Planned Obsolescence. What was the most obsolete car ever made?

"SwissTony" (SwissTony) 04/26/2015 at 19:40 • Filed to: mercedes, w210, eclass, planned obsolecense, fail, jalopnik, swisstony, car, oppo

1

19

Automakers have been playing the planned obsolescence card for a long time now. From discontinuing replacement part production to the ever so quick model replacements and visual face-lifts, we have seen it all.

Nonetheless, the most frustrating of them, to the true driveway mechanics, are those notorious parts, that keep failing ever so often or are clearly designed to fail at a certain point. It is really only then, that we feel cheated and defeated, knowing that the accounting & marketing teams left us a lovely surprise in the form of a DPF filter that keeps clogging, or a cheap 02 sensor that keeps failing but happens to be molded in plastic together with the $2k ABS unit.

I know that each car maker is as guilty as the next, but having been a petrolhead for a very long time now, I have always seen the Mercedes W210 as the precursor & poster child of planned obsolescence.

From failing MAP, Oxygen, cam shaft, crank shaft sensors, brake pedal switches, temp regulator & a steering pump it is a car that makes any mechanic smile.

If you are reading this and have a w210 Merc sitting on a driveway, here is a fun challenge: Go and lift out your rear seats, you get points if you floor is still there, as these lovely cars were known for their rust issues as well.

I am not trying to single out Mercedes here, what is the car you picture, when you here “ Planned Obsolescence ”?

saabstory | fixes bikes, breaks cars > SwissTony 04/26/2015 at 19:47

1

Well there were those GMs that had a certain number of mile warranty on the transmission and GM claimed that they never needed tranny fluid changed, but it turned out that they just put a gargantuan reservoir in the cars so the fluid would go bad just after the transmission warranty ran out. That’s a story from my old autoshop teacher I’ve never corroborated.

Axial > saabstory | fixes bikes, breaks cars 04/26/2015 at 19:50

1

VW seals their transmissions with the same claim, man.

SwissTony > saabstory | fixes bikes, breaks cars 04/26/2015 at 19:51

1

I know what you mean. I have hear a lot of mechanic horror stories, but there seems to be little in terms of conclusive evidence available.

Nibby > SwissTony 04/26/2015 at 19:52

0

HM ambassador

saabstory | fixes bikes, breaks cars > Axial 04/26/2015 at 19:57

0

So scummy.

saabstory | fixes bikes, breaks cars > SwissTony 04/26/2015 at 19:59

3

This guy was full of them, too. I had him one year before retirement, and he was a fiery old hotrodder. We helped him drop a modern V8 into a Nova shell and then he did burnouts in front of the school. He eventually got fired because he got drunk at school (first warning) and then attacked a kid with a socket wrench later that week. The new teacher is the best and used to be the top Porsche tech in Seattle. He claims he worked on Ichiro Suzuki’s Carrera GT.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > SwissTony 04/26/2015 at 20:01

4

Apple.

Oh wait you said car.

SwissTony > Nibby 04/26/2015 at 20:08

0

May I ask why?

SwissTony > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 04/26/2015 at 20:12

1

1111111111111111111111 > SwissTony 04/26/2015 at 20:24

1

My 99 passat 1.8. They planned that thing to die a horrible death. And finally after replacing the engine I had it paid off. Once they did issue a recall I’d trashed the paperwork. I can only hold onto papers for so long. But that recall would have got me 6k. So no VAG ever again.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > SwissTony 04/26/2015 at 20:35

0

A good amount of old BMWs. I’ve seen on BMW forums people arraigning to contact BMW and gang together to request BMW to make another batch of parts. And this isn't the 2002 crowd. It's the E36 Crowd.

daender > SwissTony 04/26/2015 at 20:54

1

Sadly, the Ferrari Testarossa 512M. While its predecessor is an iconic car of the 80s and made more famous by Miami Vice, some view the 512M as late to the party...like arriving-the-next-morning-late. This is a car built from 1994 to 1996, based off of a car first released in 1984. It was obsolete upon arrival despite the improved performance over the original Testarossa (440 vs 390). While the Testa’s original looks might have been controversial with the side-strakes, they suited the car’s overall 80s design theme. The 512M was a half-and-half of the Testa’s sides with 90s tail lights and a revised front end with fixed-headlights (headlights I actually would want in an original Testa).

By 1994, Lamborghini had already moved onto the VW-assisted Diablo, the SE Jota making nearly 100 more prancing horses, and Ferrari was readying the F50 supercar. That’s right, the Testa’s production line got to see production starting on both FX0-series.

Nibby > SwissTony 04/26/2015 at 20:56

0

see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustan…

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > daender 04/26/2015 at 22:01

1

The Diablo was actually Chrysler-assisted given that Chrysler owned Lambo from 1987 to 1994.

daender > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 04/26/2015 at 22:03

0

Ah, I was thinking the AWD-Diablo for some reason.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > daender 04/26/2015 at 22:11

1

That was also under Chrysler. Though the AWD system used was version of the system used in the LM002.

Frenchlicker > Nibby 04/26/2015 at 22:57

0

I was actually thinking of importing one of those next year.

Nibby > Frenchlicker 04/26/2015 at 23:00

0

You are insane. Do it.

Frenchlicker > Nibby 04/26/2015 at 23:05

0

Well I am wanting to go on a little trip so India seems nice. Also next year I was planning on getting a car and an Ambassador with export/import fees is significantly cheaper than a Focus ST and will be way rarer. Plus I bet an ecoboost could possibly fit right in that engine bay.