Crap Cars 'R' Us

Out here there is a car manufacturing company. They used to sell cars internationally but they have all but ceased selling overseas because... well... they are pretty shit. Recently thou with foreign investment and expertise they have started selling overseas again but still doing pretty badly. Its only the rock bottom prices that shift any of them from the forecourts.

Here thou they are number 1. Number 1 cos the government slaps a big fat tax on all non domestically made cars. Other than being voted international 2nd worst car of the year by Top Gear few years back what exactly makes them so bad that the government has to intervene to make these cars sell?

Well Being here has allowed me to solve that puzzle. Been here 3 mths now and in that time I have been thru 7 of their cars. 1st car suffered a high speed tyre blow out. 2nd car road tax ran out, so that 1 was mechanically ok... well... engine was very sluggish for a 1.5... but anyway, 3rd car dead alternator, 4th car blown gearbox, 5th car ECU problems, 6th car... see below...

Driving home from work suddenly the front left of the car went all wobbly, unstable, clunky and noisy. Initially suspected it could be a blown tyre again so I pulled over to the side of the road. Got out of the car and had a look. Only to see the damage as shown below. Picture 1 is of how a suspension strut should look when installed. Picture 2 shows the view I got.

The strut had snapped off from its mounting (1) The now snapped off strut (2) only staying in place by butting up against the ring like bracket. Also the strut bushing (3) and upper bearing (4) completely detached. YAY for domestic quality.

Knowing that calling for the car rental company road side assistance could mean me waiting hours to be rescued. I decided as I was just 20km from home, if I took it easy, avoided the potholes & bumps and stuck to the slow lane I should fine. After all after being in a car crash where you've rolled onto your roof, losing a wheel doesn't seem so bad. Besides... pfffrtttt, ain't my car.

Sure enough made it home fine. But now the challenge of getting the rental company to replace the car. 1st the girl on the line said no one was available to deliver the car and could I wait till tomorrow. The after some grilling it changed to no one was available till 2 hours later & could it wait till tomorrow. Then it was if they left now they would be stuck in rush hour traffic & could it wait till tomorrow. Felt so much like I was talking to my mechanics at work. Work shy lazy MoFos. Guess I shouldn't be that hard on em as the work shy lazy MoFo-ness is a national thing, the norm basically. Gotta remember the saying "When in Rome..."

Anyway guy turns up with my replacement car. Which is now car number 7. Wonder how long this will last. Am getting pretty sick of changing cars so often. Plus its getting a killer on the fone bill calling those guys all the time.