Baling wire can't get modern cars rolling anymore
Baling wire can't get modern cars rolling anymore
By: Bill Mead
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Posted by editor Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 804 times
0 responses 0 comments Motorists are so fascinated with the growing number of gadgets offered on new cars that most buyers probably never stop to ask what it will cost to replace this magic stuff if and when it goes south. My wife and I have never worried about it because we leased cars for many years. Under our lease agreements, if anything quit, the dealer would come get the wounded beast and fix it on his dime.
I was shocked to read on the internet the other day that if you buy one of a whole bunch of newer upscale automobiles, you're sitting on a powder keg if you keep your fancy set of wheels past the warranty period. For example, if one headlight blinks out on your 2005 BMW, you had better figure on refinancing your house because that one replacement headlight can run more than $2,000. An alternative is to buy a Mercedes. If your new C Class Benz goes blind on one side, the tab will be a mere $1,659 to get it glowing again. Wow. What a relief that would be.
Man, am I ever out of the loop. I have experienced headlight failure on several cars over the years. In most cases I just pulled into a gas station (remember when they used to repair autos?). The attendant would disappear into the lubrication bay and return with a new headlight which he immediately installed. I can't remember what this fix cost but it couldn't have been much because I wasn't earning much in those days.
It isn't just foreign luxury cars that can send you to the poorhouse if parts start failing. Replacing the ultra-sonic rear parking assist, whatever that is, on a 2004 Cadillac Escalade calls for a cool $934. A new heated side mirror on the same Caddie? That costs just three dollars shy of a thousand bucks.
After I told this to my wife, she grew pale and asked what the cost would be if a headlight went out on our Chevy Suburban, which we don't lease and which is past the warranty period. Perhaps because the 'Burb is actually a truck with lots of seats, it lacks the esoteric refinements of more expensive vehicles. I'm sure that's why a new headlight is priced slightly under $50. I know that's more than I paid to swap a headlight on our 1953 Pontiac, but I can live with it.
I don't know about you, but my wife and I have managed to lose a lot of car keys in bygone days. It was never a calamity because ten bucks would usually get us out of that annoying bind. These days, with ignition keys often packed with cutting edge electronic technology, a new one can run between $600 and $900. Ouch!
Let's get off this painful subject and talk about saving money on transportation, like switching to one of the new hybrid gas-electric cars that promise 50 miles to the gallon. According to one account on the internet, a Toyota Prius owner found himself faced with an $8,000 transmission replacement right after the warranty ran out. But like they say, if you want economy, you have to pay for it.
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