Its all about marketing- what America does best- create a need for something you don't need. Remember those great Mercedes from the 70's and early 80's- No reason why you couldn't get at least a couple hundred thousand miles out of them with regular maintenance. Thats not good for car companies. Why not make cars more complex and heavier. Repair costs and complexity go up. Easier to total a car in an accident. So instead of buying a car and driving it for 20 years which should be possible especially with today's technology, buy a new car every 3-5 years and junk a car after ten years. Nevermind the waste of natural resources this is. It keeps car companies in business, it keeps the banks happy, and you feel good because the marketers told you you would.