Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Does anyone know how long a car's parts are made by the manufactuer after the car ends production? 15,20,25 years? I mean parts like brake pads and hoses can be made by any parts maker but what about the engine block, transmission, body panels, and unique things of that nature. In 30 years where could i find a engine for my classic 05 LS430? Or where would i find the hub assembly or rear differential for it?

Coconut

I heard somewhere most modern cars must be supported for at least 10 years. So I'm guessing 15 years or so?

Right now they are starting to discontinue a few OEM parts for 91' NSX's so thats about 20 years.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I was under the impression that its 25 years. I could be wrong though

Ap1_Alan

iTrader: (1)

There is no rule/law, a car company can stop making parts immediately or continue making them for 30 years.

"Contrary to a widely held belief, though, car makers do not have to keep making parts for 10 years after ending production of a car or a line of cars."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...016433580.html

Aron9000

GM is the worst about discontinuing parts for a car, after 10-12 years you are SOL except for normal wear items like brakes and stuff, and what dealers still have in their inventory.

BMW, on the other hand still makes parts for popular, long discontinued models like the 1980's E30 3 series. You can completely rebuild that car mechanically from geniune BMW parts to this day, I knew somebody who had one. They even make complete dash tops still, convertible tops, body panels, fenders, its crazy how well BMW supports their older car owners.

Lil4X

It depends on both the OEM and the market. If you go to the JC Whitney catalog, you can build a Model T Ford from new parts supplied by the aftermarket. Some classics like the VW Bug have dozens of parts in manufacture today - and hundreds of salvage yards where used parts are available. Hobbyists tend to drive the aftermarket, so membership in a club that specializes in your particular vehicle is a huge help in exchanging information and resources.

I've found as a rule, most wrecking yards send their cars to the crusher after ten years, give or take. Some popular models may be found years later, but the yards have to clear out space to take in more discarded vehicles every year - so the oldest examples, particularly those that don't get many requests for parts, get recycled. In 2009 I replaced the body computer in our old 1992 minivan with parts from a junkyard. A couple of months later I went back to the same yard for a cracked taillight lens, and the five or six Caravans of that vintage had just gone to the crusher. I found what I needed in a yard in Florida.

mmarshall

Maybe slightly off-topic, but in 30 years most of us will probably be drivng electric-powered cars of one type or another (hybrid, fuel-cell, solar-battery, etc...)

As far as how long parts must be produced by the OEM manufacturer after American-market vehicles are dropped, the last hard and firm figure I saw was a 7-year Federal regulation, but it may (?) now be up to 10. I couldn't find any hard evidence of the 10, though.