New Stuff on Vehicles likes/dislikes

[bruceb58]

Must be a NY thing
The beauty of digital record keeping. Have car insurance records back to 2009.

In 2009 I paid $1,225 a year for a 2002 Tahoe and a 1990 Honda Civic.

Fast forward to 2026, $2,645 for 2008 Civic, 2016 F150 and 2023 CX9 Signature.

If I remove the CX9 or the F150 to make a valid comparison, I’m still looking at $1,225 in 2009 verse ~$1,645 in 2025.

Roughly a 30% increase over 15 years~ 2% annually

Yep. Me too. My auto insurance is pretty stable until I add a brand new vehicle to it. 3 of my 4 vehicles are 3 years old or less.

I am laughing at the “conspiracy”.

My home owners insurance, on the other hand, goes up way more. That’s due to fire danger.

 

[Lou C]

Car insurance has close to doubled in about 6 years
not funny is it?
oh and the homeowners insurance they tried to clobber us on that being close to the water and well, when we hit back with...ahh guys....we are only 100-125 feet ABOVE sea level, so no flood damage here, no storm surge etc a few agents went back to their companies, who obviously never looked at a topographic map!
The insurance companies redlined whole regions of coastal NY after guess what? Not Sandy, no, it was Hurricane Andrew which was in FLORIDA!
I think they lost so much on the policies they cancelled they had to go back and realize that even though LI sticks out in the ocean, the water just isn't warm enough consistently to fuel big hurricanes, unless a super storm like Sandy happens which was truly unusual as in, the NYC subways the Lincoln Tunnel and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel had never flooded in the previous hundred years, till then.
what's the alternative, leave NY? I'd love to but can't yet. I think we get penalized for being too close to NYC with its huge number of accident and injury claims. It doesn't help that the biggest PI firms are right here, on Long Island.
Bruce do you really think that the auto manufacturers don't design these systems with an eye for profits from repair costs? They certainly pressure suppliers to reduce the cost of parts made for them, but anything that can increase profit obviously they will do. Maybe you should ask the guys who work on them every day about how much extra labor is involved today. Such as, major engine repairs on some Ford trucks involve, removing the whole cab!
Frankly anyone who thinks today's vehicles aren't more difficult to service and repair hasn't done too much work to any of their vehicles in a LONG TIME.
You want examples, I'll gladly provide some.

 

[Jeff J]

Frankly anyone who thinks today's vehicles aren't more difficult to service and repair hasn't done too much work to any of their vehicles in a LONG TIME.

That would be because work that used to be commonplace simply isn’t common anymore. I understand what you are saying but I did way more work on the 1977 T-Bird I owned back in the day during the 6 years and 60,000 miles I owned it than I have had to do to my 2008 F150 in 248,000 miles. My F150 is a work truck and has been treated as such since the I drove it off the lot. Not worked as hard as a farm or construction vehicle but never treated like a car either.

I found out a few minutes ago it probably needs a front wheel speed sensor.

 

[Pmt133]

My auto insurance went up a bit after they legalized pot in NJ. My health insurance went up way more. My friends health insurance went up about 30% over the last year.

The only conspiracy I could get behind is a push toward only autonomous vehicles. Which regardless will happen anyway in my lifetime because they are safer. From an insurance companies perspective I could totally see lobbying towards that to cut their overhead. I don't want it but facts are facts.

 

[Lou C]

Google Air France 447 for my reasons for caution with autonomous anything. A totally preventable accident that was caused by too much reliance on technology and not enough human pilot training

 

[alldodge]

Folks this is Likes and dislikes
Stay out of everything else. Sure a few of Ya'll have strong opinions on other subjects, but not in this thread

You want an insurance thread start one

 

[bruceb58]

