Tech to Blame for Ever-Growing Repair Costs, AAA Says

Megalith

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New research from AAA claims tech is the primary culprit for increasing vehicle repair costs, as ordinary components such as bumpers, side mirrors, and windshields are now complicated by integrated electronics, making them difficult to fix after accidents. “Mess up your rear bumper? Well, if you have ultrasonic parking sensors or radar back there, it could cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000 to fix. Knock off a side mirror equipped with a camera as part of a surround-view system? $500 to $1,100.”

Even seemingly small damages to a vehicle's front end can incur costs nearing $3,000, according to new research from AAA. Windshields are especially tricky. People who own cars with windshields that have embedded heating elements already have to pony up hundreds of dollars to replace what you might think is just a piece of glass. Factor complex camera systems (like autobrake) into the mix, and not only do folks get hit with the windshield replacement, they possibly have to find a trained professional to recalibrate all that tech behind it.
 
One of the many reasons I haven't bought a new car. The other big problem is the intigrated systems in the dashboard/entertainment system. Have fun trying to find replacement parts in ten years. I suppose that's not a problem if you waste money every 4-6 years by keeping yourself in perpetual car debt lol. Anyway I would gladly pay for a stripped down car without most of this garbage tech.
 
My mom got in a fender bender in her qx60 this year and the total was like 14k to reapir all the sensers and stuff. The wreck was not even that bad no airbags went off the bumper was slightly to moderately damged.
 
The problem isn't the electronics, the problem is that car companies are cutting manufacturing costs by buying these as assemblies. Some of these pieces are like a laptop - if a discrete component goes bad, you replace the whole assembly. I know this is true for my Buick's rear view mirror.

Sometimes that's for the best. Some cars have sensors in the rear bumper that can be installed upside down or be installed in the wrong position along the bumper, and if that happens your car will constantly beep at you whenever you're in reverse.
 
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The amount of superfluous tech in newer cars is not only impractical cost-to-benefit-wise (being automobile bloatware that you pay, and pay, and pay for) and also posterity-wise (what do you do when a particular electronic gadget is no longer available - toss the car, or drive around with dead components and unproductive weight?), but it also might enable people to become lazy and less skilled drivers. Some of it also takes away from the fun of the driving experience, for me.
 
Mess up your rear bumper? Well, if you have ultrasonic parking sensors or radar back there, it could cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000 to fix.

Which is ridiculous considering those sensors can be bought for dirt cheap from an electronic supplier. It's the dealers / auto suppliers that are jacking the price up.
 
A 50 cent piece of plastic that holds the side view mirror in place on my Taurus broke. It has Bliss built into the drivers side mirror. They couldn't just replace the mirror. They had to replace the entire housing Bliss indicator and all. $750

I went to the junk yard and pulled a used one for $350. Another $200 for labor. First Ford dealer refused to do work because it wasn't new. (I stopped going to them) The second made me sign a waiver they cannot guarantee work done and there is no warranty. It was one snap cover, 2 harnesses and 3 bolts for f'n sake.
 
Which is ridiculous considering those sensors can be bought for dirt cheap from an electronic supplier. It's the dealers / auto suppliers that are jacking the price up.

The bumpers themselves are $2000 or more. They've been that way for a long time now. The tech makes it even more expensive. My friends Lincoln MKS was totaled. It was worth $22K and the repair bill was $16K it. It was just the bumper, and rear quarter panel. It forced the insurance company to total the car.

I won't post the picture without his permission, but you wouldn't believe it was $16K of damage.
 
The bumpers themselves are $2000 or more. They've been that way for a long time now. The tech makes it even more expensive. My friends Lincoln MKS was totaled. It was worth $22K and the repair bill was $16K it. It was just the bumper, and rear quarter panel. It forced the insurance company to total the car.

I won't post the picture without his permission, but you wouldn't believe it was $16K of damage.

Actual damage shown below.

4.jpg
 
TPMS, a great idea in theory as see a lot of low air tires on the road, but when the batteries die, it costs way more than the fuel saved to replace. Mine died about 5 years ago, and its $800 to replace them, not to mention the charge the tire store adds to "reset" them when I get new tires (yes, even if they don't work). But it was only $25 to carry my own pressure gauge and a bike pump, which we should all be doing anyway imho.
 
