Why Do Vehicles "Wear Out"

[Al]

I am looking for information (mostly out of curiosity but on discussion on another forum). I made attempts on the internet but I really did not fing the information useful.

My thought: three broad reasons:

1. Accident related issues
2. Transmission Related issues
3. Engine related issues
4. Rust degredation of wheels, suspension, brakes, other appendages

Has anyone seen any information on this? Have a good feeling?

And secondly on engine failures...rings, bearings, or another issue. My thought is main bearings, rod bearings, wrist pin bearings would be much less than rings? Again, no arguments from me (you can argue amongst yourselves).

Thanks!

 

[Cruisin'n5thgear]

I would postulate that overall condition degrades over time to the point that large component failure - AC systems, power steering pump, suspension, etc. incurs repair costs that are deemed more than the worth of the vehicle itself.

Obviously, drivetrain failure - engine/transmission - would also be a cause, but I bet that it is becoming rare as vehicles stay on the road longer and 10-20 year old vehicle quality has improved as decades progress.

 

[Urshurak776]

Wear our what?

 

[SC Maintenance]

In my experience - mechanical wear out usually a design flaw. ie some its rings, some its bearings, most its the transmission.

Usually the vehicle falls apart before the driveline - trim, seats, interior. Owner dependant.

If you live where they salt, that is usually the cause of death.

 

[Exhaustgases]

Anything that has movement to it can wear out in time. Also environmental attack can wear something out, hmmm grand canyon, water abrasion? Engines and transmissions are not a vehicle, just power train components. Can be rebuilt, replaced etc.
All things wear out because of over use or just normal continued use. Pickle your vehicle and box it up in a sealed container with the correct atmosphere and desiccant and it will not wear out.

 

[Timmastertech]

Remember, every single component on a vehicle has a design life. Every component on a vehicle will wear.

Generally when a customer decides to stop repairing a vehicle it is for one of a few reasons. The biggest one here in the northeast is rust that is compromising the structural integrity of the vehicle to the point that it no longer passes inspection in this state and repair isnt practical. The second, which sometimes goes with the first, is lack of available repair parts. The third is that the vehicle needs repairs and it no longer suits the customers needs.

When faced with a major repair, the question most owners ask is "What would you do if it was your vehicle" which is my least favorite question to answer, because what I would do has little impact on what is the best choice for you.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Number one reason your wife gets tired of driving the same car after 18 years.

 

[ripcord]

Number one reason your wife gets tired of driving the same car after 18 years.

This!! My wife's to my car replacement ratio is about 4:1.

 

[eljefino]

It's worn out when it's annoyed the last person who wants to own it.

A euro car that needs expensive parts but rides beautifully will last a long time, because its owner feels it's worth putting money into.

A Chevy that runs and drives but needs attention every weekend and can be Macgyvered back to mediocrity with Autozone parts costing dozens of dollars will provide good service for some mechanically inclined kid.

A car that can't be diagnosed, has the same repeated problem over and over, has unavailable parts, rust issues, leaves someone stranded at inopportune times, has intermittent safety issues like weird ABS behavior... will be put out of its misery.

 

[ripcord]

It's worn out when it's annoyed the last person who wants to own it.

A euro car that needs expensive parts but rides beautifully will last a long time, because its owner feels it's worth putting money into.

A Chevy that runs and drives but needs attention every weekend and can be Macgyvered back to mediocrity with Autozone parts costing dozens of dollars will provide good service for some mechanically inclined kid.

A car that can't be diagnosed, has the same repeated problem over and over, has unavailable parts, rust issues, leaves someone stranded at inopportune times, has intermittent safety issues like weird ABS behavior... will be put out of its misery.

100% correctomundo!

 

[supton]

Rust is a big one up here. Even with treatment underneath, salty water gets everywhere.

