Design Faults on your car

[60six]

Just discovered a hilarious but also slightly annoying design fault on my saab 900. Whilst unloading a huge printer from my back seat with the engine running I released the front seat back and the top hit the steering wheel - setting of the horn. I didn't realise this and immediately thought "what curse word is doing that? can't they just go round me?" - Then I realised it was me. DOH.

What design faults does your car have?

I have heard of an aston martin which when it's in park, you can't eject the CD from the player.....

[mitsuru]

Where to start with the Chrysler |Dodge Neon mk1?
The fuel lines were made of mild steel The brake line may have also been originally.
The rear springs are inadequate most mk1 Neon owners in the states agree on this,
and I have replaced mine with mk2 springs which are taller and stronger.
(No-longer a flabby drive)

[markbognor]

K11 Micras are quite tricky to get fuel into because of the design of the pipe after the fuel cap. You perfect a technique of pulling the nozzle out slightly and rotating it clockwise about 45 degrees.

[Dez]

apart from the 'well known' ones like an fso polinez being a hatchback with a rear seat that doesnt fold down, i cant really thing of any faults that hamper the usabilty of any car ive had myself. maybe the rear lights on an e30 touring being so prone to getting smashed loading things up. but then i tend to buy VWs as my dailys which are pretty well thought out.

when it comes to servicing and replacing parts though, theres a million faults with pretty much every car ive ever worked on that make jobs that should be mega simple much more complicated.

[mitsuru]

After reading this thread on neons.org it sounds like most people have to lift the body off thge chassis to change the spark plugs on the engines of ford Excursion
"The Excursion is so big it doesn't have to have an EPA economy rating, same as a Semi truck. "

forums.neons.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=402485

[awoo]

on my integra type r theres a spoiler on it as standard, and it cuts right across your view in the rear view mirror, so you see sky, a bit of tarmac and a big white horizontal wedge of plastic. great car though.

[VIP]

My Lexus LS400, the boot release switch is deactivated when the engine is running. So if you're dropping someone off or picking someone up and they need boot access, you have to turn the engine off to open it.

[Dez]

Mar 23, 2013 13:46:31 GMT VIP said:

My Lexus LS400, the boot release switch is deactivated when the engine is running. So if you're dropping someone off or picking someone up and they need boot access, you have to turn the engine off to open it.

my mums escort estate used to do that. real PITA.

[curly89]

Water traps! At the moment I'm dealing with many on an xr3/rst cabby at the moment. But one that sits in my mind is the front jacking points on my Sierra, the jack slots into a hole on a bulbous lump on the underside of the car, but there is no drain hole on the base so water just sits there and rot sets in

[v8ian]

BMW E 39 tourers, the rear window is a lift up so you can have the tailgate shut but the window lifted, the loom fails in the tailgate and the rear window is forever opening, and the heater control "hedgehog" when this goes tits up, it runs the fan while the car is parked and flattens the battery.

[clougher95]

Mar 23, 2013 12:12:23 GMT 60six said:

I have heard of an aston martin which when it's in park, you can't eject the CD from the player.....

Haha, that happens with my dad's DB7! With the auto's you can't get a cassette out in park, and the same problems with manual's in 5th gear!

No problems with CD's though, as the multi-changer thingy is in the boot, which I always thought was a little weird too..

[sarkie83]

Capri's and there inherent tenancy for front end vibration (although I got shot down on a certain forum for daring to suggest that a Capri wasn't perfect in every way )

Where the heating controls are on the Arosa/Lupo. They are basically on the floor, so you end up having to pull over and stop to change them as you have to properly take your eyes off the road otherwise

[colonelsponsz]

When the super-luxury velour arm-rest on my Golf SE is folded down, you can't use the handbrake - when it's up, you catch your elbow on it. I don't know why i haven't removed it yet....

[Violet Vivid]

Only real 'fault' on any of mine is the Imp gets quite twitchy due to wind above 70mph.

This was something the designers were going to correct with a chin spoiler (& so shall I!)

xXx

[jnoiles]

On my S1 elise, everything but going around corners is essentially a design flaw.

[darrenh]

the doors on my landy have a pop up nob inside (like most cars) but its independent from the external door lock.

if the door is locked from the outside and you pull the nob up, cant open the door from the inside, or outside.

if you unlock the door from outside, push the nob down, door still opens from outside.

if you unlock the door from the outside, get in, push the nob down, you cant open the door from the inside (but as above can still be opened from the outside)

so basically all the nob does is allow you to lock yourself from getting out of the vehicle, when you are already in it.

completely pointless.

[Deleted]

As discovered today on my 2001 Passat, also effects 2001-2005 Passats, the plastic under tray has vents to draw air into the engine bay. These also draw in snow and slush, and after a very short distance RAM the engine bay with snow and rip the under tray off!

It's done 3 of us on UKPassats this weekend, and pretty much 90% of other owners in the past.

Our 1996 Honda Civic also had the thing with the fuel filler necks, you had to get it bang on to fuel up, and if the pump nozzle had been damaged and the end wasn't perfectly round you could forget it!

[darrenh]

mk2 astra design faults.

they have power steering rack, clutch, brake pedal and steering column mounted to 1 small area of bulkhead which is about 1.2mm thick sheet steel, and gets wet frequently

electric window switches, up puts the windows down, down puts the windows up. and the switches are directly below the sunroof winder, which leaks drips, so they rust.

hand brake lever was designed for LHD kadett shell, so its awkward in RHD shells.

sunroof drains are piped deliberately into the sills.

[andyborris]

Mar 23, 2013 16:26:33 GMT jnoiles said:

On my S1 elise, everything but going around corners is essentially a design flaw.

This is very funny. And the reason you own it. ;D

[tubbs]

My wifes beetle (newer shape) there is no way of opening the boot with a KEY ! Instead you have a button, which you press. And the boot lid fails to open. So it takes two people, one to press the button and one to lift the lid. It curse word me off so much i decided the hinges must be shagged so i bought some new ones, changed them and guess what ? Still the same.
So now, if you want to get in the boot alone, sit in car, press button and slam the door with the button pressed and the boot lid opens on air pressure.....how curse word is that