What Do You Hate About Owning A Motor Vehicle?

[keith]

As I said, the Fiat X1/9 was the most fun, but almost as fun and a much superior highway car was my 97 Honda Integra VTIR.

"VTIR" was the Honda Australia designation for what everywhere else in the world was called "Type R". Except the VTIR was not as 'rad' as the Type R. In 98, Honda went with the full "Type R" designation and rad trickiness and (IMHO) ruined a great car brand.

Anyway, that car was well designed from head to toe, a superb GT touring car. I kept it for 13 years and the day I traded it in it still drove as beautiful as the day I first drove it home. I can't remember exactly now, but it probably had somewhere over 300k kilometers (186k miles) on the clock. I did have a broken drive axle that took two weeks to come from Japan somewhere around 200k clicks, but no other mechanical problems of any sort what-so-ever.

I have had pretty good luck with Honda's in my life. I've had a Honda 300 coupe (first new car I ever bought) in the USA, and in Aussieland a Civic, the Integra, and now another Civic. Each one has been excellent and its a pity that it looks like Honda is getting ready to withdraw from the Australian market altogether. Next car for us is going to be electric, of course, and I haven't seen any evidence that Honda is having much success in that area, so I guess it doesn't matter to me.

[scirreeve]

I had 3 Grand Cherokees - like the car but all had AC fail after 70k miles or so and the transmissions failed at 90k miles or so. Switched to a Kia Sorento. Love it - no maintenance issues and >100k miles and still running well. The Sorento AWD lets me lock the differential. That is a big deal to me as most AWDs don't have that feature. I am a skier and a few times I have needed that feature to get out of a stuck situation when there was big snow/ice.

[northland10]

Quite a few years ago my dad gifted me a mid-80's Ford Escort. Then years later I read somewhere that this is considered one of the worst damn cars ever made. I believe it. Over about 5 years of ownership, that thing stalled in traffic and wouldn't restart at least three times. An utter nightmare.

Since then, I've only owned Toyotas. I've loved them all, at least partly because they never stalled.

The early escorts had some issues, which I got to experience when I was a new driver. In the days before fuel injection, I noticed it was tossing oil up into the carburetor (I always suspect something was too small causing the oil to get too hot).

I had 3 Grand Cherokees - like the car but all had AC fail after 70k miles or so and the transmissions failed at 90k miles or so. Switched to a Kia Sorento. Love it - no maintenance issues and >100k miles and still running well. The Sorento AWD lets me lock the differential. That is a big deal to me as most AWDs don't have that feature. I am a skier and a few times I have needed that feature to get out of a stuck situation when there was big snow/ice.

For 26 years, I drove various types of Ford Rangers. The last one I had for 12 years (and it was one year used before me) though the milage was not high as I had moved to the city area so drove shorter. Rusting eventually got to that one. I miss it.

I went practical with the last purchase as a pickup is not as useful now and went with a Grand Cherokee. I went with that due to the size of the keyboards and sound equipment I have.* In my first month with it, I ended up driving it to Northern Lower Michigan and then later that month, Duluth. It was such a better ride than my old pickup for long trips, and the large gas tank was nice.

It does not have great gas mileage but I don't drive that far, even in normal times and now, well I have not purchased gas since early morning in Benzonia, Michigan in August. It is like later years in a marriage where my car now complains that I never take her anywhere anymore. I stopped the overpriced connect app so I would not have to deal with her whining at me by app and email as well.

I do try to get in some slightly longer trips from time to time to let it run for a while.

* For those who are thinking that I could just get a cap or cover and put the sound equipment in there, my discussions with insurance folks reveal that that area may not be considered to be "in" the vehicle so may not have full coverage in the event of damage, even if there is a cap.

[Maybenaut]

I had a BMW 235i. I bought it used and had it a couple of years. I really liked it, but the electrical system started acting up. I took it to the BMW dealership to get it repaired.

Now, I’m no auto mechanic, but neither am I a complete idiot when it comes to cars. I thought the problem was likely with the alternator, or maybe the coil (the electric stuff would work stop working intermittently, and sometimes all the buttons and lights on the dash would start flashing for no apparent reason).

I went to the dealership and they kept ignoring me while they waited on male customers who came in after I did. When I finally got waited on, I asked the dealer to check the alternator and the coil, and he was like, yeah, it’s probably the battery. I said, Please check them anyway, and he said OK.

