Most Durable/Least Durable Parts of a Modern Car

[Passport1]

In my experience the most durable parts in a well maintained car are;
spark plugs
wheel bearings
door hinges
seats (non-electric)
drive shaft u-joints
differentials
harmonic balancers

Least durable, some might be wear items;
batteries
tires
exhaust systems
brakes
wiper blades
radiators
coolant hoses
drive belts
shocks
front end parts generally

Your experience?

 

[53' Stude]

Power steering hard lines if you’re in the salt and rust belt. Definitely exhaust system and shocks and struts since I live in PA

 

[Trav]

In my experience the most durable parts in a well maintained car are;
spark plugs
wheel bearings
door hinges
seats (non-electric)
drive shaft u-joints
differentials
harmonic balancers

Least durable, some might be wear items;
batteries
tires
exhaust systems
brakes
wiper blades
radiators
coolant hoses
drive belts
shocks
front end parts generally

Your experience?

Every single part you list is far more durable by far than they ever were. I remember when I first started exhaust systems were so badly rusted they were almost dropping off new Fords on the lot on long sitting new cars.
Coolant hoses, belts, drum brake shoes on the front, front end parts and shocks would fail after a couple of years. The life expectancy of a new car was under 10 years and 100K in the rust belt.

 

[vw7674]

the manual transmission was the 'most durable' piece in near-modern cars.
the new multi-gear automatics will probably prove to be the least durable in true modern vehicles.
The fuel injection systems WERE the best, till direct injection came along & ruined things with carbon build up costing hundreds to remedy.
There's no point saving 3/5ths of a mile a gallon if you get stuck with a repair bill for $1,200-$5,500 every seven years. You saved exactly nothing.

 

[jhs914]

The only parts on your non durable list that I agree with are wiper blades and maybe batteries. I just sold my '99 GMC Sierra that still has the original exhaust and I suspect it will go to the crusher when the truck is sent there. It also still has the original coolant hoses.

I have 75,000 miles on the original tires on my '17 Canyon and they look like they will make it to 90,000. My wife's Acura has the original brake pads at 80,000 miles and they look like they will go to 150,000.

 

[eljefino]

I think tires and batteries are plenty durable. Yes they're the first parts replaced at 4-5 years of age but they make it their expected lifetime.

"Life of car" stuff that doesn't last the life of the car are

brake lines
EVAP systems
rocker panels
seat foam (gets saggy and I'm not fat)
exhaust flexpipes
plastic headlight lenses that fog over
bumper covers that "snap" into the car's framework
plastic air dams and fender liners
AC o-rings and other leak paths
instrument panel support electronics... lots of dead panels, many makes

 

[aquariuscsm]

Worst part of current cars:

Plastic headlights!

 

[Snagglefoot]

Kinda weird but I have 212,000 miles on my 3/4 ton Burb and have replaced several parts but have never had to replace anything twice except for the wipers. Still have the original water pump, alternator, radiator, heater core. Changed the PS pump, master brake cylinder, all brakes pads and rotors, spark plugs, front bearings , high pressure PS lines and turn signal arm. A few electric door locks also needed changing but only once each.

 

[Andrew1972]

Wife’s old 2005 Subaru Legacy ate wheel bearings every 50k. It also consumed headlight bulbs. We kept for 14 years and 228k.

 

[gregk24]

Most reliable parts/systems on modern cars in my experience would have to be the electrical system and drivetrain, and the least reliable being suspension parts (as the car ages) and a/c systems. We have had pretty good luck with drive train related items on MOST of our families cars with some being the exception of course. Overall cars these days on the whole are more reliable than they used to be IMO.

If I exclude family members vehicles and only include vehicles my wife and I have owned, parts replaced would be:
- wheel bearing
- brake caliper (2)
- variable valve timing actuator (not failed just making noise)
- break pads (does this even count?)
- abs sensor
- ignition tumbler (2)
- radiator fan
- water pump
- heater core

 

[slacktide_bitog]

the least durable part of a Toyota is the door handles

 

[DallasTexas]

Low front bumper apron that scrape the curbside every time and the yellowing headlights. Since I live in Sunbelt my 06 car has no rust in fact the underneath if washed will look like my engine bay i.e. neat and clean.

 

[Motu]

Anything made from plastic.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Least durable parts on cars today

No 1 - Gaskets/Seals.
No 3 - Plastic connectors/piping
No 3 - Timing chain components.

 

[PandaBear]

Depends on the car and depends on the location and drivers too. For my cars it used to be the rear seats being the most durable (nobody sit there), my exhausts last well into 270k and still shine on the tip. My least durable part is probably the oil filter, 1 year or 10k miles.