Reply #7: A lot of the "costs" are just more examples of how we are being fleeced.

[woo me with science]

The recent post here at DU about dealers who tie all maintenance of their cars (including simple or generic fixes, like a windshield wiper) to a computer password so that the customer MUST return to the dealer for repairs, and so that a self-employed mechanic MUST pay for access to the computer system is just one example.

They are increasingly developing more expensive systems for even simple components of your car, like lights or tires, so that you have to return to them and cannot buy an inexpensive replacement at an auto shop. They can void warranties if you fail to follow their prescribed maintenance plan, returning when they decide and making the expensive adjustments they have decided are necessary. In a sense, you end up leasing your vehicle from them instead of owning it.