Basic Audi and BMW and MB break equally infrequently than a basic toyota or Honda or Nissan.
That's good to know, but I'll not buy another German car until they fix their rodent problem. I would have thought German engineers were bright enough to have figured out how to do that. They've had quite a few years to do it, and they haven't yet! And then there is Volkswagen cheating on emission standards. (Not certain, but I think VW may have been the first to adopt soy.)
To be fair, and we do want to be fair. Nowadays , many manufacturers have this same problem, because they have adopted the same wiring insulation used by the German manufacturers since very early 2000s.
Let's put credit where credit is due however. Although it's very difficult to track down the originator of soy-based wire insulation --- who wants to take credit for creating a problem amounting to million of dollars in law suits? --- the data strongly suggests it was the Germans who were the first to adopt. That great German engineering has bitten us all in the ass! Now their environmentally and rodent friendly "innovation" has spread to practically all manufacturers. Until the manufacturers have the pants sued off of them they'll just pass the problem on to owners and their insurance companies.
https://globalnews.ca/news/1106736/german-cars-serve-as-smorgasbord-for-rodents/
German cars serve as smorgasbord for rodents
by
Paula Baker Global News
Posted January 24, 2014 11:58 pm
Updated January 25, 2014 12:07 am
A lot of cars are showing up at the mechanic with chewed wires, thanks to rodents, who are finding their way into the engines and doing some very expensive damage.
According to mechanics, the rodents appear to be turning to German brands of cars in order to satiate their palates.
Global News spoke to one mechanic who showed a BMW X-5 with $6,000 worth of damage, most likely by rats, done to the vehicle’s wiring and upholstery.
“It seems to be getting worse,” said John Siamoutas, a Burnaby Firestone mechanic. “I’m starting to see almost 30 per cent of the cars, I see not chewed wires all the time but evidence that they’re there. There are droppings on the engine.”
The BMW is considered “a bad case” but is one of many that have been brought to the Burnaby auto shop.
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“The population is definitely up,” said Jason Page, Solutions Pest Control Ltd.
Page attributes the increase in rodents this winter due to mild weather, food availability and sunshine.
Exterminators tell Global News that not only has the warmer, dryer weather led to a boom in local rodent population, they’re also being drawn outside by a warm engine or the smell leftover food in vehicles.
According to Siamoutas and his experience, rodents seem to have a penchant for a certain type of import, one that’s particularly expensive.
“I was talking to with an insurance company one time and they said it was something to do with the insulation on the German cars,” Siamoutas explained.
“One particular car i was working was a Mercedes and the whole harness was chewed on the engine side, there’s something with the insulation that coats the wiring that mice/rodents just seem to love.
” It’s chocolate for rodents.”
When it comes down to it, mechanics say safety is a concern, especially when it comes to an airbag that’s become a nest for rodents, making the ‘protective’ feature ineffective.
Hyundai usually plays it very safe with basic car concepts. They don't have any serious offroader nor luxury car in their segment outside of Korea. And in their standard segment I don't see how they run leaps around other comparable Toyota models, for example. They seem to try to fish for customers with their generous warranty and low pricing, some of which borders price dumping to gain market share.
