Problems With Morgan Cars? (5 Common Issues)

So, the uniquely built Morgan cars have caught your fancy and you’re interested in buying one, right?

Well, whether you’re just curious about how reliable Morgan cars are or you are actually buying one soon, you’ll find 5 0f the common problems with these vehicles in this article.

1. Issues With the Main Headlamp

The headlamps of a vehicle help to illuminate the road ahead, especially at night. Because most drivers will struggle to see during dark hours, the importance of headlights in a vehicle cannot be overemphasized.

As important as these light shedding lamps are, it’s quite unfortunate that there have been issues with the efficiency of the headlamps of some Morgan cars.

Some owners have complained that the main beam of their headlamps fails to turn on as desired. While this issue mainly affects the 2001 Morgan Aero 8, it could be traced to a faulty relay switch or alternator problem.

Headlights could lose their brightness sometimes when there’s an issue with the alternator. You should note that like every other car component, the headlamps also derive their power from the battery, through the alternator.

So, when the alternator becomes faulty, it could affect the performance of the lights as well.

Meanwhile, the relay switch could also make the lamps unresponsive when it becomes faulty. If you, therefore, happen to have issues with the headlamps of your Morgan car, a simple check on these parts could get them fixed.

Luckily, Morgan cars are assembled by hand, not by machines; so, fixing its components should possibly be easier.

2. Improper Seat Belt Warning Alarm

Another defect you should watch out for in this ride is the inaccurate seat belt warnings.

Like a regular car, Morgan cars would also alert you or other passengers of the need to fix the seat belt when in motion. There has been a reported defect in the seat belt sensor.

A concerned customer, using the 2020 Morgan Plus Six, has complained about the warning alarm beeping when there is no one on the affected seat. This could likely occur when there is a heavy weight on the seat or when the sensor becomes faulty.

If you are observant, the front seat of a car would sound an alarm whenever the car is in motion and an occupant failed to fasten the seat belt. Ever wondered how this works?

There is a weight sensor on the front seats that detects your presence on the seat. To ensure a secure drive, you are required to use the seat belt, especially when the car is in a smooth motion. Otherwise, the alarm will keep notifying you until you fasten the belt.

That said, that the alarm of the 2020 Morgan Plus Six sometimes function abnormally may be a fault with its sensor. You may need to take the car to your dealer to get this fixed if you experience the issue.

Considering that many of these vehicles lack a power steering, you might also want to read about sport cars without a power steering system.

3. Inability to Use the Shift Stick

There has also been a concern about the transmission system of the 2019 Morgan Plus Six. A user has reported inability to change the transmission from park to drive.

According to the user, the car stayed “stuck in park and the stop light is flashing on the dashboard”, as reported by autoinsider.co.uk.

Many vehicles have 4 basic aspects of the transmission – park, reverse, neutral, and drive.

Whereas each function allows the vehicle to move accordingly, you may not be able to drive your car unless you shift the stick to a required transmission point.

Here are 4 most notable causes of a sticky gear:

1. Low transmission fluid level
2. Dirty transmission fluid
3. Clogged transmission filter
4. Faulty transmission system

Virtually every car works with a transmission fluid that has a designated chamber. Occasionally, an attentive driver should check the level of the fluid to ensure it’s at an optimum level. If otherwise, it becomes necessary to top-up the fluid.

When the transmission fluid level of your car becomes too low, you may have issues with the response of your gear.

Aside from being low, you should also ensure the transmission fluid used for your car is not dirty, as this is one of the causes of a clogged transmission filter. These could also affect the efficiency of your transmission.

Meanwhile, it is possible that the transmission fluid of your vehicle is in a clean and optimum state and the gear still works ineffectively. When this is the case, you need to get the vehicle checked.

When the transmission system of a car starts to fail, it could even give off other unusual signs. So, you might want to check out signs of a slipping transmission.

4. The Car Has No Trunk

Most Morgan cars lack the conventional expectations of a modern ride. They may come with roofless designs, but most of them, like the 2020 Morgan Plus 4, feature no trunk.

The fact that this ride looks pretty doesn’t change its somewhat primitive nature. You may find the dashboard awkward when you first enter the car. This is because its operational instruments are basic.

