Has car manufacturing quality gone downhill or is it just me?

[TechMinerUK]

I'll preface this by saying I haven't owned many cars but recently I've felt as though a lot of the new cars on the market have really sub-standard quality/finishing.

I remember when my mum and dad bought cars in the past and you could walk down the side of them with your coat on, stand on the sills, drive them without worry and they'd get a few marks here or there but they could always be polished out without anyone being able to see them

Now though it seems that you so much as look at the paint work or the wheels funny and it gets a mark deep enough into the clear coat to warrant a respray.

Even when it's not damage related the quality of the paint work that's turfed out just feels sub-par from the paintwork being contaminated to in some cases just flat out not having enough on and being able to see through to the basecoat.

The past two cars I've owned have been relatively new and have either had really soft and delicate paintwork or the wheels on them have barely been able to cope with standard usage without suffering damage.

Part of the reason for this post is that this morning I just found a scratch/chip on my wheel on a car which is less than 2 years old and that has done less than 3000 miles on the left side (So it's not even facing oncoming traffic at the best of times)

/rant

Is it just me or does anyone else think the same or have similar stories of newer cars having suboptimal quality?

 

[Nasher]

Definitely has with the push for "green" and recyclable materials. Some plastics aren't far from cheese, paint is thin and soft. Anything gloss plastic especially is going to scratch immediately. If you look at interiors from 15-20 years ago the plastics are much thicker and harder even on cheap cars.

I've managed to put scratches in some modern interior plastics while using trim tools, which are soft plastic designed NOT to scratch things If you need to remove any clipped on trim parts, they are likely going to break now as they are so fragile.

 

[sigma]

It's been going down for over 20 years

 

[shifty_uk]

I’m in slight disagreement, I think manufacturing standards have got better over the years, general fit and finish is probably better. The issue is how advanced materials and tech have become that everything's so easy to break.. you could say the same about phones for example, how easy is it to scratch or break an iphone compared to an old Nokia..

Cars are also very disposable, people don’t look after or service them right.

 

[Nasher]

I’m in slight disagreement, I think manufacturing standards have got better over the years, general fit and finish is probably better. The issue is how advanced materials and tech have become that everything's so easy to break.. you could say the same about phones for example, how easy is it to scratch or break an iphone compared to an old Nokia..

Cars are also very disposable, people don’t look after or service them right.

Well that seems to be quite unique to iPhones tbh. They are just made fragile

Most phone screens are tough plastic and don't break easily. Mine has fallen on hard surfaces and isn't marked at all and it's a cheap phone.

 

[sovietspybob]

yeah it's a strange one, as manufacturing has become more precise they've been able to cut back on some things.

Paint thickness for example, they've not got the tech to be able to paint a car with a far far thinner coat of paint and it still look good. But the obvious downside is its far less durable and more prone to damage.

 

[tom_e]

Most phone screens are tough plastic and don't break easily. Mine has fallen on hard surfaces and isn't marked at all and it's a cheap phone.

What? Very few phones and zero proper smart phones I can think of have plastic screens anymore they're all toughened glass of some description

 

[TechMinerUK]

Definitely has with the push for "green" and recyclable materials. Some plastics aren't far from cheese, paint is thin and soft. Anything gloss plastic especially is going to scratch immediately. If you look at interiors from 15-20 years ago the plastics are much thicker and harder even on cheap cars.

I've managed to put scratches in some modern interior plastics while using trim tools, which are soft plastic designed NOT to scratch things If you need to remove any clipped on trim parts, they are likely going to break now as they are so fragile.

Urgh, removing trim is a nightmare now with the cheap plastic clips and latches. Even when they aren't directly exposed to the heat of the engine just being in the interior and heating/cooling overtime makes them brittle and certain to snap!

I’m in slight disagreement, I think manufacturing standards have got better over the years, general fit and finish is probably better. The issue is how advanced materials and tech have become that everything's so easy to break.. you could say the same about phones for example, how easy is it to scratch or break an iphone compared to an old Nokia..

