Automotive

Are Covid Era Cars Less Reliable?

  • Last Updated:
  • Apr 22nd, 2022 2:57 pm
Tags:
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 29, 2010
1625 posts
3388 upvotes
GTA

Are Covid Era Cars Less Reliable?

I guess this is still TBD but with the part shortages, and labor shortages are cars built during the covid times less reliable?

Substituting a part that's out of stock with a sketchy replacement?

High end cars being built by inexperienced folks?

Anyone on the frontlines seen some egregious shit that wouldnt have happened before?
25 replies
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Oct 12, 2007
9732 posts
9503 upvotes
Winchester
Likely will be an impact due to all the disruptions and changes and twists and turns.
Upvoting respectful and helpful RFDers since 2007
Banned
Apr 18, 2022
41 posts
22 upvotes
Despite the fact that cars are mainly built using automated systems (for example Fanuc), there is still manual/human operation involved, so on a fair comparison basis (pre and post), the answer is yes. It will of course vary from automotive mfg processe of each producer. .
Deal Guru
Sep 1, 2004
12900 posts
13102 upvotes
lolbeast wrote: I guess this is still TBD but with the part shortages, and labor shortages are cars built during the covid times less reliable?

Substituting a part that's out of stock with a sketchy replacement?

High end cars being built by inexperienced folks?

Anyone on the frontlines seen some egregious shit that wouldnt have happened before?
The question is, what can you do about it?

Switch to buying cheap cars? Avoid those years of used cars?

Cost cutting will accelerate in the following years too due to inflation and once a year set MSRP.
Newbie
Sep 5, 2019
8 posts
14 upvotes
IMO the manufacturing side shouldnt have impact. the standard of quality must be met before it ships off the line.
That being said, cars being developed during covid might have bugs (2022-2024). usually cars are worked on 2-4 years before launch. So the 2020/21 being shipped to dealers was being worked on back in 2017/18.

Lots of people working from home, etc I can see lots of issues in the future cars coming up.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Feb 20, 2015
5280 posts
4939 upvotes
Southern Ontario
My buddy works at an auto plant. There is no substitution for parts as they have contracts with suppliers.

"Just in Time" assembly works only when the supply chains and all plants are working properly. Most of these plants shut down for a period, to off and on shut downs... all it took was computer chips to lower production to make things shut down due to a few plants overseas supplying the entire industry.

The Supply Chain is stressed even further in NA when USA and Canada banned certain truckers from going over the border... thousands aren't doing that now and they can't find enough Truckers to fill the spots. I guess the supply chain isn't as important as you thought it was. This is actually good for the Auto sector as they raised prices and people are paying Full Sticker = More profit.

Will cars made during this time be less reliable - most likely not, just fewer in supply and more expensive.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 29, 2010
1625 posts
3388 upvotes
GTA
Xtrema wrote: The question is, what can you do about it?

Switch to buying cheap cars? Avoid those years of used cars?

Cost cutting will accelerate in the following years too due to inflation and once a year set MSRP.
Basically avoid cars built during this era.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Feb 20, 2015
5280 posts
4939 upvotes
Southern Ontario
lolbeast wrote: Basically avoid cars built during this era.
Did you read my post? This is basically bunk. They shut down the plants and waited for the parts, the parts that were made for the car they were building.

You don't have to buy anything you don't want, but you thinking a 2020-2022 is any different in quality really makes no sense.
Deal Guru
Sep 1, 2004
12900 posts
13102 upvotes
lolbeast wrote: Basically avoid cars built during this era.
Good. Volume are low, less people fighting for them means more available and keep price low. :D

IMO, there will be a lot of disruption coming up too to impact quality of future cars. Labour has the smallest impact in the whole chain.
Deal Addict
Nov 8, 2017
3135 posts
1308 upvotes
lolbeast wrote: I guess this is still TBD but with the part shortages, and labor shortages are cars built during the covid times less reliable?

Substituting a part that's out of stock with a sketchy replacement?

High end cars being built by inexperienced folks?
Aren't these Tesla's specialties??

Edit: bold
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 29, 2010
1625 posts
3388 upvotes
GTA
Gibsons wrote: Did you read my post? This is basically bunk. They shut down the plants and waited for the parts, the parts that were made for the car they were building.

