Author Topic: Modern parable...GM and Toyota (Read 3624 times)

Mopar73340 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 15, 2007 - 05:36:17 PM »

Quote from: jacksboys on April 13, 2007 - 02:31:07 PM

I am going to step into the danger zone on this one, so comment if you wish. I think it is partly to do with wages. I could be wrong, but as stated in the first post, the American companies are always giving bonuses to the upper level management and not using the money to improve their products or production. I could be wrong, but the top executives should not be making $1,000,000+ per year.

But the other problem in my situation is customer service or lack of. I currently have 2 chrysler products under warranty and each time I have been back to the dealer(s) for warranty problems I am told it's normal and to keep driving it or I have to argue with the dealers to fix a known problem. It seems this way with the big three as I know people with fords and gm's and all have the same situations. My parents own a japeneese car and on the few occasions they have been to the dealer for warranty work, the dealer bends over backwards to make sure the customer is happy. I understand that no matter what I may buy that it's mechanical and could have a problem but the American company's for some reason don't want to honner their warranty. Unfortunally where do you think I am going to spend my hard earned money next time?? Just my

JS27N0B · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2007 - 09:14:33 PM »

Quote from: Mopar73340 on April 15, 2007 - 05:36:17 PM

But the other problem in my situation is customer service or lack of. I currently have 2 chrysler products under warranty and each time I have been back to the dealer(s) for warranty problems I am told it's normal and to keep driving it or I have to argue with the dealers to fix a known problem. It seems this way with the big three as I know people with fords and gm's and all have the same situations. My parents own a japeneese car and on the few occasions they have been to the dealer for warranty work, the dealer bends over backwards to make sure the customer is happy. I understand that no matter what I may buy that it's mechanical and could have a problem but the American company's for some reason don't want to honner their warranty. Unfortunally where do you think I am going to spend my hard earned money next time?? Just my

My 2�

You need a better dealer, it's got nothing to do with foreign or domestic. You need a dealer who puts customers above all.

Mopar73340 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 16, 2007 - 07:02:00 AM »

Quote from: JS27N0B on April 15, 2007 - 09:14:33 PM

My 2�

You need a better dealer, it's got nothing to do with foreign or domestic. You need a dealer who puts customers above all.

While I would like to agree with you as stated above I have been to more than 1 dealer in my general area with the same results. I shouldn't have to drive across the state to find one who will treat me right. I have even contacted who I was able to at Chrysler directly with little or no help. The dealers I have been to are 5 star, incluning Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep for what it's worth. My problems were all warranty issues which should have been addressed with no questions asked not by being given the runaround by all parties involved. I don't have an issue buying an american car and I don't think the japaneese or korean cars are better, but if a problem occurs, the company has to stand behind the warranty and my experience so far has been they don't. Unfornatunatly like said before the american car companies don't care anymore and it's just my opinion that that is what the biggest problem is.

Blackcuda · « **Reply #18 on:** April 16, 2007 - 08:02:19 AM »

For the past 25 years, I've always owned American cars. I aways bought a GM car or truck, I owned a 89,92 and now a 02 Corvette. I've own a 85 Trans am, that I put 180k on, I've owned several Pick ups, and Tahoes, and now I just bought a 07 Avalanche that is a awesome truck.
None of my GM cars have given me trouble over the years, other than a recall on a head gasket on my 89 Corvette.
My brother in law loves Ford trucks, and will only buy a new one after he puts 200k miles on them.
Yes I do believe American cars get a bad rap, because it's BS. BMW, Volvo, M Benz, and some Jap makes are far less relaible. Even some Toyata makes have had reliablity issues.
I've owned several BMW's and M Benz, that have been in and out of the dealers for service and reliablity problems. I think BMW's are one of the most problematic cars on the road, after I owned three I will not buy another.

Rare_T_A · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2007 - 08:47:56 AM »

Personally I think the big three need to do something with how they treat their upper management. The money and bonuses they get are just crazy. They collect millions in a company that is loosing millions every quarter. If you did that poor of a job in your department how long would you stay employed? Instead the CEO's collect huge wages and bonuses and blame the problem on the line workers. I don't think the line workers and working people are the problem. As far as quality I see no problems there either. Right now we have two newer Chrysler products and the quality of them are great. The local Chrysler/Dodge dealer here is great also. We have never had a problem with them. I will never own an import again though. The couple we have had were so darn expensive to repair that made then pretty hard to justify keeping.

