Cars.....why can't they never break down?

I mean it! Why can't cars be built to last a lifetime like they used to be? You see so many cars built in the late 80s - early 90s that are in worse shape than cars built in the 30s, 40s, and 50s!! I wonder what that says about our work ethic in the past few decades? It's interesting to me that things used to be built to never wear out, and now they are built to wear out in a few years.

And it's not just cars! I have an iron that needs to be replaced because it has a short in the switch and doesn't always stay turned on. It's more expensive to FIX the one I have than it is to buy a brand new, top of the line iron!

Why is this? Why do things wear out so quickly? Is it so that when the manufacturer comes out with the "bigger, better" model we not only WANT to buy it, but we really HAVE to buy it? That's my theory. And I'm sticking to it.

But back to cars. After 5 years a car is on its downhill slide. OF course you have the car paid off, and it's definitely out of all possible warranties. And it never fails but right when you are several hundred miles PAST your factory bumper to bumper warranty you have a major malfunction that, had it happened only a few hundred miles earlier, would not have cost you anything to fix!

Brakes are a different story. It's interesting to me that Michael's car has NEVER had brake work done and it's more than twice the age of mine. MY car, however, needs brake repairs....ASAP. We're taking it in today to get it fixed. But my question is this : why my car? I don't ride the brakes, I don't slam my brakes on, I don't over-use my brakes! I don't tailgate on the freeway, I don't drive with one foot on the brake and one on the accelerator pedal! So, I submit to you : it is because my car is newer. Because my car is newer, more parts are going to wear out sooner on mine than they will on his. Just because FORD wants me to buy the biggest, baddest, newest model they have. I just want to say to them : Hey, I LOVE my Focus Wagon! I really, really do!! I want to keep it forever, so can you please turn off the mechanism that regulates when things go wrong?

I guess it's up to me to do my part : routine maintenance, frequent oil changes, and taking good care of the parts that DO wear out (tires, and BRAKES).