Car Owners' Misconception: Modern Car Engines Heat Up Less Than Retro Cars

In the past, when engine overheating was mentioned, it usually referred to old Ford or Dodge models. However, the situation has changed, and the associations with this problem have also become different. Today, modern cars also often face overheating due to their design features.

Despite the high build quality of modern cars, engineering solutions aimed at reducing fuel consumption, decreasing harmful emissions, and cutting production costs increase the risk of overheating.

Modern engines have become more compact, but their power has increased thanks to turbocharging. As a result, the working temperature now reaches 115 degrees, whereas it used to be around 90 degrees. This means that modern cars operate on the edge of critical values, and any failure in the cooling system can lead to overheating.

The temperature under the hood is raised not only by the engine: it is influenced by many elements of the cooling system — the air conditioner's radiator, catalytic converter, intercooler, and automatic transmission. Radiators are now often made from light but soft aluminum, which gets damaged quickly and can become clogged with insects over a single summer season.

Another important aspect is the reduction of the coolant volume: for instance, the classic 2014 Chevrolet Impala had around 8 liters, while the 2024 Toyota RAV4 has only 4.5 liters with the same engine size. This worsens the efficiency of the cooling system and increases the risk of overheating.

Thus, modern engines are at no less risk of overheating than old models, and the consequences of this can be very costly for the owner.