# Auto design flaws **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 1, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035 "2012-01-01T14:07:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/1 "2012-01-01T14:07:38Z")
Two that I’ve experienced over and over again with various vehicles over the last 10-15 years … This one is dangerous! The “post” between the windshield and the passenger window is at the perfect angle to block cars coming from your right on a cross street. In addition, when you are coming to a stop sign and slowing down the last 30-40 feet it seems that the oncoming vehicle is also at the perfect speed to remain in that blind spot. I’ve started to pull out right in front of the other car many times…fortunately no collissions yet but alot of dirty looks. This one is just a pain… opening the trunk when the car is wet and having the water run right off into the trunk. Even worse, having semi-melted ice slide down the back window, thru the large space made when the trunk is opened and right into it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/2 "2012-01-01T14:30:04Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Two that I’ve experienced over and over again with various vehicles over the last 10-15 years … > > This one is dangerous! The “post” between the windshield and the passenger window is at the perfect angle to block cars coming from your right on a cross street. In addition, when you are coming to a stop sign and slowing down the last 30-40 feet it seems that the oncoming vehicle is also at the perfect speed to remain in that blind spot. I’ve started to pull out right in front of the other car many times…fortunately no collissions yet but alot of dirty looks. That would be the A-Pillar. My Civic had a huge A-Pillar and did that all the time. > [@](#): > > This one is just a pain… opening the trunk when the car is wet and having the water run right off into the trunk. Even worse, having semi-melted ice slide down the back window, thru the large space made when the trunk is opened and right into it. Cars seemed to have gotten better with that WRT to rain, but I’m sure snow and big flat sheets of ice/sleet will always be a problem. Here’s a problem that I used to have all the time that seems to have been solved in the last few years. From time to time I might drive with my left leg up against the driver seat or I might quickly move my right leg close to the seat for a second for one reason or another. It was always scary when I would do that and my pant leg would hook on the adjustment lever. It seems like my last two (three?) cars have fixed that by extending the lever all the way across so instead of it being a handle it’s a bar. Still though if my leg happens to hit that handle I quickly check to make sure my pant leg isn’t hooked on it. [Here’s](http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_7446-625x416.jpg) how they are now. I can’t find the old style, but it was just a handle that had a habit of hooking things. Assuming I didn’t just happen to have two cars with handles and then two cars with bars (which is possible since my last two cars have been Hondas) I assume it’s a safety thing that was quietly put in place. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/3 "2012-01-01T14:51:53Z")
A couple of years ago I bought my very first brand-new car: a VW GTI. I have loved it ever since, enjoying its snappy feel in turns. But it has one feature that annoys me, and is slightly hazardous: the heater vent control knob. In most cars the vent system is controlled by a slider or a knob with four or so detent positions. On my VW, the heat is controlled by a knob that has no detents and no stops. It just spins and spins. On my wife’s Subaru, to get “defrost,” you just have to turn the knob all the way until it stops. Sadly, in my car there is no way to do this. You must take your eyes off the road and look for the little line on the knob. It seems so un-German. Didn’t their engineers ever drive the car in the rain? ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/4 "2012-01-01T14:56:04Z")
The A-pillar issue will never be “fixed” - the views it blocks are a consequence of improving aerodynamics (& thus gas mileage) while still providing better crash protection than the cars of old. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/5 "2012-01-01T16:34:24Z")
No more “wing” windows-why is this? If you had them, you could direct a nice stream of air at your face-no need for A/C, and you kept most of the noise out. Rian gutters: nothing like opening the door, and having a few pints of water drop into your seat! What fool decided to get rid of them? I also don’t like climate control-I prefer to modulate the heat myself-anyway, climate control cannot cope with sunny winter days-your car heats up from the sunlight, yet the heater blasts you with hot air. And I liked the old highbeams foot switch-much better than the stalk mounted switch. