SERIOUSLY?! Automotive Fail

[rabid1st]

Sigh! So, I understand planned obsolescence but this is getting ridiculous.

You will all remember that a few donations helped me replace my car's serpentine belt a couple of months ago. The belt just failed with age. It was cracked and dry and would ruin my car if it wasn't replaced. My car is a 10 year old Toyota Corolla. Or about 85 in human years. And perhaps an occasional knee replacement is to be expected.

But lots of the parts and pieces are falling off of it. For example, the headliner is frayed and full of holes like an old stocking, but until it falls down, I can deal with that. And the decorative door panels, the quilted fabric parts, are wobbly like loose teeth, but I can deal with them, too. And apparently, it is killing batteries. I bought a new battery two years ago.

But the car has decided not to start in the mornings.

I sympathize. But we can't have that. I need to get to 100 doctor's appointments a week. So I took it to the garage I know about where they don't charge you to tell you what's wrong and where they give me very nice discounts.

And the battery had a dead cell. Even though it should be good for another 3 years. Luckily, they prorated because the battery was under warranty. All settled, right?

HA! When the mechanic opened the driver's side door...the door handle snapped off in his hand. It didn't fall off. It snapped in two. So, that means...wait for it...there's a $248 dollar charge to fix it.

I want to blame the mechanic, but I can't. Considering the state of the car...and the fact that I was standing right next to him and saw that all he did was open it up normally...and the handle snapped...there is no chance of me getting all righteous and indignant. So, I have come here, again, asking if some kind person among you could help a sister out with her door handle. It's not what you would call an emergency, of course, since I can get in through the other doors and I might just be able to rig something with the handle stub. But it is on the driver's side, so I would love to fix it, but as you all know...money is just not available for the non-emergency repairs at this time.

What is up with building a car that falls apart in 10 years? I mean, these aren't parts I've neglected. Unless I'm supposed to use some kind of special lubricant on the plastic parts or something. Am I failing as a car owner? Or is this just planned obsolescence? Or is there something about Florida heat and humidity that takes the starch out of Toyota plastic parts?

Le Sigh!

Rae

Comments

[wickedgillie.livejournal.com]

It's not often I get out the Hurley icon, but this one totally warrants one.

Cars are built this way on purpose for the same reason all consumer products are built this way now. They're not supposed to last, otherwise these folks would be out of a job. Stuff is supposed to break in a few years and you're supposed to trade up, you silly frugal American.

(aka I totally agree with you and it's asshattery)

[dharkapparition.livejournal.com]

unfortunately, plastic fails after a time. Some plastics last longer than others, but southern heat seems to have a particular vicious effect of varying degrees.

broken handles suck. I've had two vehicles in my history that had me opening the door from the outside due to breakage.

You have my sympathies, which doesn't help physically, but I be poor too

[binah1013.livejournal.com]

How odd! We have a 16 year old Corolla and it's not that bad! The glaring defect in it is the paint job. It doesn't get garage time anymore, so there are lots of rust spots. Otherwise, it's doing well for its advanced age. I will say there are less that 150K miles on it though.

However, I think that Corollas made ~15-20 years ago were probably the ultimate in reliability and later ones didn't quite reach the same level.

[monkeybatz.livejournal.com]

Good lord..and I thought Toyota's were supposed to be reliable?...Even after the whole fiasco a while back I couldn't turn on Toyota.

If you need help let me know, I'll help you out girl.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I think it must be the southern heat. I've talked to a few people in the last few days that have told me their own cars have started falling apart since they arrived in Florida. And the mechanic suggested I have window tinting done to help. I'm not sure if that's it...if it's just the oven like heat inside...or what. But...thank you so much for the sympathy.

I really was thinking I would only ask if someone was very loaded...like had just won a lottery or something...and could help out fiscally. I have already sort of resigned myself to making this work like a good poor person should. My nephew is looking at ways to rig it to open. If it hadn't come on the heels of the battery loss, I'd have a few more options...but...oh, well...

I am lucky that it isn't something seriously wrong.

