I have always beleived that its a manufactures responsibility to supply car parts for 10 years after a car has finished production.
Its come to light that a current manufacture cant supply a part (a panel) for a car that is 6 years out of production. The supplier to the
company allegedly went bust taking all the equipment with them.
The car manufacturer is still going strong, this one part is about the only thing unavailable.
Now I wondered if anyone on here was aware of the law or european directive or whatever that forces a car manufacture to supply parts
and for how long. I am beginning to think its a myth, but if someone knows different could they post the details.
Thanks
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puntoo
Always been a myth; some parts [wiring looms etc.] can disappear within two years of production ceasing.
Trim parts for early versions can become NLA even while the model is still in production.
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puntoo, what part is it you are after then & what year / car / model is it?
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Not a myth but might as well be.
Believe this 10 year thing to be another EU generated directive, all very fine in theory but so shot full of loopholes its laughable.
Rgds.
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It is manufacturer dependant. The parts supply chain varies enormously between manufaturers. Parts availability with older models is loosly proportional to the original cost. Pick your 10-year-out-of-production car carefully.
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It depends on the parts;I could still get mechanical parts for a 1983 XR4i from my dealer three or four years ago within 2 days but I doubt if trim would be available.
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Not a myth but might as well be. Believe this 10 year thing to be another EU generated directive, all very fine in theory but so shot full of loopholes its laughable. Rgds.
Nothing to do with EU - just a made-up story. Its entirely up to the manufacturer.
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" Nothing to do with the EU - just a made up story, its entirely up to the manufacturer "
Yes, that would not surprise me at all.
Rgds.
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Its come to light that a current manufacture cant supply a part (a panel) for a car that is 6 years out of production. The supplier to the company allegedly went bust taking all the equipment with them.
Can we guess the name / model - Renault Espace and the part supplier Matra?
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The part (panel) is a Fiat Coupe front bonnet. Last one produced in 2001. So only 6-7 years old.
The part was made by a third party and the stories we (fiat coupe club uk) are hearing are that the press deformed after it had produced so many and/or the third party supplier went bust. No more available from Fiat anywhere in Europe and no responsbility from Fiat to produce any more.
Carbon Fibre ones are an option but because of the size and weight of them GRP is out of the question and I doubt any independent panel maker would produce them for a low volume car.
I suppose we are lucky in that there is currently a reasonable supply of bonnets from wrecked or engine damaged models (currently cost about £300 second hand plus paint) but that wont last forever, and the recent bad weather means there are probably 5 more second hand bonnets required after damage.
So I am sort of coming round to the idea that the 10 year supply of parts is dependent on the manufacture and there is nothing to force a manufacture to continue to produce parts.
Thanks for everyones feedback its been very helpful.
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Even if the car maker stops supplying parts someone else will be along if there is the demand.
I've experienced no problems with a 1993 Volvo or a 1964 Triumph.
Don't Mercedes claim to be able to supply any part for any car they have ever made? The example of a 1905 crankshaft comes to mind.
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I guess if a manufacturer uses an outside supplier who is the sole source and they go bust then other people may look at the business case for carrying on and will do it if it's worth it, and won't if it's not!
Didn't this look like it was going to be a major issue when Rover went bust as they were supplying engines to other manufacturers?
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Now you've got Ford building "K" series engines(and improving them).
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Now you've got Ford building "K" series engines(and improving them).
Interesting............can you say which K series engine are Ford building?
I thought NAC had bought Powertrain (the MGR engine manufacturer) and was now building the units (re-badged) in China.
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The one that was used by Land Rover.
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Its come to light that a current manufacture cant supply a part (a panel) for a car that is 6 years out of production.
I had a 5 month wait for a door mirror for a car that is still in production! so 10 years may be the time from order to supply?? (only joking ((I hope!)))
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Would third parties in Italy not still be making pattern bonnets for the Coupe?
May just be a case of sourcing a supplier there and importing in small numbers.
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Would third parties in Italy not still be making pattern bonnets for the Coupe?
Since I run the same model car as puntoo,I have more than a passing interest in this problem.
I have read on the coupe club website that front windscreens are also difficult if not impossible to source. This problem is serious for owners like me who had intended to keep this rather special car for some time yet.
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Daewoo Nexia expansion bottle is out of service ceased production in '98 - luckily there are a few in the scrap yards
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I drive an Audi 80 (93 Model), this is getting me worried. AIm to keep for a good few years yet. I believe that the 80 range including coupe stopped in 99. Can anyone confirm that? Does that mean parts will be hard to obatin after 2009?
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I wouldn't imagine that keeping an Audi 80 going would be much of a problem. If its electrical then its likely to still be made my bosch or similar, but you should be able to find parts from scrapyears etc. And if they are as reliable as everyone suggests then their should still be a stock of parts at audi. Also I would imagine that pattern parts would still be available.
As for the previous question about finding a supplier in Italy, then its not going to happen. Low volume car compared to other models , I think it was about 70,000 - 80,000 made in total of which about 8000 came to the uk the rest are spread about in europe and far east and that was spread over 7 years, fiat have never disclosed the true number produced.
The bonnet is a big item as it forms part of the wing. New from Fiat they cost about £500, secondhand they command about £300 (for a good one)
I wouldn't even know how to find a pattern car part maker in italy and I dont know of a pattern part maker in the uk that specialises in Fiat.
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Go to GSF parts (German Swedish French). They do most parts for older continental makes at very competitive prices. They list the Audi 80.
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We had regular seminars by trading-standards at a place I used to work which was a very large IT Mail order company.
They said that there was a new (at the time) EU Law which said that you had to repair something for 10 years from new, I remember she said however, there was no limit on how much you could charge.
The crux was it was just another stupid useless law.
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Repair and holding spares are two entirely different things.
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The company I work for is not in the motor trade but, as a guide from the manufacturers perspective, for our products we have to supply spare parts for a period of 5 years after a particular model has ceased production.
We will supply spares after that period under certain circumstances, ie
The part is still being used on a current model.
The part is a regular "failure" and it is profitable to keep doing so.
A company places an order for a sufficiently large quantity of "obsolete" parts that it is worth manufacturing a batch.
The customer is sufficiently large, with enough "clout" to lean on us. This doen't happen very often but we have to respond.
I bet that if there was still a profitable market for Ford Anglia 105E front offside wings then Ford would still be making them!
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When most body panels become obsolete,the press tools are usually offered for sale to outside suppliers but not many firms have the equipment to press the bigger panels;remember the major manufacturers have presses big enough to make a whole side or floorpan in one go.
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VW van anyone?, not only are spares available 30 years later, they are cheaper!
keep it quiet
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VW van anyone?, not only are spares available 30 years later, they are cheaper! keep it quiet
Just like my Triumph 2000 from 1964. I have never yet needed a part I couldn't get by next day courier delivery.
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I worked for a company manufacturing turbochargers and crankshaft dampers for truck/bus/gen-set diesel engines.
The policy which governed obsolescence of products was that complete replacement units should be available for 10 years from last OE supply, and spare parts for a further 10 years.
(Unless the original equipment had been used for a military or marine application (e.g. warship gen-sets) in which case we had to supply units for 10 years and spares for a further 15.)
In terms of controlling inventory and jigs, fixtures etc. this obviously contributed to the high prices of parts for older engines.
Passenger car spares supply is, I know, a completely different business to heavy duty diesels.
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