Although this isn't tech-related at all, but it does relate to cars, I don't like how some auto makers are obsessed with using synthetic leather for seats, to the point that some cars don't even offer real leather seats as an option at all. Two examples of that, IIRC, are the newest Toyota RAV4, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which both only offer synthetic leather for seats, while some of their competitors, i.e. the Honda CR-V, at least still offer real leather seats for people who want it.
Another thing that comes to mind about cars is the use of soy-based wiring, for the reasons of "protecting the environment", when it can lead to some nasty and expensive failures,
if rodents were to chew on that said soy-based wiring. It's as if auto makers did that not to protect the environment, but to make sick $$$ on repairs when rats do end up chewing on wires.