Serviceability is not a top priority for vehicle design teams, but it should be. Vehicle designers will surely read this article and remonstrate that there is no real issue here, and that modern computer-aided design makes vehicle repairs logical, efficient, and affordable. Any first year mechanic’s apprentice knows better.
To prove the point, let’s look a couple of real repairs. Chrysler will take the sharp point of our whoopin' stick in these examples, but the sins of the industry are not bounded by brand. And nowhere is bad service/repair design more evident than in the industry's antiquated approach to heating and air conditioning systems.
Let’s start with a 2000 Chrysler Concorde, a car with, well... issues. Other egregious offenses aside, this particular Concorde’s air conditioner blows more hot air than a freshman congressman, now that the evaporator core has sprung its characteristic leak.
The thoughtful addition of a foam blanket wrapped around the evaporator traps moisture and creates a fertile breeding ground for bacteria large enough to fly in formation through the air vents.
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