What things do you hate about modern cars?

[Daniel Miller]

This is my first post, and this has been on my chest for a long time, so I wanted to get it out there.
(edited for more reasons plus what I’ve experienced from other’s replies)

Modern cars tend to have more bells and whistles, better safety, and better gas mileage over much older vehicles, but there are things that seem to break on only modern cars, and here’s my list of things that drive me crazy about modern cars.

The main issue for me is implementing plastic where metal should be, and what could happen if it happens to break on you (listed in no particular order). * by numbers indicate that they broke at least once on my vehicle, a 2012 Ford Fusion S with the 6-speed manual and 58K miles.
1*. Plastic door handles (attached to metal cables) = cables always win. Broke inside and out once.
2*. Electronic throttle bodies with plastic gears that open and close the throttle = stress breaks gears and disables vehicle. Poor timing of failure could be a safety hazard.
3. Plastic intake manifold: crack = “check engine” and poor running, chunk breaks = possible blown engine.
4. Plastic valve cover: crack = oil loss, possible blown engine if left unchecked
5. Plastic pulleys on window regulators = windows drop and/or jam due to temperature cycling over time
6. Plastic latches to close/open center console = will always fail
7. Plastic oil pan (ex. 2011 Ford 6.7 Diesel) = oil leak if it cracks (possible blown engine if failure occurs while driving and left unchecked)
8. Plastic electronic water pumps (I’m looking at you, BMW) = overheating
9. Plastic hose fittings on radiators = cracks, overheating until hose fitting is fixed or radiator replaced
I would spend a few more bucks on the exact same car with the metal parts instead of plastic. The gas savings from the reduced weight of plastic would not cover repair costs. I know they do plastic because of lower production costs and CAFE.

Other plastics (instead of soft material)
5. Hard plastic dashboards, especially if black (ex. later Gen 2 Dodge Rams or ’07-13 GM trucks) = cracks
6. Plastic armrests = reduces driver and passenger comfort (even more so if the front door panels have soft material but the rear door panels don’t)

Other things that drive me crazy about modern cars: (edit starts with rim sizes)
If you want a manual transmission in a mainstream car you need the most stripped model (for the most part, they’re not even an option on most midsize sedans and full-size trucks, except for the Ram 3500 with the diesel).
More computers, sensors, and electronic controls = more points of failure.
Hybrids don’t have a backup generator in case the main generator fails = money saved on fuel gone.
Are any engines/transmissions introduced in the last 5 years proven to go 300-500K miles or more with just regular maintenance?
Rim sizes on almost every new car = too big, too heavy, too expensive to replace (and the tires that go on them). 17-inch rims max, and only on truck-based SUVs, Mustangs, Challengers, and Camaros I could tolerate. (note: The 16-inch rims on my Fusion are the largest I’ve ever had on any car)
They’re harder to see out of = bigger blind spots increase chances of crashes.
RPM doesn’t immediately drop when you’re trying to upshift.
Some vehicles have their rev-limiter set far past redline (ex. 7,250 limiter on a 6,500 redline in a 2009 Mazda 3) or produce peak horsepower PAST redline (ex. Dodge Hellcats: 707HP @ 6,000 with a 5,750 redline)

Things that drive me crazy in my Fusion: (part of the edit)
Engine will not drop to idle RPM, even in neutral, unless going slower than 5 MPH. It will hang between 1,000 and 1,400 RPM, depending on speed and what the ECU thinks how fast the engine should be running.
I get zero engine braking going down hills unless in the lowest possible gear, and even then, not immediately after I take my foot off the accelerator.
The engine has a 6,250 redline but sounds like it’s going to blow up if I exceed 5,900.

And one other thing I miss are certain sounds that older vehicles make that the new ones don’t. To me, they’re part of their charm and character.

And my question to you all ETCG faithful: what do you hate about modern cars?

Topic

[BlackenZaib]

I would just remove all of the plastic myself personally maybe keep the plastic over the engine.

Also what’s with some new cars that you can’t even check your oil? The new BMWs have no oil dipsticks at all

[James O’Hara]

I have never ever seen abs increase stopping distance when it is working properly and the fluid is good.

