[dugditches]

Environment matters a lot.

Road salt and Ocean Air destroys car bodies. The drivetrain can be fine, but the body just falls apart around it.

There's going to be an interesting time for Used Cars coming up, with all the electronics and complex parts. Where cars could be worked on in your garage or local shop, now need a trip to a dealer to work out the Electronic Wizardry.

Followed by the dying out of non-diesel ICE shops turning into just Brake and Tire places.

[kevan]

I've had good luck avoiding body rust in Minnesota, but on my last car (sold at 15yrs old) I ended up replacing every suspension and brake component over the last 3 years due to corrosion. My current car is 10 years old and I've already replaced a couple seized calipers.

[qes]

I have a 2007 Saab and even the dealership can't sort out the ghosts in the electronic wizardry. Not at any remotely reasonable cost. It's basically deal with it or spend thousands of dollars replacing at least the main computer, which has assumed far too many functions. The variety of things that malfunction together is absurd, and slightly frightening. I can't trust that an issue with the door locks or climate controls isn't going to manifest as the engine turning off or the steering column lock engaging mid-drive.

[Scoundreller]

I find it a funny thought because, in my experience, the OBD port often tells you exactly what is wrong, or at least where to look.

And if you have a common car (like my parents’ Corolla), an ambiguous code can tell a lot when you check the internet and you get directed to the most common failure mode.