Do you think shortage-affected new cars are... "inferior" in some ways? Any concerns?

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I can't be the only who thinks that cars being produced in the current climate of shortage *might* *possibly* *maybe* have *potential* problems down the road. If you're scrambling to find replacements and/or alternatives, you might relax some of those typical quality control and testing parameters.

This is just a thought.

So, apart from the inflated cost at the moment, there may in fact be other reasons to avoid new cars being produced right now under these conditions.

Again, this is just an idle thought, it did cross my mind, I wonder if it crossed someone else's mind. We simply don't know, so this is pure speculation.
 
Pricing is deranged! I’m going to rescue & keep my Mom’s ‘06 60K mile Matrix-I’ll never buy a new(er) car again, unless EVs finally become affordable & dependable (I know, not likely)! All the new, guaranteed to break “features” are a massive turn-off too!
 
Some dealers are adding missing parts after you buy and pick up the vehicle. One EV that is know for it starts with a "T".
However for the most part I believe vehicles are basically complete when purchased.
 
I'm wondering why all e auto makers are advertising cash back and interest free financing hen they have very little to sell????
 
I'm wondering why all e auto makers are advertising cash back and interest free financing hen they have very little to sell????

Very little, and very few models. Just stuff to get you in the door, to what they have available. Or even overpriced used stuff…

Thinking folks better get used to this. Automakers can now tell you what to get, options needed, and what you are going to pay. This is not going away soon… and. The best part is people are dumb enough to pay for it!

Not going to play into politics, but there is too much control now over stuff now- with no say in quality.

PS5 failure rate has been going up…..have little faith in anything new right now…..
 
This was a factor in our Carnival vs Pacifica decision. Carnival was made almost entirely in south korea where i figure they have tighter control over parts/quality. Pacifica is supposed to be built in Windsor Canada where they shut down constantly for …reasons…

Avoiding brand new right now for quality concerns is valid.
 
find replacements and/or alternatives, you might relax some of those typical quality control and testing parameters.
As in sourcing aftermarket components and installing them at the vehicle's assembly location ? If so, two things come to mind: 1) The volume of readily available repair/aftermarket parts for brand new models will be pretty small and 2) those producers would be impacted the same as OEM producers.

As to your question, I don't think cars are affected negatively. The lack of cars on dealer's lots strongly suggests the automakers are holding off production vs taking shortcuts.
 
A subassembly will be prototyped with quality parts then given to a team of bean counter engineers to make more and more cheaply. In the case of electronics that could mean lower grade capacitors run closer to their limits.

If you take apart something that did something, say a VHS VCR, one from 1980 is going to have waay more discrete parts than one made in 1998.

All this to say, if Ford can't get windshield wiper control boards (an actual shortage) from their normal source, they might cobble together something using available chips that plugs into the harness. Or they might re-pin the harness to work with some other off-the-shelf part. Or there'll be a stubby little adapter harness in between! Noone will really know until the parts store asks you for your VIN because there was a mid-year break.
 
My Odyssey doesn't have the built-in vacuum because Shop-Vac went under. Not sure what I would have used it for though and I'm glad to have the extra cubby.

Aside from that I don't think the '22 will be any better or worse than any other.
 
if a chip shortage means that car makers will offer real base editions at reasonable prices, i’m in. i prefer a simple driving machine, not an electronic-nannied, tarted-up, rolling text and wifi lounge.
 
I haven't found a flaw in the 2021 Sierra we bought in May. It isn't a high trim truck so nothing is missing. Anything is possible but in the age of social media I highly suspect if, say, out of spec pistons were being used it would end up on Instagram or whatever.
 
The newest Buick commercial is funny to me. They highlight the wireless media connection in the car as a fantastic feature, and then when it comes time to show you the deal they're offering, it's "without wireless medial connection", which tells me that particular microchip is on back-order. Their marketing folks can't quite get it right. If you can't provide something, don't feature it in the advertisement, then rip it away.
 
There are F-150s that sat for 8 months in mud and dirt lots (pictures are out there). AT the very minimum you have paint contamination and sun blasting down on the dashboards. You tell me...does that sound good?

And then you are paying MSRP for it.
 
I can't be the only who thinks that cars being produced in the current climate of shortage *might* *possibly* *maybe* have *potential* problems down the road. If you're scrambling to find replacements and/or alternatives, you might relax some of those typical quality control and testing parameters.

This is just a thought.

So, apart from the inflated cost at the moment, there may in fact be other reasons to avoid new cars being produced right now under these conditions.

Again, this is just an idle thought, it did cross my mind, I wonder if it crossed someone else's mind. We simply don't know, so this is pure speculation.
I work in auto manufacturing and I can tell you that is absolutely not the case. In many ways I would say the quality should be better because they arent trying to crank out as many cars as possible every day.
 
I work in auto manufacturing and I can tell you that is absolutely not the case. In many ways I would say the quality should be better because they arent trying to crank out as many cars as possible every day.
I was thinking along the same lines. And the 0-intrest temptations and other sales stuff is there to get you to buy what little is on the lot so at least they survive. They may only have the base model in blue, even though you really wanted the mid range model in red, but if they can deal you goo enough, it sells.
 
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