What I Hate about modern cars:
Crush zone everything (If people crash at anything above 70mph its on them I should not have to suffer)
Plastic, Plastic, Plastic omg lets make it plastic. (This isn’t a movie stars face its a car)

Batteries in the trunk, behind the wheel well (remove wheel then fender lining to see little to no way to remove me mwhahahaha), behind fenders, up butts and around the corner, in the cab(Seriously who thought putting something filled with a caustic chemical in the cab under the back seat where kids normally ride was a good idea)

Modern Specialty fasteners. Whoever invented inverted torx, triple square and inverted triple square should be put in a box made with those fasteners. Given a chrome socket and a ratchet and they only way to escape is to remove like 40 of them. While it is all recorder and broadcasted over youtube. I give them to the 3rd one if they are lucky before it strips out.

Overlapping components. Some components need to overlap like valve covers or intakes this is fine. There is no reason for me to have to cut or remove things to access parts that are not integral to the engine.

Gauges where the fuck did they go. Seriously why is it that I do not, need a voltage gauge on my dash. last time i checked batteries and alternators normally get replaced once if not twice before a car is considered dead or a beater. Also why the fuck are they not accurate any more they used to be dead on wtf is so hard about using good sensors or accurate programming.

Electronic everything. Ok so you want electronic windows fine I can understand that as well as electronic locks. The hvac controls worked extremely well till the car was at least 8 yrs old. Now in under 3 years you are lucky if you have defrost and max cold. Let alone blend door control.

The dash it used to be fairly easily removed. Now nope unhook this, unclip these, remove 16-80 screws, nope, now there are bolts you have to remove. Oh your almost there just have to remove the entire center console and instrument panel oh you didn’t do that first reinstall the 80 screws remove the dash and center console and remove the 80 screws again. I seriously think the dash may just be the most secure thing in the car lol.

Airbags have been made for the past xyz number of years you mean to tell me someone hasn’t figured out a way to keep them from costing over 1k really, seriously, why do i think you are lying to me.

Sight lines oh you want to look left or right to see if there is a car hey A or B Pillar now look a little farther oh shit you crashed into the person in front of you what do you mean you didn’t see them. God forbid if you want to see if a car is along side you or in your blind spots.

Laws created to help defeat darwinism. If you feel like not wearing your seatbelt fine. If you survive the crash you were meant to live if you didn’t you weren’t. Same goes for airbags both of these things should be features not mandatory.

Having to pawn your next 10 yrs of hard work to get a decent new vehicle.

Why the hell new cars are not tuned from the factory. I mean seriously just tuning them on a car to car basis instead of going well this is the average so lets just average everything out. A properly tuned car without mods typically sees increases of 3-5mpg and much better torque and hp during all aspects of driving. It only takes about 3-4 hrs to tune a car so why the hell isn’t this done at the factory. Especially because I am sure if you are tuning the exact same car day in and day out it will prob get to the point where you can do it in 20 mins to 30 mins.

Why do the sales people never explain where all the fluid locations are on a car and give the people a set chart of what needs to be done when. Also why the hell don’t they call and inform the drivers of when recalls and serious TSBs are required.

I am going to stop now cause if i don’t i will be here for forever.

[BlackenZaib]

I agree with you 100% MDK22. I bought my Lanos in August 2000 its a 2001 MY. The car has several known design flaws. For example. The Airbags rarely Deploy. You could hit a tree (in fact some have) and the airbags don’t even go off. When the airbags do go off its most likey only the Driver’s side deploys where as the passenger’s side does not. What I really want to do is get my hands on a Lanos Steering wheel from Aussie because The Lanos has no airbags in Aussie. I actually wanted to remove the ENTIRE SRS Computer from my car. I know exactly where it is and how to get to it I just dont know how to remove the damn thing. I tried to disable the airbags in my ex-girlfriends 1999 Beetle only to find out that there is no damn airbag fuse and the only way to disconnect them is to remove the driver’s seat and unplug the wire connection to the airbags under the seat! People think I’m crazy for not wanting airbags. Eventually I have to take out the dash cluster in both my Impala and Lanos and remove the Airbag light bulbs. I may even remove the CEL bulb in my Lanos just so I dont have to see it come on all the time. I was told by my mechanic that the CEL being on (throws a Cam sensor code) that if the car still runs than dont even bother because it will be over a $600 repair thanks to the poor engine design. I think it would literally be easier to REMOVE the engine from the car to replace the sensor! I enjoy Manual Windows ALOT better I’ve had cars with Power Windows in the past always hated them they windows always fail and its over $200 to fix. One of the main selling points of my Lanos was the fact it had manual windows. one of the major downfalls is that the stereo didn’t have a clock in it as the car has a optional dash clock! “Optional” really?! Shouldn’t that be standard?

