Which car repair left you questioning whether engineers ever actually work on the vehicles they create? | Carscoops

      A straightforward grille replacement on a Jeep Renegade has unveiled a strange design decision, prompting us to seek out your most frustrating examples.

       22 hours ago

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

       by Stephen Rivers

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

       Certain engineering decisions appear utterly baffling. We highlight at least three that we've encountered throughout the years and invite you to share your experiences with similar designs.

      

      Every car enthusiast has faced a moment in the garage where they pause, gaze at a component in their hands, and question which engineer decided to complicate their day.

      

      

      It’s a common rite of passage in the garage, blending disbelief, frustration, and a nagging feeling that someone is chuckling at you from behind a CAD monitor.

      Read: Apparently You Need Hyundai’s Permission To Change Your Own Brakes

      A Reddit user working on a Jeep Renegade initiated this very discussion after attempting what should’ve been a straightforward aesthetic upgrade: replacing the stock chrome grille inserts with black ones. In theory, this task could take as little as 60 seconds.

      

      

      There’s no need to open the hood or remove anything but the old inserts. There's even no requirement to disconnect the battery, which is a standard first step in most DIY car projects. However, the Renegade had other ideas.

      

      

      

      

      

       Morkot Store / Amazon

      

      

      

      After fifteen minutes of pushing, twisting, and questioning reality, the owner uncovered the punchline. All seven inserts are distinct. Not just slightly different, not “left side versus right side.” Each grille slot needs its own unique insert, complete with its own lettering code and misaligned locating tabs to ensure they can only be installed in the correct places.

      This sort of design prompted us to contact Jeep for clarification. As of now, the brand has indicated that a response is forthcoming, but we do not yet have it.

      Nonetheless, it makes us ponder what other strange, unnecessarily complicated, or outright frustrating engineering choices automakers have incorporated into otherwise standard vehicles. Here at Carscoops, we've experienced a few.

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      I sold my E60 BMW 535i after discovering that I had to remove the subframe to change my oxygen sensors. There was very little about that car that was easy to maintain, and the O2 sensors were the breaking point. Our editor-in-chief, John Halas, noted the ridiculous challenge of changing headlights on a Honda S2000.

      

      

      As I understand it, owners have two choices. One is to take off the bumper for access to the light housing. The other is to lift the car on jack stands or a lift, then remove the wheel and inner fender liner (see this write-up on S2KI). Imagine having a headlight fail during a nighttime road trip. Good luck! That’s not just inconvenient; it’s nearly sabotage.

      Now we want to hear from you. What’s the most perplexing, illogically complicated aspect of automotive engineering you’ve encountered while working on or maintaining your vehicle? Extra points if it made you swear off the brand completely.