[Closed] Stupid car design ideas of our time

Gunz - Member

Estate cars with a boot lip just negate the whole point and stop you sitting in there sheltering from the rain for a post-ride coffee.

I love the Skoda fix for the stupid boot lip- they make a box that you can put in the car that lifts the boot floor up to the same level. "Hi, sorry we made this car in a stupid way, but look, you can spend money for a stupid fix for our stupid mistake that makes your car even less good"

Not cars, but the original Suzuki SV650S, lovely little bike... Except, the oil pickup is too far forward in the sump. Apparently Suzuki hadn't heard that sometimes with motorbikes, the front wheel goes up in the air and if you do that for any length of time it sucks air instead of oil and kills the big end. They've had a couple of different attempts at fixing it with baffles and case redesigns and whatnot but never really got it right. (also it's a left/right split case with no removable sump so a total pain in the arse to get into, you have to dismantle the entire engine to access the sump and pickup)

Oh and the front mudguard doesn't protect the front sparkplug from spray, and while it has a rubber seal it's not airtight- they built it with drain holes and breathers to let water out, which lets water in better than they let it out because it hits the plug guard at 70mph. Good for manufacturers of mudguard extenders, sparkplugs and silicon grease, bad for everyone else.

Kawasaki 636 B1 IIRC- just an assembly thing. One of the shock bolts is fitted before the exhaust in the factory, and once the exhaust's on it's impossible to remove it. So that turns a 20 minute shock swap into a far bigger fairings off, exhaust off job (and since it's kawasaki, all the bolts are crap so if you get the fairings off first time after a couple of years they crown you king of England). Or, you cut the bolt. But what makes it really annoying is that if the bolt was in the other way round, ie from the left not the right, it'd not be an issue at all! So much hassle because of a bit of design thoughtlessness.

[i]My Wife's old Pug 308 was like this. Fairly large, wide car with massive dashboard; open the glovebox and you could just about get some thin gloves in there and a CD case. No room for sunglasses or anything else.
What have they done with all that space!?
[/i]
It's something to do with when the French manufacturers convert cars from left hand drive to RHD they don't bother to move the fuse box, hence this takes up most of the room in the glove box. See also bonnet release on the LHS.

I love the Skoda fix for the stupid boot lip- they make a box that you can put in the car that lifts the boot floor up to the same level.

Sounds fine to me. A boot without a lip is deeper, so you can fit tall stuff in without the box or fit the box if you want a flat load area.

That doesn't really make any sense- not having the lip would give all teh "advantages" of the box and none of the disadvantages. Getting customers to pay for a bodge doesn't seem fine to me (especially when they do it right on the bloomin A6)

Stupid Avensis fold-in wing mirrors, I've never had a car with motorised ones before, but now I have I like to use them when parking in busy areas, except that once you've turned the ignition off the button doesn't work.

Strange that they dont fold in when you lock your car. My focus has them but folds in when I lock it.

To be fair my MK2 cmax was quite good in terms of ergonomics but those rear seats are the work of the devil. They are just bloody stupid. Yes you can just fold all three down to get one bike in but it sits at an angle and I didn't like that for long journeys. If you fold the seats forward they are so bloody deep that the reduce the size of your boot so much you have to take both wheels off the bike. To get 2 or more bikes in the boot you have to take at least 2 of the seats out. And where do you put them then? I don't have a garage so ended up having to leave them in the conservatory which is less than ideal when that's where the kids toss are.

thats one of my major gripes about the C-Max too

although you dont have to remove the front wheels in order to replace the headlight bulbs, the instruction manual says that you have to remove the entire headlight unit but if you have small and flexible hands then you can swap the bulbs without removing the whole unit.
also why place the heated windscreen and rear screen switch in a location on the dashboard where they are obscured by the steering wheel?

That doesn't really make any sense- not having the lip would give all teh "advantages" of the box and none of the disadvantages.

I suspect it would compromise the structural integrity of the back of the car if you just took the lip out.

This:

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although you dont have to remove the front wheels in order to replace the headlight bulbs, the instruction manual says that you have to remove the entire headlight unit but if you have small and flexible hands then you can swap the bulbs without removing the whole unit.

I didn't own mine for long enough to find that out, only 20 months or so. I had to get rid of it as it was turning every drive into a shouting match with the stupid engine. The headlights on my MK2 focus had to be removed to change the bulb but it was only one torx bolt and a couple of clips and took 1 minute to do. so much easier than groping around not being able to see what you were doing.

Strange that they dont fold in when you lock your car

indeed! wish they did...

Just got a 2005 Navara and checked some forums after buying it.

Must have been a hell of a whim!

Those lovely new Jeep Grand Cherokees. The battery in hidden under the passenger seat, and to get at it the (electrically operated) seat must be all the way forward and upright... See the problem?

