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They tell you valuable things about occupant protection and crash avoidance, but they do not promise that the vehicle will be inexpensive to repair. A modern car can perform brilliantly in a severe crash and still produce a painful bill after a parking-lot collision.

Modern windshields carry more technology and cost much more to replace than the simple panes many drivers remember. That does not automatically make the glass more fragile, but it makes every crack feel considerably more painful.

The engine runs fine, but the maintenance warnings sound intense. Turbocharged cars aren’t necessarily fragile, but they can be less forgiving when a few key services get ignored.

Yet plenty of cars from that decade have already disappeared so thoroughly that spotting one can trigger an immediate, “Oh yeah, those existed.” Some were clever experiments, some chased shrinking market niches, and others simply arrived at exactly the wrong moment.

Driver-monitoring systems can improve safety by detecting long glances away from the road, closed eyes, and other signs of disengagement, but they are not infallible. There is no trustworthy industry-wide false-warning rate, and real-world accuracy can vary with the vehicle, software, lighting, sunglasses, seating position, and even the shape or visibility of a driver’s eyes.

One second the roof looked normal, and the next there was a deafening bang followed by broken glass. Now the dealer says it’s an insurance issue, while you’re wondering why a factory-installed roof wouldn’t fall under the warranty.