It doesn’t matter whether your concern is environmental or economic: disposable cars should not be our future. Yet over the past decade, that is exactly how modern vehicles have been treated. In just five years, the percentage of cars declared a total loss by insurance companies after a crash jumped from 19% to 27 — a 42% increase. Many of those vehicles were written off after relatively modest collisions, not catastrophic failures.

Cars are not failing mechanically. They are being abandoned financially. Mercedes-Benz is finally acknowledging that problem — and doing something about it.

As part of a new “circularity” strategy, Mercedes is redesigning future vehicles to be easier to repair and more practical to keep on the road long-term. The goal is durability, repairability, and lower embedded CO₂ over a vehicle’s life. One result may be a cheaper cost per mile for all of us.

Screws instead of glue

According to AutoBlog, Mercedes’ first change is surprisingly simple: screws instead of glue.

Modern cars increasingly rely on bonded, sealed assemblies. Damage one part, and the entire unit often gets tossed. The result was $12,000 used sports cars with finnicky tail lights that could cost $7,000+ to replace. Mercedes is reversing that trend by redesigning headlights, trim panels, and interior components to use reversible fasteners instead of permanent adhesives.

Future Mercedes headlights will be screwed together, not sealed shut. Crack a lens, and a technician will be able to open the assembly, replace only the damaged part, and reseal it. Interior door panels and trim pieces will follow the same logic. They’ll use clips and fasteners that allow fabric, foam, and backing materials to be separated and repaired instead of destroyed.

That alone could dramatically reduce how often expensive parts get replaced wholesale after minor damage. But there’s a second, longer-term implication here.

As vehicles become more electric and software-driven, powertrains could well last a million miles. Batteries will still need replacement, but that becomes a rational investment if the rest of the car is designed to endure.

If an automaker makes it relatively easy to refresh lighting, update interior trim, or repair cosmetic damage, keeping a car on the road for decades starts to make financial sense again. Factory refurbishments, updates, and repairs become part of ownership instead of a reason to walk away.

Manufacturers that find profitable value-add services around long-lived vehicles are positioning themselves well for the future. But one automaker appears to be thinking in those terms.

Mercedes is rethinking materials choices

The brand’s second design shift is more technical but just as important. The automaker is pushing toward mono-material components. In practice, that means complex parts — like headlight assemblies — will be made from a single type of plastic wherever possible. Lenses, housings, and internal shielding are designed to be recycled together. This means fewer will be crushed as useless, mixed waste.

According to Mercedes, this approach could nearly double the share of recycled material in a headlamp and cut its CO₂ footprint by roughly half, without changing performance. Other components, including washer tanks and underbody panels, are also moving toward simpler material mixes and higher recycled content.

This is all part of Mercedes’ broader circularity program. Yes, it’s about environmental impact. But it’s also about making parts that are cheaper and easier to work on — which matters when cars are staying on the road longer.

For years, automakers had little incentive to admit that one of the best things we can do for the environment is build fewer cars and drive the ones we already have for longer. Insurance companies, repair costs, and modern vehicle design quietly pushed us in the opposite direction.

That trend has real consequences. As more cars get totaled after minor crashes, insurance premiums rise for everyone. Full coverage costs surged again last year and are expected to keep climbing.

It’s refreshing to see Mercedes acknowledge that durability and repairability matter — not just in theory, but in how cars are physically built. If the company follows through, the environmental and economic benefits could change the way we drive.