When my car was ready, they told me it was the battery. I asked if they checked the other stuff and he said the did and it all checked out fine. Later that day as I was in the left lane of a busy highway my car died. I had it towed to the BMW dealer. It was the alternator.

I talked to the service manager and asked whether they even looked at the alternator. He said they did and it checked out OK, and when I asked to see the record he told me it was “stored off-site.” What a load of crap. I told him I’d pay for a new alternator, but I wasn’t paying for labor. He tried to make up for it by jacking the cost of the alternator, but I found the same on online and told him that’s what I was willing to pay. He finally agreed.

I was so angry that they initially ignored me, and then wouldn’t listen to me, and then lied about it. From my perspective, a lot of that was because I’m a woman. I wrote a letter to BMW of America to complain about the dealership. They wrote me back, apologized, and sent me a certificate for $250 in BMW swag.

The letter began, “Dear Mr. Maybenaut.” I wrote them back, and asked them if they even read my letter. I included the torn-up certificate, told them I wouldn’t advertise their product for all the tea in China, and although I believe they make a good product, I’d never buy another BMW again. I sold the car a couple of days later.

[Slim Cognito]

My fav vehicle was a 1987 Toyota 4Runner, black with silver graphics, raised with big, fat tires, not wheels, tires. They were still 2-door back then and it was gorgeous. Unfortunately, I had two teenage boys at the time and they loved it as much as I did. They were always taking off the top (like an old Blazer). It had a roll bar. I was dating Hubs then and he had to put two clutches in it. If it hadn't been for those kids, I'd probably still have it.

► Show Spoiler

Here it is with my oldest and his bud, parked outside an abandoned mental health facility, because of course they are.

4runner.jpg (27.21 KiB) Viewed 1881 times

They managed to keep this photo hidden for over a decade. Oldest posted it on facebook as a memory. Ooops!

The county facility closed after a major fire. It's since been torn down.

[Reddog]

I had a BMW 235i. I bought it used and had it a couple of years. I really liked it, but the electrical system started acting up. I took it to the BMW dealership to get it repaired.

Now, I’m no auto mechanic, but neither am I a complete idiot when it comes to cars. I thought the problem was likely with the alternator, or maybe the coil (the electric stuff would work stop working intermittently, and sometimes all the buttons and lights on the dash would start flashing for no apparent reason).

I went to the dealership and they kept ignoring me while they waited on male customers who came in after I did. When I finally got waited on, I asked the dealer to check the alternator and the coil, and he was like, yeah, it’s probably the battery. I said, Please check them anyway, and he said OK.

When my car was ready, they told me it was the battery. I asked if they checked the other stuff and he said the did and it all checked out fine. Later that day as I was in the left lane of a busy highway my car died. I had it towed to the BMW dealer. It was the alternator.

I talked to the service manager and asked whether they even looked at the alternator. He said they did and it checked out OK, and when I asked to see the record he told me it was “stored off-site.” What a load of crap. I told him I’d pay for a new alternator, but I wasn’t paying for labor. He tried to make up for it by jacking the cost of the alternator, but I found the same on online and told him that’s what I was willing to pay. He finally agreed.

I was so angry that they initially ignored me, and then wouldn’t listen to me, and then lied about it. From my perspective, a lot of that was because I’m a woman. I wrote a letter to BMW of America to complain about the dealership. They wrote me back, apologized, and sent me a certificate for $250 in BMW swag.

The letter began, “Dear Mr. Maybenaut.” I wrote them back, and asked them if they even read my letter. I included the torn-up certificate, told them I wouldn’t advertise their product for all the tea in China, and although I believe they make a good product, I’d never buy another BMW again. I sold the car a couple of days later.

I had a similar situation, BMW X5 bought used. One problem after another. Died on vacation and had it towed from Sioux City to Sioux Falls. Continued vacation in rental. It was alternator. BMW alternator is water cooled and mounted in water jacket
By far most costly vehicle I’ve ever owned. I have the exact same feelings as Maybenaught regarding their automobiles. However, I do have a BMW R1200RT that is by far the best motorcycle I’ve ever owned.

