Then again manufacturers drive down costs by reusing parts across models, so often you can find the part even though the model you are driving is no longer bein

Then again manufacturers drive down costs by reusing parts across models, so often you can find the part even though the model you are driving is no longer being sold (never mind warranty). And at least with mechanical parts, there is always the option of third parties making parts. Its quite a different story when talking custom chips and firmware. Consider the humble window wiper. More often than not these days it is not mechanical, but a electric motor driven by a chip hooked up to the CAN bus. Similarly the central door locking and electric windows are likely to be on a single card pr door hooked up to CAN and an electric wire (the one in the driver side door being a bit more elaborate as it has controls for all the doors).