The hidden timer in my car

“It just needs to get me across France and back, and then I’ll replace it.” Those were my words after a rather large bill that sealed my Volvo V60’s fate. A few months ago, I wrote about the hidden cost of complexity in modern cars. I argued that today’s vehicles are increasingly defined by software, and that this complexity ultimately makes them more expensive to own and maintain. I hadn’t expected my own car to provide another perfect example quite so soon. It’s been a great car, but it’s eight years old now and things are starting to go wrong. A new steering rack, along with fitting, replacement tyres, tracking and brake pads, came to almost £3,000 of unexpected expenditure. To be fair, the tyres and brakes were expected, but I’d already started thinking about replacing the car when another warning appeared on the dashboard. A warning Halfway through a road trip across France, the message appeared: Volvo On Call. Service Required. My first thought was some dodgy fuel from an…