I’m thinking after the first 20 years. A lot of these systems can be made to be reliable, at least for a while. Power steering is usually just a pump or bad seals when it fails, and it doesn’t fail suddenly. EPS is a totally different thing, and it can suddenly go out completely.
A lot of people want that, rather than repairs being cheap and easy, and the industry has answered with throw away vehicles with systems that are very reliable until they do break, and when they do it costs more than the vehicle is worth to fix.
Avoiding a computer wasn’t one of the requirements. I assumed most of them wouldn’t have power steering at all.
I meant the screw in rod that goes behind a plastic pop out. Getting rid of the tow point below the bumper cover also got rid of the thing that gets hit when the front drives over a parking block. Then backing up pulls the whole plastic front end off. I’ve seen it happen.
You might not be around to tell about it had!
Toyota’s attempt to handle the throttle by wire failure modes in software was a disaster. I think that failure mode should NOT be handled by software. Actually with Toyota it was the software itself that failed, and the position sensors on the throttle were still working fine. With Toyota the software would fail and most commonly the throttle would freeze at its current position. Imagine if the same thing happened with the steering, and it just kept turning in the same direction at its last set torque.
The usual, low profile means bumpy ride, much more likely to blow out a tire with a pot hole, have to add air more often, more expensive tires.
Have you compared the cost of repairing either system if there was a failure?
A rubber belt in oil inside the engine, instead of a chain. Ford has been doing it with the EcoBoost. They call it a wet belt. Which Ford Models Have Wet Belts? A Guide to Affected Vehicles - Andrews Car Centre, Lincoln, Lincolnshire Honda has done it for years with lawn mower engines.
Ford Explorer from 2008 or so has the shift lock override under a pop out cover. You have to find the manual and look up how to access it and all that.
I guess we’ll have to disagree. I’ve hit two deer and was able to drive home and the vehicles were repaired. Having a bomb explode in my face isn’t something I would have wanted.
2008 Volvo XC70 sometimes down makes it go up. 2014 RAM 1500, the driver controls had to be replaced completely as they stopped working. They’re like TV remote control buttons. It was an easy $15 part though.
After 25 years of once a week use and 40,000 miles, which of those vehicles would require more maintenance to keep it going? I think old vehicle store better but wear out faster. Newer vehicles have more age related issues regardless of the mileage.