To jwrb:
The collective level of knowledge and experience on this site is phenomenal. It would be a shame to disabuse your self of this Likewise it would be a shame to deprive others here of your experience and knowledge. No one is out to disparage you. Come on mate, this is a friendly and diplomatic place where things get done in a convivial and enjoyable way.
I fully sympathise with your frustrations that your car is causing you. I have had cause to rage at my VW many times - I think we mentioned this a few days back; all in good humour.
I would like to add though, electronics are in general highly reliable, it's just that because of the relative absence of issues in general when one occurs it's a bit of a surprise.
Your point about lashing up a mechanical throttle with a piece of string is a sound one. (I've done this with a Montego many years ago!) But we could conjecture that a fly by wire throttle arrangement has no mechanical cable at all, which is one less potential failure point. I do, however, concur with your points about timing chains over belts. 100%
I don't think we will ever see a return to more traditional methods and designs, principally because of the very restrictive legal requirements made in terms of emissions and safety. Progress is generally a good thing. Would we want to return to drum brakes and crossply tyres? I suspect not.
Yes, there are some manufacturers who are not as adept at design and construction as others, but these could equally make a mess of a mechanical system just as much as of a digital system.
Also, car makers are not colluding to make things difficult for you, nor for anyone else. After all, they all want our business in the form of new car sales volume. Reliability and reputation are big factors because it's used value or trade in value which dictates how much a customer can spend on a new car, how much they can charge for it, and what make and model this customer elects to buy.
So can we please get the ball back on the floor, so to speak, and start helping you unravel this problem your car is presenting to you.
No one here is setting out to make digital enemies, genuinely.
Best regards,
Paul.