Is Kuroto's Beloved Car Finally Scrapped? Explaining the Key Points

When I was a street racer, the Mazda RX-7 (FC and FD) I drove never had any major breakdowns and retained good residual value when sold. However, since I won't be repairing this one before selling it, it probably won't fetch much of a price. Back when I drove the RX-7, I traveled long distances and drove aggressively, including drifting, but never experienced a single notable failure. In contrast, my BMW has been incredibly prone to breakdowns. I had heard from my brother, who drives a 7 Series, that his car was always breaking down, but this was the only hardtop convertible with a spacious backseat. (Cries)

In 2016, inspired by the cool car (Regalia) in Final Fantasy XV, I looked for a 4-seater convertible and bought this BMW used. However, I never actually had the chance to go on a trip with four people. "Why did I even buy a 4-seater with a spacious backseat?" I keep telling myself. In the first place, for someone in their late 50s/early 60s, most friends already have grown-up children or even grandchildren. If traveling with family, a car that can carry many people like a Voxy or Alphard is best. Come to think of it, while a trip with four 20-somethings looks picture-perfect, who wants to see a picture of four middle-aged men traveling together?

Now, I will leave the explanation of why Japanese cars lack attractive designs or features (though they have been improving lately, the variety of convertibles is still limited) to others. Instead, I would like to summarize my personal experience with why foreign cars break down so often.

<Common Breakdown Areas>

1. Electrical System

Ordinarily, Japanese cars use computers for fuel control, but in foreign cars, absolutely everything is connected to a computer. Even in an older car like my BMW, there are about three computers installed, and numerous sensors are naturally connected to them. Steering, tire pressure, headlight current checks—computers manage everything down to details where you wonder if they even considered the risk of failure. To make matters worse, the computers themselves frequently fail due to heat or sudden voltage fluctuations. When that happens, it's common for the steering to lose power or the windshield wipers to suddenly start moving without stopping. The electrical load also ruins ignition coils and spark plugs, often requiring a complete set replacement.

2. Cooling System

This rarely happens in Japanese cars, but European cars, in particular, use electric pumps that constantly circulate coolant to cool the engine quickly and boost performance. The pump runs continuously as long as the engine is on. Consequently, this water pump is said to have a lifespan of 5 years. However, it never lasts 5 years. Due to a structurally weak mounting design, it is constantly exposed to engine vibrations, and the non-stop pump usually fails after about 3 years. The terrifying part is that if the coolant stops circulating, the engine bay instantly reaches extremely high temperatures. This not only ruins the computers and electrical systems but can also destroy the engine itself (overheating). Cracked reservoir tanks and broken pipes are also common. Japanese cars avoid this method by utilizing natural convection for coolant circulation, meaning the cooling system continues to function even without electricity, unless a pipe actually bursts.

3. Oil System

The oil system is also highly prone to failure. This is caused by issues with the materials used for tubes and pipes (similar to the cooling system), exacerbated by Japan's high humidity and severe temperature fluctuations. In short, they degrade, crack, or disconnect quickly, requiring frequent replacement if driven in Japan—though standard vehicle inspections (shaken) don't look that deep. Because replacements are expensive, the typical response is to just tighten them up and call it a day, even if there is minor leakage. Furthermore, perhaps due to poor engine bay design, gaskets degrade quickly, and oil leaks from the oil pan are severe. In short, it leaks from everywhere lol. Well, in a rotary engine, oil burns along with the fuel, so it decreases just as fast, but...

4. Power Windows

While this is technically part of the electrical system, the physical mechanism is also involved, so I will address it separately. This failure is rare in passenger cars like the 335 (though still more common than in Japanese cars), but occurs frequently in SUVs like the X5 series. The structure seems prone to failure, and when it breaks, the entire unit must be replaced. While cheaper than other repairs, it still costs a pretty penny. Having this fail on a rainy day is the absolute worst. And for some reason, it always seems to fail on rainy days lol.

5. Suspension and Drivetrain

In my BMW, thanks to careful driving (I had only driven it about 70,000 km), I never experienced critical suspension issues. However, on my brother's 7 Series, the drive shaft (the massive rod that transfers power from the engine to the rear wheels) actually snapped.

In summary, one could say that European cars prioritize design and catalog specs while giving almost no thought to ease of maintenance. They require regular maintenance, yet are difficult to maintain... Quite a paradox, isn't it? lol

To avoid misunderstanding, apart from the frequent breakdowns, the BMW I owned was a wonderful car for me. It offered great stability at high speeds, a timeless design, a beautiful interior, and a cool engine sound, making it a joy to drive. While the RX-7 was a fun car for drifting and speeding, the heavy 335i feels sluggish to an older driver and gets pulled wide in corners, but its straight-line performance is superb. Driving open-top along the coastal road became a blissful time to relax.

However, the high cost of replacement parts when it breaks down remains a major burden. Most of all, even after repairing it, the anxiety of not being able to go on long trips takes a mental toll (such as having to tow it from 20km away, with towing fees varying by distance). This stress is the main reason I decided to stop driving it. Incidentally, a massive volume of replica parts for European cars is manufactured in China and sold worldwide. However, their quality is poor, so they break down quickly lol. But since genuine parts also break down quickly, there isn't much difference. In that sense, a very large economic ecosystem has been established.

Other BMW owners I know say the exact same thing; some even claim that you only reach the starting line once your repair costs exceed the value of the vehicle itself lol. While my repair costs have indeed surpassed the car's value, I certainly don't want to treat that as the starting line. I've heard of some enthusiasts spending up to three times the value.

Therefore, with this latest breakdown, I plan to graduate from (sell) the BMW and switch to a Daihatsu Copen. It appears that production of the Copen will end in August 2026. Unless another manufacturer releases a new Regalia-style car, I intend to enjoy the open-top life with the fuel-efficient Copen, especially since gasoline prices are expected to keep rising.