Probably already been mentioned but after I got a puncture on the drive into work this morning can I say any car with the spare slung in a basket under the boot floor, french manufacturers mainly. Ended up covered in the accumulated muck and crap that coated the wheel and it's a right pain in the arse getting the flat one back into the cradle which you need to do otherwise it rattles about.

Any car with crap, dim reversing lights. It's one of the most awkward maneuvers you can do in a car and it would be nice to see where I'm bloody going!

This, our Audi A1 is pretty bad, and my Dad's new Polo is the same.

I've taken to flicking the rear fog lights on - it is easier than trying to ride the footbrake.

Still pretty useless when the stupid bint pushing you backwards on a dark country lane never more than 6" from your front bumper won't switch down to her sidelights from her dip. Even the dip was blinding me, and I couldn't pull forward to reorientate the vehicle, because she'd left me no room. No amount of gesticulation got the message across, and I did about half a mile with one arm over my face.

I gave up in the end. It then took 30 minutes to explain and re-explain the difference between sidelights, dip and main beam. She then nearly took the front end of my car off when I went to pull forwards into the passing place, because I didn't want to reverse into a spot I can't see. Ach.

I'm not allowed to put proper mudflaps or a Hella 3000 on the back, becuase I'm not allowed to turn it 'into another damn rally car'.

Sounds fine to me. A boot without a lip is deeper, so you can fit tall stuff in without the box or fit the box if you want a flat load area.

I suspect it would compromise the structural integrity of the back of the car if you just took the lip out.

[i]Must have been a hell of a whim![/i]

I had just sold the ML and needed something to take the rubbish to the tip etc

You just sold the Mother in Law WCA? 😯

That's why an estate car designed with a lip in the first place is a stupid design.

No, I mean if you took it out at design time - you'd have to add in a lot of extra material, expense and weight to compensate I reckon.

although you dont have to remove the front wheels in order to replace the headlight bulbs, the instruction manual says that you have to remove the entire headlight unit but if you have small and flexible hands then you can swap the bulbs without removing the whole unit.

anotherdeadhero - Member

[i]Any car with crap, dim reversing lights. It's one of the most awkward maneuvers you can do in a car and it would be nice to see where I'm bloody going![/i]

This, our Audi A1 is pretty bad, and my Dad's new Polo is the same.

I've taken to flicking the rear fog lights on - it is easier than trying to ride the footbrake.

Tinted windows?
My wife was complaining that the reversing light in her new Ibiza was rubbish and really dim. I pointed out that it was probably the fairly heavy tint on her rear windows rather than a feeble reversing light.

Perhaps your A1 has the same problem?

Wasn't there a French car that because it was poorly designed for RH drive meant you had to take the steering rack out to change one of the headlight bulbs (or is that the small hands/full steering lock thing mentioned already?)

Perhaps your A1 has the same problem?

Nope, clear glass. Just a weedy reverse light.

My Lancia has bronze tint, and darkly tinted mirrors (great if you live on the Amalfi coast, I guess?!) but then it also has a decent size reverse light in each lens with LED replacement bulbs. The Hella 3000 is just for showing off 😛

Any car you can't fit a complete mtb (preferably fat) into is a crock of doggy do. 🙂

switchbacktrog - Member
With my Mazda 6, you get something like 30 seconds to close the windows after switching off.

[i]And if you press & hold the lock button on the key fob all the windows close.
Pressing and holding the open button will also open all the windows, great on those blazing hot days to vent the heat[/i].

Did that on my 2010 model...............but not the latest version 🙁 .

I have to work on cars, not just drive them.
If you think that designers cock up the interiors, you should try some basic mechanical work. So many cars require steering racks or subframes removing to change a clutch, and often just an extra half inch of clearance would mean this wasn't needed...

My favorite though has to be the Porsche 911. The bonnet and boot catches are electronic.
The battery is under the bonnet. If the battery goes flat you can't open the bonnet to charge it up.
Genius.
They give you a little charging point inside so you can charge the battery but fit it with a tiny thin wire so it takes about an hour to get enough charge in the battery to operate the catch.
There is an emergency release, but to get to it you have to remove the inner wheel arch lining. Which means you have to remove the wheel. And where is the locking wheel nut key kept? You guessed it - under the bonnet. They really didn't think this through did they? So much for German engineering...

"...and thicker-than-necessary pillars"

As others have mentioned above regarding changing bulbs.

I started to change one of the front turn signal bulbs (also doubles as the daytime running light on the front) on my Toyota Tacoma and after reading the directions realized it took some major disassembly from inside in front of the engine, so decided to save myself some aggravation and took it to the Toyota dealer---they did it in about 10 minutes.

