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In the same manner many automakers such as Jeep used cheap little plastic pieces to hold the power windows in place and they'd often snap, worst case causing the window to fall into the door and shatter, I envision people not being able to get into their car, start their cars, because they no longer unlock or start with a key, or their touch screens failing down the road, causing them to not be able to use their radio or basic functions of the car.
I've had a good Garmin GPS unit that still functions great after 10 years, and another different brand who's touchscreen failed after a few months. Does anyone who drive their cars until the wheels fall off like myself worry that this tech might fail them? (The part most likely to fail would be the sensor that senses your finger movements on your LCD displays)
After driving my Grand Am for more than a decade, I'm eyeballing a used, out of lease 2013 Camry XLE V6 and find myself wondering about all this tech. Probably worrying over nothing, but I am a cheapskate and buy a car to LAST... my idea of a car's lifespan is measured longer than 5 years... perhaps if replacement parts were available at prices not considered insane, I would feel better, granted I know chances are it will last the lifespan of the vehicle.
Interesting point, OP. I've often wondered if making cars even more complex just makes them more prone to failure? Like with engine start/stop technology that shuts off an engine, to save gas, while the brake is applied at a traffic light. A system like that has to decrease a car's reliability.
Like a new model of car when they come out they always tend to have bugs within the first year or two.
I've read reviews on for example Ford's My touch in the first year it was terrible not it's just okay from what I hear but better. When my mom had an 85 T-Bird with the digital dash it shut off & she wasn't able to drive it at all. While things have got better over the years one still has to wonder if it's worth it.
As a "techie", I love the new technology that is becoming more of a standard in vehicles nowadays, but it is an interesting point. While the big touch screens that integrate so much is nice (GPS, Stereo, Bluetooth, heating and cooling), it makes you wonder what happens when that head unit goes bad. Even a lot of the head units that don't have the big touch screen are still integrated with a lot of your vehicle's tech, so it is interesting to see what happens to this tech down the road.
One thing I have learned in the computer world is that I'm a bigger fan of multiple components doing one job really well. Such as a separate printer that just prints, a separate scanner, separate fax machine, separate components on a desktop computer. That way if one piece goes bad, you don't lose a lot of other things.
I'm perfectly fine with mounting a handheld GPS in the car and having real knobs to push or turn for air conditioning and changing the radio or whatnot. One piece of tech that I DO love is the hands free bluetooth. That is something that I feel is a necessity, although I could always do the old fashioned ear piece.
Hopefully the tech thats installed for safety is set to null if it fails. For instance the feature that if you arent bucked up the car wont start, what if that sensor breaks. It better be set so that if the sensor fails you can start your car....
I wouldn't worry about the touchscreen stereo. They are outdated the minute you buy them anyway. Can buy one nicer than the factory unit for a few hundred or a non-touch replacement if you don't want the tech for as little as $50. There are adapters out there to handle ones that integrate your climate controls too. Spending $2k on an OEM replacement is silly.
Smart key cars still have a physical key. Just have to pop the cover off of the door and pull the key out of the fob. And they will start even if the fob battery is dead.
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All of the various computer controlled features on the modern car are great for safety and convenience, but I keep thinking of home and business computers with Windows updates and the blue screen of death, now multiple control unit computers bouncing around on roads in extremes of heat and cold. Our 2014 Ford "My Touch" has been OK so far, but only has 22,000 miles. When I bought my 2013 Challenger, I opted for minimal infotainment, but it has things like the windows dropping 1/4" when the door is opened, traction control, hill start assist and others that are standard.
all things built by humans, or built by machines designed by humans, fail. all this technology is great for those that like the technology, but my feeling is that if it isnt on the car, it cant fail. give me old tech anytime. instead of costing $500 every time i take my car to the shop, my fairmont costs far less than that. as i said, technology is great, but when you have to repair that technology, well not so good then is it?
OP, I am just like you. I like things to last. With all this technology, more things can go wrong. Also, all the technology might make it harder for an independent mechanic to fix some things, requiring you to take your vehicle to an expensive dealership.
But our options for simple cars are going away. Even a basic car like the new 2016 Honda Civic, has lots of technology in it!
They are engineered to make you wish you had a 1948 Ford.
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