to think that cars are not made to last these days

[littlemisscynical]

So annoyed today.

Have a 2014 Volkswagen. I've been driving it for nearly three years. There have been a few problems in that time. I don't have much knowledge of mechanics. Today I went to drive the car and the clutch had went. DHs friend is a mechanic and says it might be a big job esp if some cylinder has leaked. I will have no car to get to work next week and I've only just started back from maternity.

AIBU to think cars are being deliberately manufactured to not last so that we have to replace them more?

Lots of people I know lease cars and drive flash motors, replacing them every 2-3 years.

I'm not really a car person so I don't really want to splash out on a car lease payment every month. However now I am starting to think these people are the sensible
ones!!

Should I stop buying older cars and join the masses?

Hard to go wrong with a Civic really

@MaxTeyon need something more family friendly

Cars will last 200-300k miles if they are looked after properly with routine maintenance. People in the UK hardly ever keep up with a oil change every 5000 miles.

I think the opposite is true. You've been a bit unlucky perhaps.

I had an Austin Metro with about that many miles on the clock. It almost turned me to religion, every journey made on a wing and a prayer.

I wouldn't deviate from a mazda. My last one did just under 200,000 miles before I refused to pay £900 for welding. (Paid 800 for car). My current mazda 2, just under 100,000 miles, last mot 2 tyres advisory, 6 years old.

Unlucky definitely I'd say. Mazda always in the top few for reliability. Worth looking up.

littlemisscynical joke used to be they had rusted by the time you got them home

My Prius is 11 years old and has just got a perfect bill of health on the service. I never have to take it to the garage unless it's for new tyres or something. I drive it really long distances too.

Cars are far more reliable nowadays

Totally get what you say about not trusting the car any more and wanting rid of it, OP. I had this recently with my 11 year old Honda. I am gradually falling back in love with it again after browsing newer cars and thinking I'd rather spend the £10k + elsewhere...

Clutches don’t last forever but at least are generally cheap. Our clutch activating fork sheared, replacing the clutch at the same time as that (seemed sensible at 190,000 miles) plus the slave end of the clutch hydraulics was £450. All parts switched for uprated heavy duty parts as we do a lot of towing 2ton plus.

DH is into vintage crap cars and has had two VW's. I grew up in a Volkswagen family and learnt to drive at 17 in a shitty Jetta with no power steering.
I loathe VW's with a passion.

I can only sympathise op. Bought a 3 year old car some years back every possible thing that could go wrong did and as someone up thread said brand new car would have worked out cheaper in the end.

A few years ago splashed out on said brand new car, only a matter of weeks before it let me down badly. Its just the luck of the draw unfortunately.

"I think cars are better than the ones made in the 80s. You are just unlucky.
Get a Mazda 3. Bomb proof."

Heh, I came in here to comment that my 12 year old, third-hand car is still going strong, and has only once needed any work on it to get it through its MOT - it's a Mazda 3.

Our Mazda 6 was awful. We went back to Toyota, after a few years because we'd had enough of it. Searched the Mot history for it a few years later and it didn't get past 70k with the last 2 Mots being failed on some major stuff.

And that mazda 6 would have been 12 years old, now.

Our 61 reg avensis is still going strong, save a couple of minor bodywork issues caused by 7 winters of long drives on gritted roads. Has similar with our last one. The exhaust rusted off at about 115k.

My 2009 Mini has a problem with a cylinder gasket, an expensive repair, at 2000 euros, but what has made it worse is that to get to the gasket you need a special tool from Mini. None of my local garages can fix it and at mini the cost of the repair is 4000. I can't justify that.
My mechanic needed a special tool just to change the spark plugs.
It's manufacturers pulling this kind of stunt that makes me cross. I have to scrap a perfectly good car now

I think you’ve just been unlucky
I’m on my 3rd Passat
Previous one has done 275,000 miles and DP is driving around in it
My newer one has already done 125,000
DD has a polo
DS has a golf
We are all diesel though
DP services and fixes them anyway and tells me regular service n oil change is the way to go

@TiddleTaddleTat oh yes I am all talk
today as I am in a foul mood. If I got a new flashy car I'd be like a lot of others...nice BM in the driveway and no food in the cupboards 😂

@twobambinos That is really really bad luck!

Oh no you bought VW German rubbish now you have the trouble. Massive bills and a never ending list of things that will go wrong.
The computers once begin finding faults never stop finding them.
Good cars in the past sadly very average at best now.
Fix and get rid ASAP unless you have a large bank balance to waste on it

I had a ford that lasted me 6 years. Didn't let me down at all and I drove it 50 miles a day to work and back! Of course it did have occasional repairs I.e. alternator, battery, wishbones and coil spring, tyres and a bit of rust. Other than that, started perfectly fine each time! Clutch and gear never went. I bloody miss that car :( I had to upgrade it as I needed a bigger one.

OP 70k miles for a clutch is fine. Probably has a self adjusting clutch which has pros and cons. Pros are that it gives a smoother ride until it's last legs. Cons are exactly that- you don't know it's on its way out because it adjusts as it goes then just stops. People expect cars to drive for hundreds of thousands of miles with no issues which is ridiculous

Our mitsubishi soacewagon is 19 years old this august

Its been really good up til now but im concerned its going to die on me

Would love another mitsubishi but they are slightly on the pricy side

I have a 64 plate VW Golf Estate TDi. It’s s dirk lease car abd isvhoing back in 4 weeks , all that’s up is a bumper scuff. Abd uts filthy!

We have an 18 yr old car bought for £600 4 yrs ago.
1 elderly owner from new, 16k on clock when we got it.

Has got through all MOTs.

I bought a brand new Suzuki Wagon in 2002 and it's still going strong. Go Japanese!