Move away from body on frame made things safer but much more expensive

I have heard people say that before, but I am not sure how true it is. There doesn't seem to be any real reason why body on frame can't be as safe as unibody. It will be heavier which means it is going to get worse fuel economy but as safe and cheaper to repair.
 
One of the many reasons I haven't bought a new car. The other big problem is the intigrated systems in the dashboard/entertainment system. Have fun trying to find replacement parts in ten years. I suppose that's not a problem if you waste money every 4-6 years by keeping yourself in perpetual car debt lol. Anyway I would gladly pay for a stripped down car without most of this garbage tech.

Right there with you. I wanted to order a GMC truck with no bells and whistles. I couldn't order a basic truck with no AC, no radio, no PW, PDLs, etc...I just want a basic stripped down work truck.
 
New research from AAA claims tech is the primary culprit for increasing vehicle repair costs, as ordinary components such as bumpers, side mirrors, and windshields are now complicated by integrated electronics, making them difficult to fix after accidents. “Mess up your rear bumper? Well, if you have ultrasonic parking sensors or radar back there, it could cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000 to fix. Knock off a side mirror equipped with a camera as part of a surround-view system? $500 to $1,100.”

Even seemingly small damages to a vehicle's front end can incur costs nearing $3,000, according to new research from AAA. Windshields are especially tricky. People who own cars with windshields that have embedded heating elements already have to pony up hundreds of dollars to replace what you might think is just a piece of glass. Factor complex camera systems (like autobrake) into the mix, and not only do folks get hit with the windshield replacement, they possibly have to find a trained professional to recalibrate all that tech behind it.

It's just another way for the car industry to rape peoples wallets there in most cases is nothing special about the tech in fact most of the sensors are just generic, alot of the camera tech is something you can buy from adafruit for less than 20$ its just like the headunit in a car they will charge you $2k for something less powerful than a raspberry pi with a cheap resistive garbage tn LCD screen and wax coated paper speakers, and overly harsh tweeters because they have the crossover wrong. Dealerships lobby 25$ million a year. It's rediculous how comapered to the cost of living the materials seemed to get cheaper and cheaper yet prices for the vehicles keep skyrocketing. It's BS in it's prime form, where a select few are making untold amounts of money off the majority and in some cases because consumers are just plain stupid.
 
Right there with you. I wanted to order a GMC truck with no bells and whistles. I couldn't order a basic truck with no AC, no radio, no PW, PDLs, etc...I just want a basic stripped down work truck.
Ford offers one.

Just a truck with an engine.
 
I dont care, if you've never parallel parked in a dense urban city without a backup camera and ultra sonic sensors then you havent lived

dude...learn to park

if you don't know where the corners of your vehicle are...maybe a self driving car is best for you
 
Ford offers one.

Just a truck with an engine.

I asked about this in the Cars subforum and no one could produce a link to this. Looking for one now. Vinyl floors, no infotainment unit, heavy knit cloth seats, low pressure engine, 4x4, crew cab, 6ft+ box, and delete as much electronic for mechanical as possible.
 
Right there with you. I wanted to order a GMC truck with no bells and whistles. I couldn't order a basic truck with no AC, no radio, no PW, PDLs, etc...I just want a basic stripped down work truck.
FYI I believe that all new (commercial) vehicles are now required to have a backup camera. So good luck finding a non fleet truck without a 4” screen on your dashboard.
 
And it is 12:1 when the 2.7 is 10.3:1......that is not exactly low pressure.....

well high compression pressure plus direct injection is the best best way to achieve MPG goals and almost 300 hp in a naturally aspirated 3.3 liter v6.

i don't think the old 4.2 they used to have would even touch this thing.

if new isn't an issue you could try to find an older work truck with a 3.7 around 2011.
 
well high compression pressure plus direct injection is the best best way to achieve MPG goals and almost 300 hp in a naturally aspirated 3.3 liter v6.

i don't think the old 4.2 they used to have would even touch this thing.

But that isn't what I am looking for, hence my question. I dont care about best mileage. I am looking for bullet proof engines that will do what I need them to do. I have plenty of high compression engines in cars and boats....I don't want or need that in something I depend on.
 