More pronounced is the lack of a trunk even in their more recent models.

While many Morgan cars offer a cool ride around town, you may need a luggage rack to cater for your cargo. Besides, only the Super 3 features a conventional trunk amongst all Morgan car models.

Mind you, most Morgan vehicles are sports cars; and as such, they may not be designed for long or family trips. Notwithstanding, many of these rides feature different storage compartments and an optional luggage rack.

5. Some Models Have No Airbags

Airbags work effectively with 3 components to help minimize the effects of a collision or crash while driving.

There’s always a crash sensor that detects a serious collision and activates the airbag. This becomes effective with the help of the inflator that sends out nitrogen gas to deploy the airbag itself.

So, when a vehicle gets involved in a serious collision, the airbags minimize the vehicle’s loss of control to reduce the potential of a serious head injury. This is one of the ways modern vehicles help to ensure the safety of the driver and, at least, the occupant of the second seat.

Unfortunately, the Morgan Super 3 features no airbag. We’ve heard of a defective airbag system in many modern cars, but hardly would you expect a ride to feature no such technology.

Therefore, for security reasons, you may want to avoid the Super 3. In case you’re interested in reading more on the significance of airbags in modern vehicles, you might want to check if all new cars come with airbags.

General Pros and Cons of Morgan Cars

In the automobile world, one notable truth is that no car is absolutely great, neither is there a shitty ride. That said, Morgan cars have their highs and lows as well.

Here are some noteworthy points, as well as the downsides, about these cars:

Pros

Here are some advantages of Morgan cars:

• Simplicity: Morgan cars maintain distinct designs and simple features. They are one of the few vehicles that offer a raw driving experience. While the Morgan Plus Four and the Plus Six feature power steering as standard, you can still enjoy a no steering-aid drive in the Super 3 if you so desire.
• Speed: While most Morgan cars work with different engines produced by BMW and Ford, the brand boasts of some quite swift rides, like the Plus Four, which could move from 0 – 62 mph within just 4.8 seconds. Against all odds, that’s quite speedy for a Morgan ride.
• Hand-built: Morgan maintains the old school pride by featuring little techy features in their rides. Most of the cars come with stylishly handcrafted convertible designs and a lowered windshield to make one feel the wheeziness of the wind as you cruise around in a 2-seater ride.

Cons

Here are some of the problems with Morgan cars:

• Most Morgan Cars have no trunk.
• Morgan Super 3 feature no airbag.
• Morgan cars are somewhat expensive.
• There may be issues with the headlamp.
• The shift stick may be defective.

What Do the Reviews Say?

Morgan cars are renowned for their handmade craftmanship, even though the vehicles feature less fanciful modern technologies.

This is a car designed by people – long since dead – using nothing but their carpentry skills and an eye for grace and drama.

[Source: Caranddriver]

Most of these cars are delight to ride even though they may disappoint in many aspects. While reviewing the Morgan Plus Four, TopGear has this to say:

The point where 2020s technology meets 1920s craftmanship. Not perfect, but a joyous thing nonetheless.

[Source: Topgear]

One thing that seems to remain everlasting with Morgan cars is their old-school style.

Everything about the 2020 Morgan Plus 4 is archaic and uncompromised by concerns about practicality, comfort, noise, vibration, or harshness.

[Source: Caranddriver]

In spite of the less fanciful designs and features, Morgan remains one of the most notable traditional auto manufacturers in the world.

Morgan has grown into one of the best-known bespoke automakers surviving today. Despite truly calling back to the automotive past, including with some unique production techniques in the modern era, Morgan sports cars continue to be in high demand.

[Source: Hotcars]

What Is the Resale Value of Morgan Cars?

Here are the resale values of Morgan cars:

Final Thoughts

Morgan cars are owned by the British vehicle manufacturer, Morgan Motor Company, which has been in existence since the 1910. The brand has quite a lot of sports cars in its offering, and their vehicles are unique for their stylishly framed wooden body shell.

Whether you’re interested in their 3-wheel or 4-wheel rides, it’s best to know the common problems with these vehicles to have a pre-informed riding experience.

Sources

Morgan Plus Four | Topgear

Morgan Plus 4: Unchanged Since 1950 | Caranddriver

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