[AndyinPA]

For about the last 30 years, we've had a small SUV for me, starting with a Jeep, then a Range Rover (okay, not so small), and the last two Subaru Foresters. I cannot park the current 2015 Subaru squarely between the lines, no matter how hard I try. Neither can my husband, so it's not me, it's the car. I've taken it as a personal challenge lately, and, mostly, I lose. The reason I've had small SUVs is that I'm short and can't see well in traffic if I'm in a small car. We've had other cars and trucks at the same time over the years, but they were mostly my husband's cars or trucks, and I've generally stayed with the SUV. Also, I drive an SUV because I can't see the back of a regular car, so parking is not my friend there either. I am not super short; I am 5'2" tall, but that's been my problem with cars. I don't think I had the problem with where the back of the car is before about 25-30 years ago. It was never an issue before that.

[Maybenaut]

I have the same problem, Andy. I drive a Honda Pilot. It’s a boat. I park it at the outer edge of any parking lot as far away as other cars as possible.

[Slim Cognito]

For about the last 30 years, we've had a small SUV for me, starting with a Jeep, then a Range Rover (okay, not so small), and the last two Subaru Foresters. I cannot park the current 2015 Subaru squarely between the lines, no matter how hard I try. Neither can my husband, so it's not me, it's the car. I've taken it as a personal challenge lately, and, mostly, I lose. The reason I've had small SUVs is that I'm short and can't see well in traffic if I'm in a small car. We've had other cars and trucks at the same time over the years, but they were mostly my husband's cars or trucks, and I've generally stayed with the SUV. Also, I drive an SUV because I can't see the back of a regular car, so parking is not my friend there either. I am not super short; I am 5'2" tall, but that's been my problem with cars. I don't think I had the problem with where the back of the car is before about 25-30 years ago. It was never an issue before that.

I'm the same height but didn't have problems parking until about 10 years ago. I had a Sebring convertible that would NOT go into a parking space without a bunch of adjustments. I thought it was me, but then my brother borrowed it on a trip and he couldn't park it either. Probably the long nose. I now drive a Nissan Rogue with the camera. I tell ya, I don't know how I ever parked without that camera.

[AndyinPA]

For about the last 30 years, we've had a small SUV for me, starting with a Jeep, then a Range Rover (okay, not so small), and the last two Subaru Foresters. I cannot park the current 2015 Subaru squarely between the lines, no matter how hard I try. Neither can my husband, so it's not me, it's the car. I've taken it as a personal challenge lately, and, mostly, I lose. The reason I've had small SUVs is that I'm short and can't see well in traffic if I'm in a small car. We've had other cars and trucks at the same time over the years, but they were mostly my husband's cars or trucks, and I've generally stayed with the SUV. Also, I drive an SUV because I can't see the back of a regular car, so parking is not my friend there either. I am not super short; I am 5'2" tall, but that's been my problem with cars. I don't think I had the problem with where the back of the car is before about 25-30 years ago. It was never an issue before that.

I'm the same height but didn't have problems parking until about 10 years ago. I had a Sebring convertible that would NOT go into a parking space without a bunch of adjustments. I thought it was me, but then my brother borrowed it on a trip and he couldn't park it either. Probably the long nose. I now drive a Nissan Rogue with the camera. I tell ya, I don't know how I ever parked without that camera.

I have a backup camera, too, but mostly I like to pull in where there is an empty space in front, so I can also pull out. I do like the backup camera if I have to back out of a parking place, though.

[Reddog]

For about the last 30 years, we've had a small SUV for me, starting with a Jeep, then a Range Rover (okay, not so small), and the last two Subaru Foresters. I cannot park the current 2015 Subaru squarely between the lines, no matter how hard I try. Neither can my husband, so it's not me, it's the car. I've taken it as a personal challenge lately, and, mostly, I lose. The reason I've had small SUVs is that I'm short and can't see well in traffic if I'm in a small car. We've had other cars and trucks at the same time over the years, but they were mostly my husband's cars or trucks, and I've generally stayed with the SUV. Also, I drive an SUV because I can't see the back of a regular car, so parking is not my friend there either. I am not super short; I am 5'2" tall, but that's been my problem with cars. I don't think I had the problem with where the back of the car is before about 25-30 years ago. It was never an issue before that.

