What was the last straw for you car?

What was the last straw for you car?

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Discussion

Retiredandcycling

Original Poster:

233 posts

188 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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Where have all those once treasured cars gone? In the past it was normally rust but now?
What fault made you sell your car? The last straw?

Pica-Pica

13,790 posts

84 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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I’m afraid indeed it was the iron-worm for my E36. A 2.5 straight 6 petrol. All the time I could bolt things on, I kept it; from new until 19 years old. Eventually rust was getting to too many places, so at 149k miles, it went. The engine and drivetrain would have gone on for much longer. I would love another nat asp engine again. I loved the fact that, at tick over you could barely hear it. You could stay in fifth (top), lift off and go down to tick over speed in top and still pull away with no vibration or judder at all. A remarkable engine, sadly missed.

Prohibiting

1,740 posts

118 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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£5k repair bill made me think "stuff this". Paid out then sold as didn't fancy any other risks. It tainted my experience.

Trevor555

4,440 posts

84 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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Audi and VW main dealers.

Listening to the tripe that came out of their mouths on nearly every visit to their service department.

No more new, or "used approved", from the main dealers for me.

I had to sell a car I loved because they just couldn't/wouldn't fix it, and after 12 months then said " it's a characteristic of the car sir"


Retiredandcycling

Original Poster:

233 posts

188 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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Don’t forget to name the car and what the repairs were.

Oilchange

8,462 posts

260 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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Tin worm, Alfa 156.
Again the engine, 2.5 V6, was a gem and had about 150k on it but would have gone on for double that I think.
My poor heart aches for that car...

ghost83

5,478 posts

190 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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On our new estate there’s another new estate over the road, she had the same car as me a golf mk7 gti pp, one night they put a coping stone through her conservatory window and she came down and they stabbed her, and took the car (she lived)

I have 2 kids and that was rly too close to home so the car was sold a few days ago

GetCarter

29,380 posts

279 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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Someone stole all the wheels from my Hillman Imp in 1978.

It wasn't my fave car after that.... not having wheels and all.

Trevor555

4,440 posts

84 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
quotequote all
Retiredandcycling said:
Don’t forget to name the car and what the repairs were.
2016 TTRS

Exhaust rattle on cold start, sounded like a marble in the back box.

They diagnosed a loose flap, parts on back order.

After 12 months of people saying "what's wrong with that?" they said "characteristic of the car" That was the last straw for me.

But the funniest one was a VW Up gearbox whine in 2nd gear.

Service adviser "because it's a lightweight car the gearbox housing is thin, therefore you will hear noise, it's normal"

Me "So why is it only in 2nd gear then?"

After 4 visits I finally got a master tech to come out on road test with me.

He agreed before we'd even left the car park.

Some of the things Main dealers have said to me over the years, you really couldn't make them up.

RDMcG

19,142 posts

207 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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I had a 1979 Toyota Celica which I drove from new into the ground. In Quebec where they salt heavily it rusted everywhere. The steel sunroof rusted round the edges and flew off one day. The rear deck rusted shut. The driver's seat snapped and was supported by logs.
I sold it for nothing ( engine and 5 speed were unbreakable) and amazingly someone worked for a year and it looked fine....
This was it new:




Heaveho

5,288 posts

174 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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Dunno about the last straw exactly, it was cumulative for me. Bought a 1993 Corrado VR6 as a replacement for the last of 4 Corolla GTIs that I'd owned previously. The Corollas were immensely reliable and trustworthy. Being young and naive, I fell into the trap of thinking that German cars were more of the same. Having shelled out for an engine rebuild, seized calipers, porous sump, cracked foglights, broken door handle, failed sunroof rails and motor, faulty fuel pump relay and rear axle bushes, I've been in no doubt since that German reliability is an utter myth, and they aren't to be trusted. The car had FSH when I bought it, and all of the above needed to be rectified in the space of 15k miles after purchase. among other things, I currently have a Boxster, and live life fully expecting it to bite me on the arse financially.

The VR6 remains a standout drivers car in my car history, and I'd have another in a heartbeat if I could find one in the right spec! Glutton for punishment, but at least I know what to expect now.



Edited by Heaveho on Sunday 12th January 18:42

samoht

5,714 posts

146 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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1994 180SX - understeer. Eventually sold because I didn't get on with the handling. Narrow body and somewhat front-biased weight distribution, understeer going into corners and then armfuls of oversteer on the way out. Ok on the road but a bit frustrating on track, decided to upgrade to an RX-7 which does indeed handle much better, really neutral stance from entrance to exit. Just a shame about the maintenance (!)

993kimbo

2,976 posts

185 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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When you own a second-hand Porsche, the 'Last Straw' is every yearly MOT and Service. Plus the things that go wrong and bankrupt you in-between.


dgswk

893 posts

94 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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Lotus Elise, S1. 2002. Wife and kids, not really practical having a 12 month old. Got a few looks off Mums using the parent and child spaces at Tesco though! The argument that ‘yes, but he falls asleep whilst watching the clouds go past’ didn’t wash either. Great car, happy times.

crankedup

25,764 posts

243 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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My Humber 14/40 saloon of 1928 vintage, had been troublesome for me from the word go and rapidly become a money pit. Finally had the car running as it should and was ready to enjoy vintage car motoring again. Off we go and within an hour had to pull in, open bonnet to find a large crack down the side of the blockyikes
I could order a new block to be made, a local chap had just completed two for others in same predicament. The block cost was 3k, add strip down and replacement of loads of stuff and the bill could easily rise beyond the cost of the car itself.
Sold up and decided that was the end of vintage motoring for me after a couple of decades or so of
enjoyment.

MOBB

3,610 posts

127 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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2018 Porsche Macan Diesel, specifically after they “adjusted it” due to the emissions scandal

The worst throttle response of any car I have ever driven, it was like a 1990’s Maestro diesel. I absolutely hated driving it

Had it looked at, but no fault found obviously


Retiredandcycling

Original Poster:

233 posts

188 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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Mobb can’t you get it remapped? My wife’s Eos is great after AMD did it.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,254 posts

235 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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I loved this car. It broke a fuel line or two so scrapped it with 9 months mot.

I kept the front number plate as a souvenir

MOBB

3,610 posts

127 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
quotequote all
Retiredandcycling said:
Mobb can’t you get it remapped? My wife’s Eos is great after AMD did it.
That would probably have improved it, but it was the wife’s and she’s scared of remap/warranty issues :-(

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,254 posts

235 months

Sunday 12th January 2020
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The above, on the other hand I hated with a passion. It was delivered with 79 faults which only got worse.