Cars are also very disposable, people don’t look after or service them right.

I think you are right on manufacturing tolerance being better e.g. panel gap and the overall fitting together of parts but the parts themselves are definitely worse. That being said the newer iPhones I have used seem to be more durable than the older moddles such as the 3G/3GS which would shatter into smitherines when dropped onto a hard floor.

 

[sigma]

I’m in slight disagreement, I think manufacturing standards have got better over the years, general fit and finish is probably better. The issue is how advanced materials and tech have become that everything's so easy to break.. you could say the same about phones for example, how easy is it to scratch or break an iphone compared to an old Nokia..

Cars are also very disposable, people don’t look after or service them right.

Precision and techniques have improved but quality has definitely declined (driven by cost more than anything, I guess). Complexity has also increased, especially regarding electronics, which surely impacts longevity - a hallmark of quality IMO.

Some of the posters who work in the industry probably have good insight? @Jonnycoupe @Simon @sx_turbo

 

[Matt_Hirst]

I was having a conversation with the wife on the way here and was remarking about all the new cars seem to look as though they have really cheap looking plastic grills...doesn't appeal to me.

 

[Janesy B]

Think you're forgetting the fact most things would have visible rust on them after 5 or so years in the 90s, anything red would oxidise etc. Cars on the whole are much more reliable when you consider all the extra regulation hoisted upon manufacturers.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Modern cars are ****, they are designed to break.

I think cars peaked mid 2000's.

Or yes as above, basically 20 years ago.... wow.

 

[Brun]

Anyone complaining about scratches on wheels needs reminding that all but the most expensive cars used to have these...

 

[Nasher]

Modern cars are ****, they are designed to break.

I think cars peaked mid 2000's.

Or yes as above, basically 20 years ago.... wow.

Late 90s to mid 00s does seem to be the golden era. Best and most reliable engines which weren't so choked with emissions control stuff, best steering, not made from Chinesium.

Once the hard push to "go green" arrived, quality of everything just seemed to dive. You can't really even get full leather in most cars now. It's usually fake (or vegan as it's now called lol), or just the front seats which are real leather.

 

[tom_e]

I was having a conversation with the wife on the way here and was remarking about all the new cars seem to look as though they have really cheap looking plastic grills...doesn't appeal to me.

Seems to be an EV thing or at least that's where I've noticed it, someone realised they don't need the grill for airflow so just lobbed some horrible glossy black plastic in the gap.

 

[sigma]

Think you're forgetting the fact most things would have visible rust on them after 5 or so years in the 90s, anything red would oxidise etc. Cars on the whole are much more reliable when you consider all the extra regulation hoisted upon manufacturers.

Yeah fair point, I guess I'm thinking specifically about the hay days of Mercedes and high end cars

 

[rare]

Materials have got worse. Cost cutting is evident everywhere.

In other ways they have got better. Overall fit and finish is largely better. Technology has become a problem, a hindrance. I blame both the manufacturers and legislators.

Although I personally think cars peaked in the mid 2000’s.

 

[CaneyJ]

I work for a sub-supplier to some automotive companies.

Where as before for instance a basic trim piece used to be pure ABS plastic, nowadays they often mandate 20% 'Talc' filler to bulk it out and to cut down on kg costs.

Would explain why plastics are going brittle faster with all the filler they add and doesn't bode well for things like inlet manifolds which used to be castings.

 

[rare]

I was having a conversation with the wife on the way here and was remarking about all the new cars seem to look as though they have really cheap looking plastic grills...doesn't appeal to me.

Plastic everywhere. Even expensive cars look plasticky these days.

 

[Nasher]

I work for a sub-supplier to some automotive companies.

Where as before for instance a basic trim piece used to be pure ABS plastic, nowadays they often mandate 20% 'Talc' filler to bulk it out and to cut down on kg costs.

Would explain why plastics are going brittle faster with all the filler they add and doesn't bode well for things like inlet manifolds which used to be castings.

Which is odd, as talc is being taken off sale due to asbestos risks