So it’s not just me. I’ve noticed it with our Crosstrek also.
My theory is the angular front creates a deceptive vehicle’s frame of reference

[AndyinPA]

For about the last 30 years, we've had a small SUV for me, starting with a Jeep, then a Range Rover (okay, not so small), and the last two Subaru Foresters. I cannot park the current 2015 Subaru squarely between the lines, no matter how hard I try. Neither can my husband, so it's not me, it's the car. I've taken it as a personal challenge lately, and, mostly, I lose. The reason I've had small SUVs is that I'm short and can't see well in traffic if I'm in a small car. We've had other cars and trucks at the same time over the years, but they were mostly my husband's cars or trucks, and I've generally stayed with the SUV. Also, I drive an SUV because I can't see the back of a regular car, so parking is not my friend there either. I am not super short; I am 5'2" tall, but that's been my problem with cars. I don't think I had the problem with where the back of the car is before about 25-30 years ago. It was never an issue before that.

So it’s not just me. I’ve noticed it with our Crosstrek also.
My theory is the angular front creates a deceptive vehicle’s frame of reference

Oh, oh! We were thinking about getting a Crosstrek.

[humblescribe]

I’ve had some favorite cars:
Mazda RX7 aka The Batmobile. Ash loved riding in it when he was little. Sometimes when he came to stay the weekend he’d wear his Batman costume the whole time. Our garage was the Batcave. We were the middle car in a 45mph rear ending by an unregistered 66 Mustang. It wasn’t even the driver’s car, he was a mechanic restoring it. The other car, a new Taurus station wagon, was also totaled. Ours was the only car that could drive away but it was totaled.

‘86 Audi 5000CS Turbo Quattro, used. Do you remember the law suit brought against Audi by a class of drivers who claimed their cars had unintended acceleration? Yeah mine was one of those. Audi blamed the hundreds of accidents on ‘driver error’.

First, the accelerator cable snapped in rush hour traffic on the 210W. I was going up a medium grade between the 2Fwy entrance and exit ramps. I had to navigate across three streaming lanes with no power.

Second disaster, I was on the 10Fwy heading to Santa Monica. Not quite rush hour but slowing in places already. This time, the cruise control servo got stuck wide open - I wasn’t using CC at the time, had never used it - and I found myself roaring thru increasingly slow traffic, honking madly. Brakes did NOTHING. Thru my rising panic I heard a voice in my head say ‘Turn the engine off’ so I did, and moved to the shoulder.

After my second disaster I sold it. Next was a 2000 Xterra we still drive on river trips. Great car but no power steering.

The car love of my life was my 2006 Lexus RX 400H, their first hybrid. The engine finally died at 230,000. It was reliable, powerful, and emotionally satisfying to drive. We took it everywhere - long trips & off-road - it performed perfectly. Once mice ate the wiring harness but it was easy to replace.

I have another Lexus now but not a hybrid. I like it but don’t love it. It’s reliable but not as powerful as the 400h.

I love driving, not cars. Cars are too expensive and polluting. Most cities don’t offer excellent public transportation.

ETA
pretty detailed account of Audi suits here if interested.
https://www.autosafety.org/audi-sudden-acceleration/

The Foothill Freeway? The Glendale Freeway?

I growed up in Glendale. I remember the construction across town when the Ventura Freeway was extended from the Narrows near the zoo to Pasadena, not to mention the extension of the Glendale Freeway from the stubby piece hard by the Golden State Freeway all the way to La Canada. My first house was off Pennsylvania south of the Foothill Freeway. (Wish I still had it; bought it in '77 for $65K; sold it in '83 for $114K; Zillow now says it is worth over $700K.)

The Foothill Freeway is still my preferred route when I need to go to the Southland. I can skirt the morass from the SF Valley into the stack near downtown LA and the ensuing sea of cars along the San Berdoo or Santa Ana Freeways.

(And yes, I still refer to those concrete behemoths by their names. None of this modern-day "the 5, or the 405, or the 101" for me.

But vehicles--my favorite was a '59 Morris Minor woody. Four-cylinder 1100cc motor. Fun to drive when it ran. After I replaced the clutch, we never could get the proper tension on the cable--if it was too stiff, the cable would snap after a couple thousand miles and countless shifting. If it was too slack, the gears would not shift smoothly after a while. We always wondered if the replacement clutch was the proper one for that car...