Car insurance has close to doubled in about 6 years
not funny is it?
oh and the homeowners insurance they tried to clobber us on that being close to the water and well, when we hit back with...ahh guys....we are only 100-125 feet ABOVE sea level, so no flood damage here, no storm surge etc a few agents went back to their companies, who obviously never looked at a topographic map!
The insurance companies redlined whole regions of coastal NY after guess what? Not Sandy, no, it was Hurricane Andrew which was in FLORIDA!
I think they lost so much on the policies they cancelled they had to go back and realize that even though LI sticks out in the ocean, the water just isn't warm enough consistently to fuel big hurricanes, unless a super storm like Sandy happens which was truly unusual as in, the NYC subways the Lincoln Tunnel and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel had never flooded in the previous hundred years, till then.
what's the alternative, leave NY? I'd love to but can't yet. I think we get penalized for being too close to NYC with its huge number of accident and injury claims. It doesn't help that the biggest PI firms are right here, on Long Island.
Bruce do you really think that the auto manufacturers don't design these systems with an eye for profits from repair costs? They certainly pressure suppliers to reduce the cost of parts made for them, but anything that can increase profit obviously they will do. Maybe you should ask the guys who work on them every day about how much extra labor is involved today. Such as, major engine repairs on some Ford trucks involve, removing the whole cab!
Frankly anyone who thinks today's vehicles aren't more difficult to service and repair hasn't done too much work to any of their vehicles in a LONG TIME.
You want examples, I'll gladly provide some.

It’s way easier to raise the cab than remove an engine. They are designed that way on purpose to make it cheaper to work on them. My 2018 Ford F-150 was easier to change belts and water pump than my 1990 Suburban….by far! I actually never had to change the water pump but I could see how easy it was to get to.

Funny how you love Jeep Cherokees. Worst POS I have ever worked on. That big engine crammed into a tiny engine bay.

 

[jlh3rd]

Google Air France 447 for my reasons for caution with autonomous anything. A totally preventable accident that was caused by too much reliance on technology and not enough human pilot training

I just stated that an autopilot does not make a good pilot.
They had plenty of training. But they flunked private pilot training 101. Recognition of a stall. Period. Too much reliance on automation.
yep...human pilot training.
And the Airbus has no mechanical connections to any flight controls from the "joystick". It is all fly-by-wire. Did that contribute? Dunno. I wasn't in the cockpit. Never flew that type.
But all that automation didn't prevent that accident.
It was totally preventable.
I'll just keep turning my head.

 

[Lou C]

It’s way easier to raise the cab than remove an engine. They are designed that way on purpose to make it cheaper to work on them. My 2018 Ford F-150 was easier to change belts and water pump than my 1990 Suburban….by far! I actually never had to change the water pump but I could see how easy it was to get to.

Funny how you love Jeep Cherokees. Worst POS I have ever worked on. That big engine crammed into a tiny engine bay.

My older one is a straight 6. Very easy to work on far easier than any modern vehicle I’ve seen. Even my later one with the Hemi V8 isn’t bad and the later Grands & Durangos are even easier & have a nice wider engine compartment. That old straight 6 is all cast iron, weighs more than modern V8s and is good for 300,000 miles.

 

[jlh3rd]

"harder to work on" . Define harder. Today I need at least a bi-directional scanner. More plastic, plastic connectors, modules, modules, modules.
Raising a cab? What DIY'er has truck cab raising facilities.
My '77 Monte ....sockets, wrenches, hammer?, floor jack. I'll admit, could'a used a you tube back then.

 

[cyclops222]

Auto Pilot is another form of...............A I ............
Feel much safer now ?
Your life is worthless to any greedy business / company.
We will take any risk. To make more money.

 

[Lou C]

Raising the cab? Can you imagine? So instead of making the engine compartment big enough to work on the engine, we are going to tell you to just raise the whole cab! I really have a tough time taking that seriously! As if it’s great news! More than likely it made it easier/faster/cheaper on the assembly line and if independent shops are reluctant to do this (can you blame them?) guess who it then makes more business for? Fords dealership network! Less choice for the consumer. Have any of you checked dealer labor rates lately? $200/hr isn’t uncommon.
Here’s another. You have a fancy new scanner, it’s all good right? Not so fast. From 2019 and up, Stellentis puts a firewall in their vehicles. The scanner won’t work till more money is extracted from your wallet to sign up with Auto Authority. Yeah I had to do that just to work on a relatives car. But no, it CANT be a conspiracy to make them as much money as possible can it now???

 

[alldodge]

I guy I know 2022 F250 in the shop
Said he wouldn't buy another except he does contract work for Ford and they wouldn't let him on the lot without a Ford

 

[Pmt133]

Lifting a cab really isn't a difficult task in theory... I've done it... but any vehicle in the northeast after about 5 years it usually results in most fasteners being... well... stuck. Those road salt free areas or people who swap vehicles every 3-5 years usually never have to worry about that. I've done just cab mounts on a few trucks and usually it involves a torch if they're 10+ years old....

