Truck Repair, Technology and Prosperity!
To follow up on my lament about our broken down truck earlier this week, the "bad news" landed today, in the form of an $836.00 repair bill.
Ugh...
Half-joking with the office manager at the service center about how we reach the point with older vehicles where we basically start rebuilding them with new parts.
It's a costly affair!
Our truck is precisely "of an age" where it is partially computerized, meaning that as an ordinary person you're going to lack certain electronic diagnostic gear to work on it, yourself.
I don't even want to think about new cars. And then there are EVs. Who works on EVs? Mechanics or computer scientists?
I remember my parents used to drive a Saab that always needed various electronic parts replaced, and it was invariably hundreds of dollars, if not over $1000. And that was 20 years ago!
I can appreciate something like a transmission being expensive, but why does some silicon circuit board that was likely mass printed in Malaysia for 29 cents end up costing $400 to replace in a car?
Which brings me to the next point... of whatever happened to the whole idea and promise that technology and automation was supposed to make our lives less expensive?
The way things are heading don't exactly ring true with us entering an era of prosperity...
Of course some might argue that the parts are expensive for no other reason than "because they know we have no choice" which is and attitude that has long plagued the medical field. Well... at least here in the USA.
But what about this alleged "prosperity?"
Is it supposed to come about because we have more money? Because I'm not really seeing that happening...
But I'm also not seeing lower costs taking effect pretty much anywhere.
Meanwhile, we at least have a working truck again... and maybe after 200 blog posts, it'll be paid for!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your week!
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Created at 2024-06-05 11:58 PDT
1162/2419
That pretty much sums it up, particularly in the area of "new and improved."
I know! My general helper just replaced the tires on her van 2 years ago. She noticed that one of the tires had worn weirdly and had a long drive ahead of her today. Because the van is all wheel drive, she had to replace all 4 tires again, and then get an alignment. Total: $1300!! That's insane!
It's just plain crazy! And it doesn't really seem like the Right to repair movement is gaining much traction. I don't like this growing sensation that "grin and bear it" is our only choice...
Why is it that expensive?
I wonder what kind of truck it is and maybe it is of an expensive brand
Ironically, it's your basic US Chevy pickup truck... they even used to be known as "$40 trucks" because almost ALL repairs on them cost about 40 USD. But not anymore...