Why are car and caravan spare parts so expensive?

[Dustydog]

A friend’s VW Golf has a problem with the cooling fan. It won’t switch off even when the engine is stopped. The replacement “module” is £400 plus labour.
Years ago this was a simple issue needing replacement of the thermostatic sensor . Circa £10.
🙀🙀🙉

 

[Mr Plodd]

Apparently its called "Progress" 🙄

 

[otherclive]

Can’t he buy a non OEM part. I bought a pattern part for our Rio rear view camera, and rear door locking switch. Even from UK salvage they were asking £100 just for the camera. Auto doc are a good source, my son bought a fan speed controller for £60 for his Duster. Wheras dealers wanted around the same price as being asked for your friends Golf.

 

[Woodentop]

Everything today is driven by a small computer. Most modern cars have anything for about 5 up to mid teens. Garages no longer have mechanics, just technicians who are stumped if "computer says no." If the computer that controls the fan won't talk to them then the only solution is a new computer - no-one ever thinks to check the main sensor (which is just an electronic resistance device known as a thermistor) in which - usually - the resistance of goes down as it gets hotter (the inverse of a resistor.). If there is a connection failure between the sensor and its monitoring system the engine computer will decide that the engine is overheating and keep the fan running. Also on VAG vehicles the radiator fan(s) often keeping running for anything up to about 5 or more minutes after switch off. Finally the fan(s) also keep running with the engine switched off if the master computer has decided that DPF cleaning time has been reached.

 

[Beachball]

I think my wife having a problem with her VW Up clutch so be taking it in for a check .

 

[Andy Norfolk]

Things aren't made to be cost effectively repaired. Look at washing machines, usually cheaper to buy a new one than have a repair.

 

[Lutz]

The biggest cost driver for spare parts is the cost of storage space for parts which may not be required for a very long time. Also, if parts aren't held in stock, they would have to be manufactured specially in a probably very small production run requiring expensive extra tooling costs. Except for high turnover parts which can be sold somewhat cheaper because ancillary costs are not so high, we in the industry normally calculated a sales price approximately ten times what we paid for the same part as used for production purposes.