '97-'00 Corvette...the circuit boards in these things are covered in a thick, epoxy-like resin material, which makes it impossible to get to the components on the board without destroying them...

The circuit board in the ECM on my Explorer was also covered in a resin material. Yet there are companies that sell remanufactured ECMs for my Explorer. So it can still be done.


I agree, it CAN be done, but will it? The auto manufacturers I'm sure are hoping it won't be so everyone will have to buy new vehicles...
 
my tundra is 10.75 years old. body looks new, frame and under neath is ok. engine and transmission are great at 156k. no issues to date that have kept me from driving.

i am planning on keeping until 2020, will be given to my son at about 200k. I expect 300k without issues. Probably will be 20 at that point.
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Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Parts will be discontinued/not available way before that time is up.By law,parts only need to be inventoried as long as the warranty exists.So a 3year/36,000 mile warranty makes parts legally obsolete by 2021.


I can still get most parts for my 1995 Ford Escort easily enough. In fact, the only part I have had to make was the rear defrost switch.
 
I really hope so. BMW has gone down hill recently, now making cars for the masses. There really is nothing comparable to my current car out there now.

Quote:
But there's a bigger point here. The 1-series is the last car that BMW engineered before the Germans, as a car-making culture, fell out of love with driving.
R&T April 2013.
 
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If the people in the US will get rid of most of the EPA and CAFE, cars/trucks will last 25-30 years. It will allow the manufacturers to go back to building durable transmissions. The engines are already durable.

I can't believe the oil companies haven't bought Consumer Reports. CR is the main driver to high-mileage oil changes prescribed by the manufacturers. CR and other [censored] auto mags grade new vehicles on lowest overall cost to operate. Cut the oil changes by 60% and it makes a difference.
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
I really hope so. BMW has gone down hill recently, now making cars for the masses. There really is nothing comparable to my current car out there now.

Quote:
But there's a bigger point here. The 1-series is the last car that BMW engineered before the Germans, as a car-making culture, fell out of love with driving.
R&T April 2013.
BMW went down hill during the late 1980s. I knew people with the earlier ones up to the 325 and ther were awesome cars almost as reliable as a block of steel.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Parts will be discontinued/not available way before that time is up.By law,parts only need to be inventoried as long as the warranty exists.So a 3year/36,000 mile warranty makes parts legally obsolete by 2021.


I can still get most parts for my 1995 Ford Escort easily enough. In fact, the only part I have had to make was the rear defrost switch.


Wouldn't the "obsolete/ inventoried law" just be with dealerships?

I don't think the local Ford dealer would have anything for your truck besides maybe an oil change.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Parts will be discontinued/not available way before that time is up.By law,parts only need to be inventoried as long as the warranty exists.So a 3year/36,000 mile warranty makes parts legally obsolete by 2021.


I can still get most parts for my 1995 Ford Escort easily enough. In fact, the only part I have had to make was the rear defrost switch.


Wouldn't the "obsolete/ inventoried law" just be with dealerships?

I don't think the local Ford dealer would have anything for your truck besides maybe an oil change.
smile.gif


Applies to the manufacturing of those parts by the original maker not the inventory of the dealer.
 
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Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Parts will be discontinued/not available way before that time is up.By law,parts only need to be inventoried as long as the warranty exists.So a 3year/36,000 mile warranty makes parts legally obsolete by 2021.


I can still get most parts for my 1995 Ford Escort easily enough. In fact, the only part I have had to make was the rear defrost switch.


Wouldn't the "obsolete/ inventoried law" just be with dealerships?

I don't think the local Ford dealer would have anything for your truck besides maybe an oil change.
smile.gif



Legally obsolete and unavailable are two different things.

Dealerships make more money on service than selling new cars. They do want the parts.

And it's not like the dealers don't have reliability management and knowledge base of how fast certain parts are consumed. Sure, sitting on spare costs is sunk money, but that's part of the reason why parts are expensive.

There are some stupid things that have happened by design. Things like needing to code modules to change certain parts is just dumb. Some of it is theft response, but others, I'm not really sure.
 
With proper care I'd say sure. In fact if my Rubicon lasts as long as my 88 Van, which is still growing strong, some of me will be dust in the wind, and perhaps some sitting on my son's mantle somewhere.
 
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