Posted on 10/26/2008 5:20:18 PM PDT by WilliamReading
etroit's Big Three look like they will soon be a Smaller Two. Industry leaders and investors are still absorbing the idea that Chrysler LLC could disappear. A lot of consumers have already moved on.
Chrysler's woes arise from many mistakes, compounded by bad turns of luck. But the company's failure to keep up with rivals on quality is a significant, and underrated, factor in its current crisis. Join the Discussion
Readers, over to you: Has poor quality pushed you to avoid purchasing a Chrysler product? Cast your vote and join a discussion.
Chrysler's quality deficit was a stark highlight of Consumer Reports magazine's annual survey of vehicle quality, released last Thursday. Chrysler "trails the pack" in quality, the magazine says. Almost two-thirds of Chryslers models rated below average in the magazine's testing and in its subscriber survey, which collected responses on 1.4 million vehicles this year and is one of the largest surveys running on vehicle quality.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
It’s a shame really. I own an ‘03 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4. It’s a nice truck, going on 100,000 miles, no problems whatsoever.
Why buy a Chrysler when you can just buy a used Honda or Toyota that will be worth more in ten years than a brand new 2009 Chrysler. I do like their 300’s but that about the only Chrysler i ever see in traffic.
Amen to that. Decades of pushing crap on consumers is probably the biggest thing that undid the big three. It also allowed the Japanese to come in. Most American cars are better now but its hard to wipe out the legacy of some of the 1970s and 1980s American cars. Particularly when people who switched to other companies are generally happy. You don’t switch back unless you are confronted with a truly better alternative. With rare exceptions you don’t find American cars in key segments that are compelling enough to overcome new brand loyalties. Loyalties that you helped create through things such as the Pinto and the Vega.
The big three have produced some good trucks but for too long the cars were not up to snuff. Now Japanese companies are gunning for the fullsize market. Gunning with some good trucks too. The new Tundra is a heck of a truck.
I have an 06 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was built in Michigan. No problems.
This shows in lack of interest in science and math, high drop out, lack of interest in Graduate school.
I fear another huge deficit of involved and energetic citizenship, one who really think about long term health of country and its survival based in founders principles.
Partly?!
Chrysler’s reputation for exploding transmissions is legendary. My boss had a Seibring that killed him with suspension failures.
GM and Chrysler will merge... they’ll use Chrysler transmissions and surround them with crappy GM accessories.
GM + Chrysler = AMC
AMC didn’t make it, why would a new AMC make it?
I own a 2000 and a 2006 grand caravan.
Both very nice vehicles which have served my family very well. Not one major problem with either, in fact not even any real minor ones, outside of the regular maintenance issues.
I plan to buy another in a few years.
Right on.
BUY AMERICAN.
America workers, are not the enemy.
2 jeeps OK, but our Sebring began to stallin traffic, we replaced everything that referred to fuel or ignition and the problem was still there. We are afraid to purchase another Chrysler product. We never had any problems with our 4 Plymouths of bygone years (slant 6’ers.)
We’ve owned Chrysler minivans for years and never a major repair bill. Chrysler deserves our loyalty.
I have a ‘94 Grand Cherokee (4WD) and an ‘04 Grand Cherokee (2WD). Other than routine maintenance, no problems...and I work them pretty hard.
Voted and commented...
Here’s what irked me about the Big Three Carmakers. If they were trying to show that they really made QUALITY vehicles, why didn’t the extend their bumper to bumper warranty from 3 years/ 36,000 miles to 5 years, 60,000 miles?
Put your money where your mouth is, Detroit.
I was told they would like to do that, but it would cost them too much to make the repairs on the cars.
But the consumer is supposed to believe in the Detroit quality of cars, when their own executives don’t???
Would like to see Chrysler disappear, or be absorbed by Nissan.
“Most American cars are better now but its hard to wipe out the legacy of some of the 1970s and 1980s American cars. “
Better, but not good, and they slip back to putting out crap. American companies are still run by bean counters. Accountants don’t build quality cars.
I have a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville. A top of the line Pontiac, right? It’s a POS.
My next car will be a Honda, I won’t even consider GM.
The first car I ever bought was a Honda Accord. It was a fine car and I owned it for four years.
Since then, it’s been only BMWs for me. Never been disappointed!
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