EDIT: In fact if it wasn’t for the lack of a clock I would go back to my factory tape deck. The lack of the clock also means getting the Factory CD Player is also out of the question.

[Dave]

[quote=”MDK22″ post=120215]
Batteries in the trunk, behind the wheel well (remove wheel then fender lining to see little to no way to remove me mwhahahaha), behind fenders, up butts and around the corner, in the cab(Seriously who thought putting something filled with a caustic chemical in the cab under the back seat where kids normally ride was a good idea)
[/quote]

How about when trucks had the gas tank in the cab behind the seat?

[BlackenZaib]

Commodore665 My Lanos has no Transmission dipstick either. And from what the manual says Automatic transmissions never need servicing. It specifically states in my owners manual that you do not ever service the Automatic transmission however you do service the Manual every 60k miles i think

[dan]

the simple fact that they are engineered to be thrown away… after about 150,000 miles or so many years everything all at once on a car seems to take a dump. yet again back in the day you where lucky if a car lasted 100,000 miles.

[Erin]

Aceofspades is right.

I remember hearing about how 100,000 miles was “just about the life of a car”. Makes sense since that was when it rolled over completely. Today we could say that about 200,000 miles being “the life of the car” (assuming proper care thru it’s life)

That is weird though – parts were supposedly sturdier back then yet the car didn’t last?

I wonder if the reason some of us feel that older cars lasted longer is cause the only ones on the road are the ones that somehow beat the odds.

[Ian Williams]

[quote=”BlackenZaib” post=120332]Commodore665 My Lanos has no Transmission dipstick either. And from what the manual says Automatic transmissions never need servicing. It specifically states in my owners manual that you do not ever service the Automatic transmission however you do service the Manual every 60k miles i think[/quote]

You can service the transmission in mine although it’s a bit of a faff I think I’ll be taking to a technician to get done

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BlackenZaib]

I have no idea how many of you are TV-halics, But I am. I am currently set on a TV Show Called Mike & Molly. Staring Melissa McCarthy. Mike’s Character in the show has a 1988 Galant. The Car is said in the show to have a hole in the passenger side floorpan, The clock doesn’t work and has many problems the engine broke and instead of a new car he got a new engine. I hope to always keep my car running regardless of its condition 🙂

[michael]

While my sample size is small (2 vehicles) My 98 chevy (power everything) has all sorts of little things broken in addition to major mechanical issues in the engine. While my 89 ford (power nothing)… well, pretty much everything works! Sure, manual windows and locks are annoying until you get used to them, but the likelyhood of it breaking is much lower. And when it does, replacement parts are cheaper.

[Gary]

[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=120335]the simple fact that they are engineered to be thrown away… after about 150,000 miles or so many years everything all at once on a car seems to take a dump. yet again back in the day you where lucky if a car lasted 100,000 miles.[/quote] True ace, but when something goes wrong on an older vehicle it is MUCH easier to repair/replace and cheaper usually. My truck is a testament to that. Over the course it’s life, it was used to haul a huge trailer across the entire USA regularly, pull stumps, tow, farmwork, etc etc… as it passed from owner to owner which I have records of. According to all the paperwork I had gotten with it, in it’s 43 years it has gone at least 500,000 miles with only a tranny swap and 2 engine rebuilds(including a cylinder head replacement in 1992) as far as the major components are concerned. Of course, this is a C30 so everything on it is heavy duty. It was extremely well maintained and documented despite it’s work history and I continue the trend. Every time I do work on it I know that I am preserving a survivor, a piece of history, as insignificant as one truck built in 1973 may be. Of course, there are come battlescars from it’s work, like a welded brace for part of the steering system and the rear bumper is also welded on from being beat on…but its a truck!

