Quote:
Originally Posted by tvpierce
The difference is that the European automaker philosophy is to make a car that if maintained properly, will last 20 years. The American automaker philosophy is to make a car that will last for the duration of the warrantee, then it can be thrown out.
Your mentality is exactly why American automakers don't recommend it. The average American auto buyer looks at the service recommendations and says, "Geez, that MB needs a lot more service than that Chevy... I guess I'll buy the Chevy." So they're encouraging you to maintain your Chevy poorly, and you're rewarding them by buying a Chevy every 5 years.
Yet another symptom of our pathetic throw-away society.
(In my humble opinion)
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I could not agree more with everything that you said. Having lived in Europe for many years, and now in Canada, I see a huge difference. The latter seems to have an out of sight out of mind mentality, and where preventive maintenance is not followed so strongly. Even if you ignore the importance of regular vehicle maintenance on passenger and pedestrian safety,it can also save you money over the life of your vehicle.. I would rather spend $50 every 2-3 years for a brake fluid flush, than $500 every 5-10 years on new calipers and master cylinder etc. Also the US vehicle manufacturers are playing this silly marketing game, where they advertise their products as low maintenance or virtually maintenance free, i.e. fill with gas and drive. This is of course ridiculous but it does not stop many consumers from buying into such wishful thinking. IMHO having your brakes well maintained (including a regular brake fluid flush) is good for overall safety, and in the long run, your pocket book.