Quote:
Originally Posted by WCH
When was it that the GM, Ford, Chrysler, or American Motors produced those quality automobiles?
I've been a licensed driver for more than 50 years, my first car was a nine year old 1951 Ford, and I spent more than 35 years in the automotive field (service, parts manufacturing and distribution, and as a manufactures representative) and I can't recall a period where American automobile manufacturers produced better, more reliable vehicles than they do today.
|
Sure they do.
But in the 50s and 60s, they produced much better cars than the alternative foreign manufacturers. The first cars I remember were my Dad's '52 Ford, my Grandfather's '49 Chevy, and my other Grandfather's '48 Plymouth. Dad upgraded to a '59 Ford, then a progression of Fords and GMs every four years or so. His last vehicle was a '62 GMC pick-up.
By the 70s, that was changing, and the American QC got progressively worse, as the foreign makers, particularly the Japanese, made the cars people wanted and made them better, in both design and quality. The impression that the Big Three projected was that we know what you need and want better than you do. Check the Consumer Reports, JD Powers, and other quality satisfaction surveys. The U.S. auto makers got an import tax levied on imports, ostensibly to allow them to undercut foreign pricing while they converted to build fuel efficient vehicles, then almost immediately raised their own prices by a matching amount.
In the 80s and 90s, they were consistently building poor quality cars of limited utility. They alienated an entire generation.
They have improved since then, and have closed the gap a bit with the foreign manufacturers (especially as the foreign companies built factories here in the US), but based on previous treatment (and the fact that there is still a gap), many of us will never buy a Big Three car again.
They may make a car that will last 100,000 miles relatively trouble free, rather than the 60,000 they used to last, but the Japanese make cars that will run 200,000 miles or more without anything other than routine maintenance. I had an uncle who put 450,000 miles on a 80s era Honda wagon over 15 years before letting his son have the car. I sold our Dodge Intrepid with 206,000 miles on it, and it was a wreck, after having body integrity, cooling, HVAC, steering, transmission, and engine issues. We spent several thousand on unscheduled repairs for it. We are at 175,000 miles on a Honda minivan with no significant issues. The last Ford Explorer I had started breaking down at 15,000 miles. I have a Dodge Ram in the driveway right now which started giving me engine troubles at 19,000 miles. It was in the dealer's service department at least eight times for the same problem under warranty. The dealer acknowledged the problem, but refused to fix it, and the regional service rep told me to live with it. If I take my Acura in with any complaint, however minor, they fix it right then, treat me right, and charge nothing. If it going to take more than an hour, they will usually offer me a loaner.
If you read the entire thread, you will see my negative experiences with the dealerships, management, build quality, warranty service, etc. I will maintain that poor products, bad designs, exorbitant labor costs, uncaring tenured workers, a bloated dealer network, and questionable business practices have ruined the US auto industry. I have been driving since the early 70s, in 60s cars, and have owned U.S. (all of major makes), British, German, and Japanese cars.
You fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I gave Detroit many chances, they screwed me, repeatedly, and laughed in my face about it. Never again.
Hope that explains my comments. Your mileage may vary.
TR