A worry: the used car market

[Magic Johnson]

So all these fancy new cars are coming out, with special whatsits for more economic driving, vents that shut themselves, cars that park themselves, ridiculously complex gearboxes, clutches, braking systems, suspension, fancy electrics, computers ETC.

And that's in the cheaper ones, never mind the more expensive cars!

In 5 years' time, are we going to have a used car market full of these things that ordinary garages cannot fix without hundreds of hours of labour? Or will they be able to fix it at all? Will we become slaves to Arnold Clark and their horrendous pricing? Will their own mechanics even be able to fix it?

I am worried, I never have and never will buy a depreciating asset from new, but is this signalling a very expensive time for used car owners?

Can someone allay my fears?

 

[Numptey]

Just buy an old car now and keep it going for the next 40 years

 

[Magic Johnson]

I think I may keep my GP for 40 years if it lasts that bloody long!

 

[Numptey]

Perhaps you should buy an older car and watch it go up in value, some nice old Jags around some even come with LPG conversions. I suspect petrol will get very expensive and hard to find as cars change over to electric though

 

[Magic Johnson]

That's for another thread mate, this is just mainly my concern at the potential cost of maintenance of all these new fancy cars coming out!

 

[Numptey]

OK well I guess thinking of it logically, the cars in a few years will be mostly recyclable and you will take them back to where you bought them for maintenance and eventual replacement. Depending on how many car manufacturers there are left by then, this could be a good thing if they compete against each other in the aftersales angle when selling a car initially. I cant see a future for second hand cars when they go electric, how many old TV's and Fridges do you buy or repair nowadays?

 

[Magic Johnson]

They won't go electric, why do you seem to think they will? Only a very small, and I mean tiny portion of cars will be electric. It's just as unsustainable and even more expensive than petrolium based cars. The government wants to stop pushing their agenda, it's becoming rather tedious.

BUT ALAS, this is for another thread! I am not talking long term, just within the next 5 years.

 

[dave]

this is what everyone thought when they started selling cars with ECU'S and EFI, everyone soon learns how to fix new things

 

[x Alex x]

i'm pretty sure people have been saying cars will be too complex to fix in the future for the past 20 years.

 

[Magic Johnson]

this is what everyone thought when they started selling cars with ECU'S and EFI, everyone soon learns how to fix new things

Do they? They rely on sensors and ECUs telling them what's wrong, if one of these fails then it can work out very expensive replacing parts that don't need replaced and spending hours and hours of labour time due to sheer guesswork.

This is only going to get worse, imo.

 

[Magic Johnson]

i'm pretty sure people have been saying cars will be too complex to fix in the future for the past 20 years.

It's starting to come true though mate.

Most mechanics still bawk when they see a common rail diesel car with a problem.

 

[dave]

Do they? They rely on sensors and ECUs telling them what's wrong, if one of these fails then it can work out very expensive replacing parts that don't need replaced and spending hours and hours of labour time due to sheer guesswork.

This is only going to get worse, imo.

people charging you to fix things who haven't got a clue what they are doing, that has been happening since the first man found out how to tie a rock to a stick and make it a hammer

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Do they? They rely on sensors and ECUs telling them what's wrong,

Only those idiots who cannot diagnose things using the old fasioned method.

This is only going to get worse, imo.

Only if you're stupid enough to keep going to someone who doens't know what they're doing.

 

[Magic Johnson]

I don't think that's fair.

I guess my example was the new Ford Focus.

Would a non-FORD garage be able to fix the auto vents? The auto park?

 

[dave]

auto park probably dont work anyway, it dont work on a prius

 

[ChrisUK]

:yeahthat:

Who cares if the vents fail. If they stay shut wedge them open, job done.

 

[Magic Johnson]

:yeahthat:

Who cares if the vents fail. If they stay shut wedge them open, job done.

Maybe I'm just being overly paranoid...

 

[Numptey]

Well I was thinking lol
But cars will go electric as nothing else is sustainable, batteries will get cheaper which is the main cost.
Over the next 5 years nothing much will change though

 

[Magic Johnson]

Mate you do know electricity isn't free or unlimited right? Lol.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Mate you do know electricity isn't free or unlimited right? Lol.

Well it is if harvested correctly