Another technological mess on a newer Jetta.

[Kurtatron]

Some of you seem to have no reservations or second thought about how cars are becoming ever more complicated. You mock us luddites for being anti this or anti that. Well here’s another case of how much all this tech in new cars sucks.



I wish they’d make a simple 2000s car again. The rest of you can sell your souls for creature comforts. I’ll keep my old cars running as long as it’s legal.

 

[dishdude]

Not a very conclusive report.

 

[Skippy722]

My base model 2014 Challenger R/T is about as advanced of a vehicle as I want, but I'm sure there's some proprietary software nonsense, but it exists as it left the factory and will never see the dealership again for anything.

The Expedition has all the fancy stuff including the ability to update via wifi but I refuse to even consider connecting it to my wifi so it can. My luck it'll brick itself during an update.

 

[CKN]

Kumbaya for the beater boys......

 

[grasscutter]

The best thing to do is find an older car that was made simple and restore it to perfection.

There used to be shops in Las Vegas where an old car enters the building on one end and then exits the building on the other end brand new.

 

[4wd]

If AI was used honestly - one could glean some real data on failures - that day is not here - so oblique opinions will float out there - and confirmation bias will mate with them …

 

[grasscutter]

Cars are so complicated now that they are no longer reliable.

We've gone from planned obsolescence to over complication. Both will kill reliability.

I don't place all of the blame on the manufacturers. I place most of the blame on regulatory agencies.

 

[CKN]

The best thing to do is find an older car that was made simple and restore it to perfection.

There used to be shops in Las Vegas where an old car enters the building on one end and then exits the building on the other end brand new.

And how old would you like that to be?
This is going to be fun!

 

[grasscutter]

And how old would you like that to be?
This is going to be fun!

A perfect example is the GM 3800 V6. As soon as you do the upgraded upper intake manifold plenum and the upgraded lower intake manifold gaskets with the steel shims, you've got yourself a trouble free 400,000 mile car.

 

[Pew]

Some days I roll out my wagon and horse too.

 

[4wd]

Cars are so complicated now that they are no longer reliable.

We've gone from planned obsolescence to over complication. Both will kill reliability.

I don't place all of the blame on the manufacturers. I place most of the blame on regulatory agencies.

I think it’s a combination of regulations and manufacturing efficiency. Take an all electric controlled transmission - one day the owner finds out the vehicle can’t be taken out of park to be towed … So we see more and more large flatbed wreckers that charge big money - and drag them with help from Dawn detergent …

 

[KrisZ]

It’s the cars data monetization that drives a lot of this. Everyone likes to blame regulations and EPA, but as a matter of fact, it’s the good old corporate greed that drives these crazy software systems, the hardware is generally pretty good.

The coding is of course done by the lowest bidder and skill set. Automakers aren’t software companies, hence the slop they produce. The cheapest Android tablet has a much better user experience than most auto systems.

 

[andrew_j]

A perfect example is the GM 3800 V6. As soon as you do the upgraded upper intake manifold plenum and the upgraded lower intake manifold gaskets with the steel shims, you've got yourself a trouble free 400,000 mile car.

Engine however balance of car was not 400k material…

 

[97prizm]

Some of you seem to have no reservations or second thought about how cars are becoming ever more complicated. You mock us luddites for being anti this or anti that. Well here’s another case of how much all this tech in new cars sucks.



I wish they’d make a simple 2000s car again. The rest of you can sell your souls for creature comforts. I’ll keep my old cars running as long as it’s legal.

If it was a "pre-existing " condition then it should be covered.

 

[andrew_j]

This is isolated with 2021 only certain VW with over the air updates.

Personally as tech person I would only pay dealer to perform because they own the issue of no update.

 

[andrew_j]

I think it’s a combination of regulations and manufacturing efficiency. Take an all electric controlled transmission - one day the owner finds out the vehicle can’t be taken out of park to be towed … So we see more and more large flatbed wreckers that charge big money - and drag them with help from Dawn detergent …

They just put plastic skids under tires and drag it up if professional.

 

[Bailey28]

I think it’s a combination of regulations and manufacturing efficiency. Take an all electric controlled transmission - one day the owner finds out the vehicle can’t be taken out of park to be towed … So we see more and more large flatbed wreckers that charge big money - and drag them with help from Dawn detergent …

I had to be towed home the other day. A bushing in the shift linkage disintegrated and I could not get the vehicle out of reverse. I was able to shut off the engine using the push button start/stop switch however the electrical items kept running and would not turn off. After the tow the car had a dead battery. I lost the 10mm wrench I needed to disconnect the battery.

 

[Bailey28]

If an auto manufacturer released a car today that had minimal electronic bloat, just went from A to B in simplicity, and was easy to maintain they would sell a lot of them to the like of us that want a basic vehicle.

Remember back in the day when EFI came out? Might as well weld the hood shut, you can't even turn the air cleaner lid upside down anymore (except TBI lol). To be fair though I would not want to work on an electronic Quadrajet carb either.

I think the OP also means ease of maintenance as well as affordability of replacement parts. Why should a mechanic have to remove timing chains and such to access a water pump? $5,000 tail lights on a truck?

 

[Kurtatron]

If an auto manufacturer released a car today that had minimal electronic bloat, just went from A to B in simplicity, and was easy to maintain they would sell a lot of them to the like of us that want a basic vehicle.

Remember back in the day when EFI came out? Might as well weld the hood shut, you can't even turn the air cleaner lid upside down anymore (except TBI lol). To be fair though I would not want to work on an electronic Quadrajet carb either.

I think the OP also means ease of maintenance as well as affordability of replacement parts. Why should a mechanic have to remove timing chains and such to access a water pump? $5,000 tail lights on a truck?

Let me list what I think is the best combination.

- One ECU.
- Port injection.
- Timing belt or chain is fine.
- Ecvt or standard automatic with gears.
- HVAC controls with knobs operated by cables, not electric motors.
- Single bulb lights (LEDs are fine, but not integrated units where once they die, you need replace the whole headlight housing)
- One computer that handles all the body controls.
- emissions regulations complexity circa early 2000s
- backup camera
-ABS
- Cruise control.
- naturally aspirated.
- NO driving assists that require radar sensors. Like lane assist, automatic braking.
- no connectivity over the networks.
- simple gear shift maps that doesn’t require software updates.

- basically, something like a Panther, a Jeep inline 6, 2005 Camry or suburban.

 

[bullwinkle]

Both my Vue & Corolla are very similar to that. Unfortunately I've already had an ECM fail in the '11 Express-no idea what happened? Replaced with a used reprogrammed one.