 

[dingbat]

Google Air France 447 for my reasons for caution with autonomous anything. A totally preventable accident that was caused by too much reliance on technology and not enough human pilot training

Funny you should mention this. One of our customers supplied the metal used in the turbine assemblies.

Was in the middle of a meeting discussing a new project when Airbus showed up for what seemed to be a surprise audit. Was immediately and unceremoniously escorted out of the building.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Auto start on the pick up nice to have but it shuts off after 15 minutes, -9 this morning takes longer than 15 minutes to warm the truck to my standards.

 

[dingbat]

Those are the

that is for current model year vehicles, which are cheap because of being under warranty. GM keeps them cheap for themselves basically. Once you get a little older, and even into discontinued years. 2017 or so, hang on, especially the side detection modules. The lights themselves always are $700-1,500 depending on model. Cadillac Escalade lights are closer to $2000 if not more. GM will only warranty lights if they are absolutely perfect condition. A crack voids warranty

Makes sense.
Third party purchase agreements typically include some sort of a DND or DNC clause for X number of years. At that point suppliers, can charge anything they feel like until the terms of the contracts are met and aftermarket takes over.

Unfortunately, we have to be very conscious of our resale pricing. Most of our customers have been in and around the industry long enough to know the players and products. Isn’t hard to cross reference to other parts or suppliers. The radar modules you mentioned are perfect examples.

 

[bruceb58]

Raising the cab? Can you imagine? So instead of making the engine compartment big enough to work on the engine, we are going to tell you to just raise the whole cab! I really have a tough time taking that seriously! As if it’s great news! More than likely it made it easier/faster/cheaper on the assembly line and if independent shops are reluctant to do this (can you blame them?) guess who it then makes more business for? Fords dealership network! Less choice for the consumer. Have any of you checked dealer labor rates lately? $200/hr isn’t uncommon.
Here’s another. You have a fancy new scanner, it’s all good right? Not so fast. From 2019 and up, Stellentis puts a firewall in their vehicles. The scanner won’t work till more money is extracted from your wallet to sign up with Auto Authority. Yeah I had to do that just to work on a relatives car. But no, it CANT be a conspiracy to make them as much money as possible can it now???

You can still work on it without. It’s just way easier to raise the cab and requires less hours. Not sure why this is so mind boggling to you.

 

[jlh3rd]

Raising the cab? Can you imagine? So instead of making the engine compartment big enough to work on the engine, we are going to tell you to just raise the whole cab! I really have a tough time taking that seriously! As if it’s great news! More than likely it made it easier/faster/cheaper on the assembly line and if independent shops are reluctant to do this (can you blame them?) guess who it then makes more business for? Fords dealership network! Less choice for the consumer. Have any of you checked dealer labor rates lately? $200/hr isn’t uncommon.
Here’s another. You have a fancy new scanner, it’s all good right? Not so fast. From 2019 and up, Stellentis puts a firewall in their vehicles. The scanner won’t work till more money is extracted from your wallet to sign up with Auto Authority. Yeah I had to do that just to work on a relatives car. But no, it CANT be a conspiracy to make them as much money as possible can it now???

It's not a conspiracy when it's a fact.
They don't want me fixing my own car.
Decades ago the dealers had to be forced to make public TSB's.

 

[Lou C]

You can still work on it without. It’s just way easier to raise the cab and requires less hours. Not sure why this is so mind boggling to you.

Because most independent mechanics (remember those, the ones most people use after warrantee) aren't going to want to do this. When you say work on it, it depends on what the "work" is. Pulling cylinder heads? can that be done? More un-repairable vehicles could be the result. That's why I don't like the design decisions they made. And it's not just FoMoCo they all do this in one way or another.
Ever look under the hood of a 2.7 Ecoboost? it is a rat's nest of wiring, hoses, plastic fittings, etc.
Now look under the hood of a Durango with the 5.7. Simple, you can get at everything, all the spark plugs, oil filter, etc. Night and day. I like the Bronco and the power of the 2.7 but I can imagine how much fun those hoses, plastic fittings etc will be when they are 10 years old!