In July 2005 Jennifer Matthews of San Francisco was driving with her 85-pound pit bull, Chopper, in the backseat of her five-day-old 2005 Lexus RX 330. A deer ran out in front of the car and Matthews slammed on the brakes. Chopper flew forward; a front paw hit the windshield and his back paws went through the LED screen of the navigation system. The damage was caused by an accident, and therefore it wasn’t covered under warranty. The cost to replace the navigation system: $6,600.
On July 13, 1999 Lyndon Grey was driving from his home in Glen Echo, Md., to a beach in Virginia when the windows in his 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300E went down without being touched. Naturally, it started to rain and the windows would not go back up. Later, his mechanic, Joe Testa of Glen Echo Exxon, found the problem. Grey’s windows are electronically controlled from a circuitry board ironically called a “convenience control unit module.” When the circuitry burned out, the windows went rogue.
“The repair cost $700 — and Mr. Grey is a friend” said Testa. “Retail, it would have run around $900.”
“Once electronics malfunction, you have a problem. I got rid of the car,” said Grey.
In today’s high-tech automotive industry, computers and sensors are rapidly replacing mechanical parts, increasing vehicle safety. But this additional convenience can bring added frustration and debt. Consumers aren’t buying sparkplugs or gaskets or even plain metal keys anymore. Some of the newer, hot vehicle options include keyless entry, rearview cameras, adaptive cruise control, radar sensors that slow you down if you get too close to the car in front of you and keyless entry — all electronic, and all very expensive.
Douglas Flint, owner of Tune-Up Technology in Alexandria, Va., makes this distinction between a mechanical part and computer module: “When you push a power window button that is mechanical, you push a switch that allows electricity to flow to the motor,” he said. “But when you push a power window button that is connected to electronics, you are making a request to a convenience center module to please allow the power windows to go up or down. These modules are now ubiquitous in vehicles even as old as a ’92 Mercedes, and they tend to bank a lot of functions on one module. The owner of the Mercedes made a request to raise his windows, and the computer turned him down.”
Warranties attached to the purchase of a vehicle generally cover everything except items that are subject to ordinary wear and tear, such as wiper blades, oil filters, brake pads, etc. Manufacturers also provide a rust/corrosion warranty and roadside assistance. Consumers may be responsible for paying for some roadside assistance, depending on their plan. Tires and batteries are often excluded but come with their own warranties. One of the ways auto companies add value to the purchase of a new vehicle is to increase the length of the warranty and offer it at no deductible, as Ford recently did with its Ford and Lincoln models.
However, the basic automotive warranty may not cover some of the newer, high-tech options like rearview cameras, adaptive cruise control, radar sensors and keyless entry. According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, the cost to replace electronic items include: Xenon headlights with washers, $1,600; adaptive cruise control components, $1,300 to $3,700; adaptive headlights with washers, $2,000; power, heated turn-signal side mirrors, $443 to nearly $1,000; back-up cameras, $4,200; rear-parking assists, $900.
“Technology is expensive,” said Tony Molla, vice president communication at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, which has a certification program for independent service professionals.
“My daughter wanted an iPod for Christmas,” he said. “It cost $400. A Pentium processor microchip costs $1,200 to $1,500. The same costs apply to automotive technology. Generally, these parts are made to last the life of a vehicle, unless there’s an accident.”
