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- Joined
- Feb 22, 2006
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- Kubota, AGCO, New Holland LB
Where as today GM/Ford/Dodge/etc. meet some kind of maximum safety standard? You've already been sitting in vehicles that meet the minimum safety standard... just paying much more for it due to high labor costs. If GM/Ford/Dodge start making cars in China you will be sitting in the same quality vehicle that is available today and paying the same price... but the companies will be solvent and I guess that's whats important from reading here. Gotta keep our 'American' brands around.![]()
There's plenty of US made cars that exceed minimum saftey standards. In fact, I'd argue that US brands on average have higher safety than foreign because they're larger & heavier. Possible exceptions being MB & Volvo.
I've bought plenty of Chinese products supposedly built to "America quality standards" that have fallen apart faster than their previously US made counterparts. Chinese welding & metallurgy is substandard compared to US.
I agree that US labor costs are too high, but what is your solution? Eliminate all American manufacturing?
I don't care what the commercials tell you, American car manufactures products are crap. They are missing 'attention to detail' and by the time you assemble all those loosely made pieces you get a big hunk of low-quality 'mystery rattle', 'little squeak' 'leaky' hunk of $&!#.
Every time I make a foray into a Big 3 car or truck I regret it. Even rentals... I rented a Mustang two years ago... what a rattly, crappy driving piece of poo. I leased a Ford Expedition a few years back as a test. In the dealership at least once a year for warranty work... a lot of it the same transmission problem over and over again. Then the whole tire deal where the dealer wouldn't replace the tires until forced to do so by the recall. Even though, since the news had just broke when I bought it, the salesman promised to change the tires out before we took delivery. Steered like crap too. Turned it back in and got a Toyota Sequoia, 6 years and 87,000 miles later and I haven't done anything but change oil/tires/brake pads/one battery. No squeaks, no rattles, still as air-tight as the day I drove it home.
I am not a Big 3 hater... I feel very sad for them, especially when they start touting 'quality' in their commercials.
I just turned in a $60,000 Volvo XC90 AWD with a Yamaha V-8 that had plenty of squeaks & quality control problems. Good thing it was under warranty.
I agree some US makes are worse than others, but some are outstanding.
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