So if the design of an ECU is so crap that it can blow itself up, how can the same company that designed it have the nerve to charge £600 to replace it with one of a similarly crap design?
So, 10 years, £600 (+vat) = £60 pa (ditto) = £1.20 p.w. (inc vat) for ECUs - forever.
It's not an awful lot if you budget for it - but a car manufacturer should tell you "- oh, BTW, apart from the things you know will wear out and need maintaining, we've put some special gremlin boxes in, just to keep you guessing. So, for all the bits of stupid design that we just couldn't be bothered to fix, get a tin and put, say 20 quid a week in. To be on the safe side, because we'll put prices up without improving quality, call it 30 quid a week. Don't worry about it - think of it as a kind of "stupid tax"
So, over and above all those understandable expenses like tyres and brakes and servicing and so on - all with VAT on the top, if you are the proud owner of our vehicle for 10 years, you should be paying about £10K for our incompetence. Don't worry, it's industry standard, we all do it - it's part of our business model. The government positively encourage it."
"Well, I wouldn't like that at all" said Alice. Disagreeable girl.
Moral of the story: when you buy a complex thing like a car - it doesn't end there - it's just the start. You've just given your back door keys to the manufacturer; if they run a bit short, they can always nip in and help themselves to a few bob.
There's nothing you can do, so bend over.
Sleep well.
So, 10 years, £600 (+vat) = £60 pa (ditto) = £1.20 p.w. (inc vat) for ECUs - forever.
It's not an awful lot if you budget for it - but a car manufacturer should tell you "- oh, BTW, apart from the things you know will wear out and need maintaining, we've put some special gremlin boxes in, just to keep you guessing. So, for all the bits of stupid design that we just couldn't be bothered to fix, get a tin and put, say 20 quid a week in. To be on the safe side, because we'll put prices up without improving quality, call it 30 quid a week. Don't worry about it - think of it as a kind of "stupid tax"
So, over and above all those understandable expenses like tyres and brakes and servicing and so on - all with VAT on the top, if you are the proud owner of our vehicle for 10 years, you should be paying about £10K for our incompetence. Don't worry, it's industry standard, we all do it - it's part of our business model. The government positively encourage it."
"Well, I wouldn't like that at all" said Alice. Disagreeable girl.
Moral of the story: when you buy a complex thing like a car - it doesn't end there - it's just the start. You've just given your back door keys to the manufacturer; if they run a bit short, they can always nip in and help themselves to a few bob.
There's nothing you can do, so bend over.
Sleep well.
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