Chrysler the "Defiant Automaker"

[KZ]

What are your opinions on Chrysler not taking the recommendations of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration? Seems to me that over the past decades Chrysler has been losing market share, needed several bailouts and had to merge with other companies to stay afloat, and here they are giving the middle finger to the NHTSA. That doesn't feel quite right with me personally, how may consumers, when shopping for a new vehicle may ask themselves "even though I like the looks of the Chrysler vehicles, how can I trust that they are as safe as they can be"? ANY automaker ignoring a safety report is unprecedented, and Chrysler is not in a good position in their share of the market place that they can potentially lose more customers over something like this.

Thoughts?

[ragtopdodge]

51 people dying from fiery explosions...I think it deserves a recall.  Remember the Pinto?

Trouble is, fixing all those millions of Jeeps would be huge $$$.

[shadango]

I didnt see the news -- you have a link? I guess I could google too....

From what old timers tell me Ford was slow on accepting the reports on the Pinto.....

Chevy was slow to agree with the saddlebag fuel tank problem....

Ford was slow to agree with the Explorer rollovers/tire problem.....

Suzuki was slow to deal with the Samurai rollovers....

List goes on.

Its bad PR I think to flat out ignore a safety agency but sometimes the safety agencies are a bit over aggressive too....I dont know about you guys but I grew up riding in cars with no seatbelts or car seats, laying on the package tray (til Dad stopped short), riding in the backs of station wagons and pickups and riding bicycles with no helmets, knee pads or gloves.....yet somehow I survived. Most kids I know did too....  yet nowadays the safety agencies have gotten LAWS passed for those very things based on stats.  Al we all know stats are only as good as the folks taking them and adding them up.....so I dunno.

[KZ]

http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/07/autos/chrysler-recall-reputation/

[torredcuda]

I didnt see the news -- you have a link? I guess I could google too....

From what old timers tell me Ford was slow on accepting the reports on the Pinto.....

Chevy was slow to agree with the saddlebag fuel tank problem....

Ford was slow to agree with the Explorer rollovers/tire problem.....

Suzuki was slow to deal with the Samurai rollovers....

List goes on.

Its bad PR I think to flat out ignore a safety agency but sometimes the safety agencies are a bit over aggressive too....I dont know about you guys but I grew up riding in cars with no seatbelts or car seats, laying on the package tray (til Dad stopped short), riding in the backs of station wagons and pickups and riding bicycles with no helmets, knee pads or gloves.....yet somehow I survived. Most kids I know did too....  yet nowadays the safety agencies have gotten LAWS passed for those very things based on stats.  Al we all know stats are only as good as the folks taking them and adding them up.....so I dunno.

 
"Chrysler argues the analysis if faulty, that the fatal crashes were almost all the result of high-speed, high-energy collisions in which a different tank design would not have made a difference. "
We can put 100 air bags and full roll cages in vehicles and there will still still be accidents with injuries and fuel tanks will still rupture.

[KZ]

Well, Chrysler took a look at the polls and caved, which is probably the smart move, the consumer is ALWAYS right

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/06/18/chrysler-changes-mind-recalls-jeeps-government-sought/2434955/

[JS27N0B]

It's a shame really, sad anybody died but why are other automakers who's vehicles have been more problematic not forced to do the same. Seems somebody has an agenda.     

[Chryco Psycho]

I heard tonight they have reversed the decision & will warrenty the tank problem 

[Topcat]

I heard tonight they have reversed the decision & will warrenty the tank problem 

yeah,

 because they didn't want to be in hearings at congress or end up in Supreme court.

[ragtopdodge]

They're going to give away free trailer hitches to those Jeeps.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

I can remember buying a MOPAR back in 1978 and was able to get a better deal on it . Why ?? because I noticed it had Firstone 500 tires on it. There was a BIG hoopla back then for the 500's.

Whats this got to do with it.... nothing ... other than there's always some controversy............

[Topcat]

 Comparison of the big manucturers: Ford, Toyota, Honda, GM, and Chrysler, etc.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/automobile-recall-statistics/

[JS27N0B]

Some of the recalls are ridiculous, like the air bag recall on the jeeps in that list. A shield has to placed over the air bag module which is inside the vehicle to protect it from the occupants spilling things so badly above the console or fording rivers that it may get moisture in it.

[KZ]

those recall numbers are a little bit deceiving in that the big manufacturers, who obviously produce way more vehicles than the small guys (i.e. Volvo, Land Rover, etc.) will naturally have larger numbers of recalls, a better gauge I think would be what % of a manufacturer's vehicles are recalled, and even better, break it down by yr

[Topcat]

those recall numbers are a little bit deceiving in that the big manufacturers, who obviously produce way more vehicles than the small guys (i.e. Volvo, Land Rover, etc.) will naturally have larger numbers of recalls, a better gauge I think would be what % of a manufacturer's vehicles are recalled, and even better, break it down by yr

If you go over the list, GM & Kia were some of the lowest %.