Interesting note on towing from a pro

[sjordan2]

Due to a faulty cam sensor which was causing my 2004 Infinti to stall while running, and not a good thing if I'm making a left turn with oncoming traffic, I just had my car towed (only 40,000 miles on the odometer). I asked the truck driver, who has been doing this for over 20 years, what were the cars he towed the most? He said the following were most common, by far:

Lexus 

Infiniti

Mercedes

[GT4494]

Most owners of those vehicles can't even check the oil let alone figure out why it quit. 

[1930fordpickup]

Could it be the dealers he tows for? My late brother did this for a few years and they had contracts with dealers just like AAA. 

 

[Harry P.]

Due to a faulty cam sensor which was causing my 2004 Infinti to stall while running, and not a good thing if I'm making a left turn with oncoming traffic, I just had my car towed (only 40,000 miles on the odometer). I asked the truck driver, who has been doing this for over 20 years, what were the cars he towed the most? He said the following were most common, by far:

Lexus 

Infiniti

Mercedes

According to Consumer Reports, Lexus is the most reliable brand, by far. It doesn't add up that Lexus would be the most-often towed brand of car.

[Snake45]

According to Consumer Reports, Lexus is the most reliable brand, by far. It doesn't add up that Lexus would be the most-often towed brand of car.

Repos, maybe?

[Crazy Ed]

   I'll bet it's for Flat Tires where they don't want the "Knuckle Dragger" Tow Truck Driver changing it for 'em.

[martinfan5]

I am sorry, but I cant by that as a fact for those entire brands from one tow truck driver,  sure, it could be true in his area , he tows those the most, but for what reasons, without that info, its all very meaningless .

 

Infiniti being a part of Nissan,  its hard to believe, and I use my 2001 Nissan that has 312,000 miles on it as example, and in six years Ive owned it, its never been on a tow truck.  

[Tom Geiger]

Due to a faulty cam sensor which was causing my 2004 Infinti to stall while running, and not a good thing if I'm making a left turn with oncoming traffic, I just had my car towed (only 40,000 miles on the odometer).

Even though your car has 40,000 on it, the sensor still is over 12 years old. With electrical and electronic parts it can be more age than miles that kill them.  That is a very minor part to go bad also, and about a five minute job.

[Harry P.]

That is a very minor part to go bad also, and about a five minute job.

Or a two hour job when you go "by the book."

[MrBuick]

That doesn't surprise me...I've got a buddy who tows for AAA who said they're pretty common for him as well (though he says they're far from the numbers of Honda's, Toyota's, Ford's, Chevy's and other, lower-cost and more common brands). I think it has more to do with the electronics than the cars themselves being unreliable. Mechanically, most newer cars are very reliable (there are exceptions) and can probably last hundreds of thousands of miles if properly maintained, but there are so many electronics and gizmo's in modern cars that they seem to commonly start having issues around the 8-10 year mark, and the electronics sometimes don't last as long as the mechanical parts. Most of the time it's not even a major issue and can frequently just be ignored if you're willing to deal with an idiot light, but a little sensor can just as easily render the car inoperable or unsafe and cost a grand to fix. My sister owns a 2009 Altima. It's been a great car for her, it's mechanically sound, and she loves it. Recently however, there was a steering lock sensor that failed, which apparently is fairly common on this model\year combination. She couldn't even start the car because of it, and it just had to happen when she was in town with her 1-year-old son. So, she had it towed to a dealership and fixed there. 1000-something dollars later, it was fixed. On the whole, that's not a huge deal, because she's only had a few other issues with it and those happened when it was still under warranty, so 1000 in non-maintenance repairs on a 7 year old car isn't bad, but it was certainly unexpected, and it was just a stupid sensor. Nothing was actually wrong with the car. The most frustrating thing is the issue is common enough for Nissan to recognize it and extend the warranty on all 2009's by 6 years for this problem instead of issuing a recall (with would undoubtedly cost them more), but she fell just short of that warranty extension...as far as I know, she's still fighting with them over trying to get them to cover it anyway. But, I figure the more gadgets and gizmo's a car has, the more likely some stupid, small, expensive repair is going to be needed, many of which the DIY home 'mechanic' won't be able to easily\quickly\not willing to fix (that's one reason I'm willing to sacrifice the cookie-cutter creature comforts and drive older vehicles). With the brands you listed all being luxury cars, they're packed to the gills with electronics, so I'm not shocked that they're commonly towed.

