One of the most popular motoring personalities on YouTube has offered a stark warning for anyone thinking about buying a new or nearly new car.
Scotty Kilmer has worked as a mechanic for more than 55 years and regularly posts videos to his YouTube channel in which he offers tips to help viewers avoid damaging their car and tests a wide range of new and used models.
In a recent short video, Scotty suggests that drivers looking for a new car should never buy a model with a recently-introduced engine or gearbox.
He advised: “Today I’m going to tell you why it’s not a good idea to buy a new car that has a big new design, such as a new engine or a new transmission.
“Now, this Toyota Camry has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, which is very reliable – you’d want to buy something like this. But, if a company comes out with a new engine or new transmission, you’re the guinea pig.”
Whilst motorists often like to be the first on the street to have something new, the mechanic warned that owning a vehicle with a newly-designed engine can come with problems.
Despite all car companies extensively testing their products in simulations and on private test tracks, brands can struggle to learn about the long-term issues with their designs when they are driven in the real world.
As a result, motorists could experience more problems with their new car, requiring them to get items repaired at a much more frequent rate.
Giving an example of the tip, Scotty explained that Toyota recently changed the engine in one of their successful American pickup trucks, with owners finding a number of faults.
He added: “For example, Toyota ditched the V8 in their brand new Tundras and put in a twin-turbocharged V6. They’ve had some problems with those engines since it’s a new design, and everyone’s buying that new design.
“Take this Toyota Matrix. It’s basically a Toyota Corolla with a different body on it. Bodies are fine as it doesn’t matter what they change, but as for new mechanicals it isn’t a wise idea.”
In addition to facing a higher number of faults with their vehicle, owners of cars with a new type of engine or transmission design will be at a higher risk of recalls.
Typically, recalls are issued by car manufacturers to all owners of a certain model if a fault was found that could potentially lead to dangerous situations happening.
Many car companies allow customers to look up if there are any outstanding recalls on their vehicle, with new requests coming through the post. Often, these letters will detail where they need to drop their vehicle off, with the repair almost always being free of charge.
