The Four Most Common Ways People Destroy Their Cars

Every year over ten million vehicles are sent to wholesale auto auctions throughout the United States.

Trade-ins. Off-lease vehicles. Repossessions. This market of nearly a half trillion dollars in assets is possible thanks to one brutal reality of car ownership: Bad owners.

Some car owners are simply not up to the task of owning and maintaining their car over the course of years. By slowly destroying their car, they also destroy their own wealth in the process.

A few of the vehicles that find their way to the auctions are rolling cream puffs, but the bulk have physical damage and mechanical issues that could have been easily avoided if the prior owner had taken care of the little problems before they became big.

A new car will quickly become an ugly four thousand pound paperweight in a matter of years due to the mistakes I put in four distinct categories. Call them “NARC:” Neglect, abuse, rust, and the one I see all too frequently in the car business — crap.

Photo: Dave7 via Flickr

Crap: Let’s start with crap since this one is by far the most common ingredient in the wasted money equation. Crap begins in your engine bay where many owners try to opt for the cheapest parts at the cheapest possible prices. In earlier times certain auto parts, such as alternators, window switches and fuel pumps, were given lifetime guarantees. Today though, those replacement components typically have a one-year to two-year guarantee from a discount parts store that offers a limited guarantee for an important reason.

The deal you just got from that low price stems from cheapness, and it has a domino effect of increasing your repair costs over time. Cheapness is a disease when it comes to cars and it often shortens the life expectancy and enjoyment of what you drive.

Photo: ktesh via Flickr

It isn’t just what’s under the hood that can hurt you. Down the road, cheap tires that last only 30,000 to 40,000 miles can result in expensive suspension repairs and usually wear out twice as quick as a quality replacement than can last 65,000 miles or beyond. Behind those tires, cheap brake pads squeal with abandon and eventually increase your overall costs due to the multiple labor hours it takes to replace two to three sets versus only one.

Neglect: Neglect is far more than just being a slob and treating the interior like a personalized trash bin. It’s the attitude of ignoring small problems that eventually become expensive ones.