Are the simple things in modern cars like this new Chevy Corvette C8 over-engineered?
A new Chevy Corvette owner complained about a glovebox problem on Reddit, bemoaning the fact that the electrical relay needed to open it was found behind the glovebox itself.
There’s really not much more to say about this specific situation as we don’t really know what the actual problem is, if it can be easily fixed and if it’s an isolated issue. Except the comments that followed did bring up an interesting debate.
Brand new C8, glovebox won’t open. Silly engineers put the relay for the glovebox—behind the glovebox! from Justrolledintotheshop
Are modern cars overly complicated and is there still a market for simple features such as manual door windows, seats you adjust by rocking forward and back, and gloveboxes with a simply handle. Let’s be honest, an old-school glovebox door won’t ever fail. It will open when the battery is dead, or when electrical gremlins are present elsewhere in the vehicle.
The recent 2020 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study highlighted problems many consumers face with modern technology. Ease-of-use and the reliability of the technology played a larger role than ever in determining the final ranking. Dodge came out on top, but some quickly argued that Dodge tech wasn’t as modern as other automakers and hence, simpler and more reliable.
With more tech comes more potential problems, it’s a universal law of the automotive industry. On the other hand, it’s pretty clear that buyers want the latest gizmos in their vehicles. If they didn’t, automakers wouldn’t offer them. So, we may have to get used to gloveboxes not opening because of an electrical problem.