BIGSHCLUNK · « **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2007 - 05:32:29 PM »

Quote from: Rare_T_A on April 16, 2007 - 08:47:56 AM

. The couple we have had were so darn expensive to repair that made then pretty hard to justify keeping.

Are you talking about your Chally and RR?

Lunchbox · « **Reply #21 on:** April 16, 2007 - 06:15:38 PM »

I have owned nothing but GM vehicles. I year ago I got sick of all the problems I was having so I switched to Toyota. For instance, GM makes way to many vehicles that people don't want (for the most part). Theres reasons why for almost the last 5 years they have been offering huge rebates just to get them off the lot for more of the same thing coming it. Then when you seel it that rebate makes your resale that much less. I thought there was no reason my GMC should have droped $10k in value in 4 years.

The quality issues were bad, in 4 years and 31,000 miles I had a intake manifold gasket, serp belt, two seat covers, 2 sets of oil cooler lines, injector, quarter window and more. Lots of wasted time back and forth to the dealer. Then when I was looking for a used Yota I couldn't find one without 70k and only $2-3K cheaper then new, they really hold their value.

Lunch

Chryco Psycho · « **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2007 - 07:34:03 PM »

so why buy used if you can get brand new for 2-3k more , personally I have never bought a vehicle based on it`s resale value , I buy them to keep them not sell them

Lunchbox · « **Reply #23 on:** April 16, 2007 - 07:51:02 PM »

Quote from: Chryco Psycho on April 16, 2007 - 07:34:03 PM

so why buy used if you can get brand new for 2-3k more , personally I have never bought a vehicle based on it`s resale value , I buy them to keep them not sell them

Thats true, that is why I did get new. I still look for resale for the reason that I can see my needs changing every 5 years or so for the future. If I were to drive it till the wheels fall off then resale does mean nothing.

Lunch

ragtopdodge · « **Reply #24 on:** April 17, 2007 - 07:17:11 AM »

Just anectodal, but my wife's '06 300c SRT8, has not one issue, except a sticky navigation joy stick. 18k on the clock.

Local dealer's been fine.

However, aside from this car, there are very FEW cars that Chrysler is putting out that people want. Sebring? Avenger? That Jeep Compass is fugly, and the Caliber could use a re-design. But it's Chrysler's Rubbermaid interior that puts people off. Even in the wife's $45k ride, it surely could use a more luxirious interior that even Hyundai puts to shame!

Upper mgt decisions, plain and simple. Undeserved bonuses and stock options while the poor guy trying to feed his family on the assembly line gets the pink slip.

At least Toyota is hiring, albeit, w/no union representation and in MUCH smaller numbers than what GM hires within the States.

ChallengerHK · « **Reply #25 on:** April 17, 2007 - 07:26:45 AM »

While it may or may not be indicative of the quality of domestic brands, in the time I spent in plants for Ford and GM I saw rampant drug use, rampant alchohol use (one guy finished a fifth of Smirnoff in a very short time then left the empty inside a door of a car that was moving down the assembly line), and constant threats against workers who worked "too hard." I had line workers go out of their way to make it difficult for me to do my job; in one example, they tried to have me fined for moving a projection screen without first filing a request with the union. In one plant senior line workers had set up a "nest," pretty much a maze of filing cabinets at the center of which were a bunch of modified office chairs where they could sleep while on the clock. I watched one guy who was in a bad mood purposefully install trans wire harnesses incorrectly, screwing up dozens of cars.

