[MNBoxster]

Hi,

I agree that Driver Input can contribute to or mitigate a weak or poor design. In the case of the former, often trouble can be avoided altogether, in the latter, one may be able to forestall or delay, but usually not eliminate the possibility that the machinery will eventually fail.

Some people Drive em like they Stole em, as a group, these people are more likely to have more failures and higher repair and maintenance costs. Some drive them like the proverbial Little Old Lady, these people may also experience relatively higher failure rates and maintenance costs, but usually to different components than the 1st group, because they aren't working the machine hard enough. Then there is the group which drives the car as it was meant to be driven, but respects the machinery (usually with some greater understanding of how it all works). These people usually have the fewest problems and lowest maintenance costs. One is not better than the other, but the consequences of their driving practices often differ tremendously.

We see this in racing too. There are drivers out there who suffer more DNFs due to mechanical failures than others. And those who have a reputation of respecting the machine and usually have a higher % of Finishes.

I'm on the fence on this one, and in fact wouldn't be surprised if there's a little of both at play here. It would seem that the Dealer does as well. The odds of getting 2 bad transmissions, in the same car, are probably astronomical. One thing which favors this is the low mileage at which both units failed (mechanical devices usually die in either early life or old age. In the former, bad assembly or design can be the culprit. In the latter, the device simply wears out - reaches it's designed lifespan) But, driver input can also lead to early failure, so this too cannot be eliminated. In fact, should the 3rd Tranny begin experiencing issues, this factor probably jumps to the forefront.

Redlining a car, or exceeding it, isn't the only way to shorten it's lifespan or that of the transmission. Merely the practice of keeping one's hand on the stick while driving and inadvertently applying pressure can lead to early wear to the balk rings or synchros. Shifting early or late can also have detrimental effects. And there are many others too.

I am making no judgement so far as Eslai's style of driving one way or the other. I don't think there's sufficient evidence to do so. But, neither do I think there's sufficient evidence to rule it out as a contributing factor either, especially when we're seeing a need for Brake Service a little early too.

As I said earlier, I suspect that there's probably a little of both going on, but this is sheer speculation. In other words, if someone were to give me this as a hypothetical, with an unknown driver, based on what we know, this would be my first, but not necessarily my last, hunch. So I'm not slamming Eslai here in any way. We already know this car ain't the most reliable on the Planet...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99