Unbelievable! No wonder they're failing miserably...

[citizenkane]

Read these stories make me feel better about the death trap I drive. Its a true POS and Im looking foward to getting rid of it.

 

[Indy317]

I will use IIHS vehicle ratings for my next vehicle purchase, new or used. If it doesn't have good ratings for all categories, I am going to pass. Take a look at the various classes of vehicles, notice that only one or two US companies manage to get a vehicle in the ratings, and I didn't see one class where an American company was #1.

 

[sparky241]

I own a GMC suburban fully loaded. It was purchased in 2003 after it came here from Texas. Let me say i really likie this vehicle and have babied it like all my other trucks.The first day i owned the vehicle the face of the radio just fell off while driving. OK so i replaced the radio. The next thing i opened the ashtray to throw some coins in and the hinge on it just shattered. Next one of the vents started flopping back and forth.Next the glove box fell down while driving, The 2 pins that held it in just broke off. Next theres this tray that is ontop of the center councel you can flip over and write on, it split and cracked so i cant use it anymore. next the plastic trim over the back doors fell off an now i have trim somewhere in the vehicle that rattles all the time driving me crazy. I use to really love chevy and gmc, but i think the next suv i buy will be a toyota. I have had enough of ford, gmc and chevy

 

[Hoosier8]

Mazda is owned by Ford. The Ford Probe had a Mazda designed engine. I am surprised she bought another Ford.

 

[infidel]

2008 Silverado 2500 Duramax/Allison 30k miles
- has been pulling a 40' horse trailer every week since 5k miles with NO problems

2007 Silverado 3500 Duramax/Allison 75k miles
- pulls loads up to 12 tons multiple times a week since brand new, has not had to go to the shop for ANYTHING

2003 Silverado 2500 8.1 gas/Allison 105k miles
- pulls the same loads as much as the 3500 and bought it at 70k miles. Not a single problem whatsoever.

We use our trucks for work every week and do not have problems. That's why we keep going Chevy - we don't have problems with them. We have friends with Fords and Dodges that break down, and foreign companies don't make a work truck. So I really don't see any reason to change. People complain about Chevy, but from what I read its all about cars and not their big trucks, thank goodness.

 

[Annie Oakley]

I own three vehicles. My 1986 S10 was purchased new...not great mileage but dependable as all get out. Replaced the engine after almost 350,000 miles. Have a 1989 Omni that I bought new. Over all the years I just had to replace the original clutch at 300,000 miles and everything else, including the brakes, are original. Have a 2003 Kia Spectre and it was hard to buy it at the time. Have well over 100,000 miles on it and virtually now maintence other than normal upkeep.

Have in the past owned many "American made" vehicles and most of them were trouble of one sort or another. Sometimes the main problem was the dealer sometimes not. I will drive what I have now until the engines fall out and by that time we will all be walking or riding horses again.

 

[Hoosier8]

I have a 93 Jeep Cherokee with 240K miles on it. The average for that model is around 200K. Too bad you can't get the 6 inline engine anymore as it does not pass EPA regs. Just think of how much it saves the ecology by running forever and not having to be replaced by something that has to be created by all of that energy used to produce a new car! OK, so my driver's side door fell off, literally, but to be honest, the wind almost took it off once and then it got smacked, lightly. I got out of the car at home and the door came off in my hand. All I could do was laugh. I got it bun-geed on and have to climb through the passenger side for now.

The dust to dust report measures all of the energy that goes into producing, maintaining, and operating vehicles with the Prius worse than a Navigator. I compare my Cherokee Sport as similar to the Wrangler on cost and it rates very well, due mostly to the average useful lifespan. My RX8 does not fair very well and I can tell you from experience that you can watch the gas gauge go down while glancing at it.

http://www.cnwmr.com/nss-folder/automotiveenergy/DUST PDF VERSION.pdf

 

[Bigum1969]

I have a 06 Toyota Tundra that is being replaced with my Chevy Avalanche. I have high hopes of the Avy -- the fit and finish on it seems to be on par if not nicer than the Tundra. In fact, the layout of the interior is much better on the Avy than the Tundra.

 

[EMC0853]

I'm a big believer in American cars. In fact my newest car was made in Ohio - USA.
It's a Honda. I'll be buying another one to replace it as soon as it craps out, like in 15 years.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

Mazda is owned by Ford. The Ford Probe had a Mazda designed engine. I am surprised she bought another Ford.

he has a good point here, I guess I didn't realize you said she bought a mazda. Ford owns Mazda, and alot of the parts interchange, just different body skins. For example. Ford fusion= mazda 6 chassis. mazda 3= european focus chassis. Mazda's small SUV, I think its called the tribute= ford escape. The two main vehicles of theirs that I can think of that don't share a chassis with ford are the miata and the RX8.