Rae

[dharkapparition.livejournal.com]

For someone mechanically inclined (like your nephew), it might not be too difficult a fix. You might check with your library to see if they have a Chilton's or Hayes repair book for your model range to see if it is feasible.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

This is the thing. I bought this car because at the time, your generation of Corolla was setting the industry standard on reliability. Two of my real life buddies have 20 year old Toyotas...and they work fine. Mine seems to be just prior to the mechanical failure generation...but they appear to have made some serious shortcuts in the interior materials.

I expect that one day it will be like something from Mad Max or Waterworld. Me on an orange crate seat with a tire iron shifter and an engine with pedals and wheels.

Rae
who had intended to stick with Toyota for my future cars...but is seriously thinking about something with stronger door handles at this moment. :grin:

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Toyotas are still reliable, I think. But mine has turned quite ugly on me in the last three years from a cosmetic stand-point. One day it just started having bits break off in the hand. But the door handle was along the same line as the serpentine belt. I was like...what do you mean it just cracked? Do they just...crack? I mean, yes, after 40 years I could see it...but after 10?

Rae
who expects cars to last for 40 years...with a little TLC.

[thisficklemob.livejournal.com]

Belts seem like the kind of thing that do have to be replaced every decade. I'm with you on the door handles, though; those should last.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Total Asshattery...I mean...won't we just trade up because we want shiny new stuff? Or because they force us to buy everything again in a new format? Or because nothing we want comes in our old format? Or because everyone wants a phone they can hide in their thumbnail?

It's the fact that I just have to keep buying new door handles. Toyota charges 105 dollars for this one. Which is a large part of the cost to fix it. Though, really, the 130 or whatever it is before tax for labor is also highway robbery. Literally!

Rae

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I suppose belts do need replacing. I was just interested in the fact that it didn't wear out...it just got old and brittle and cracked. And so did the door handle, I guess.

I've had a handle fall off in my hand before...from the days when they were screwed on medal. And I've had door knobs fall off, too. But this literally cracked apart...like some brittle old plastic cup or something.

The ghost of my 1969 Impala is a little disappointed in me for owning such a fragile car. :wink:

[thisficklemob.livejournal.com]

Isn't old and brittle and cracker = worn out?

Hee!

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Well, not in my mind. Worn out, to me, is getting frayed or cracked from use...to be worn to the point of being out...as opposed to looking perfect and not being hard used at all but still falling apart from decrepitude.

Rae

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Our library has Chilton's online, which can be quite useful. Of course, not to someone as mechanically disinclined as myself. But perhaps to the nephew. What worries me, as I've said, is that he sounds so unsure of himself. Usually he's very bold in his claim that he can fix anything. But, to be fair, he hasn't had a look at it yet. Perhaps he will easily see the repairable side of this. And it could be that his confidence is a little rocked by a recent failure working on his mom's car door...it had a miss aligned electric window...which is still leaking after he "fixed" it.

Rae

[astitchintime-9.livejournal.com]

Wish I could contribute more, but all I have is my 2 cents to add:

If you have the Toyota repair book, and a nephew willing to give it try, how about calling around to some auto-body and auto-wrecker businesses in your area to see if you can obtain a used door handle in better condition for...say $15 instead of $105? Or perhaps your mechanic can help you out with that, if he has any connections.

Worth a shot, anyway.

[auntiesuze.livejournal.com]

Having just gone through that broohaha with my headlights, I feel your pain. But the door handle??? That's just insult to injury (weird!). I'd definitely ask the mechanic exactly what the part is that you need to replace and then try to find it in a salvage yard or online.

[gwendolynflight.livejournal.com]

You know, everyone talks up how reliable Toyotas are, but I sunk more money into my Camry than any other car I've ever owned. Hm.

[np-complete.livejournal.com]

What's the latest on the door handle?

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Still not sure I can afford to fix it. It is a lot of money to devote to something I don't really NEED to have.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Seriously? I think my Corolla is doing pretty well so far. :touch wood: But, it is definitely suffering from some wear on the plastic parts and they seem to just be inferior from the manufacturer. Inferior glues and plastic parts that just break or fall off as the car ages.

[gwendolynflight.livejournal.com]

Mine needed a new transmission, radiator, engine blocks (the bits that keep the engine from falling out of the car rusted through), timing belt, and the AC and one power window had quit working when I totaled it. Or, no, wait, I'd just had the power window fixed, when irony T-boned my car. But yeah, expensive. It was a 96, I believe. Or a 94.