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Why Your New Car Is Nearly Impossible to Fix (And It’s Getting Worse)
(www.carsandhorsepower.com)
this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2026
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Technology
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As someone who fix car for a living and most car engine here is below 2.0L, i find that european car or european inspired car (chinese) are notoriously hard to fix. Some simple stuff can take hours to repair and that cost people more.
Like for example, recently one owner of Geely Boyue(1st gen) come in with an engine oil/coolant mixing issue, so the culprit is the oil cooler. To access the oil cooler i have to remove all the useless plastic cover, inlet manifold, fuel pump, water pump, and then finally the cooler. Then i also have to change the radiator because of the oil clogging the rad, which i have to take off the whole front bumper, headlamp, the front (plastic) frame, air cond condenser, turbo cooler, then finally to the radiator. Doing it at one go solo takes around 8 to 9 hours, separately takes about 4.5 - 5 hours each. And you have to handle it with care, because a mistake (paint scratch, snapped plastic) can cost you and your company, and you have to interact with shit tons of plastic. Hard to access wiring, bolts and nuts that is hidden from plain sight, all these bullshit drag the repair time to double digit. Not to mention if your radiator fan motor spoiled you have to remove the radiator to get to it.
Ohh did i mention how annoying it is to change the battery? I have to remove the whole cover with brittle plastic clip and cover and sometime the air filter box just to access the battery. Compare that to something like Honda Civic 2017, it's day and night.
I'd just considering myself lucky since i don't have to deal with the interior.
snapping plastics is the most infuriating thing when it happens.
I am not a mechanic and can't fix cars, but I have found the same to be true for just jumping a car with jumper cables.
Where is my battery on my 08 Toyota Corolla? Right there. I can see it.
Where is the battery in the 19 Honda pilot? Under some bullshit, have no idea where it is without a YouTube video and even then you need baby hands to fit through the junk and reach it without taking anything out.
Where is the battery in the 19 Toyota hybrid? I think it's under the trunk?? I don't know because by this point I had given up and just called a tow truck and purchased a portable jumper for my 08 Toyota I was trying to jump with those two vehicles from my family.
I'm not buying a new car until it rots out from under me.
I have a fiat 500. I find it easier and cheaper to fix than my toyota. The diagnostic software is top notch and can even program keys cost under a hundred dollars. Since its close to the european version I have great documentation since in europe they don't paywall the repairs like they do in the US.
It's unfortunate but this gets you more car per kilogram/millimeter.
That 2017 Civic probably uses more fuel than a significantly more spacious and comfier Euro wagon with a diesel engine,. My 2003 E-class could do just above 5 l/100km on the highway and had TONS of space. Like who needs a van if you have one of those. Newer ones with tighter engine bays get more space in relation to car length and also less weight for same amount of car AND get better fuel economy.
Really it's the third or fourth owner's problem when shit starts breaking at 300-400k km and you're constantly fixing it
5L = 1.32gal
100Km = 62 miles
So for US folks out there, that equates to roughly 47MPG
Diesel is great and all, but currently in the Midwest, specifically the Chicago area, GasBuddy shows "regular" 87 octane hovering around $4-4.10gal and diesel at ~$5.50/gal.
That 2017 Honda Civic achieved roughly 30mpg city/40hwy (depending on trim, engine, trans, etc) call it 35mpg averaged.
So if 35mpg costs you $4, and 47mpg costs you $5.5, then gas costs $0.114/mile and diesel costs $0.117/mile.
Now, technically speaking, diesel emits more CO2 than gasoline per gallon burned, however, because gasoline isn't as efficient per mile, diesel had a very slight advantage of being about 5% lower CO2 emissions per mile; however, it emits more NOx per mile.
https://theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/Gas_v_Diesel_CO2_emissions_FV_20190503_1.pdf
All in all, they're pretty tied, IMO.
You might as well be talking about the Acura MDX. 2013, precisely.
A lot more car is going that way, and i'm just a short asian guy with small stature trying to navigate the giant sized car that all designed to be a lengthy fix.
Lol. You're not alone, bro. 😂