I'll continue to stick to my Fords personally, I'll just buy used. But of course that's all I can normally afford anyways.

 

[IrishSon of Liberty]

I hope Toyota comes out with something to haul a full size family.

It's called the Toyota Sequoia. I highly recommend them, as I own one myself. After getting essentially the same run around from Ford when my brand new (2003) Exploder did just that, I finally did the unthinkable and bought a "foreign" car.

Again, Ford had a "design flaw" in the drive train and the geometry of the gearing wasn't exactly true. I was looking an an $8000.00 repair bill, and they wouldn't guarantee the repair for 80 miles, let alone 80,000. I especially liked the part where the Ford dealership even referred to my vehicle as the Exploder. Too bad the salesmen didn't use this term when I was shopping.

Anyway, I now have three rows of optional seating, a 4.7L V8 engine with 138,000 miles on it, and I'm still averaging 18.5 mpg. My favorite feature is the powered rear window (just like the old Bronco's), and the best bragging feature is the fact that it was built in Indiana via non-union labor.

I come from a Ford family, but with the problems that we've ALL had with them, everyone is now starting to look/purchase Toyota's and Honda's for everyday, reliable transportation. I'd love to buy another Ford, but they've got to prove themselves worthy before I'll ever hand over another hard earned paycheck, and many more in repairs. Thus far with the Sequoia, I've purchased brakes and tires, due again before winter. That's my type of maintenance schedule!

 

[public servant]

I own a Toyota (don't hate me).

I don't. You buy what works for you. My POV is a Jeep Cherokee. 125K miles and not a problem...just routine maintenance. I've been lucky...but it IS a Jeep. It's not the most comfortable thing to drive...but you give up some things for reliability and durability.

The big 3 dug their own graves. No sympathy here.

 

[amboran]

For the record, I bought my 2000 focus in 02 with 44k miles on the odo. And until I blew the differential out of the transmission (5 spd) from too much racing at the drag strip and autocross. I didn't have any major problems with that car. And this problem happened at 136k miles. And I beat that car almost daily, it took it and kept on rollin. It would be back together right now, but I've run into a couple issues, along with lack of time/help. Any brand you may find a lemon occasionally, but that doesn't mean that all their vehicles are bad.

Here's hoping my 07 Focus continues to be reliable. Son has an 07 with 52k miles-mine has 44k miles -neither one has been back to dealer for anything. We both have manual 5 spd tranny(much better mpg).He has 2.3l engine-mine is 2.0 l.We both run Mobil 1 oil(since break-in).He averages 30 and I avg 34-so why buy a car from Japanese or Korean owned company ?? YMMV.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

Here's hoping my 07 Focus continues to be reliable. Son has an 07 with 52k miles-mine has 44k miles -neither one has been back to dealer for anything. We both have manual 5 spd tranny(much better mpg).He has 2.3l engine-mine is 2.0 l.We both run Mobil 1 oil(since break-in).He averages 30 and I avg 34-so why buy a car from Japanese or Korean owned company ?? YMMV.

Good choices, especially the 5 spd manuals!

As long as you take good care of them they should last you a long time. By then they had figured out the tuning probs they had early on. And its still on the old focus chassis which is a very good and strong chassis. The new duratec series of engines is a good series IMO. With the 2.3 being a fairly strong out of the box performer and responds very well to mods. That being said I still love my old zetec in my 2000. If you ever have any questions about those cars just ask me, I know the focus pretty well in and out. Also you can find even more info on THE FORD FOCUS ENTHUSIAST SITE :: FOCALJET I'm a member over there too, just dont' post much. I go by focus'N'SHO .
Its getting harder to find the 5 spds cause so many people want autos, but I always prefer a manual, and both my cars are 5 spd, and when I buy dad's F250 off of him after he gets another, its a 5 spd as well. Good luck, sounds like you got a couple good ones.

 

[Indy317]

...so why buy a car from Japanese or Korean owned company ?? YMMV.

You can stop waiving that flag around. Ford isn't an "American Company" anymore it is a globally owned company:

Major Ford Stock owners
F: Major Holders for FORD MOTOR CO - Yahoo! Finance

Cheng Mei Wei--141,000 shares of Ford stock

Barclays Global Investors UK Holdings Ltd--93,285,357 shares of Ford stock

I always find it funny when folks say that publicly traded companies are such and such nationality. When your company is controlled by shareholders and your stock is available for global trading, you are owned by numerous individuals, firms, and nationalities.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

so why buy a car from Japanese or Korean owned company

Because they are better vehicles. The Big 3 picked their priorities (unions benefits and lavish bonuses for the BoDs, not the vehicles and defintely not the customer).