Precisely why I continue to drive an almost 20 year old Honda Accord. Modern cars are a scam. They are filled electronic garbage that breaks and costs a fortune to fix.
 
TPMS, a great idea in theory as see a lot of low air tires on the road, but when the batteries die, it costs way more than the fuel saved to replace. Mine died about 5 years ago, and its $800 to replace them, not to mention the charge the tire store adds to "reset" them when I get new tires (yes, even if they don't work). But it was only $25 to carry my own pressure gauge and a bike pump, which we should all be doing anyway imho.

They aren't that expensive. They aren't anything more special than the batsrriws your computer uses for the cmos clock settings.
 
But that isn't what I am looking for, hence my question. I dont care about best mileage. I am looking for bullet proof engines that will do what I need them to do. I have plenty of high compression engines in cars and boats....I don't want or need that in something I depend on.

That higher compression will help in low rev situations. I'm not sure what you are worried about.

You might want to look into a silverado with a 4.3L vortec in it, but I dont think they offer that motor anymore in those and most of the time it had a manual transmission in it, it would be ideal for what you are looking for if they still make em.
 
And it is 12:1 when the 2.7 is 10.3:1......that is not exactly low pressure.....

Premature detonation is bad. Mmmkay. While the amount of work you get out of a stroke grows considerably, it's hard to get those kind of compression ratios without high octane gas
There's some very simple Dodge pickup truck engines that are still made in the USA. But to be honest as nice as Dodge trucks are, they have a tendency to fall apart.
 
But that isn't what I am looking for, hence my question. I dont care about best mileage. I am looking for bullet proof engines that will do what I need them to do. I have plenty of high compression engines in cars and boats....I don't want or need that in something I depend on.

Then what you want is this:



The problem with most modern vehicles is the safety systems involved. They are mostly comprised of one shot sensors that get burned in the event of a crash.

But hey that's what happens when you have pyrotechnics in a seat-belt...
 
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The really sad thing is the basic mechanical parts in newer cars are pretty reliable. Its all the new tech wonder gadgets that cause most of the problems. And more of that crap is being mandated by government rules. To save a few kids, most vehicles have to have backup screens, that of course get loaded up with infotainment crap that distracts drivers, probably killing more people then are saved by the backup screens.
 
I am looking for bullet proof engines that will do what I need them to do.

Ford 300 inline 6, baby! I have one on standby that (in a few years, when I finish the Scout) will go into a 1951 Ford F-100. I thought about putting it in the Scout, just for high-torque laughs, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of moving the radiator and possibly cutting the firewall. They still make these engines new but they don't put them in vehicles any more. They are sold for industrial things like well pumps, etc. 8.8:1 compression, 240 lbs. of torque at 2,000 rpm.

I originally got the engine for a 1935 Ford pickup because it's one of the few bullet proof engines that will fit without a lot of metal work, but that project fell through.
 
Premature detonation is bad. Mmmkay. While the amount of work you get out of a stroke grows considerably, it's hard to get those kind of compression ratios without high octane gas
There's some very simple Dodge pickup truck engines that are still made in the USA. But to be honest as nice as Dodge trucks are, they have a tendency to fall apart.

Tend to? If you look at them cross they do.
 
Ford 300 inline 6, baby! I have one on standby that (in a few years, when I finish the Scout) will go into a 1951 Ford F-100. I thought about putting it in the Scout, just for high-torque laughs, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of moving the radiator and possibly cutting the firewall. They still make these engines new but they don't put them in vehicles any more. They are sold for industrial things like well pumps, etc. 8.8:1 compression, 240 lbs. of torque at 2,000 rpm.

I originally got the engine for a 1935 Ford pickup because it's one of the few bullet proof engines that will fit without a lot of metal work, but that project fell through.

Had one in an '83 F-150. It was the epitome of reliable....single barrel carb was a bitch though.
 
Had one in an '83 F-150. It was the epitome of reliable.

My brother-in-law had one from the early 90's (at the time, being a younger man, I thought the choice was boring.) The one thing I remember was you couldn't tell if it was running. He bought the truck to haul a 300 gallon fuel tank, and I'd drive it around gassing up equipment during harvest. I zerked the starter when the engine was running a couple of times.
 
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