All the time you can unbolt one part and replace it with another part with little more than some tools admittedly specialist tools in some cases we can keep our cars going for as long as replacement parts are still available as well as the knowledge is still about.
The problem comes when software and updates or coding is involved, this takes it away from the average person at home even with tools and this is where this new generation of vehicles are going to be uneconomical to repair, yes the part can be bolted on as before but if a specialist is going to charge several hundred pounds to make it do what it is supposed to do it will probably be uneconomical to repair.
Last year I replaced a fuel pressure regulator on my Transit Van, about an hours work and very easy if a bit fiddly. the problem was the learns. The ECU needed to learn the new pressures, before it would do that it had to relearn the injectors. Luclily I have the software to to do this but a local non Franchised dealer qouted me £500, a main dealer wanted £700. The total job including learns was about 2 hours.
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