I was shopping to replace my SUV earlier this year and looked at GM's line as my father worked for 34 years for GM (even got his undergrad and grad degrees from General Motors Institute). The salesman told me that it was "normal" for GM cars to burn oil after 50K and said that people were always "bitching" (yes he used that word) about burning oil.

My Montero ran for 250K without burning a drop of oil (I did have to repair the transmission in 2005).

I bought a Toyota. It was made in California.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

I bought my 96 4cyl S-10 in 97 , it now has a little over 186,000 miles . I've had to replace a starter , alternator , tranny seals and the fan blade .

I figure this is routine type stuff and have been happy with the truck over all .

 

[2ridgebacks]

Because they are better vehicles. The Big 3 picked their priorities (unions benefits and lavish bonuses for the BoDs, not the vehicles and defintely not the customer).

I was shopping to replace my SUV earlier this year and looked at GM's line as my father worked for 34 years for GM (even got his undergrad and grad degrees from General Motors Institute). The salesman told me that it was "normal" for GM cars to burn oil after 50K and said that people were always "bitching" (yes he used that word) about burning oil.

My Montero ran for 250K without burning a drop of oil (I did have to repair the transmission in 2005).

I bought a Toyota. It was made in California.

We should all take a lesson from your example. Maybe after your Father loses his pension, benefits and you realize that GM put the shirt on your back for a large part of your life you will see the error of your ways.

 

[2ridgebacks]

I will use IIHS vehicle ratings for my next vehicle purchase, new or used. If it doesn't have good ratings for all categories, I am going to pass. Take a look at the various classes of vehicles, notice that only one or two US companies manage to get a vehicle in the ratings, and I didn't see one class where an American company was #1.

I didn't see where they were ranked by performance. Looked to me that it was either a top pick or not. Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo had several vehicles that made the list. On top of that Mulally isn't going to allow any new models to go into production that do not receive the highest available rating from the NHTSA. Is that double 5 star?

 

[jtmarine1911]

I agree about the cost-cutting, but it's not about profit. The Detroit automakers haven't been turning profits lately. Of course every business wants to cut costs, but why would the Detroit 3 be cutting costs more extremely than other auto makers - sometimes to the point of compromising quality? Again, I would say it is largely attributable to the legal/regulatory/labor environment they are operating in. GM employs about 90,000 people, but they're paying the health care for nearly 1 million people. The price of a new GM car includes about $2500 in health benefits for employees and former employees. For a Toyota, that number is more like $70. GM and the other Detroit automakers are operating in an environment where the competition has a $2400 head start on every car they make. Under those conditions, they are going to have to cut costs somewhere to make up the difference, because the buyer sure isn't going to pay a $2400 penalty just for the pride of owning a GM product.

First off, nobody has been making a profit lately! Second,

Rick Wagoner will leave his post as CEO of bailed-out General Motors with a $20 million retirement package, the company's financial filings show.

I never said they were cutting cost to save the company money, just make themselves more! I figured that statement you quoted of mine, you would have understood where I was going with it when I had mentioned the absurd bonus that my employers CEO recieved. I don't remember how many people were fired over all our Southern Indiana facilities, but the company got rid of 7800 workers worldwide but our CEO still drew a $9.2million salary!

I do agree with you on the labor and Health issue some. The labor side of it, the UAW has severly stuck it to the Big3 and their own Union members, but they sure do have a nice multi-million dollar golf resort! I tell you what, I work in a Union and it is a decent one and has it's benefits but the worst thing about a Union is it fights to keep the jobs of people that don't deserve to be there. Lazy people, worthless people, people I have to carry the load for are still employed and still doing nothing simple because they are in a Union.

Regardless, there is no vehicle out on the market in the US that is entirely built in the US, it is guarenteed to have a chip or actuator or something that is foreign.

And the Mazdas and Hondas and Toyotas, yeah they are nice and resonible if I am going to just drive it back and forth to work or what not but they will never, NEVER build a truck to handle the needs of someone like me or infidel, or the thousands of others like us out there! Proved that this past weekend, buddy came down to help cut firewood in his new Toyota full-size. Dodge is down to extremely exceeding the HP rating of a factory clutch disc( by about 200hp), so we used his. Lets just say some small ruts and a bed load and truck-bed trailer load of wood proved to be too much for his transfer case. Know what pulled him out, an 87 S-10 4x4. So when they can build a truck to handle what I might need it for, they I just continue to rebuild my old small blocks, maintain my drivetrain(like I should), and keep feedin my Cummins!