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/6 "2012-01-01T17:04:14Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > No more “wing” windows-why is this? If you had them, you could direct a nice stream of air at your face-no need for A/C, and you kept most of the noise out. sealing and wind noise. > [@](#): > > Rian gutters: nothing like opening the door, and having a few pints of water drop into your seat! What fool decided to get rid of them? aerodynamics. > [@](#): > > I also don’t like climate control-I prefer to modulate the heat myself-anyway, climate control cannot cope with sunny winter days-your car heats up from the sunlight, yet the heater blasts you with hot air. then something’s not working right. in the Fords and Chyslers I’ve encountered with automatic climate control, there’s a little vent next to the steering column where interior air is pulled past a temp sensor. If the climate control is putting out heat it’s because that sensor is encountering cold air. > [@](#): > > And I liked the old highbeams foot switch-much better than the stalk mounted switch. until they corroded and got stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/7 "2012-01-01T17:25:57Z")
The rain gutters reminded me of another thing. I know this is all about aerodynamics, but I remember not that long ago (maybe 10 or 15 years ago) when you could crack the window open maybe an inch or two while it was raining and not get more then a few drops in the car. Try that now (just ask a smoker) and you’ll get soaked right along with everything near the window, the seat, the arm rest, the window controls, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/8 "2012-01-01T17:44:12Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > This one is just a pain… opening the trunk when the car is wet and having the water run right off into the trunk. Even worse, having semi-melted ice slide down the back window, thru the large space made when the trunk is opened and right into it. that’s one thing I really appreciate about my current car. The trunk hinges are complicated linkages, and throughout its range of motion, the trunk lid is always perfectly aligned over the drainage gutter at the front of the opening. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/9 "2012-01-01T18:57:52Z")
rain gutters allowed the occasional use of an inexpensive roof rack for ladders, building supplies, bikes, recreational gear, luggage. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/10 "2012-01-01T19:07:37Z")
General: The removal of rubber from car bumpers. Now almost every car has painted bumpers, which pretty much guarantees a dinged up bumper for anyone who needs to parallel park a lot. Specific: We looked at the new Jetta, but eliminated it because the front window doesn’t make it all the way to the door edge, so the door has a nice sharp point that would have given us lots of injuries and put holes in the garage wall. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/11 "2012-01-01T19:15:00Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Specific: We looked at the new Jetta, but eliminated it because the front window doesn’t make it all the way to the door edge, so the door has a nice sharp point that would have given us lots of injuries and put holes in the garage wall. [Here’s a photo of the Jetta’s door.](http://buyersguide.roadandtrack.com/media/eVox/stills_0320/7650/7650_st0320_039.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/12 "2012-01-01T19:25:49Z")
Questions answered by post #11. Which illustrates a fairly idiotic design, I’ll agree. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/13 "2012-01-01T19:31:49Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > No more “wing” windows-why is this? If you had them, you could direct a nice stream of air at your face-no need for A/C, and you kept most of the noise out. > Rian gutters: nothing like opening the door, and having a few pints of water drop into your seat! What fool decided to get rid of them? > I also don’t like climate control-I prefer to modulate the heat myself-anyway, climate control cannot cope with sunny winter days-your car heats up from the sunlight, yet the heater blasts you with hot air. > And I liked the old highbeams foot switch-much better than the stalk mounted switch. Why no wind wings? Simple, cost. Know how to make a million dollars in the car business? Save a buck a car and build a million of them. Wind wings are expensive. Rain gutters? Some cars have concealed rain gutters that keep most of the water out. (mine does) as far as climate systems go I haven’t seen one in a very long time that could not be overridden to run in a manual mode. Also many auto systems do detect sunlight and will direct cool air to the face when sunlight is present. Floor mounted dimmer switches? Again $ and the fact you can’t hit a floor mounted switch while your left foot is busy with a clutch pedal. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/14 "2012-01-02T16:16:25Z")
> [@jacobsta811](#): > > The A-pillar issue will never be “fixed” - the views it blocks are a consequence of improving aerodynamics (& thus gas mileage) while still providing better crash protection than the cars of old. Yep. You have to keep your head moving and look around it. I wish that the windshield mount mirror on my 06 Pathfinder could be slid up the window. I’m quite tall and it can create a blind spot. I often have to duck down and look below it to see forward. Yes I know that it would alter the angle that I can see behind me in the mirror. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/15 "2012-01-02T16:42:47Z")
