Posted by PaulHoule 4 days ago
But possibly the most memorable time spent in the van was when it came time to sell it.
Next to where the London Eye is now was what was known as "the strip" with a lineup of campers being sold on to newly arrived tourists. I spent two weeks living in the van next to the Thames, a short walk to Waterloo Station and a lot of time just wandering the streets of London alone (as a 14yo).
As for a Honda Element, I've always wanted one, but my wife thinks they're ugly. ;)
There are myriad examples of manufacturing defects and cost optimizations that lead to early failures regardless of maintenance. I would not trust a well maintained Stellantis vehicle to make it to 200k miles regardless of how well it was maintained.
Not much else that they make.
The transmission has an integrated computer that controls shifting, cooling, etc. The lines between that and the speedometer are flaky, so every once in a while it'll decide to not cool itself, get stuck in 2nd/3rd, etc, etc.
I have an additional 15 years of cool down I consider another Stellantis product. By then, they won't be selling ICE, for one thing. For another, the current engineers will be long gone.
My grandpa used to say that every American ought to purchase a Chrysler product once every ten years (if only to get the urge to do so out of their system) and sell it immediately afterwards. He was a Dodge fan in the same way that some people are Cubs fans; i.e. inured to disappointment.
There's a guy on my Range Rover forum[1] that has over 500,000 miles on his ex-police 4.0, and it's well on its way to 600,000 miles. It has had the engine rebuilt, new wheel bearings, and a new transfer case chain, and of course maintenance.
My daily is my low-mileage one with only 190,000 on the clock, and my other needs some work and has 270,000 on the clock.
They're so simplistic, and parts are so easy to find, that frame rot is really the only thing that can permanently kill one. It's really a shame that the Express is the last van of this breed that's still hanging around. The stubby nose makes spark plugs a harrowing experience, but everything else is easy. They were built to be used indefinitely.
How do you know they don't?
Meanwhile Mitsubishi has been suffering issues with their AWD systems failing, and because the Eclipse Cross and Outlander Sport are sold primarily as AWD that affects a majority of their sales.
Ford's had the issue with the dual-clutch automatics failing on the Focus, Fiesta, and Escape.
Dodge has... Well, really only the Durango currently that's reliable. The Charger PHEV is having all sorts off issues, from the battery packs overheating to random software glitches to the engine refusing to disengage from the electric portion of the drivetrain. The Hornet's been getting the shit kicked out of it by Kelley Blue Book and Consumer Reports because the transmissions are ripping themselves apart and the BCMs are bricking themselves.
Jeep's had issues with the Cherokee, Wrangler, Gladiator, and Compass because of the Pentastar engine nuking itself before 100,000 miles either by losing too much oil or the water jackets cracking. Meanwhile the differentials in the Wrangler and Gladiator have had problems that Stellantis denies.
Back before about... I'd say 2016? 2017? You had a lot less issues with new cars. Most issues were simple recalls like transmissions slipping out of gear or premature wear on the cams, not something that would entirely junk the car.
Check out this list. This guy is at the junk yard all the time. It's possible he isn't checking newer cars for high miles, but notice how all these mega high mile cars are from the 80s and 90s.
And related to the article, note the 500,000 mile Ford Econoline.
I read a few of the articles, he states the problem is that cars starting in the late 90's have digital LCD odometers that can't be easily read on a dead car
Even in the final years of the 20th century it was considered a big deal and a testament to a car's quality if it got past 100k miles. Even in the decade before that it was common for odometers to only have five digits, because most people would never need the sixth.
> This was because managers hadn't yet taken charge of reducing material thickness to the absolute minimum.
Henry Ford sent people to junkyards to see what parts hadn't failed, in order to make them cheaper.
I have a 2007 Fiat Ducato which has done at least half a million kilometres (the odometer only goes up to 399,999). Only issue is the EGR valve is stuck closed (can't get to it without removing the engine, so not worth fixing), and the body is banged up (ex builders van). Still gets 8l/100km (30mpg) on the highway.
Back in the 80s that was just unheard of. Most cars needed significant repairs before 100k and even require welding and sealing to prevent the floor from falling out. Material quality, paint, bearings, tires and fluids were of significantly lower quality back then.
When is the last time you had a car undercoated? Because back then that was the first thing you did with a new vehicle.
When is the last time you had a car undercoated?
I take your point, but the real answer is “when I lived the U. S. Midwest”, where they salt the roads. Since we moved to the milder climate of Washington state, even our ‘81 VW’s body is in great shape. But, yeah, in the 80s: straight from the dealer to the undercoat place.
On average modern cars are significantly better than what we had in the 80s
Mine had a Subaru engine, Mercedes wheels, Audi Drive train, a Porsche suspension, and brakes from a Toyota Highlander.
How did you keep your Volkswagen running?
I’m wondering how much that van has contributed to the population increase of The Netherlands.
IDK about you, but traveling with a family would be an effective anti-conception for me (also Dutch)
And effective for my folks as well when they took my siblings to tour the west coast in an RV when we were teens, AFAICT.
Traveling with just my SO OTOH...