I'm sure this stuff goes on at foreign-make plants as well, but at least Honda and Toyota can fire them. As long as the UAW exists, I won't buy another domestic car.

matt63 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 17, 2007 - 08:14:40 AM »

It's hard to put my finger on why exactly I buy European cars. I've got an '06 Audi A4 Quattro and my last cars were an '04 BMW, '02 VW and a '99 Saab. I almost bought a 300M in 2000 but went with the Saab in the end. The European stuff definitely drives nicer and I do prefer their interiors. I also think they are better looking than their North American counterparts. Perhaps the fact that they are a little less common and aren't found in rental fleets is attractive also. As stated already, the interiors in the new 300 and Charger look like they should have Rubbermaid embossed in them somewhere. The old 300 had a very nice interior (but was a much more expensive car). You think the big 3 would of spent enough time and $$ to figure this all out.

Blackcuda · « **Reply #27 on:** April 17, 2007 - 08:20:54 AM »

Quote from: ragtopchally on April 17, 2007 - 07:17:11 AM

Just anectodal, but my wife's '06 300c SRT8, has not one issue, except a sticky navigation joy stick. 18k on the clock.

Local dealer's been fine.

However, aside from this car, there are very FEW cars that Chrysler is putting out that people want. Sebring? Avenger? That Jeep Compass is fugly, and the Caliber could use a re-design. But it's Chrysler's Rubbermaid interior that puts people off. Even in the wife's $45k ride, it surely could use a more luxirious interior that even Hyundai puts to shame!

Upper mgt decisions, plain and simple. Undeserved bonuses and stock options while the poor guy trying to feed his family on the assembly line gets the pink slip.

At least Toyota is hiring, albeit, w/no union representation and in MUCH smaller numbers than what GM hires within the States.

I had a Magnum SRT 8 for 7 months, and I had to get rid of it. The shocks on the car made klunking noise over bumps at slow speed. I took it to the dealer, and they said it was normal.
Except for the SRT seats, the rubbermaid interior really looks cheap. The car got aweful gas milage even with normal driving. The fit of the body panels was the worst I've seen on a new car in ten years. And the worst part was the low front plastic facia, that would get caught on parking stones, and when you back up would rip all the plastic screws out. A $400-700 repair depending on how bad the damage. The dealer said I need to back into parking spaces. I said, you show me in the owners manual where it says I have to back the car in a space.

JS27N0B · « **Reply #28 on:** April 18, 2007 - 09:28:22 PM »

Quote from: Blackcuda on April 17, 2007 - 08:20:54 AM

I had a Magnum SRT 8 for 7 months, and I had to get rid of it. The shocks on the car made klunking noise over bumps at slow speed. I took it to the dealer, and they said it was normal.
Except for the SRT seats, the rubbermaid interior really looks cheap. The car got aweful gas milage even with normal driving. The fit of the body panels was the worst I've seen on a new car in ten years. And the worst part was the low front plastic facia, that would get caught on parking stones, and when you back up would rip all the plastic screws out. A $400-700 repair depending on how bad the damage. The dealer said I need to back into parking spaces. I said, you show me in the owners manual where it says I have to back the car in a space.

OK, you bought an SRT8 and are bit chin about fuel mileage?? Complaining that it's too low and you can't figure out how not to scrape the front end. Sorry man but get real!! You better sell the Cuda then cause I'm sure the mileage sucks in that too.

Stacked440 · « **Reply #29 on:** April 18, 2007 - 10:33:19 PM »

I want to WANT to buy American because it is in every way superior to any other car out there, not just the fact its American. I feel much better buying American than anything else because it supports jobs in the U.S., But I won't buy a car that costs more, has less options, and over-all is not as nice looking and reliable as an equal priced vehicle from elsewhere in the world. It just urks me to no end the way there is no way you can contact someone that is high up in management so you can convey your feelings about things to them. Loss of contact with the customer brings companies to their end. Like the Challenger for instance...4000 being made a year? I just can't believe Chrysler would make such a stupid decision. ARG, makes me so steaming angry!

Why do you always feel like a donkey when you get done venting?

Author Topic: Modern parable...GM and Toyota (Read 3624 times)

Mopar73340

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JS27N0B

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Mopar73340

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Blackcuda

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Rare_T_A

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BIGSHCLUNK

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Lunchbox

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Chryco Psycho

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Lunchbox

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ragtopdodge

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ChallengerHK

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matt63

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Blackcuda

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JS27N0B

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Stacked440

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