This mechanic says the days of DIY car repairs are over. And the insides of the Jeep Wrangler door make the case for him.
Thomas (@carsrme) regularly posts automotive advice and recommendations to his TikTok account. A recent video posted on Monday suggests that manufacturers design modern cars to be replaced rather than repaired.
The video currently has over 12,500 views and counting.
Thomas doesn't pull any punches when it comes to newer cars. His video caption simply reads, "New cars are not meant to be fixed."
"If a part is broken, it's not meant to be repaired," he claims. "It's meant to be replaced."
To demonstrate, Thomas shows how difficult it is to fix a malfunctioning door on a recent model Jeep Wrangler.
"Only four bolts hold this door panel onto the car," he states, showing the door's inner workings behind the interior panel. "the rest are all clips."
He then points out that most of the parts in the door consist of plastic parts "welded" together. Thomas claims this prevents anyone from attempting to fix the door handle. The DIYer further claims that he had to buy an entirely new door panel after breaking one small part on the old one.
He points out, "It's not for the lack of skills; it's not for the lack of tools." He says he can't buy individual parts, such as the handle, only. The smaller parts, he says, are not meant to be fixed.
"You can't get any of this stuff separately," he states. Instead, he needs to buy a new panel.
It may seem like modern vehicles aren't meant to be fixed at home.
To some extent, this is true. In addition to the problems Thomas described in his video, the complex electronics integrated into new vehicles make fixing them at home a daunting task.
According to the Frontier Group website, "Technologies in new cars that make life easier for drivers and safer for passengers increase the complexity of any needed repairs."
Many car features that were purely mechanical now utilize a vast array of sensors and electronics.
"Not only are replacement parts bristling with sensors, but they also need to be re-integrated into a vehicle’s electronic control system," per Frontier Group. And the software that controls and mediates the sensors requires specialists to repair it.
It may be the case in the future that vehicles may have to be repaired by specific dealerships and manufacturer outlets due to software copyright.
"Because software in cars is protected by copyright law, not simply patent law as is the case for specific car parts, automakers have more power to restrict access."
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jeep for a statement.
Plenty of viewers agreed with Carsrme's assessment.
"All the new vehicles are trash. People are spending an arm and a leg on them. That’s the funny part," one commented.
Phantom309 (@user597529378751) wrote, "It's all about fastest assembly time at the factory. Automakers don't care about ease of service anymore."
Another viewer complained, "$80-100k for some of these vehicles and everything is plastic junk. Stop buying this crap."
@carsrme Replying to @Geiokami Za Hasuki New cars are not meant to be fixed #Trucks #ChevyTrucks #GMT800 #Silverado #moneysavingtips ♬ original sound - Thomas
The Daily Dot reached out to Thomas via TikTok and Instagram messengers for further comment.
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The post ‘All new vehicles are trash’: Expert tries fixing door on Jeep. Then he opens it appeared first on The Daily Dot.
