Why Do Vehicles "Wear Out"
- Thread starter Al
- Start date
Now?
1.- Crashes. Less people know how to drive. Just saw a 8 car accident yesterday. Not something you get a choice in…..
2- Weather- Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. Many more of these now- takes more cars out now.
3- Lack of care. Put as little money is as possible, and watch it slowly burn……
4- If it survives the above, many cars simply die a slow rusty death………
You’re welcome.
1.- Crashes. Less people know how to drive. Just saw a 8 car accident yesterday. Not something you get a choice in…..
2- Weather- Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. Many more of these now- takes more cars out now.
3- Lack of care. Put as little money is as possible, and watch it slowly burn……
4- If it survives the above, many cars simply die a slow rusty death………
You’re welcome.
I never sold one vehicle that was worn out. Thats like 18 vehicles all but 2 with 100+K miles
Who wants... To live... FOREVER???
Remember the old "Highlander" show (not the cuv?)
I have owned many vehicles, sold many with over 200,000 miles, all were running ok except for ones that were totaled by a collision.
Remember the old "Highlander" show (not the cuv?)
I have owned many vehicles, sold many with over 200,000 miles, all were running ok except for ones that were totaled by a collision.
I will add one other reason that may have been touched on already.......that is replacement part availability. When the OEM parts are no longer available and even after market inventory becomes scarce then it may be time to move on.
Another telling indicator is when you got to the salvage yard to find parts for your vehicle and the only ones they have in the yard are from the generation that came after the vehicle you currently own.
I am personally starting to experience this with my 2003 Durango. Most of the yard inventory has been or is getting crushed, and there are fewer and fewer OEM parts available and aftermarket stock in town or nearby is non-existent.
Another telling indicator is when you got to the salvage yard to find parts for your vehicle and the only ones they have in the yard are from the generation that came after the vehicle you currently own.
I am personally starting to experience this with my 2003 Durango. Most of the yard inventory has been or is getting crushed, and there are fewer and fewer OEM parts available and aftermarket stock in town or nearby is non-existent.
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Some of the members on here have a LOT of money, they don't know what to do with.
That's mostly true. So isn't it remarkable that our DNA is rejuvenated with every generation through the magic of conception and birth.
Our DNA gets to start out all over again in a new body. We all degrade (ie wear out) but for people who have children or who have relatives who have children (which is pretty much all of us), our DNA will go on forever.
If there wasn’t rust I would still be driving my 1982 diesel suburban.
#1 Rust
#2 low quality replacement parts
#3 rampaging Deer, bear, etc in roads
#1 Rust
#2 low quality replacement parts
#3 rampaging Deer, bear, etc in roads
Sometimes they are not really worn out but have too many issues at once. I.E. needs tires, a new windshield, brakes, a cat, maybe headlight housings.
Anyone by itself or spread out, you would nickel and dime it along. But sometimes the totality at once means junk it.
Anyone by itself or spread out, you would nickel and dime it along. But sometimes the totality at once means junk it.
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People get tired of the vehicle and no longer care to put more money into it even though, a new windshield and brakes are way more financially feasible than a new car would be. They would rather have an excuse to justify the new purchase.
Cars degrade in TX, too, albeit in different ways that are sometimes less obvious from the outside. Unless you keep your car in the garage, over time the sun's UV rays absolutely destroy the interior, paint (we call peeling clearcoat and faded basecoat "Texas sunburn") and exterior plastics like headlights.
This UV ray degradation can be absolutely brutal even on cars as young as 6 years old, when they're parked outside. I've sat in seats with fabric and foam turned to dust. Dashboards cracked, steering wheels oozing sticky fluid. The degrading interior plastics give off a nasty odor that's hard to get rid of and I can't imagine it's particularly healthy to breathe. That said, some manufacturers fare much better than others, just like with rust in the north. But none are immune.
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JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I believe today, it's more about the ability to source replacement parts, someone willing and able to work on it and the tolerance of the costs. All can be a major challenge and/or outweigh the value of the vehicle. A big thing is electronics that are no longer available after 6,8,10yrs.
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Or they ALWAYS have a car loan.
Patman
Staff member
That was me when I was younger and still living with my parents. Between 1988 and 1998 I bought 5 new cars (88 Dodge Shadow turbo, 93 Sunbird, 94 Grand Am GT, 95 Trans Am and a 98 Firebird Formula) Plus during this time period I usually had more than one car as I also had a 95 Escort GT for a couple of years and I had a Paxton Supercharged 87 Mustang GT from 91-98. If I had the money I would definitely have many cars at once and I would buy new ones often. Life is short and I love cars
That being said I will likely have my Honda Civic for at least 5 if not 10 more years. And I will never sell my Corvette.
I think our DNA is also degrading as well as everything else. Just looking at the fossil record and the vast amounts of gas, oil and coal deposits, it’s not hard to deduct that the flora and fauna was substantially more abundant than what we have in our recorded history.
Perhaps it’s due to the natural entropy, or perhaps there was a catastrophic event that made the environment less fertile. But regardless of the cause, we know earth had a lot more life on it than today.
That's an interesting idea but I think there is a better explanation.
I think everyone would agree that there was more abundant life in many currently cold regions of the earth at some time in the past. How else to explain the fossils of tropical plants found in sub-polar areas. But I don't think it had anything to do with DNA. Those areas were simply subtropical or even tropical at some point in the past.
The earth has no problem generating abundant flora in the currently tropical areas - just look at the jungles in Southeast Asia, South America etc.
Of the cars I know of:
2 - Bad engine
1 - Bad transmission
2 - Reliability / potentially reliability issues (meaning old and high mileage)
1 - Inherited truck and we don't want a truck / hate trucks.
2 - Bad engine
1 - Bad transmission
2 - Reliability / potentially reliability issues (meaning old and high mileage)
1 - Inherited truck and we don't want a truck / hate trucks.
When I read the title about "wear out" I thought about actual wear, not breakage or rust or other malady that caused a vehicle to be scrapped. So for actual wear I really think most about things like rings, rod bearings, etc. How do the engines I read about with 300,000 to 500,000 miles still have acceptable cylinder compression numbers on all cylinders? Is it just luck or great maintenance or plain excellent design?
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