Some are metal and some are rubber. I have a set of each. So far only had to replace two sensors but at $80 a piece out the door. I expect two more batteries to fade any day now, though.
Speaking of repair or throw-away culture, I remember going to a GM dealer and buying new turn signal cancel springs that often failed after ten years or so. They were 50 cents each versus a new turn signal switch. 'Spose though after pulling the steering wheel to get to it, replacing the whole switch has some merit. Then again when you are broke, saving $15 on a car repair is reasonably significant.
Youāre right. Iāve never had rubber stems but I see now they exist. They also make service kits for those and they are also under $5 but since most donāt diy them, probably get charged double that.
I usually roll the dice on proactive replacement of sensors. Havenāt had one fail yet. My oldest are 12 years old now in my Trailblazer that I drive dailyā¦hope I havenāt jinxed myself.
A lot of stuff can still be fixed v replaced but itās often not financially viable due to labor costs if youāre paying someone to do it. For example, the $100 in labor time more than offsets the cost difference in partsā¦