[Harry P.]

You have a point there. Most of the "unreliable" ratings given to today's cars are due to electronics and gizmos, not mechanical reliabilty.

[sjordan2]

The driver is from the area's largest towing company and, indeed, is AAA certified.

Edited May 11, 2016 by sjordan2

[Petetrucker07]

You can't even check the oil on a Mercedes. There is no dipstick.  The computer let's you know if the oil is low or time to change it.

Most owners of those vehicles can't even check the oil let alone figure out why it quit. 

[MrBuick]

You can't even check the oil on a Mercedes. There is no dipstick.  The computer let's you know if the oil is low or time to change it.

 

LOL! Really? Well I hope that sensor doesn't quit working.

[Petetrucker07]

My mother in-law has one. It's a 03'. It's funny. No dipstick for engine oil. Trans fluid has a tube, no stick. You have to buy a special stick to check the trans fluid. If you don't buy that stick, the tube is open. Kinda like new Fords having no fuel cap.

LOL! Really? Well I hope that sensor doesn't quit working.

[SSNJim]

You can't even check the oil on a Mercedes. There is no dipstick.  The computer let's you know if the oil is low or time to change it.

 

My 2007 Mustang V6 automatic doesn't have a transmission dipstick. From the owner's manual: "The 5R55S transmission does not have a transmission fluid dipstick. ... Transmission fluid should be checked and, if required, fluid should be added by an authorized dealer." Oddly enough, the next page in the manual tells you how to check and add manual transmission fluid.

Edited May 11, 2016 by SSNJim

[MrBuick]

Wow...."Oh, here, pay $30k+ for a car and you can drive it, but if you want to do anything to it, even maintenance, you need to have us do that for you...and you have to pay us more. If you try to do anything yourself, even if you change the transmission fluid and then the cooling system develops a leak, we're not going to honor the warranty."

[angelo7]

Jim, you forgot to draw a nose on your Avatar

[peteski]

You have a point there. Most of the "unreliable" ratings given to today's cars are due to electronics and gizmos, not mechanical reliabilty.

Does it really matter whether the problem is mechanical or electronic when the car is unable to run?  Nope!  It is broken.  All that goes under the overall reliability ratings. Then regardless whether it is mechanical or electronic failure, there are repair costs.  See where I'm going with this?  The failures might have have shifted from mechanical to electronics, but they are still failures. 

Edited May 11, 2016 by peteski

[charlie8575]

That doesn't surprise me...I've got a buddy who tows for AAA who said they're pretty common for him as well (though he says they're far from the numbers of Honda's, Toyota's, Ford's, Chevy's and other, lower-cost and more common brands). I think it has more to do with the electronics than the cars themselves being unreliable. Mechanically, most newer cars are very reliable (there are exceptions) and can probably last hundreds of thousands of miles if properly maintained, but there are so many electronics and gizmo's in modern cars that they seem to commonly start having issues around the 8-10 year mark, and the electronics sometimes don't last as long as the mechanical parts. Most of the time it's not even a major issue and can frequently just be ignored if you're willing to deal with an idiot light, but a little sensor can just as easily render the car inoperable or unsafe and cost a grand to fix. My sister owns a 2009 Altima. It's been a great car for her, it's mechanically sound, and she loves it. Recently however, there was a steering lock sensor that failed, which apparently is fairly common on this model\year combination. She couldn't even start the car because of it, and it just had to happen when she was in town with her 1-year-old son. So, she had it towed to a dealership and fixed there. 1000-something dollars later, it was fixed. On the whole, that's not a huge deal, because she's only had a few other issues with it and those happened when it was still under warranty, so 1000 in non-maintenance repairs on a 7 year old car isn't bad, but it was certainly unexpected, and it was just a stupid sensor. Nothing was actually wrong with the car. The most frustrating thing is the issue is common enough for Nissan to recognize it and extend the warranty on all 2009's by 6 years for this problem instead of issuing a recall (with would undoubtedly cost them more), but she fell just short of that warranty extension...as far as I know, she's still fighting with them over trying to get them to cover it anyway. But, I figure the more gadgets and gizmo's a car has, the more likely some stupid, small, expensive repair is going to be needed, many of which the DIY home 'mechanic' won't be able to easily\quickly\not willing to fix (that's one reason I'm willing to sacrifice the cookie-cutter creature comforts and drive older vehicles). With the brands you listed all being luxury cars, they're packed to the gills with electronics, so I'm not shocked that they're commonly towed.

