New vehicles seem to be produced with more and more plastics. The entire front end, rear end, under the hood, the bottom side, interiors, are just plastered with plastics. Vehicles have become mostly "throwaways". I changed the oil in my daughter's VW Tiguan a couple of weeks ago, and I noticed that the oil pan and drain plug are plastic. Really? This is going a bit overboard with the use of plastics. I wouldn't mind it so much if prices didn't keep going up, but that's certainly not the case. Where does this plasticizing end?
Is the use of plastic on new vehicles out of control?
- Thread starter grampi
- Start date
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- Nov 19, 2023
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plastics seem to be getting stronger and engineered to offer a cost cutting solution for oems. pennies add up quickly.
However this isnt something thats new. With what i see rolling out, fabric is replacing leather and soft touch.
However this isnt something thats new. With what i see rolling out, fabric is replacing leather and soft touch.
The hand wringing about plastic oil pans has been going on for years, and the only time I've ever heard of it being an issue is if you like to off road. They are built pretty strong, there isn't much chance of them just cracking or breaking in normal use.
The primary structure of this jet is plastic. It’s tough. Handles catapult launches, carrier landings, combat maneuvering, with ease. Hardly weak. Not fragile.
Materials science has advanced.
Materials science has advanced.
Do the newer fighters have some plastic structures too? Seems like it would be a decent way to make a unit body for a car?
Engine? my cheapo husky 141 chainsaw has a plastic crankcase, and its ~12 years old now with more hours than most homeowner saws. The cylinder is aluminum though. and it gets plenty hot...
VW is not exactly hurting either-
I agree about plastics being a cost cutting solution, but auto makers must be pocketing those savings, because they sure aren't passing them along to consumers...prices just keep going up...
They are included to reduce weight and increase gas millage. Would you like to revert to "back in the day" when family sedans weighed 2 -1/2 tons? And got 10mpg? "Cost savings" is a over simplistic -half truth.
How do you know it is about cost cutting? maybe they use it, not for cost but for other reasons. (like meeting the need at hand)
I said I agree with the poster who said it's a cost cutting measure. I'm sure that's not the only reason they're used, but when their use does save money, it would be nice if that savings was passed along to the consumer...especially considering how high the costs of new vehicles have gotten...
Have you checked weights on most cars today? With all of the electronics and newer occupant safety methods, cars do not weigh much less than the land barges of the 70s.
My 2009 G8 GT was 4k lbs, empty. My 2007 Impreza is like 2700, but a new Impreza is 3200+.
People want ever larger cars for the “luxury” of it, and that’s why cars are so heavy and expensive. More space always costs more, and not just from the dollar side of things.
But they still get at least double the mpg-and more horsepower. A 1978 Monte Carlo with a V8 had a 145 horsepower. At what-10 to 12 mpg....
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