2 steps forward, or 3 steps back?

New cars are much more reliable and durable. They are also more complex and harder to fix. And when they do have a problem it tends to be a big one due to the use of common systems and subsystems across models or even manufacturers.

With emissions and safety regulations as the driving forces, car manufacturers are outsourcing more and more system design and supply. Few manufacturers design or make their own braking systems, fuel systems, electronic modules, seating, paint, etc. This started decades ago and has been accelerating due to the need to meet increasingly stringent regulations and to reduce costs.

The result is fewer but more widespread problems. Think of the tens of millions of cars affected by the Takata air bag issue. It doesn't make sense for every car manufacture to design and make air bag igniters when they can buy them cheaper from a specialty company that  will also warranty them. And how many of us could actually fix the igniter issue by ourselves with the tools in our shop? None would be my guess.

New complexity presents new problems. Have you ever had a car take control when it decided it needed to take some action? My old cars never did, but look at this from todays news:

"U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that the automatic emergency braking systems on more than 1.7 million newer Hondas can stop the vehicles for no reason."

I will stay with my simpler old cars for a while thank you.

In reply to B. Yourself :

It started a LOOONG time ago.  Holley carbs, Bendix brakes, Dana rearends, etc.  

Sure some manufacturers used some manufacturers preferentially, but still.

Not just American.  Not even going into British or Italian cars, Japanese cars had Nikki or Hitachi carburetors, Hitachi or Mitsubishi* or Denso electronics, etc.

* My 40-odd year old Mazdas have Mitsubishi brake calipers, alternators, and half the electrics in the car. Interestingly, a Hitachi alternator from a Subaru is a direct bolt-in plug-in fit, making me wonder if there is some sort of JIS standard.  Speaking of Subaru, they used/use Hitachi R160 and R180 rearends just like Datsuns did.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

Oddly, any time I have to deal with a parasitic draw, 9.5 times out of 10 it is caused by something in the infotainment system.  They seem to be the least "hardened" systems in a car, probably because there is a lot less development time.

There is a whole lot of electrical noise flying around in a car! Everything from alternator ripple to voltage spikes from solenoids switching off to RF noise getting picked up by the network of wiring in the car acting as an antenna...

 

My wife no longer has a rear sub because the amp would no longer turn itself off. 

Edit to add: I'm all for the three steps back. Never happen though.

Android Auto is one of the best things to happen to new cars in a long time.  By moving things like the navigation system to our phones but with an integrated display, we get to drive with current maps and recent software for the foreseeable future.  I can't imagine buying a new street car without it.

In reply to Toyman! :

Would you really want those 3 steps back?  Nothing bad has happened in the last 30 years? You'd lose all the good things the last 30 years have given you?  
 You'd lose all the medical progress made, so in 10 - 20 years when you need that medical progress  it would still be 10 or 20 years in the future. 
 Yes you'd be younger but have lost all the wisdom you've paid for with experience. Have to re-learn all those lessons?  

In reply to frenchyd :

You did know we were talking about cars, didn't you? 

If not, you may want to reread the OP.