You don't have to buy anything you don't want, but you thinking a 2020-2022 is any different in quality really makes no sense.
My reply was in the context of 'what can we do about it'

IMO there is nothing that we can do as consumers except avoid cars with certain build years. That is, until we have real data about reliability.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Feb 20, 2015
5280 posts
4939 upvotes
Southern Ontario
lolbeast wrote: My reply was in the context of 'what can we do about it'

IMO there is nothing that we can do as consumers except avoid cars with certain build years. That is, until we have real data about reliability.
Your assumption is still false. They don't substitute parts if they have multi-million dollar contracts with a supplier... would you? How would you stay profitable if you entered into 2 contracts for the same part?

Hopefully people feel the same as you and don't buy, more for others who need a new vehicle.
Deal Guru
Sep 1, 2004
12900 posts
13102 upvotes
lolbeast wrote: IMO there is nothing that we can do as consumers except avoid cars with certain build years. That is, until we have real data about reliability.
How do you know if we are going to recover from this and reliability won't be compromised going forward and just limited to 2020/21/22?
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 29, 2010
1625 posts
3388 upvotes
GTA
Xtrema wrote: How do you know if we are going to recover from this and reliability won't be compromised going forward and just limited to 2020/21/22?
We dont know. But it will probably recover at some point.
Deal Guru
Sep 1, 2004
12900 posts
13102 upvotes
lolbeast wrote: We dont know. But it will probably recover at some point.
So you are going to be forever buying 2019 and older cars until the end of time?

No, I don't think we will recover. Kinda like we are just getting corn syrup instead of sugar in everything, there will be an automotive equivalent going forward.

Things will be done differently and source differently and quality will be lower going forward and could take up to a decade to settle. Labor is getting more expensive due to shortage and inflation. If you think people are disruptive building cars during COVID, wait til labor unrest get into the mix when wages can't keep up with inflation.

IMO, if you think 2020-23 are bad, you ain't buying a car until 2030. :D
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 29, 2010
1625 posts
3388 upvotes
GTA
Xtrema wrote: So you are going to be forever buying 2019 and older cars until the end of time?

No, I don't think we will recover. Kinda like we are just getting corn syrup instead of sugar in everything, there will be an automotive equivalent going forward.

Things will be done differently and source differently and quality will be lower going forward and could take up to a decade to settle. Labor is getting more expensive due to shortage and inflation. If you think people are disruptive building cars during COVID, wait til labor unrest get into the mix when wages can't keep up with inflation.

IMO, if you think 2020-23 are bad, you ain't buying a car until 2030. :D
I’ve placed a deposit on C8 and it will be sometime next year. Hearing about transmission and other issues though.
Deal Guru
Dec 20, 2018
10135 posts
10247 upvotes
JACKIE26 wrote: Hmm, makes you wonder.
Lexus Recalls 4,215 NX Models Over Improperly Welded Chassis
The shock absorber can separate from the vehicle body on affected vehicles, which is obviously bad.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/lexu ... 1T17:47:28
New car model production...this is expected and not covid related unless you think the robots who missed the weld due to were affected by covid?

And no effect on safety based on crash tests of the affected vehicles

Toyota immediately began to investigate the welding machine, concluding that it may not have recognized a work completion signal which should have been received from the process control board after completion. In this case, the welding machine doesn’t execute the next welding operation.

Toyota notes that the left and right welding machines failed to recognize the signal from the process control board in five out of 9,242 tests. What’s more, a variation in the signal width may cause the machine to not recognize the signal. Another investigation was carried out, assessing the vehicle’s crashworthiness in a frontal collision with missing spot welds. Toyota says that the deformation of the cabin was smaller than in a properly welded vehicle. In other words, the missing welds don’t affect crash performance.
Not like cars made before covid didn't have issues as well
Deal Fanatic
Jun 26, 2009
5429 posts
5285 upvotes
GTA
Gibsons wrote: My buddy works at an auto plant. There is no substitution for parts as they have contracts with suppliers.

"Just in Time" assembly works only when the supply chains and all plants are working properly. Most of these plants shut down for a period, to off and on shut downs... all it took was computer chips to lower production to make things shut down due to a few plants overseas supplying the entire industry.

The Supply Chain is stressed even further in NA when USA and Canada banned certain truckers from going over the border... thousands aren't doing that now and they can't find enough Truckers to fill the spots. I guess the supply chain isn't as important as you thought it was. This is actually good for the Auto sector as they raised prices and people are paying Full Sticker = More profit.

Will cars made during this time be less reliable - most likely not, just fewer in supply and more expensive.
Every manufacturing place that stops and restarts production has issues on the startup. Laid off workers have lower morale when they are recalled back to work, and simply care lesss. Company didn't care about my paycheck, I don't care about company. While this might not affect reliability that much, it will affect build quality 100%.

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)