One more reason I like my cars old and fairly stupid.

$1000 to fix a friggin' ignition lock? Really? What an absolute rip, even allowing for foreign car parts being in orbit to start with.

Charlie Larkin

[slusher]

I am sorry, but I cant by that as a fact for those entire brands from one tow truck driver,  sure, it could be true in his area , he tows those the most, but for what reasons, without that info, its all very meaningless .

 

Infiniti being a part of Nissan,  its hard to believe, and I use my 2001 Nissan that has 312,000 miles on it as example, and in six years Ive owned it, its never been on a tow truck.  

Skip is in Knoxville and 2 interstates run thru there has to be more then 3 expensive cars being towed the most. I would like to know the reasons myself....

Edited May 11, 2016 by slusher

[espo]

On the subject of most often towed: This usually has to do with the number of those models sold.  Reliability:  As others have stated most vehicles today have a good reliability record but as they age they usually are not maintained as often as they should be. I found it interesting that others have found out that they do not have a transmission dip stick. I thought it was just a Chrysler thing but it seems others are finding the same problem. We have a '10 Charger RT AWD that I had to go buy a universal dip stick for. The dip stick comes with a chart to tell you how much oil is in the transmission depending on the reading. There are several vehicles listed with most being imports. The transmission in the Charger is of a design from when Mercedes owned Chrysler and I thought that might have something to do with it. This my now enable me to convince my wife that we should really buy something from the '60's just so I can keep it going. You know like a Corvette or something like that.

[Spex84]

The power door locks in my '90s Jeep are now non-functional. I have to use a key, like a neanderthal. Thankfully it has manual windows and interior door locks, so there aren't any more motors or electronics to die.

Even modern pickup trucks are so loaded with sensors and gegaws that I wonder if the functional lifespan of new vehicles is going to remain at 10-15 years forever, despite advances in manufacturing, because we keep hamstringing them with quirky electrical systems.

 

 

[GT4494]

Gee the Model A only has 1 fuse.  If the starter quits I can still crank it and I can change the tires with the same tool.  I just can't figure out where to hook the OBDII reader so I can check the emissions equipment...  

[redneckrigger]

An ambulance service that I used to work as a Paramedic for had a Sprinter ambulance, made by Mercedes, marketed by Dodge. We had to do a rig check before every shift. The check list for all of the rigs, the 2 Fords, and the Sprinter were the same. The Sprinter had no dipstick, so the oil check never got done on her. It was ALSO one of the biggest POS trucks I've ever seen, and two I'll tell you about were not cheap. The Sprinter and my own Dodge each cost well over 45K. With the Sprinter, everything from the brakes going bad at a year old, transmission breaking after 20K, to the sliding side door falling off while enroute to the hospital, with patient on board...........rather exciting I will say! The other biggest POS was also a Dodge, a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Hemi which I put 62,000 miles on in 5 years. It went through two transmissions, 12 u-joints, a rear end, rotors all around, calipers all around, two air conditioning blender control systems at 1000 each, three exhaust manifolds which rotted off the engine, engine control computer, 3 O2 sensors, a catalytic converter, a fuel injection pump, 5 injectors, and the last straw was an oil pan that the bottom fell out of while I was trying to remove the drain plug...........BUT, the oil sure did drain FAST. Danged thing cost me 8500 on out of warranty repairs in the last year I had it. It was TRULY a POS that was probably a Friday built truck or a Monday hangover built truck. Had a Ford 1993 Eddie Bauer full size Bronco before that which I put 416,000 miles on............flawless. I only got rid of her so I could get a vehicle big enough to plow my new driveway. I would LOVE to get her back!

Edited May 12, 2016 by redneckrigger