The design flaw that makes me nuts is in my '98 Forester. There’s a nifty little cupholder that slides out of the dash. It has a drop-down bottom to hold the cup in place. Right in front of the climate control knobs. :smack: “Japanese Efficiency” indeed. I love this car and when it dies I want a new one but I seriously hope they have moved the cupholders. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/16 "2012-01-02T20:37:11Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > [Here’s](http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_7446-625x416.jpg) how they are now. I can’t find the old style, but it was just a handle that had a habit of hooking things. Assuming I didn’t just happen to have two cars with handles and then two cars with bars (which is possible since my last two cars have been Hondas) I assume it’s a safety thing that was quietly put in place. Grrrr. My new Subaru has this for the (non-powered) passenger seat. It makes it almost impossible to stash stuff under the passenger seat. Other recent annoying car flaws – they’ve removed the lock cylinders from the passenger and hatch doors, relying completely on the key remotes. Which, in my experience, work great for around six or seven years and then don’t. And sometimes (like when camping), I’d like to open my doors without a beeps and lights. Also, almost every new car has a very high “belt line”, which means that not only can’t you see well when backing up, but the car behind you can’t see what traffic in front of you is doing (even if your rear windows weren’t completely tinted and opaque). ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/17 "2012-01-02T21:13:28Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Two that I’ve experienced over and over again with various vehicles over the last 10-15 years … > > This one is dangerous! The “post” between the windshield and the passenger window is at the perfect angle to block cars coming from your right on a cross street. In addition, when you are coming to a stop sign and slowing down the last 30-40 feet it seems that the oncoming vehicle is also at the perfect speed to remain in that blind spot. I’ve started to pull out right in front of the other car many times…fortunately no collissions yet but alot of dirty looks. Are you unusually tall or short? Your line of sight is going to be affected by how far back you position the seat. If the A-pillar blocks the line of sight with the seat in close to the middle position, I’d call it a design flaw. But if it only blocks the vision of a very tall or short person, sometimes that would be more trouble to fix than it’s worth. There are definitely cars that are better for tall people and cars that are better for short people. Oddly, one of the best cars for tall people was the mid-90s Civic (a small car.) ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/18 "2012-01-02T21:22:15Z")
My 1998 Corolla doesn’t have a trunk release lever under the driver’s seat. There’s a lever for the gas tank, but if you want to open the trunk you have to unlock it with the key. It also doesn’t have a dashboard clock. I inherited the car from my grandfather and I know he got the most bare-bones setup possible with no extras, but I feel like simple things like a clock and a trunk release lever should not be “options” but should come standard. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/19 "2012-01-02T21:30:09Z")
My 2004 Escape has the shifter (or whatever it’s called on an automatic) coming out of the steering column and basically covering up the left side of the radio. More often than not, I go to hit the volume knob on the radio and end up bashing my hand into the shifter. Luckilly you can’t really shift into Drive or Park or Neutral by just banging your hand into the stick - it takes more force than accidental force - but still it’s a rotten design. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035/20 "2012-01-02T22:10:19Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Grrrr. My new Subaru has this for the (non-powered) passenger seat. It makes it almost impossible to stash stuff under the passenger seat. > > Other recent annoying car flaws – they’ve removed the lock cylinders from the passenger and hatch doors, relying completely on the key remotes. Which, in my experience, work great for around six or seven years and then don’t. And sometimes (like when camping), I’d like to open my doors without a beeps and lights. Also, almost every new car has a very high “belt line”, which means that not only can’t you see well when backing up, but the car behind you can’t see what traffic in front of you is doing (even if your rear windows weren’t completely tinted and opaque). What’s a ‘belt line’? I’m thinking it has something to do with seat belts, but I can’t make sense of it like that. Something else I’d like to do away with is reverse lights that turn on when the person unlocks their doors with their key fob. Flashing brake lights are great and make it a lot easier to find your car in a parking lot, but I’m sick of thinking someone is about to back up into me and that standing there like an idiot before I realize that there’s no one in the driver’s seat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-design-flaws/608035.md?page=2)