Having been a first on the scene to a off set front crash between a new scoda octavia (or at least new in 2013) and a modus. The renault had been completely spun around but the doors still opened which made getting the driver out easliy. The skoda however you couldn't open the drivers door and the driver had to be taken over the front seats in to the rear (the passenger door was hard up against the bank). We had to get him out as the engine on the modus had caught fire and the brigade, whilst on there way we're going to be 20 minutes due to the location. Both drivers only suffered minor injuries which wouldn't have been the case of the cars were older.

Mazda 3. Every 6 windscreen washes it automatically sprayed the headlights twice. The headlight spray also blew up onto the windscreen and the second headlight spray was after the last windscreen wiper pass which meant the now clear windscreen got sprayed with water! Stupid.

'Both drivers only suffered minor injuries which wouldn't have been the case of the cars were older."

Crash scene investigation conclusion was it ?

Having seen the outcome of a lotus elise vs a volvo v70 (and a drunk driver)head on at high speed. luck on point of impact plays more of a factor imo than the age of the car ill take an older saab over a brand new great wall for example.

- the lotus faired very well its passenger cell mostly in tact , crumple zone trashed and my mate had a cut nose- drunk volvo driver was cut out his volvo.

VW T5.... The hazard light button is above the drinks holder pull out thing. Fine until you have a drink in the holder.

Mk1 Citroen C4. Hazard warning light button is obscured by your left hand when driving with your hands in the traditional 10 to 2 position

2013 Octavia estate:
Windscreen wash sprays headlights before windscreen if lights are on or in auto mode. That's fine except the washer bottle is feccin tiny so you run out of liquid on a long drive.

Most modern cars have the battery behind a headlight so changing the bulb is a challenge if you're an adult.
Space saver spare wheels are shite
No spare wheel - WTF?

Some cars have large engine bay but all the things you need to use or check eg washer bottle levels or coolant levels are placed in the least ergonomic position

ElShalimo - Member

Most modern cars have the battery behind a headlight so changing the bulb is a challenge if you're an adult.

I really like the Mondeo approach- the entire headlight comes out, which sounds unnecessary but it's mounted with 2 very large clips so it's literally 2 bodywork poppers, then 2 clips and it's done. Wiring bundle is very easy to disconnect etc. Took me as long to open the bulb packet as it took to change the bulb... Seems to me that this could be done on most cars

So the batterys behind the headlight ......

13mm spanner for the neg , unclip the pos and undo the battery clamp. Lift battey out ...

13mm spanner for the neg , unclip the pos and undo the battery clamp. Lift battey out ...

Just follow the reconnection proceedure in the manual.

Ive worked on all sorts of old/new stuff and bar occasionally putting a radio code.

Its not rocket science.

If you all want more and more toys and safety in your compact car its something youll have to live with. Bit like bencoopers smart needing the wheel to come off.

But then people are shit scared of their cars these days it doesnt surprise me.

Why cant we have led headlights make more sence than ever for cars, just need the price to come down , 300 quid for a set of e marked ones for the landy.....not happening but when they come down ill have some.

Its not rocket science.

If you all want more and more toys and safety in your compact car its something youll have to live with.

Not rocket science but it is piss poor design, sometimes designers need to step back and think for a moment. There should also be a banner across the design department saying "If you need to take parts out to change a bulb you got it wrong"

I really like the Mondeo approach- the entire headlight comes out

Aye , no reason it cant come out forwards with a few clips

Not sure where safety comes into it really, fact is when the battery comes out you end up having to deal with more issues than you started with. Also, that sounds like a fun job on the side of a road, in the dark. Still doesn't address the issue on the other side of the car either.

LEDs are shite as well, 25 year lifespan is about as likely as 10 years from a CFL and will fail long before then. Keeping the headlight unit clean and polished will do far more for your output than throwing good money after bad.

Rang the dealer, their going to switch off the Skoda double click passenger door thingy this afternoon. May have a chat about the lights too, high beam isn't anywhere near as powerful as our other cars or the ones I get from work, maybe some of those extra powerful bulbs are required?

Here's one I've only just learnt: If the turbo goes on a Landrover Discovery 3/4 the body has to be removed from the chasis to replace it!

Well designed quality led will outlast your incandecent bulbs by several times.....

Negate the changing issues by fitting something that rarely needs changing.

Polishing your lenses all day long wont help your output when the bulbs dead....

The number of cars i see around here seem to blow bulbs alot. In my current (french) cars i cant think of the last time i changed a bulb. Our old "quality" golf with its solid sounding doors used to blow headligt and sidelight bulbs for fun .....POS. they were easy to change at least.

Yep sharkbait Its the same on the rr sports too

Although i have seen some specialists who claim they can do it on both discos and rrs without a body lift the official land rover line is - body off

Nissan X trail washer bottle, which has a long conical filler tube that no matter how carefully you pour fluids in causes them to froth and means you only fill the bottle about 3/4 full unless you stand there trickling the water in for ages.

Peugeot amateur (expert) van oil filler that is so tight under the bonnet that invariably when you top the oil up it goes all over the engine as well.