Why do I kill cars- no seriously why?

[PaulB81]

Do you buy lots of french cars?

[Mr Sparkle]

Have you committed any blasphemies recently?

[mgmrw2003]

basic servicing carried out?


what sort of failure's are you seeing?

i.e. engines, gearboxes?

[PMKeates]

It all sounds a bit par for the course, really. If you are buying 'quite used' and are incredibly attentive to detail, then no matter how well looked after a used buy is, components are going to start performing under peak efficiency or fail completely, and require replacement.

[white90]

All consumables really.
If you want to worry about failures Buy a Land Rover
Mine would sit outside plotting what to leak/fail next
all in all everything was replaced. I then got fed up
and sold it.

[trickywoo]

I think it was Socrates who said if its got tits or wheels it'll give you problems.

Age old issue.

All of yours sound pretty standard.

[The Wookie]

I'd say a combination of poor purchasing judgement and car based hypochondria

[PMKeates]

I'll echo again the comments that it's all pretty standard stuff. During the ownership of my E46 330i I suffered two front brake callipers that seized; three cam/crankshaft sensors that failed; combustion of the cooling system that immobilised the car and took out pipes, tanks and the radiator; AC pipe failure despite it being always on come rain or shine; failure of the DSC rotation rate sensor (£300+ for the part alone); failure of the final stage resistor in the HVAC system; failure of the oil level sensor and more. In the short ownership of my E39 530i I had a transmission plate issue that cost £600 to fix.

None of those are consumables per se, but the reality of used car ownership is that things fail and wear out that don't have a line on the service schedule. If you don't want to deal with this, buy with a manufacturer warranty in place from a franchised dealer

[mgmrw2003]

hora said:

I'm all over things like that. Slightest dip or noise and its investigated and replaced/solved. Cars serviced on the dot. No ditchfinders, no cheap oil.

They just seem to shed parts in my ownership.

Welcome to my world. As another post said:

"If it has tits or wheels it'll cause you problems/cost you money"

The worst candidates in the wheeled sector seem to be anything with a Green Oval on it, E36 beemers (suspension appears to just fall off when it gets bored) and anything that's been tuned/tweeked/abused.

[W1 NER]

trickywoo said:

I think it was Socrates who said if its got tits or wheels it'll give you problems.

Age old issue.

All of yours sound pretty standard.

Best give this a miss then.....

[DR10]

What have your last five cars been?

[stinkysteve]

hora said:

Cv boots, driveshaft, clutch release bearing, window motors, steering rack, master slave, engine sensors etc.

I've had similar, it's not just you, they are 'consumable' (or common failures)

CV boots on a mondeo
driveshafts on a new Alfa
clutch/master slave on my Leon Cupra R
Engine senors on my Elise (crank)

Don't fell bad, enjoy them while they work!

[GT03ROB]

Some people have it others don't.

The gf is like you. Every vehicle she drives, breaks or bits drop off. As soon as the cars are with me no problems. I've had my Elise for 18months, it lived with her for 2 months & in that time the rear view mirror fell off, the number plate fell off, the number plate plinth broke, the speedo needle fell off, the battery died, it ran out of petrol, the car filled with water because the window mysteriously dropped an inch, 2 wheels got kerbed. Since it's lived with me, nothing.

And don't get me started on her BMW, front suspension failure, heating system failure, radiator leaks, brakes seized, punctures, bulbs blowing......etc.,etc.

When she moans about me having 5 cars, I just tell her they cost less to maintain than her clapped out 3 series and getting the Elise fixed from the 2 month in her possession!

[mgmrw2003]

DR10 said:

What have your last five cars been?

Don't know about the OP but mine are as follows (with spend/parts replaced shown):

> 1993 Mk3 Fiesta 1100 (1100hcs blew rings, replaced with 1300hcs that blew rings, then blew them again, replaced in end with 1400 CVH and ran a treat)

> 2003 MG ZR 1400 (HGF 3weeks after purchase - craftily hidden me thinks - since that, all it asked for was regular servicing and brakes. Oh and 2x new window regs and 2x new sunroofs in 3years)

> 2005 Ford Focus estate 1600 TDCI (nothing went wrong, just servicing costs 36000miles in 11 months. Though when sold, was starting to show signs of injector issue)

> 1996 Nissan 200SX (EVERYTHING FAILED or had been previously bodged. 14k spent in 14months total)

> 2006 SAAB 9-3 Vector Sport TID (owned 10months, owes me 1x alternator and servicing. tyres too, but with 28k put on it, why worry?)

> 1996 BMW 320i Touring - owned since Jan 2011 (so far: discs, pads at front and 1x caliper - ESSENTIALS. all new suspension and bushes - because to do significant mileage in it as I do, I wanted it to drive right. Plus servicing.)

[HellDiver]

You're just unlucky. My old housemate and I bought an Astra each a number of years ago, they were some sort of special offer at the local dealer. Both cars were similar mileage, both same spec, and VIN number within 50 of eachother. Mine never gave a bit of trouble, his broke constantly.

[stewjohnst]

Might just be a function of mechanical sympathy and an old car.

Bought my Prelude as an old banger for ragging till company car arrives but cant help myself from 'fixing things' new exhaust, timing belt, repainted wiper arms, rear wiper motor, electric aerial, gearbox oil, rear shocks, oil/filters, etc.

I just don't like a car not being at its best, only essential out of the above was probably the oil/filters but the other stuff bugged me...

...noticed a slight clutch squeal this morning too...thats the weekend taken care of...

[5lab]

because, like you are with forks, you're massively fussy about the mecanical condition of things you own and can't accept a 10 year old car will have some 'issues' that aren't really a 'dead car'? a very slight gearbox leak, or a vibration through a clutch pedal are things the vast majority of us would just put up with. Jesus my 11 year old ford has no backbox, central locking doesn't work, turbo is on its way out, clutch bite point is very high, pulls to the left, vibration through the brake pedal and the airbag warning light wont go off - I think its mechanically in alright shape

in the last 2 months you've started threads about buying a mondeo, brera, audi a4,merc c class coupe, civic type s, citroen c1, toyota aygo and a volvo v70.. seems like you can't make your mind up

Edited by 5lab on Wednesday 20th April 09:42

[mgmrw2003]

stewjohnst said:

I just don't like a car not being at its best, only essential out of the above was probably the oil/filters but the other stuff bugged me...

...noticed a slight clutch squeal this morning too...thats the weekend taken care of...

I'm not the only one then with slight OCD? Despite the SAAB being kept pristine, I told myself and all that asked that the 320 was purely for work (Steelworks - filthy - destroys cars) and that it WOULD NOT get fixed, simply patched up and run until T&T expired, then either re-tested and flogged on, or scrapped............... Suddenly, with a possible ring gone, I find my self looking at replacement engines

[STW2010]

W1 NER said:

I would drive that with pride!!

[CO2000]

Sounds like you need a Kia (& 7 years of trouble free motoring......) or a Vauxhall.