Plastics can get brittle with age. The important parts might not, but then all the little clips can, and sometimes the connectors too. That's not wearing out but with time, various parts can walk off, engine covers, belly pans, etc. Once those are gone, sometimes corrosion starts to pick up all the faster.

Various bearings can degrade, just normal wear; but as the seals get old, any moisture in, any grease drying out, can accelerate it. There's a few cars where you can't easily source a bearing; I think RAV4's are known for "needing" new driveshafts due to some joint giving out?

Then there is replacement parts. Sometimes OEM parts are expensive, plus add in labor. But when those go dry, aftermarket may be a gamble.

But as a coworker says, car buying is 90% emotional. Many want to trade out of a car before it becomes problematic; I dare say, many cannot deal with a car that goes to the shop every few months. There's the emotional frustration of that, but then there is the logistics of dealing with being a car down. After a while you start to wonder if it's just not cheaper--certainly less frustrating--to just move on.

In my neck of the woods it's 45 minutes to Home Depot and their rental pickup. About the same distance to a car rental place. As you can guess, there's no public transportation out here. I think the garages are starting to have more loaners out here, but it's still first come, first serve I bet. A car doesn't have to be "worn out" in order for many to want to move on, or get a newer one and turn the oldest car into a spare. After a while, if the spare doesn't move much, it's time to move it down the pike.

 

[Passport1]

Why Do Vehicles "Wear Out"​

Entropy

 

[KrisZ]

That’s how the universe works. Everything degrades.

 

[fantastic]

It all adds up. Couple notes.

Many owners of 1 vehicle that don't do any maintenance, then just sell it to the next person that does the same, pretty soon it adds up to a rats nest of issues. Dash lights to these folks mean nothing.

Rust, believe it. I'm in MO but I snowbird'd in bottom of TX for last 4 years. It was incredible how many older vehicles I saw that looked like they rolled off the showroom floor. That alone told me that rust in my neck of the woods is a contributing factor of an early demise. Astro's, Aerostars, 80's-90's F-150's, etc.

Transmissions etc are a big cost & trying to find a repair shop to do big jobs like that for a reasonable cost is getting slim. Throw in the fact that some shops may not warranty the work. Along with Quality work hard to find. Torque specs...what's that?

Accidents, self explanatory

Yeah, I think it can be categorized. Not sure on a ranking for each though.

 

[Snagglefoot]

In the last 25 years I junked one car I purchased new in 2001, due to rust. I sold one well running Suburban to upgrade to a new 2008 Suburban, and I purchased a well running used 2005 car for my daughter which I ended up using as a beater. Pretty soon, I’ll probably pick up a new hybrid SUV. So for me, rust was the number one cause in the last 25 years. Meanwhile I maintain my two vehicles at a level much higher than the average non-Bitog Joe.

 

[ecotourist]

One other reason to sell a car - It's getting old and you no longer trust it on long trips which is what you need that vehicle for.

That's why I sold my good running 23 year old BMW. Lots of things could go wrong on a 23 year old car when you're a thousand miles from home. And that would be super inconvenient. Probably nothing will go wrong but it could.

So I'll take my 17 year old Honda instead. Easier to get repaired in the middle of nowhere too.

 

[TimeFlies]

My question is how could a vehicle not wear out?

 

[andrew_j]

Bad design and engineering.

 

[Snagglefoot]

There are so many components that could leave you stranded. If it wasn’t for fear a person could go for the Holy Grail which in my mind is one million miles. For a person to achieve that requires regular oil changes and a lot of driving for probably 50 years or alternatively around the clock use as a taxi. I honesty think I have the engine for it, a 6.0 Chevy LS, but it’s taken 17 years to reach 250,000 miles. I really can’t see going that much further unless I get another travel trailer and hit the road. Alternatively, I could sell it to someone dedicated enough to carry on. The rust however is starting to show behind the wheel wells.

 

[PF52]

Number one reason your wife gets tired of driving the same car after 18 years.

We have forum members who get tired of driving the same car after 18 months.