How Safe Are New Cars?

[Robsey]

This is just a simple question.

How safe are new cars -
I have seen Youtube videos of a bus battery suddenly exploding into a huge flare. (In France).
Hmm - doesn't bode well.

The reason for me asking is, something like this, but to a much lesser exten, happened near me on Tuesday (19th July 2022).

I was in the Merrion Shopping Centre car park in Leeds at nigh on 3:00pm, to attend a graduation ceremony at the First Direct Arena. (Not mine, I am not clever enough).

The outside temperature was hitting 39°C, but air-con in the Vectra kept things sweet.

As I was waiting for a big Chelsea tractor to reverse into a bay to my front right, there was a huge bang, that could only be described as a bomb going off under the back of our car.
I could feel the shockwave through the whole car.

Obviously a brown trouser moment for me, leading to an uncontrollable outburst of What the F@£# ??!!
Thankfully the missus wasn't there otherwise I think she would have had a coronary...

After composing my shattered nerves, I looked behind me to see a white late-model Nissan Juke with a dry white cloud gently rising up the outside of the windscreen, directly in front of the driver.

Clearly not steam and clearly not an electrical fire (white fumes).

Any ideas what the chuff blew on the Juke to create a huge bang, but a feable white cloud?

Answers on a postcard to my underwear dry-cleaners...

[Mk3alan]

Seen that bus, what a flare up! I reckon the joke had a massive gas leak from the air conditioning?

Alan

[vexorg]

It must have been coolant or fuel.
The never heard of aircon rupturing like that, the gas usualy finds it way out without any big scene. The condensers is very exposed on the juke, again, it's liquid when it's in there and it just leaks away.

I'd probably still take a juke over a vauxhall.

[Robsey]

Whatever it was, it blew in a very big way.

I thought maybe the condensor had ruptured.
Perhaps most of the refridgerant was blown forwards towards my car - but low enough for me not to be able to see it through the rear window.
Thus being loud, but unimpressive to see from my interior rear view mirror.

I am sure most Nissans are very good cars, it is only the quirky bug-eye headlamps of the Juke that put me off them. Reminiscent of the Fiat Multipla.
Apparently great from the driver's seat, but possibly uglier than me from an onlooker's perspective.

[vexorg]

We had a yellow facelify juke, it oddly suits yellow. Also with yellow option inside, so trims were yellow to match, seat was part yellow and yellow stitching, even yellow stiching on arm rest and instrument binnacle.

We had it for 5 years from 4 months old, and the air con was the only fault it had, due to the exposed condenser. I put black mesh in to stop the stones knocking holes in it.

[Robsey]

I remember photos of the interior of your Juke on the OpCom forum. The yellow dash embellishments were definitely memorable - but I wouldn't say horrible.

It is just cars with "Bug Eye" headlamps mounted in slighly odd positions that 'freaks me out'.

I do find Japanese cars are very well made
I have had a few Toyotas and they were very reliable and worked faultlessly.
Only fault I had were the ignition condensors failing.
One on my 1980 KE70 Corolla 1300DX, and one on my sister's 1985 Nissan Stanza 1600 GL.

I recall a program years ago saying that British Leyland used an old Datsun Cherry as a Benchmark for their test track in the 80s.

The Datsun completed the course effortlessly.
The Leyland cars always struggled badly.

Enough said - ha ha.

[Robsey]

Reading online, I see several stories of Nissan Jukes exploding.
One set of stories is to do with panoramic sunroofs that rattle and then explode.
Another set goes on about Jukes exploding and setting vehicles close-by on fire.

Ooooh!!

[Mk3alan]

Never liked the Joke's and if there apt to self combustion shall steer well clear!

Alan

[vexorg]

Still haven't seen the juke make the headlines compared to the vauxhall fireballs yet.

[Robsey]

Yes the Zafira-B did cause a bit of a media frenzy.
Or at least the media did.

It took them long enough to find a problem.
I am sure the Zafira-C had already launched before the problems were first publicised.

[vexorg]

Antara was the other one, and the comical vauxhall "fix"

[Robsey]

Not heard of any major Antara issues -
Mother-in-law has a 57 plate 2 litre diesel, which up to now has been okay.
It has had the usual big blue fuse issue (remedy is to pull out and refit).
and the very common diesel filter leak.
But otherwise - quite sound.

I know a lot of 2 litre diesel Antara and Insignia engines suffered big-end bearing shell snatching due to poor lubrication.

Hence why most people would not consider a new Vauxhall these days.
Although since 2016-ish they have been rebadged Pugs anyway.

[vexorg]

The 2.2 diesel were also in the news for going up in flames. And a temporary recall that vauxhall had no intention fixing properly.

The issue was that the crank seals would leak, and oil built up on the undertray. Then during a regen the dpf was too close to the oil tray so it ignited the oil. The oil leaks were treated as the old "wear and tear" (even on one or two year old antaras!) and lifetime warranty didn't apply.

The vauxhall fix was to remove all the undertrays in the recall!!