[Gary]

[quote=”Summer_Night” post=120351]Aceofspades is right.

I remember hearing about how 100,000 miles was “just about the life of a car”. Makes sense since that was when it rolled over completely. Today we could say that about 200,000 miles being “the life of the car” (assuming proper care thru it’s life)

That is weird though – parts were supposedly sturdier back then yet the car didn’t last?

I wonder if the reason some of us feel that older cars lasted longer is cause the only ones on the road are the ones that somehow beat the odds.[/quote] The parts are studier in most cases, trust me.

[Gary]

[quote=”brokemechanic3000″ post=120286][quote=”MDK22″ post=120215]
Batteries in the trunk, behind the wheel well (remove wheel then fender lining to see little to no way to remove me mwhahahaha), behind fenders, up butts and around the corner, in the cab(Seriously who thought putting something filled with a caustic chemical in the cab under the back seat where kids normally ride was a good idea)
[/quote]

How about when trucks had the gas tank in the cab behind the seat?[/quote] Not the best idea, but I think it’s better than outside the frame rails as side saddles. Or we could mention the pinto 🙂

[dan]

[quote=”Summer_Night” post=120351]Aceofspades is right.

I remember hearing about how 100,000 miles was “just about the life of a car”. Makes sense since that was when it rolled over completely. Today we could say that about 200,000 miles being “the life of the car” (assuming proper care thru it’s life)

That is weird though – parts were supposedly sturdier back then yet the car didn’t last?

I wonder if the reason some of us feel that older cars lasted longer is cause the only ones on the road are the ones that somehow beat the odds.[/quote]

I think the biggest reason cars last longer today is modern fuel injection, and gearing. today when you cruise down the highway overdrive allows you to do 70 at no more than 2,000RPM on your engine, some of the older cars your engine would be revving a lot higher, obviously this puts wear and tear on the engine. then you have carburetors when the engine is cold the choke would run really rich supposedly “soaking the rings.” causing them to wear out faster, this is something someone told me once, weither or not this is true is another thing, but the biggest reason I think is gearing of the transmission allows lower cruse engine RPMS which reduces engine wear.

then you have more modern alloys, piston rings are made of materials that simply last much longer, same thing with rod and main bearings, more modern metals, positive crankcase ventilation, improvements in engine oils, higher engine operating temperatures, stuff like that.

[Gary]

[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=120438][quote=”Summer_Night” post=120351]Aceofspades is right.

I remember hearing about how 100,000 miles was “just about the life of a car”. Makes sense since that was when it rolled over completely. Today we could say that about 200,000 miles being “the life of the car” (assuming proper care thru it’s life)

That is weird though – parts were supposedly sturdier back then yet the car didn’t last?

I wonder if the reason some of us feel that older cars lasted longer is cause the only ones on the road are the ones that somehow beat the odds.[/quote]

I think the biggest reason cars last longer today is modern fuel injection, and gearing. today when you cruise down the highway overdrive allows you to do 70 at no more than 2,000RPM on your engine, some of the older cars your engine would be revving a lot higher, obviously this puts wear and tear on the engine. then you have carburetors when the engine is cold the choke would run really rich supposedly “soaking the rings.” causing them to wear out faster, this is something someone told me once, weither or not this is true is another thing, but the biggest reason I think is gearing of the transmission allows lower cruse engine RPMS which reduces engine wear.

then you have more modern alloys, piston rings are made of materials that simply last much longer, same thing with rod and main bearings, more modern metals, positive crankcase ventilation, improvements in engine oils, higher engine operating temperatures, stuff like that.[/quote] I can confirm that trannies back in the day/gearing make the engine rev higher. I have a 4 speed manual with 1st being a granny gear at about 6.58. In 4th crusing at 70, I am at 3K RPMS, however, around the town and country driving I never get above 2.2k thanks to my engines low end torque. The carbs do tend to wash the cylinders slightly when starting cold with the choke on. Gotta keep an eye on the old float level! A carb essentially dumps fuel down the intake, “wet intake” and when it’s cold, there is little fuel atomization and therefore, raw fuel does make it into the cylinders.

[Author]

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