[Reddog]

For about the last 30 years, we've had a small SUV for me, starting with a Jeep, then a Range Rover (okay, not so small), and the last two Subaru Foresters. I cannot park the current 2015 Subaru squarely between the lines, no matter how hard I try. Neither can my husband, so it's not me, it's the car. I've taken it as a personal challenge lately, and, mostly, I lose. The reason I've had small SUVs is that I'm short and can't see well in traffic if I'm in a small car. We've had other cars and trucks at the same time over the years, but they were mostly my husband's cars or trucks, and I've generally stayed with the SUV. Also, I drive an SUV because I can't see the back of a regular car, so parking is not my friend there either. I am not super short; I am 5'2" tall, but that's been my problem with cars. I don't think I had the problem with where the back of the car is before about 25-30 years ago. It was never an issue before that.

So it’s not just me. I’ve noticed it with our Crosstrek also.
My theory is the angular front creates a deceptive vehicle’s frame of reference

Oh, oh! We were thinking about getting a Crosstrek.

We’re really happy with them. Just can’t park straight for some reason. We have 2 and daughter and husband have an Impreza and Forester I think.

[John Thomas8]

2005 Nissan Pathfinder, blown head gaskets. $486 worth of testing later I need an engine. Shop wants.....$11,000. Yes, at least twice what it's worth. Claims Covid has jacked up his prices, the bare engine itself he wanted $6,000. I found the same bloody thing with a 5 year/50k warranty for $2500.

Covid excuses are starting to be more than irritating.

[neeneko]

Heh. Just this morning someone posted to my local community facebook page about their 'we buy any car for at least 300$!' ads and I find myself a bit tempted. It is slightly better than my other fantasy solution to its problems...

'Anytime I had a problem and I threw a Molotov cocktail, boom! Right away, I had a different problem.

[neonzx]

I hate that cars are no longer serviceable without some graduate level car mechanic degree. The days of average Joe/Jane being a weekend warrior at home when it comes to cars is long gone.

[neeneko]

I hate that cars are no longer serviceable without some graduate level car mechanic degree. The days of average Joe/Jane being a weekend warrior at home when it comes to cars is long gone.

Yeah. As I look at used cars to potentially replace my current one, I am really torn between the idea of getting something fairly new with all the features (and few problems) my partner wants but complicated to service, or something older that I can sit down and learn to work on.

[bill_g]

That ain't happening. Between fuel economy, safety equipment, and commonly desired amenities, you can't even get a service jitney that doesn't have a backup camera and bluetooth for your phone. Plastic seats and rubber floor mats? Forget about it. You pay EXTRA now.

[neeneko]

Heh. One of the projects I am pondering for my existing car, if I do not drive it into a lake, is adding a backup camera.

[northland10]

When I think about it, it was nice that I could do a bunch of stuff on my old Nova easily. However, that car also guzzled fuel and polluted the heck out of the environment. The more efficient and clean we go, the more complex it will be.

I am rather used to more expensive repairs as I had a 1978 Audi back in 1990. Servicing foreign cars back then was always more expensive.

[neeneko]

I am actually finding I have rather mixed feelings about fuel economy as I look over possible replacement vehicles. Granted, better efficiency is better, BUT even when I commuted daily it was always home->foot->train->foot->work, so my absolute fuel usage is low enough that the efficiency is not that big a factor.

[northland10]

My current Jeep Grand Cherokee is not good on the gas mileage but I also did not worry about it because I was only driving 12 miles round trip to the train station (without that many lights) daily. Since the COVID, I get gas once every few months. The choice of vehicle was based on being able to load up one or two keyboards (one being 88 weighted keys) along with a portable PA, stands, and music, among other things.

[bill_g]

I don't have a citation to link to, but I recall a report years ago stating more energy is consumed building a car than it will ever consume during its limited lifetime. Essentially, fuel mileage are part of the cost of ownership calculation, but not part of the larger environmental impact, or even your carbon footprint. That said, air quality is. It has an immediate impact on your community. Fuel economy and air quality go hand in hand. Buying a vehicle with reasonable fuel economy translates into less air pollution, and therefore improved air quality. Ergo, buy a decent car, maintain it, and that is about the best you can do in environmental stewardship until we come up with a better model for society.

[John Thomas8]

I am developing an intense dislike of all things automotive.

I've been trying since the middle of January to get a motor replaced in a Nissan Pathfinder. Between finding someone willing to do it, finding somebody willing to do it for less than 3 times the value of the thing, finding a replacement motor that has a useful warranty, finding a shipping company to get tje thing here to getting the shipping company to deliver the damn thing, I still don't have a running truck.


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